June 21 was our 5-year wedding anniversary, so we wanted to celebrate with a special dinner out. We'd been talking about checking out Bresca for a long time, because we had heard that it was fabulous-- but because it's so small, reservations are crucial, and planning ahead isn't always our forte.

Happily, we remembered to call and reserve about a month ahead of time. Even so, the only times available were 6:00 or 8:30. We opted for 6 under the theory that it would probably be a fairly leisurely meal and we could start with cocktails etc.

When we arrived, the space felt very inviting. It's tiny, true, but the decor is lovely and feels very homey. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. Otis had mentioned when he made the reservation that it was our anniversary, and so our server offered us complimentary sparkling wine, which was a nice touch.

After hearing about the specials we munched on some delicious crusty bread that we dipped in some fruity olive oil that was poured into our app plates. We opted for one of the special salads to start-- it had greens, speck, French beans, and asparagus spears in a light vinaigrette. It was absolutely delicious-- I consider it the high point of the meal.

For our entrees, we went in very different directions-- Otis went for the braised pig's feet, a dish which is an homage to Au Pied de Cochon, the famed Montreal restaurant. I opted for the fish special, salmon with citrus brown butter and lentils.

Both dishes were delicious, but perhaps a little overly rich. My salmon was perfectly cooked, with a tasty crispy skin and tender flesh, served on a bed of lentils. I didn't get a lot of citrus flavor from the brown butter, and overall the dish could really have used a little touch of acidity-- it had a slightly sweet undertone.

The braised pig's feet were delicious, but again, very rich and slightly sweet. As a first time pig's-foot-eater, Otis also felt a little frustrated at how little yield of meat there was on the plate.

Because of the richness and sweetness of the meal, neither one of us felt too much like dessert, which was too bad, since Bresca is renowned for its desserts.

Our meal at Bresca was, overall, quite delicious. If you detect a tone of disappointment in this entry, it's because it didn't quite live up to its reputation, I thought. We'll definitely give it another try some time-- everything really was quite delicious-- but Bresca won't be joining the frequent restaurant rotation.

We finally made it to the Green Elephant vegetarian restaurant on Congress Street last weekend-- and I wish we hadn't waited so long! It was an entirely pleasurable dining experience. The service was great, the ambiance lovely, and the food delicious. it definitely won't be long until we're back.

Because we were meeting friends, we planned on an early-ish dinner, and met at 6:30. After sitting down the waiter came over promptly and took our drink orders-- Otis and Andrew each had a beer from the fairly basic beer list, while Sara and I opted for glasses of pinot noir and riesling, respectively. The wine pours were quite generous, in lovely balloon glasses.

The waitstaff at Green Elephant write your order into palm pilot-type gadgets that wirelessly beam the info into the kitchen. I'm not sure if this is a huge time savings for them, but it sure is cool!

The menu was quite large, and we were all chatty and distracted, so we decided to order apps only first. Andrew and Sara are regulars, so they were able to recommend the Green Leaves Wrap with Mango and Herbs, which I would never in a million years have tried-- it's raw collard greens wrapped around raw herbs and mango. Although it sounds weird (raw collards??) it's actually very delicious. We also got Crispy Wontons, which were similar to a vegetarian version of crab rangoon, made vegan with soy cheese, and Deep Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls, made with shiitake mushrooms. All of the apps were delicious, and despite being deep fried the latter two seemed very light and not greasy at all. The dipping sauces complemented the dishes perfectly, and the portions were quite generous.

We did eventually figure out what we wanted for our entrees, although it was difficult since everything sounded to tasty! I opted for the Hot & Sour Noodle soup, and Otis got the Far East Duck, which is actually "duck."

A word about the fake meats. Otis loves 'em. When he lived in Boston he was a regular at Buddha's Delight. They're not necessarily my favorite-- but I did try his "duck" and it was delicious. Happily for me, since I don't like duck, it didn't really taste like duck, and the sauce was wonderful. Similarly, my soup was great-- flavorful, spicy, and fully of great veggies.

So, if you haven't tried the Green Elephant yet, don't be like me and wait forever. Go!

608 Congress St. Portland, ME
207-347-3111

We're leaving in about an hour for the cape. Too bad the weather is so dreary, but regardless I am looking forward to a wonderful 5 days of food and drink and relatives and relaxation. Evidently there is some fresh-caught cod awaiting us, thanks to a friend of my brother-in-law, and a plan for dinner out Friday night.

Mostly I'm thinking about sitting on the Baron family deck with the dog, reading a book, and eating crab dip.

When we come back I have high hopes: I am planning to do a blog redesign by the end of the summer. I'm also done with school, so I'll be back in the kitchen and posting CSA-veg-related recipes, which after all was the whole point of this project!

There's also a possibility that my friend Ravinder will become a guest writer, focusing on cocktails. If we can ever sit down and talk about how to work that!