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Things I Miss About Portland, ME

February 5, 2015 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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Lots and lots of people. I made a lot of good friendships. There is a genuine quality to Mainers. Ayuh

My therapist
Pei Men Miyake, especially at lunch. I loved getting ramen and fried brussel sprouts
The potato pancakes, rye bread with delicious spread, beets and soups at Schulte and Herr. Such a treasure of Portland, Maine and BYOB.
The atmosphere and food at Saigon on Outer Forest Ave. If you haven’t been there you need to go. Lanna craved their spring rolls so much she is now making them since we moved.
The pork fried dumplings at China Villa in Westbrook. There is much better Chinese in Connecticut, with very good takeout American chinese, and fantastic and legit Chinese places like Iron Chef that is cash only and is what Taiwanese people would call food.
The atmosphere at work, going remote is not the same.
Seeing the Presumpcot Falls in Westbrook through my window, although my view across the Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut is spectacular.

The wonderful drive down the Fore River Parkway and down Commercial Street into Portland.
Tennis on the Eastern Promenade, there isn’t too many views better than that for a free park.
The atmosphere in Portland, Maine, it’s just so comfortable.
Having a car. Trying to share one is not the same.

Having family nearby, it was nice to have the in-laws crosstown.
Having that connection, and having dinner once a week was really nice. Also having someone to watch the cats.

Ansonia and the Naugatuck Valley is beautiful but I often miss Maine. It’s a special place.

Filed Under: Ansonia, Connecticut, Maine, portland, restaurant

Cat Dude NaPoWrimo 2/30

April 9, 2013 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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Part of the upcoming “Cat Song Triptych”. Sung to the tune of the Batman TV theme.

Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie
Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie
Cat Dude

Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie
Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie
Cat Dude

Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie
Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie Eddie
Cat Dude
Cat Dude
Cat Dude
Cat Du—de.

Yep, it’s going to be a hard piece to memorize.

Filed Under: cats, music, No Filter, poetry, portland, silly, The Blog

Skip, consider, go

February 2, 2013 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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I have more of these to add later.

Doing some mainly tweet reviews of restaurants, bars, etc.

May have seen a few uf you follow me at @rurugby, Foursquare or my Facebook (the even I admit pretentious Edmund Charles Davis-Quinn, my original Edmund Davis-Quinn got hacked.)

So here are some examples:

Saigon: Excellent service, excellent food.  Everyone I have taken here has loved it.  Go!

Schulte and Herr: The potato pancakes here were a revelation.  Excellent cucumber salad, soups, entrees and bread.  If you haven’t eaten here yet you need to.  Go!

Kamasouptra: Seriously great soup.  One of the few places I an happy to eat vegan.  Go.

Local Sprouts: Great use of local ingredients, nice atmosphere, good space for kids.  Good stuff. Go.

China Villa: Good takeout, yummy and craveable fried dumplings.  In a bad town for Chinese food the portions are huge and satisfying.  Definitely good not great though.  Consider

Catbird Creamery: Excellent ice cream, truffles, and coffee.  The ice cream sandwiches are the best I have ever had, simply ridiculous.  Really nice owners too. Give this hidden gem on Main Street across from Bank of America in Westbrook a try. Go.

Dancing Elephant: Excellent Indian food.  Highly recommend the garlic naan, the tandoori chicken and the masala tea.  Go.

I have more to add but will add more later.

Edmund

Filed Under: portland, The Ecq Review, The Saturday Night Review, westbrook

Packing Out

September 16, 2012 by rurugby 1 Comment

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Packed and ready to leave in the morning.

Everyone is exhausted and in bed already. The only ones still out are the adorable black cat sisters, Briggs and Stratton playing with a cat catcher (wand with multicolored ribbon). They are both around 16 months and hyper adorable.

I am leaving with a heavy heart. Dad did survive the surgery but has substantial left side weakness and even feels colder on his left side. Now we have to leave it to rehab and pray and hope for improvement.

It’s going to be a long road.

I need to be back in Maine with my wife and get back to work.

This has been a strange and very long two and a half weeks. I am glad I have my soulmate to come back to. Mom is terrified about how her soulmate will come out of this. They have been together a long long time over 40 years and he’s not well. Maybe he will improve, I think his vision on his left side is likely to stay impared, so he won’t drive again. I also think there will be left side issues which may require a wheelchair or walker. It’s scary times. There may be assisted living ahead too.

Dad is a 4 year brain cancer survivor and we have to wait to see what’s next. I want to see him more awake and concious when I come back in a month over Columbus Day weekend. That would be good. His voice is stronger, and he is definitely hungry so this is good. He is feeding himself, and they do have him up in a wheelchair. We will just have to see what’s next.

I wish I lived closer. Maine is a long way from Allentown, Pennsylvania. But now it’s just time for healing. I know I liked being close with Walter’s illness and being far away will be hard.

Right now I just want to hug my wife and pray for better times. Dad survived the surgery, now here comes the work.

Edmund

Filed Under: acceptance, breathing, family, meditations, portland, sickness, spirit, Spirit of Sunday, westbrook

Beer Times in Philly

September 15, 2012 by rurugby Leave a Comment

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I guess Portland, Oregon belongs too, but I don’t know it well.

So I just spent about a week and a half in Philadelphia. Often called “America’s Best Drinking City.” Philly does have a magazine for beer “Philly Beer Scene” and a Philadelphia Beer Week. This is pretty awesome.

But, it’s more a place to drink beer out than buy beer. Pennsylvania has strange beer laws where beer is much, much cheaper by case than by 6 pack. You can buy a 6 pack in a bar/restaurant but not a package store where it’s case only.

So sometimes it’s actually cheaper to get a beer on tap than to get it on bottle, which is kind of nuts.

That being said the beer lists in Philadelphia are ridiculously good. Went to the famous Monk’s Cafe, owned by Tom Peters who is often considered the most knowledgable man about Belgian Beer in America. Reminded me a little of Novare Res in a way. Very expensive beers, very high end taps, lots of Belgian beer. Was most impressed by the most excellent mussels that were cooked in Saison Dupont and had all sorts of aromatics. Would go back for the mussels.

Even a dive bar like the Locust Bar has some microbeers and a beer I haven’t had in too long the yummy Yuengling Black and Tan. I wish I bought a case of this over the overrated (to me) Yuengling Lager. The Black and Tan is rich and drinkable, I think it combines the Lager and the Yuengling Porter.

Tria had a great beer list, had the yummy Don de Dieu (Unibroue, Quebec), wish I had the space for a yummy Victory with just one hop. Was also great to see Maine Beer Peeper on tap.

Went into the Boilermaker bar for a moment. They had yet another excellent beer list, but it was just too dark for me (as was Monk’s) and was wicked full of hipsters. Thought about trying it later, but decided against it.

Went to the Good Dog Bar with an old HS friend, and they also had a great beer list. Had a Great Divide Double IPA (CO) .. was good but like my friend Greg I liked the richness, but the taste was harsh. I enjoyed the Philadelphia Beer Kenzinger much, much more. Good flavor and crispness, great session beer. I wish I picked the Yards Philly Pale Ale as the first pour.

And my favorite beer of the week was the delicious Victory Golden Monkey, a very spicy tripel with lots of notes for free with a beer at Tabu. Which was a sports beer/gay bar. The bartender was awesome, and you can’t beat a delicious burger with BBQ sauce, bacon and smoked gouda and a great beer for $7.75. Would totally go back. Especially on a Thursday (the day of the free beer with sandwich).

Comparably, Portland has many bars with great beer selection, but the fact we have 12 breweries in town means our local microbrews take over the beer list often. Of course, Novare Res is known for it’s beer from around the world (especially Belgium) and the Great Lost Bear (my favorite beer bar in town) highlights Maine beer, but also has great out of town beers.

Portland is also a great place to get local beers inexpensively at local package stores and doesn’t have odd case beer laws. Maine does have an issue of having weird laws with out of state beer causing many great beers to not enter the great northeast.

But both towns are great for drinking. Philadelphia is of course a much, much bigger city and probably has more places to get great beer. And Yards, Victory, Troegs, Flying Fish etc. are great breweries.

Filed Under: Maine Beer Guy, portland, The Blog Tagged With: Maine, Philadelphia

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