The Foodie had not engaged in culinary combat for two months, and she was feeling a little out of shape. Her tastebuds had dulled and her jaw muscles were weak. The bayonet she attached to her fork had gotten rusty.
To jump-start her return to the battlegrounds, the Foodie decided to challenge not one but two local venues: Sea Dog Tavern and Grille and The Fifth International Edible Books Exhibit, shown on April 1 in Daggett Lounge.
One might consider it folly to wash one's Sea Dog meal down with water. The Foodie wished she could have tried the brewery's blueberry beer, but the law prevented her. She'll have to try again in a few weeks, when the Foodie enters her 21st year.
At that point, the Foodie shall change her name to "The Bar Belle," sample each and every one of Sea Dog's specialty brews, and report back to Orient readers. At last!
This meal, however, was alcohol-free. The Foodie settled by a window overlooking the rushing Androscoggin River and ordered herself a blackened chicken wrap. The service was very friendly and her lunch arrived quickly, but it was cold. Jack Magee's wins the contest for best pub food, the Foodie must admit, because it melts the cheese in its sandwiches and wraps. Sea Dog's wrap overflowed with finely grated cheddar and Monterey jack, but there was no goo to adhere it to the chicken and salsa that lined the tortilla. If the wrap had been warm, the flavors would have melded together. The Foodie recommends that patrons ask for this dish to be heated; she is sure the courteous staff will comply.
Accompanying french fries were more pleasing for their crunchy texture and savory flavor. The fat tasted good: these fries are fried not once but twice, as they are "batter dipt." Go for it!
Sea Dog food wouldn't win a Foodie Award, but the reasonable prices, friendly staff, and river view make it worth a visit.
The Foodie would also advocate waiting around for next year's International Edible Books Exhibit. Interested parties should contact Professor Rebecca Goodale for more information about its site next year.
The Foodie will journey to the exhibit's location no matter where it settles. She enjoyed not only seeing others' creations but also eating them. Students made books out of a variety of materials, including Fruit Roll-Ups, ramen, Oreos, Jell-O, mushrooms, cake, Alphabits cereal, licorice, goat cheese, and Doritos.
One student sewed together pages of ham, cheese, and lettuce inside a bread slice, while another laid Fruit Roll-Ups over two blocks of ramen noodles to construct a book cover. Professor Goodale prepared a Bowdoin scroll by rolling up smoked turkey and arugula into a long tortilla, which then rolled it out to display a goat cheese polar bear walking on a path of parmesan-covered cucumber slices.
Guests dug into the scroll for lunch. The Foodie took such pleasure in this event that she has begun to construct books out of many of her comestibles before eating them. That way, if she is alone at a meal and all the newspapers are gone, at least she has something to read.