January 2018

In other cities—from, let’s say, Cleveland to Minneapolis, Birmingham to Chapel Hill or  to the four corners of the continental United States, including Portland, Maine—the progressive dining-out reawakening that has evolved over many decades, beyond American chop suey and veal- parm Italian American style—brings us to a present-day Disneyland of trendy dining. This has  gone beyond the locavorism of American bistro, small-plate kickshaws and fusion fare  so that a restaurant such as Bolster, Snow typifies the new breed of chefs and restauranteurs who create dishes that defy hyperbolic categorization.  That is, namely, it’s the delicious food prepared with an American touch of freshness and local ingredients defining the bold fare served at Bolster, Snow.

The streetside facade of The Francis; the bar and the reception rooms

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Dishes that were popular and now out of favor are finding their way back into my kitchen.  For a while I was nuts over savory soufflés (never much liked the sweet variety) and for a short time several summers ago I revived the classic quiche to serve to lunch guests on  North Haven.  But most recently my attention has turned to popovers.

Popovers fresh out of the oven.

It’s a bread that’s in a class of its own. They’re really the American version of Yorkshire pudding that relies on an egg and milk batter that rises magically in the oven without any leavening whatsoever.

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