70 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine Hungry Eye ery in Lewiston. “We always have them because people always want them,” says Pam Grant. “They’re made with the same yeast dough as the plain dinner rolls, but people go nuts because they split them and slip in some butter, and glaze them with an egg wash to be shiny. And we eat with our eyes, right?” FANCY BYGONE BITS Remember when bone marrow was all the rage? Well, it’s back. Find the roasted bones with local mushrooms and sourdough toast at Lolita. At Central Provisions, the mar- row is liberated from the bones and pre- sented on toast with fontina, horseradish cream, and onion jam. Then there’s the raw revival. Sounds queasy, but squeamish is out and raw beef is back in. We found shaved beef carpac- cio with truffled asparagus salad at Croon- ers & Cocktails, and classic steak tartare with a raw egg yolk on grilled rustic toast at Woodford Food & Beverage. There’s beef carpaccio with arugula and smoked-onion aioli at Tipo, the new fancy-peasant Italian restaurant on Ocean Avenue. Fancied-up peasant food is Portland’s own perpetual trend. Beets, Brussels sprouts, and kale are menu royalty here. And look at smelts! They’ve filled the niche left empty when sweet little Maine shrimp became an endangered species. We discov- ered clever preparations on spring menus all over town, including fried at Lolita and served with a paprika aioli; with fiery pep- per aioli at Tipo; and with fancy slaw and ginger mayo at Fore Street. Keeping it Nor- dic, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club serves pickled smelts. O n the other end of the spectrum, once considered the epitome of passé party food, deviled eggs are suddenly on every bar menu in town. With a twist of modernity, Hot Suppa of- fers a Sriracha-infused, bacon-topped ver- sion; Terlingua dishes them up covered in smoked salmon and olives; while at Rhum, you can enjoy an unlimited number sprin- kled with toasted coconut flakes during happy hour. Never say never. BEEF & BOURBON OK, let’s get back to old-time glamour. At this time of year, you might think of Ex- change Street as the place where out-of- towners come to shop and eat Holy Do- nuts en plein air, but it’s also the Gold Coast for cocktails and steak. The Grill Room came first to upper Exchange, where you can watch the cooks at the open fire searing your New York sirloin and dressing your wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon. Steps away, at Croon- ers & Cocktails, you can nibble stuffed mushrooms before your tournedos and garlic-whipped potatoes. The dark, clubby interior calls out for bourbon. “Bourbon and rye are very big,” says bartender Rachael Joyce, who keeps an impressive collection of artisanal bitters on hand for the Old Fashioneds and oth- er hearty cocktails. “The bourbon and rye from Stroudwater Distillery on Thomp- son’s Point are excellent.” At Timber Steak House, a few doors up, memory lane is paved with Steak au Poivre and bourbon peppercorn sauce, and Surf