A few weeks ago Otis and I ventured out in a snowstorm to the wilds of Westbrook to brunch with our friends John and Toby, who live there. They suggested we meet at the Frog and Turtle, which describes itself with the somewhat twee phrase "a gastro pub." Their website uses some dubious etymology to define "a gastro pub" as "an neighborhood spot that has good, fresh food."

Regardless, it was a fun adventure to go to Westbrook. Normally, I don't make it out there unless I'm passing through on the way to Gorham for a meeting. Somewhat like a Manhattanite who rarely deigns to visit the outer boroughs, I've often felt that there's really no compelling reason to leave Portland, since I have all I need here. This is ridiculous, of course; but it does become difficult to leave the city once you have all your favorite spots picked out.

(Before my readers get all up in arms, I should clarify that my New York residency took place in Brooklyn and Queens, not the faaaabulous Manhattan of Sex and the City. If you haven't been to Brooklyn Chinatown you haven't lived.)

Happily, we're breaking out of our rut somewhat-- Frog & Turtle was fun, and this Saturday we're off to Brunswick to El Camino.

Now, on to the review of F&T.

We arrived to find that John and Toby had secured a lovely booth next to a big window. The space in general was nice and homey, and the seats were all filled. (Note: I think Chicky's Fine Diner used to be in the same space. Never went there. For why, see above.)

I started, of course, with a bloody mary. You can argue all you want, but I am a firm believer in a) drinking in the morning on a weekend, and b) always ordering a bloody mary at any restaurant you visit for brunch. It makes the meal so much more enjoyable. Plus, there's something about the tomato-horseradish-salt-spice thing that acts as a wonderful appetizer.

Sadly, the bloody mary at F&T was not satisfactory. It's advertised on the menu as "packing a smoky bite" -- in fact, it tastes like someone added a teaspoon of liquid smoke to the mix. The smoky bloody mary concept is a good idea, but in execution it just didn't work out. I kept sipping it, hoping the flavor would grow on me, but no dice-- it continued to taste off. Finally, I asked our waiter for some extra limes and did my best to drown out the smoke flavor with citrus. It was minimally effective.

However, aside from that, our meal was delicious. The absolute best part was the homemade doughnuts. They're three for $5 and worth every penny. Freshly-deep fried, they were warm and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You get your choice of flavors-- we opted for chocolate glazed; raspberry jam-filled; and cinnamon sugar. They were, quite simply, incredible. It's worth the drive just to try them-- I would have taken some home, except I realized that the magic partly comes from being fresh out of the fryer.

Seriously fabulous.

After the doughnuts, my benedict made with kielbasa seemed like something of a let down, although it really was quite tasty. The hollandaise was nice and light, and the eggs poached just right. The potatoes were fine. My only complaint there was that $11 was a little much for a brunch entree.

So, all in all, our experience at the Frog and Turtle was quite nice. it's a neighborhood spot that has good, fresh food.

And kick-ass doughnuts.