Meridians- Fairfield, ME

Meridians

Fairfield, ME

Today we are going to go a little off the "path". 

Normally I review restaurants but today we are going to chat about a local wine/beer/food store! 

I strongly advise you visit their website, http://meridians.me/about/, for a full bio on the place but I will informally, unintelligently, and obnoxiously describe my experiences :)

I love this place. From the moment you walk in you feel at home.

The 3 gentlemen that own/work there David, Josh, and Nate are great!

They carry a large wine/beer selection and so much more.

To name a few.. they have a TON of local pasta, cheese, meats, gluten free options, 

and treats. You need to go check it out.

If it is just any average day, they are enthusiastic and extremely helpful..

If you go on a wine tasting night, they're even better.

Usually dressed up.. fun and happy..

They are also SUPER informed on each wine they are serving.

I always learn so much.

And if it is your first time doing a tasting.. have no fear!

They are inviting and will make you comfortable, never an outsider.

You can purchase some awesome Meridians merch too, 

including wine glasses to do your tasting with.

I took some pictures of a tasting I recently went to..

Here is a list that they provide the customers with.. Oops, a little spilled wine.

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This is a wonderful cheese they have to snack on with some wheat crackers.

Obviously I am a huge fan of Meridians.

I hope all of you go in and give them a chance!

You will not be disappointed. Support our local businesses.

If you like feeling comfortable, appreciated, and like you've made a friend..

this will be your new favorite place to get your dinner party supplies.

Happy Eating and Drinking!

Riverfront Barbeque & Grille- Augusta, ME

Riverfront Barbeque & Grille

Augusta, ME

Has anyone ever told you they have the best BBQ place?

I bet.. and they are wrong.

This place is HANDS DOWN the best BBQ place I have ever visited.

Every time I bring someone new here, they agree. 

They buy local and home make almost all of there items.

The house made BBQ sauce is to die for. 

They have it available to purchase and I always make sure I have some in my fridge.

The smoke all of there own meats.. I recommend the sausage! YUM.

Another favorite is the pulled pork over jalapeño cornbread. Holy smokes.. 

They always have wonderful specials, too.

Now, lets talk drinks.

They have multiple beers on tap, wines, and mixed drinks.

They usually have a few drink specials as well, seasonal or what not.

Lets get into some pictures of food!

Pickled Onion Rings

Yea, I said it and you need it. These are so damn good.. 

Thinly sliced onions, pickled, breaded, and deep fried.

They are served with a delicious dipping sauce.. I can't recall what it consists of. 

These are the perfect start to a meal or a great snack while drinking. 

Buffalo Wings

 Ut-oh! I ate one before I snapped the pic. 

I couldn't help myself.. they're AMAZING!

These wings are crispy, spicy, juicy, and addicting.

Served with some fresh celery and a chunky blue cheese dip.

These are a classic done BETTER. 

Half Caesar Salad with Blackened Chicken

(not a menu item)

OH MY GOODNESS.

The blackened chicken at this place is ridiculous.

I often times go here after work and order it alone.. Thats how good it is.

But, on top of the salad it was incredible. 

The dressing is yummy, just enough on there.. as you can see they give a generous portion of parmesan cheese :) I will say, the pricing on special requests can sometimes be a little weird..

I would talk to your waitress about the cost before placing the order.

Those are the only photographs I have taken while eating there...

I guess you'll just have to go and see the others for yourself! 

Now.... I am not done.

There is this little secret.

Upstairs from Riverfront BBQ there is a hidden gem.

It is called the Gin Mill.

They are only open Thus, Fri, and Sat. 3-11:30

It is owned by the same person. 

It is great.. they have a very large bar, low lighting, copper tables, 

fancy bathrooms, and you can get BBQ from downstairs! 

They often have live music, too!

I obviously am a huge fan of these two places.

I hope you give both places a try and fall in love! 

Happy Eating!

Jorgensen's Cafe- Waterville ME

Jorgensen's Cafe

Waterville, ME

I have been so reluctant to post this blog.. 

But, I feel like I have waited long enough.

 I have spent enough money and time here.

The good memories I've created here will never outweigh the disappointment I feel every time I've entered this establishment within the last 6 months or so. The only thing that keeps me coming back is the fact they serve the best coffee in town and it requires little to no responsibility of the staff. 

I now refuse to order any food from here.. 

Not only do they often forget about you.. but even worse..

When they do make your food it takes FORfuckingEVER.

The last time I ordered food from here I was with a friend. 

We both ordered the pesto chicken salad.

Keep in mind, nothing about this salad is cooked/heated.

Twenty five minutes goes by, no salad. 

Thirty-five minutes.. so I go up to ask about it.

"Hey, are our salad ready by any chance? It's been about a half hour?"

She goes out back

"Oh, yes, they're making them right now."

lol, fucking forgot... obviously.

Another fifteen minutes goes by.. I've had it.

I go up and kindly ask for my money back. 

I never am one to create a scene so I waited for the people in line to order. 

She did kindly give my my salad and my money back.. but come on. 

This is not the first time I've waited this long. Also, this isn't the first time I've seen/heard people getting their money back because of the ridiculous wait time. 

I think as a general rule, if you claim to be a cafe and serve "quick" items such as bagels, salad, wraps, and breakfast sandwiches, I should be able to come in on my lunch break and leave with food within a half hour. 

Instead you better prepare yourself to return to work an hour late, hungry and pissed off.

It is too bad this has happened. 

I did recently learn that Jorgensen's Cafe is under new ownership.

I am not sure of when this happened but I can tell. 

I used to know (by face at the least) all of the staff.. they were always friendly and organized. 

The food came out of the kitchen within a reasonable about of time and tasted good.

This place for me has never been over-the-top good, but it was always reliable and quick.

Now when you go in, and even though they are standing behind the counter they barely notice you.. 

They're unorganized and seem to be stressed out. 

The bathroom is always a mess too. 

Bottom line, I'm really disappointed and sad. 

I will continue to get my morning coffee on my way to work and just bring my breakfast from home.

I can not sit and wait 25 minutes for a bagel again without causing a scene. 

I know I am not the only one that feels this way.. 

Maybe one day we will have the Jorgensen's Cafe we all new and loved.

If not, there are plenty of other places to eat in Waterville :)

Happy Eating.

Grand Central Cafe- Waterville, ME

Grand Central Cafe'

Waterville, ME

Hello, do you like pizza? 

Now, tell me, do you like mediocre pizza... or the good shit?

Well.. I don't think its fair to say you like "good" pizza if you haven't tried this place.

Grand Central Cafe' has the best pizza Waterville has to offer.

I may have even heard "the best pizza in central Maine"!

In all seriousness.. this place kicks ass!

They cook everything in a brick oven, WHAT?! 

They have an awesome selection of specialty pizzas and a build your own option.

They offer homemade, usually vegan always vegetarian, soup!

Also, homemade chili, salads, quesadillas, gluten free options, tons of local beers/soft drinks, homemade dessert (the carrot cake is to die for), and a warm and friendly atmosphere!

The other day a couple friends and I went there for lunch.

When they are open for lunch (thurs, fri, sat) they offer buffet!

Pizza is 2$ a slice and its serve yourself.

The slice selection is always great. 

Usually a little of everything, vegetarian, meat, pesto sauce, bbq sauce, tomato sauce, etc. 

Something for everyone :)

Here are a few pictures from my visit:

The buffet! I forgot to mention the kitchen is in the dining room.

Small, cute place and you can see the oven. Nice and cozy :)

 View from the back of the restaurant.

All tables are different. Some hand painted!

 The soup!

This day it was butternut squash and apple.

So good, serve yourself and once its gone a new one is made!

I highly recommend this place.

The owner is usually there and super friendly, as well as the rest of the staff.

Go give it a try! You WILL NOT be disappointed! 

http://thegrandcentralcafe.com/

https://www.facebook.com/grandcentralcafewaterville/

Happy Eating!

Early Bird Restaurant- Oakland, ME

Early Bird Restaurant

Oakland, ME

Today I am going to tell you about a little breakfast/lunch joint in Oakland, ME.

This place is restaurant "home cooking" at its finest. 

One, if not the best, parts of coming here is from the time you sit down to the time you leave is about 20 minutes. This place is INSANE! 

Every time Brad and I order here we time it..

It is always under 10 minutes until we get our food.

This is nice because every time we show up the line is out the door.

Everything they serve up is done well.. very simple, good cooking.

They always have specials available and great desserts. 

Most of the staff has been working there for years and kill it. 

Another one of my favorite parts is they start serving lunch at 10:30!

I sometimes crave lunch and Brad wants breakfast... best of both :)

Last time I went I got a breakfast burrito for the first time. 

It was awesome.. 

That is one thing I have noticed about this place.. 

Every time I try something new I like it. Never disappointed. 

Nice and toasty..

Sausage, egg, cheddar cheese, onions, and peppers.

Of course, salsa and sour cream!

It was all melty and delicious. 

Big plus for me was there wasn't all the dripping crap that you sometimes get from a grilled wrap.

Well done Early Bird, well done!

My Love got his usual..

Ham, tomato, and American Cheese omelet with a grilled blueberry muffin.

YUMMMMMMM!

I alway steal bites of Brads food so I first hand can share how it was..

(thats what I tell him anyway, lol)

The eggs there are great.. they're always just thick enough to hold everything in.

I can't stand when the eggs on an omelet are thick and kinda dry. Gross.

The blueberry muffin is cut into thirds.. buttered.. then grilled!

OMG, talk about doing everything right.

Overall, Early Bird Restaurant is a wonderful place to enjoy breakfast and lunch.

The price is always great. 

(usually 14-20 dollars for us)

The waitstaff are friendly and on top of their shit!

If you show up and the line is crazy just remember what I said...

They are so quick you won't be waiting for hours, I promise :)

Happy Eating!

  

Mainely Brews- Waterville, ME

Mainely Brews

Main St. Waterville, ME

Have you ever been here?! 

If not.. then you need to go.. now.

Mainely Brews has 100% become a staple in my life for entertainment, food, and drinks.

They always have awesome dinner/drink specials.

They also brew their own beers and they're delicious. 

My favorite is the Drop Dead Red, yum. 

I could go for one right now.

The other night my love and I went for dinner..

I went a little out of my comfort zone with my meal.. 

I ordered salmon.

I never knew if I liked salmon of not?..

I figured that if I were to try it.. I would let a restaurant I like cook it up!

I was so happy with it. 

Now lets show you some pictures....

We started with this.. POUTINE! 

For those who are unaware of this incredible creation... it consists of fries, gravy, and cheese!

This was amazing. 

They always have the best fries anyway.... 

SO... topped with gravy and melted cheese, kills. 

Then there is this handsome guy :)

He ordered himself a cold Red Stripe to go with his Ruben pizza 

(i think it was called the rubenstein?)

This had regular dough, thousand island dressing, onion, corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese!

He loved it and so did I. Very good. 

Mainelys offers buy one get one free pizza night on wednesday, what a steal. 

Their pizza is SO good! Highly recommended. 

I had the blackened salmon topped with roasted tomato cucumber salad and a lemon dill sour cream,

green beans, and a wild rice! Like I said before, this was completely out of my comfort zone.

I didn't even know if I liked salmon 100%.

It was outstanding!

I since have ordered this again, on top of a caesar salad, YUM!

The green beans were super fresh, as usual and the rice was cooked well and had good flavor.

Here are a few other recommendations I have for Mainely Brews:

Red Pepper Gouda Dip

Roasted red peppers and gouda cheese baked until golden. 

Served with pita chips and veggies.

Mozzarella Balls

Fresh mozz breaded and fried to order.

Served with homemade marinara.

Lobster Stew

Maine lobster, potatoes, and onion in a sherry lobster broth.

Coconut Encrusted Haddock

Fresh haddock encrusted with coconut, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Served with chipotle aioli. 

(I like it in a wrap)

So that pretty much wraps up my Mainly Brews review.

They are an awesome local restaurant with a killer beer and food selection!

They have open mic on Monday evenings, Karaoke and trivia on thursdays, and live music most Friday and Saturdays! 

If you're a visitor you should with out a doubt make a pit stop and if you're a person from the area and haven't tried it, please just go already. 

Website

mainelybrews.com

They have there full menu online along with calendars, local attractions, and their history!

Happy Eating!

Umami Noodle Bar- Bangor. ME

Umami Noodle Bar

Bangor, ME

Today I am going to take you through my journey at Umami Noodle..

My sister told me about this place and I HAD to try it.

I absolutely love soup... 

What would be better than a "build your own" soup joint?

um, nothing.

This place is located on Main St. right across from Mexicali Blues.

They have outdoor seating and a large indoor area.

The gentlemen working the day I went was awesome! 

Super helpful and seemed to really enjoy his job.

I had tons of questions for him and he knew the answers to ALL of them.

I started to build my soup..

The options were incredible.

I'm adding so many things...

Then the guy stops me..

He says, "is it your first time here?"

haha.. oh man. 

My soup had come out to something like $20.

I had shrimp, noodles, mushrooms, onions, etc.. I went all out!

So, after him explaining it to me..

I went with..

Tom Yum broth

Rice noodles

Portabella mushrooms

Napa cabbage

Pickled Daikon

This came out to be about $11.

It was SOOOOOOO good.

Easily could've been two servings if I wasn't a glutton.

Everything was so fresh and not over cooked.

The broth had so much flavor!

The soup was also garnished with carrots, scallions, and bean sprouts!

Inside they had a counter of oils, sauces, and vinegars that you can take in little cups (pictured above) to add yourself.. always a fan of extra spice.

This last picture I stole from their facebook page.

Isn't it cute?!

The menu is very straight forward and easy to navigate.

https://www.facebook.com/Umami-Noodle-Bar-1401510923402969/

Check out the link to their FB page...

They seem to keep up to date with their social media!

I highly recommend this place!

There are so many options.. so everyone can find something they'll like.

Happy Eating!