The First Food Memory…

As a kid, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the real thing...

Even to this day, I remember leaving that seafood restaurant in some quaint, upper-middle class town in Maine extremely disappointed. I don’t quite remember how old I was at the time; all I know is I wasn’t old enough to enjoy a bright red, fresh from the ocean, Maine lobster in all of its glory. What I received instead was a dish designed for kids that offered the ‘experience’ of eating an entire lobster without the claw cracking and other messy stuff.

You know… the second best part behind actually enjoying the succulent lobster meat.

I couldn’t describe the feeling at the time but even then I knew something wasn’t quite right. My subconscious mind knew I was settling, making me envious of the adults around me with the ‘real’ lobsters in front of them. A few years later, at about ten, I enjoyed my first 1 1/2 pound Maine lobster; this moment is easily one of my favorite from my childhood.

I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller (I got off track at some point and decided I wanted to be a lawyer but that’s a whole other conversation) and I believe that has a lot to do with my passion for food. Every dish has a narrative; some offer a glimpse into places you’ve never been and wish to go while others can remind you of places that are dearly missed.

Food provides the traveler some cultural insight to an unfamiliar city, region or country. The South has a penchant for hearty comfort food and a ‘low & slow’ Barbecue ethos. Portland, a city that practically obsesses over local ingredients, is a capital for food hipsters. The precise, minimalist aesthetic found in Japanese cuisine can also be found in their art, architecture and even their fashion design.

Whether it’s breakfast with the family, a power lunch with co-workers, an anniversary dinner with a significant other, a first date dessert or brunch with a best friend helping you cope with a breakup, food has evolved far beyond its role as a primary human drive. It’s no longer simply the means to satisfying a hungry end; we eat to celebrate, we eat when we’re depressed… we eat to remember and sometimes, we even eat to forget (I don’t recommend doing that for too long though).

I’ve had countless food memories since that chilly evening in Maine, many of them great (like my first steak at an excellent steak house) and some of them not (like the first time I had to clean up vomit as a bus boy, my first restaurant job). I’ve been a server, bartender, prep cook, barista and though I’m no longer directly in the restaurant & bar business, it is still very much a regular part of my life.

Now, I very happily and eagerly add food blogging to this list.

Here’s to eating… L’chaim.