Dining-Out 101: Kennebec Tavern

This weekend has been a cause for great celebration in my family: my youngest brother graduated first in his class from high school! To celebrate we made a reservation at a popular local eatery, the Kennebec Tavern. I was pleasantly surprised by the gluten-free options available, especially since I completely forgot to call ahead and quiz the staff about their menu. On the appetizers menu, we quickly discovered calamari with a rice flour coating and opted to order those with the usual safe-bet, nachos. I used to really love calamari, but there was this unfortunate dissection incident and I just don't care for it anymore. But, I sampled a few pieces and didn't notice any difference between Kennebec Tavern's rice flour coating and more traditional calamari preparation.


Growing up in coastal Maine, enjoying lobster is practically mandatory and while I'm happy to pick a lobster at home, I prefer to order a lobster roll minus the bun when I'm in a restaurant- anything to avoid wearing a plastic bib in public, plus it's easier. The Kennebec Tavern had just the right amount of mayonnaise (just a light coating) mixed with a substantial portion of lobster meat and no added crunch (personally, I feel celery or onion mixed with lobster is just so very, very wrong).

Quite possibly the best part of the meal was dessert- Flourless Chocolate Torte! With chocolate mousse, whipped cream and a strawberry.

Dining-Out 101: German

German cuisine is one of my favorites; simple and hearty, but always an intriguing combination of flavors. Last spring, Sister, Mom, Gramps and I happily trekked through the Wurzburg region in Southern Bavarian. Before departing on our journey I made many copies of the German, Spanish and French versions of the International Dining Cards in the appendix of The Gluten-Free Bible. Despite my cards, I opted to largely play it safe and order bratwurst at almost every establishment. I'm not a big sasuage fan, but there's just something about bratwurst. I love the texture and the flavor. While in Germany, I especially enjoyed how each bratwurst I ate tasted different because every restaurant made their own. Same with the sauerkrat, each establishment used different seasoning to achieve subtle variations in flavor (carraway seed was my favorite addition).

Fortunately, I can relive my German travels close to home at Richard's Restaurant and Edelweiss Lounge on Maine Street in Brunswick. Their bratwurst is reminscent of its German counterpart as is the atmosphere in the restaurant itself (dark paneling, beer steins, dim lighting). It feels like a little Bavaria in Midcoast Maine. I was also excited to find a GF dessert on the menu that was actually interesting. I usually pass on dessert at restaurant's because I can have the typical GF desserts like ice cream at home, but I would have had a difficult time creating this concoction of almond brittle, vanilla ice cream, chocolate rum sauce and fresh whipped cream called Don Ricardo in my kitchen at home.

Aside from the bratwurst, bauernwurst, sauerkraut and hot potato salad, I advise extreme caution in enjoying German food. It's not surprising that a cuisine best known for wienerschnitzel (basically deep fried veal) isn't exactly celiac-friendly. Many entrees include sauces thickened with wheat flour or include dangerous noodles or dumplings. Probably a good idea to learn a few German words, such as Weizen (wheat). As with any restaurant, ask the staff how they can best accomodate you.