Musings from a foodie…

Rather than providing a review of my favorite restaurant over the last month, I decided to share a surprise that my neighbor recently shared when we had a pre-Christmas “friends gathering” at our home. She brought what I consider to be the best Gingerbread Cake recipe [ * * * * * * ]  and the entire group gave it rave reviews. It was simply the best Gingerbread Cake I’ve tasted in a very long time. In fact, I told my friend that the last time I had such good Gingerbread Cake was when I visited Grandma’s house in my pre-teen years (NOTE: for those who do not know me, that was awhile ago 😊). Anyway, you should definitely try the recipe. I’m told by my friend that it’s easy to prepare and with the results being so good, I’m going to give it a try over the next couple of days. I hope you had a good Bodhi Day (Buddhism) and, of course, Merry Christmas! Enjoy the Dongzhi Festival (East Asia), Happy Hanukkah! (Jewish celebration, which I missed); and Happy Kwanzaa (African American Festival) as well as the upcoming 2026 New Year’s Celebration!! I’ll be coming back shortly after the first of the year with additional thoughts and perspectives as usual. Stay well…Be safe…

Musings from a foodie… 

Bread & Friends [ * * * * * ] for most of my readers will be a far-out-of-the-way place to consider but…if you get to Maine, well worth it! It’s located in the Old Port Neighborhood of Portland, Maine, and is a restaurant with a mission to “…foster community through delicious food that is meant to be shared.” It was founded in 2021 initially as a bakery inclusive of jams, spreads, and butters but…then it evolved. In 2023, it opened as a full-fledged restaurant that is operated by two married couples, the Rattey-Brouceks and the Rubins. The original bakery continues with the addition of a brunch and dinner menu as well. The menu changes regularly but is always on the creative side. If you have the chance to visit Maine, consider a stop in Portland (as well as our home, Kittery 😊). You will not be disappointed with Breads and Friends. They consistently rank a 4.7 or greater from the customer evaluations and have kudos from the New York Times and Food and Wine Reviews. Check ‘em out: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – 505 Fore Street – Portland, Maine 04101 - (207) 536-4399.

Musings from a foodie…

My persistent partner and I were down in the Boston area recently for a concert of “Folk Music from Türkiye” by Crossroads of Sound. Our son is an instrumentalist who plays multiple instruments (24 at last count!). Given Boston traffic, we decided to leave early and have dinner in the area. So, we tried Zomsa (* * * *), a Nepalese-style restaurant in Arlington, MA (a western suburb of Boston). We arrived on the early side and there were few diners but over the course of the next hour, the place filled to capacity. The place hosts an extensive menu and the spiciness can range from virtually none to over-the-top-on-fire. We opted for “moderate” and seemed quite spicy, so be careful if you decide to go there. We opted for a Palak Paneer, a Goat Curry, along with cheese and garlic Naan. It was all quite good. The only issue is that they appeared to be short-staffed along with less experience in caring for customers. But, the food was excellent. In fact, it was comparable – but not quite at the level of my favorite Indian restaurant = Tulsi in my home town of Kittery, Maine. It’s fabulous…but, I digress. Enjoy ZOMSA – 434 Mass Ave – Arlington, MA – (781) 230-8456 …if you get to the burbs of Boston.

Musings from a foodie…

Greece is one of the most wonderful places on the planet, from my perspective. We are regular travelers there to visit with our adopted family and friends. On our most recent trip, we had the opportunity to visit the wonderful Michelin 2020 top-tier, Mazi Restaurant [* * * * *]. It is located in the Plaka, a historic neighborhood close to both the modern as well as historic city of Athens. You feel a bit closer to history with its casual, outdoor dining, as visitors to the city amble by with quizzical looks.

It was truly an Athens gourmet experience. The starters include an entire range of Greek salads accompanied by feta, halloumi, summer, roasted goat, or even yoghurt cheeses. There were 16 choices on salads alone. Incredible. The mains ranged from lamb, pork tenderloin, guinea fowl, beef filet or cheeks, various seafoods (sea bass, cod, tuna, grouper, etc.), and pastas. It was tough to make a decision, but we crossed the Rubicon and found every single dish to be absolutely wonderful. Also, the ambiance was quite nice. While the place was filled with customers, there was a quiet buzz rather than the noise so often experienced in busy restaurants. And, the wait staff were wonderful. Cuddled between two buildings, the place was an absolutely wonderful addition to our Greek experience AND, and we intend to go again!!