SOURCE ARTICLE: Cntraveler.com
If you ever hear anyone wonder why teensy Portland, Maine’s restaurants have such an outsized reputation in the food world, remember two things: First, those people clearly haven’t eaten here yet; and second, the answer lies in a philosophy ingrained in Maine itself. The state’s proud lack of pretense and its close-knit community of small farms, working waterfronts, and independent restaurants are long-held traditions that predate (and frankly, eclipse) hype phrases like ‘locavorism.’ And it means not only widespread access to far better food for everyone, but that celebrated fine dining here tends to eschew anything high-concept, and instead just keep it real.
It may be housed in the tony Press Hotel, but Union is very much its own entity and destination. Waitstaff and hosts bearing tablets buzz around the suede banquettes, a lustrous marble bar, and the subway-tiled open kitchen. Union was first put on the map by talented chef Josh Berry, who focused the menu on what he called “enhanced local”—i.e., nearby sourcing met with global flavors and techniques. In the wake of Berry’s departure, the gauntlet that he threw down was taken up by Christian Basset. And his game is equally well-balanced, giving familiar ingredients adventurous twists and turns: The squid-ink bigoli pasta with lobster is straight-up sumptuous, the richness of the buttery, saffron-spotted crustacean cut with sweet acid from cara cara and Seville oranges.