We went. We ate – a lot. We had fun. The stage was set for a great Friday morning. Walking through the door coffee and OJ was waiting for us and we arrived just in time for kick-off.
My husband-to-be and I had a game plan. We went straight to the back of the Sea Dog Brewing Co. restaurant where the early morning event was being held. That way we avoided the crowd. It worked! We were second in line at the Dysart’s table. They served a stuffed French toast topped with either a Maine blueberry or raspberry pure/syrup type thing. It was yummy, but we were hoping for something better. The Crab Benedict from Sea Glass @ The Inn By the Sea
Next stop was the Good Table. They served a crème brulee French toast with a light fruit salad that was out-of-this-world amazing. One of the highlights for both of us, in fact Chris announced that this dish would be getting his vote right away, after only one other sample, it was THAT good. I agreed that it was perfect, but I was keeping my option open.
The Maine Diner was next. They were trying to serve Maine blueberry pancakes, but none were ready. We decided to move on. By the look of the half cooked cakes we decided that there were too many other awesome bites to try that we happy to pass this one up. I hope they were good!
Corned beef hash was being dished out that the Miss Portland Diner table. It was salty. So salty, in fact, that I can’t remember anything else about it. Chris however thought it was good enough to eat his and my portions, although he agreed that it was too salty.
We stopped next at Moody’s Diner for some homemade cinnamon rolls. Light, fluffy and delicious. Moody’s and I have a history that I wont get into here, but after a sample of the wonderful cinnamon roll things are much better between us.
I, the lone seafood eater in our couple, went over to the Sea Dog Brewing Co. table for my next bite. They were serving a Maine lobster benedict on a mini crescent roll. It was great! Very rich though, so I was glad that it was a small bite. The lobster was cooked perfectly and the crescent and egg were to a T. The sauce was a bit think for my tastes, but over all very good.
The Crab Benedict from Sea Glass @ The Inn by the Sea
For our next stops, Chris and I split again. Chris went for the Porthole’s eggs Florentine with a smoky bacon cream sauce while I went next door to the Sea Glass Inn’s table for their offering of crab benedict with avocado puree. The eggs Florentine was a disaster, it was too big to eat with out a knife (which we did not have) and the Swiss cheese atop the English muffin was had melted, but then became hard as a rock. Chris said the egg was cooked well, as he managed to eat that part and I tried the spinach was cooked as it should have been. Its too bad that overall we did not like it at all. This will not prevent us from heading to the Porthole in the future, as we generally enjoy eating there.
The crab benny from Sea Glass was awesome! One of my favorites – right up there with the Good Table’s French toast. The egg was as perfect as the avocado puree was cool and refreshing. The crab cake stated like a yummy crab cake. Overall I loved it and for a time it had my vote, but alas there was more to try.
We then meandered over the front of the restaurant to sample what we had missed by heading to the back to begin. We started with the Bayou Kitchen table where they were serving huevos rancheros with either a black bean or beef chili toped with homemade salsa and sour cream. This one knocked my socks off! Even though I was full I could have easily eaten several more plates of this dish. It was very different from everything else served and it was done perfectly. The flavors were really bright and homey. Just what I look for in a breakfast! Chris enjoyed it as well, but he was sticking to gun voting guns.
Becky’s diner was serving biscuits with gravy. I thought they were terrific, but Chris felt “eh” about them.
The Ham Strata from Congdon's Doughnuts Family Restaurant
Finally, our last stop was the Congdon’s Doughnuts Family Restaurant table. They severed up a ham strata and doughnuts. The strata was so good and super cheesy (just the way I like everything). At this point, we were both full and I think we would have enjoyed it more and more of it had it not been our last stop. The doughnut was light and fluffy with great flavor!
So to recap: the only spot we found lacking was the Porthole and the highlights were the Good Table (the actual winner of the event), Sea Glass and the The Bayou Kitchen. Chris voted with the majority for the Good table, while I cast mine for the Bayou Kitchen. I have never eaten at the Bayou Kitchen before, although many have recommended it. Now I am itching to get in there to try some other stuff.
The Cook-Off was great fun and I really hope they do it again next year. It was a great way to see what local restaurants have to offer and definitely gave Chris and me some ideas to try. A great way to kick of a Friday, that’s for sure!
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