{"id":14677,"date":"2018-03-15T18:46:58","date_gmt":"2018-03-15T22:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/?p=14677"},"modified":"2018-03-15T18:46:58","modified_gmt":"2018-03-15T22:46:58","slug":"drifters-wife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/drifters-wife\/","title":{"rendered":"Drifters Wife"},"content":{"rendered":"

April 2018 | view this story as a .pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Dreaming Big<\/span><\/h2>\n

Portland\u2019s tiniest wine bar\/caf\u00e9 <\/strong>blooms into an enchanting restaurant and bar on Washington Avenue.<\/span><\/h3>\n

By Claire Z. Cramer<\/span><\/p>\n

\"APR18-Rest-Rev-DriftersWife\"When Peter and Orenda Hale opened the pocket-sized Drifters Wife<\/strong> wine bar inside their natural-wine shop Maine & Loire in 2016, Portlanders\u2013and the national food press\u2013were intrigued with the excellent wines and chef Ben Jackson\u2019s imaginative food. In no time, it became hard to get a seat. A move in recent weeks to a larger space next door is great news for the shop, the Drifter, and for lucky diners.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new space retains the intimate atmosphere of the old, thanks to the Hales\u2019 fine-tuned design sense. Walls are graphite-gray, and the attractive abstract prints and sculptural potted plants have come along from next door. There\u2019s a full bar now, with plenty of stools.<\/span><\/p>\n

The wine list is concise, with six whites, six reds, three sparklers, and a rose. Everything is available by glass or bottle, a real bonus. To start, we choose a glass from France, the A. Chatenoud Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux ($10) and the A. Knauss Kerner\/Silvaner blend from Germany ($11). Both have bright, clean citrus and floral notes that pair gloriously with a tasty nibble called simply \u201cEgg\u201d on the menu. A split, soft-cooked egg set on a swoosh of house-made mayo is topped with dabs of bright orange trout roe and garnished with house-made potato chips ($9). The egg, briney roe, creamy mayo, and white wine all sing together, with the chips adding crunchy punctuation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sourdough loaf served here, from Night Moves Bread + Pie of South Portland, is a tender brown bread of Maine grains ($4). It\u2019s perfect for chasing the last bits of dressings and sauces throughout dinner. It\u2019s served with \u201cdulse butter,\u201d a creamy spread containing dried, powdered\u2013and non-fishy\u2013dulse seaweed from Maine waters.<\/span><\/p>\n

When our server tells us the cardoons here are greenhouse-grown locally for the restaurant, we pounce on a serving dressed with parmesan cheese, toasted bread crumbs, and boquerones ($14). The Mediterranean thistle artichoke, which has a hint of celery-like flavor, is served poached until tender and cut into slim stalks. Sharp cheese, toasty crunch, and the tang of the white anchovies nicely dress up the mild vegetable.<\/p>\n

Another surprise is Maine-raised beef tongue ($15). Here it\u2019s braised until tender like a tiny pot roast. Chef Jackson dazzles with contrasting flavors, from crazy but successful accompaniments to the slices of meat. There are sweet, silken pickled mussels, grilled toast spears, and a swirl of \u201cbarnacle butter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We go on to sample red wines. There\u2019s a slightly smoky but very smooth Bodegas Ponce Spanish Tempranillo ($10), a dreamy Le Champ d\u2019Orphee Braucol from Cotes du Tarn ($10), and a gorgeous Punta Crena Crovino from Liguria ($12). If the Hales put a bottle on their list, it\u2019s a safe bet it\u2019s a fine one. And house policy calls for diners to be offered a taste before committing to the glass.<\/span><\/p>\n

A braised chicken leg quarter ($26) is a rustic masterpiece. The sauce on the tender bird is rich with red wine and just a jot of red-wine vinegar. It\u2019s the perfect foil for the accompanying pieces of roasted carrot and the sweet, smooth turnip pur\u00e9e beneath. Never have Maine\u2019s humble winter-storage vegetables been this irresistible.<\/p>\n

The entire dinner is a testament to Jackson\u2019s imagination and skill, with mostly locally grown and raised ingredients. We dab bread in the last of the sauce and leave nothing behind but the bones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To conclude, we share a fragrant, moist slice of Date Cake garnished with Meyer lemon mascarpone ($8) with a glass of Domaine St. Pierre dessert wine called Larmes du Paradis ($14).<\/span><\/p>\n

Drifters Wife achieves a truly extraordinary synthesis of hospitality, kitchen magic, and service<\/span>. <\/span>n<\/span><\/p>\n

Drifters Wife, serving dinner Tues. through Sat. from 5-10 p.m.\u00a0 <\/span>Bar opens at 4 p.m. 59 Washington Ave., Portland; 805-1336; drifterswife.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

April 2018
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