Noble Kitchen - Brunswick

I found the menu imaginative while being a bit too complex a blend of farm-to-table and various combinations of ingredients. I had one of the most expensive things on the menu. It was delicious, but more elaborate than I felt necessary. In fairness, my wife and I had been traveling much of the day and the purpose of the dinner for four was not food-centric. I am also not a foodie which set me up to find the prices high beginning with bread for the table at $7 for four modest slices. Will I eat there again? Probably. Will I need to recalibrate my expectations? Yes, thereby being in the right mindset to more fully enjoy it...except maybe $7 for bread.

The food was very good, but the menu was limited. I would have liked to have a fuller menu with more variety for both entrees and desserts. The appetizer menu was fine. The cocktail menu was outstanding and the bartender service was also outstanding. The maitre de was exceptional, tending to our every need and being exceptionally friendly and courteous. I reiterate, the food was very good, but not outstanding or terrific. The menu limitations are an obstacle to our staying at the Brunswick Hotel again.

My sister and I had a very uneven meal at Noble last night. I'd eaten there once before and found it excellent giving Portland a run for the money. It was great to have a reserved table as the summer crowds can make things unpredictable. But last night was a real disappointment. Things got off to a good start our server was excellent and we had a fantastic Oregon Pinot Noir by the glass. The starter (Buratta with Roasted Vegetables and Crispy Bread chunks was delicious, as was the bread and smeared butter plate. Sadly it went downhill from there. We ordered the Succotash vegetarian entree to share and both thought it was inedible. We actually sent it back and weren't charged for it. The creamy corn, lima, and potato layer of the Succotash was quite sweet from the corn, but it also came served with a HUGE dollop of tomato jam. Yes, jam. Almost a cupful. Seriously? There were chanterelles in the sauce as well which was tragic because they were overwhelmed by all the sweetness and we couldn't even taste them. Our second strike out was the Chocolate Verrine desert which I know has been on the menu for a while. I can't imagine why. After a first bite my sister laughed and said it tasted like a Taystee pudding from Hannaford. (How would she know that? Oh, well. The white chocolate layer on top was too sweet and the chocolate layer underneath didn't taste of chocolate and the texture was not pleasant. Gluggy. I'm a seriously good cook, I sometimes private chef, and I'm a food writer. I'm being brutally honest here because I want someone at Noble to read this and fix things. I know they've made a big push to upgrade the dining situation recently but apparently they're not quite there yet. Brunswick needs a fine dining option which we sorely lack right now. We have a herd of informal, international, and Asian places but not much at the high end for a special evening out.

The restaurant is lovely as always. Brussel sprouts were outstanding. However our halibut, both orders, was way over cooked so dry and not much flavor. Unfortunate because the base of pearl couscous was excellent. It was a long time between appetizers and entrees. Both dessert were delicious.

Excellent food in an intimate setting. We were surprised there weren't more customers!