Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140City Beat 80 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine corey templeton movement, the Maine art scene, and favor- ite local fixed points like Beal’s (ice cream), DuckFat (fries), and Nosh (burgers). Take a Longfellow staple. Pai Men Miyake doesn’t pretend to make authentic Japanese-style ramen, which is artfully subtle and infi- nitely light. Instead, try their paitan ramen, unapologetically rich and indulgent. If you wantalevelfieldcomparison,trytheirBrus- sels sprouts–every normal kid’s anathema, right? Deep-fried to a crispy perfection and then dressed with a flavor explosion led by fish sauce and mint, these Brussels sprouts transcend expectation. The square is anchored by Franklin Sim- mons’ heroically scaled Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Monument, unveiled in 1888. While seated in an ornate indoor armchair with lion-carved armrests, Maine’s most famous poet is depicted wearing an over- coat, a quirk that seems to invite Longfel- low’s annual holiday adornments of scarves, wrapped presents, and so on. T he square’s literary flavor is quiet- ly held intact by LFK, a bar that oc- cupies the old Cunningham Books shop. Within, books and old typewriters abound among the dark wood spaces. True to local spirit, the craft beer choices are im- pressively deep, and the food surpasses ex- pectations, whether standards like mac and cheese and burgers or hearty and creative vegetarian fare. Across Congress Street, the vast hole where Joe’s Smoke Shop used to be is ris- ing toward its new life as an eight-sto- ry apartment building. This will only increase the happening bustle in and around the square. The 70-year-old Joe’s, moreover, is being resurrected in the new building as Joe’s Super Variety. Featuring several thriving design and antiques stores and a pair of hipster-styled coffee shops, the West End side of Congress Street just off Longfellow Square is flourish- ing as well. While the noted and popular restau- rants like Local 188 (tapas and paella), Boda (contemporary Thai), King of the Roll (Jap- anese), Hot Suppa (hearty Southern cafe fare) comprise a major draw, the actively beating heart of the neighborhood is One Longfellow Square, a non-profit 225-seat performance venue that varies its offerings between acoustic music, jazz, film, dance, contemporary music, and comedy. Just as OLS sits on the Arts District corner of Longfellow Square, its community-orient- ed artiness knits it to Portland’s deep vein of casually dressed and yet mindfully cre- ative culture. I s Longfellow Square in danger of be- coming overrun with trendy pretend- ers? I wouldn’t bet on it. I don’t think the Treasure Chest, that wizened shop of naughtiness, or the dive-y and unpreten- tious Blackstones are going anywhere any- time soon. I rather think the neighbor- hood is more like Longfellow himself, the old Bowdoin professor who not only gave us popular poems like the “Song of Hiawatha” and “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” but who was also the first American to trans- late Dante’s Divine Comedy. The neighbor- hood itself seems to be reflecting the spirit of Longfellow’s savvy advice: “Build today, then strong and sure, With a firm and am- ple base; And ascending and secure. Shall tomorrow find its place.” n “ Further along Congress Street, the Longfellow Square influence seems to be taking hold. David Levi, chef and owner of the celebrated eco eatery Vinland, has staked his claim to the space in 3 Deering Avenue in Bramhall Square, ready to transform this neglected corner of the West End into a mecca for foodies. Good news for workers in Peloton Labs and Maine Medical, who until now have had to traipse up Congress to indulge in gourmet delights. A departure from the stringently local-only, gluten -free approach adopted by Vinland, Ros- sobianco(meaning“RedWhite”inItalian)servesuptraditionalNorthernItaliancuisine,inspired by Levi’s father’s heritage and prepared by hot shot head chef Scott London. This means olive oil, citrus, and carb-forward favorites such as pasta and risotto are back on the menu. “There’s a misconception that I only believe in eating local food. Vinland is my baby, it’s unique, but it’s liberating to do something different!” Try a selection of “cicchetti,” Italian-style small plates from regions such as Lombary and Veneto, paired with a glass from the extensive natural wine selection. UP AND COMING Pai Men Miyake draws a young, hip crowd of hungry locals