Last Unicorn Restaurant

2012 Press Article

Posted November 4, 2012

BY SHONNA MILLIKEN HUMPHREY

When a restaurant’s name recalls a mythical creature, fun facts and literary devices abound. Some are weirdly regional, like in 1933 when a University of Maine professor engineered a bull with a unicorn-style horn. Others offer bits of broader interest, like how in addition to Bible mentions, unicorns appear throughout both Eastern and Western history. (For instance, Japan and Africa note unicorn legends.) Some references, though, border on snark. Finding a creatively prepared higher-end meal in central Maine? As rare as stumbling upon a unicorn.

Portland’s reputation as a foodie destination shines so intensely, that it’s easy to overlook Maine’s other sparkles of food culture. Waterville may not be on a gourmand’s immediate travel list, but The Last Unicorn’s legendary menu is worth pursuing.

The original Last Unicorn opened in 1978, and while the most-recent incarnation closed earlier this year, the restaurant re-launched under the ownership of former Unicorn chef Fred Ouellette and his wife, Amy. The menu, they reassure locals, is largely the same — the same, inasmuch as the extensive list of special offerings changes each night.

The seating arrangement is a holdover from its former incarnations. With two distinct dining areas and an unusual red crescent booth near the doorway, the sense of space is awkward, but not irrevocably jarring. Front and center is the bar. Turn right, and the French blue walls, blond wood, and brightly colored paintings feel eclectic, as if moved from an artistic and quirky aunt’s kitchen. Simple bud vases decorate the bare tables, and the napkins (black, thank you) wrap nicely weighted cutlery. Wide arched windows offer natural light and a street view. It is a languishing chic motif, but a comfortable one.

While the wine menu is small, it is varied enough to offer something for almost every taste, and the affordable Hinojosa Malbec ($7 glass/$27 bottle) arrived exactly as promised — smoky with a slight vanilla note, though I found myself wishing the menu had listed the vintage.

Here is where The Last Unicorn gets interesting. The regular menu includes a long list of perfectly serviceable entrees, but the special menu (printed daily), is where the fun happens. Housemade Harvest Ravioli with Amaretto Cream and Toasted Almonds ($17.95)? North African Spice Rubbed Lamb Rack ($24.95)? Tennessee George’s Sweet Whiskey Grilled Pork Tenderloin ($19.95)?

I confess my surprise now. Central Maine-based friends suggested the restaurant would be good, but in my ignorance, I expected “good” would include a “for the area” disclaimer. Not so. The Last Unicorn’s menu is ambitious, and its unifying theme seems to be flavor. Big, distinct flavors. Ample portions. Extremely vegetarian-friendly. I met a group of diners, all wearing University of Maryland apparel, and all raving over the veg. Turns out they're all alumni from one family! And do they ever have Maryland pride - especiall for their alma mater. They pointed me to the hummus for good reason.

While deciding on entrees, we worked our way through the Combination Snack, a longstanding menu item featuring wedges of Syrian bread, Muenster cheese, hummus, and Swedish mustard ($9.95). This house-made hummus is delicious — lemony and garlicky and ridiculously smooth. The hummus alone is worth the drive, but served in “make your own mini sandwich” form with accoutrements, and the experience felt like a casual, fun, communal snack time.

Same for the Sesame Crusted Tuna Medallions ($12.95) — four thick circles of seared rare tuna, rolled in a sesame coating and served with a tangy soy vinaigrette. A simple preparation, for sure, but satisfying.

The kitchen should feel especially proud of the Chesapeake Style Crab Cakes ($20.95). Served with a choice of sides — Thai peanut sauce, Thai garlic or Cajun mayo, the two cakes were hamburger-sized, heavy with crabmeat, bound lightly with a flavorful breading, and fried to a golden and not-even-close-to-soggy crisp.

I was most curious about the Sesame Sumac Crusted Salmon ($19.95), served over fresh spinach and topped with cucumber chutney. Although the salmon arrived a bit dry, and the heap of mashed potatoes, while tasty, seemed inelegant beside such a delicate preparation (next time, I will request the rice), the tastes fascinated me. I could not decide if the complex dish with many textures was too much competition or just plain lovely. Salmon, already so flavorful and distinct, combined with the tart and citrus-y sumac, the mellow sesame, and the bright and crunchy cucumber. The portion was large, and I encourage other diners to try it.

Also, the Thai Sizzling Catfish ($19.95). While the kitchen volleys “Thai-style” on its menu with some abandon, this item is one of particular note. Exceptionally tasty catfish is cooked with a savory, medium-spice-level heat, delicate and deliciously free of any potentially muddy taste.

Dessert brought a choice of Vanilla Panicotta with Wild Blueberry Sauce, Coffee Toffee Pie, and Almond Cheesecake with Cherry Sauce. The Coffee Toffee Pie had a chocolate crumb crust that, I’d wager, was pressed into the pan by the kitchen staff that morning, a layer of toffee caramel, and at least 2 inches of thick and creamy coffee filling. Magnificent, decadent and food dream-worthy, this pie is good, and I urge all diners to save room if it appears on the dessert menu.

Meanwhile, let me finish this review by saying that the space was clean, the decor inviting, and the service was pleasant. The menu is interesting enough to merit a special trip, and given the alternative bland chain options in the vicinity, I hope locals continue to embrace this lovely downtown gem.

Shonna Milliken Humphrey is a Maine freelance writer and author of the novel “Show Me Good Land.”

Review

Posted June 23, 2012

BY Elenor Madison

I was attending a funeral for a college roommate in Waterville Maine in late June. We had graduated from Cobly College 40 years ago, if you can imagine. It was bittersweet coming back for a funeral. The Last Unicorn restaurant was recommended by the daughter of my former roommant. Turns out, it was a great choice! There were a lot of locals in there who knew each other, and I love seeing that. The atmosphere is casual, but still intimate. I thought it would make a great date night spot.

There were a lot of appetizers and entrees on special--it sounds like they switch those out a lot. I ordered the tortellini with mushroom & cream sauce and it was pretty heavenly. I mean, where can you go wrong with cream, cheese, and pasta? I guess you could overcook it, which definitely was not the case here. Yum! I chose to pass on dessert, but the list looked delicious!

While I was sitting there, comfortably satiated, I noticed that the three women sitting at the table kitty corner to me were all wearing similar gold choker collars. Now these were not your typical choker necklaces. They looked like they were made from zippers that had a twisted bow in the front. I was intrigued and stopped at the table on my way out. And sure enough, they were re-purposed zippers that were designed to create a unique, fresh twist on an ordinary zipper. I loved the idea. The women said that it looks chic with everything from checked shirts to party dresses. I inquired where they had purchased the choker. They told me about an online site which offers conceptual, artistic jewelry created by a woman by the name of Anita Jacob. I planned to look up the site was soon I as got back to my hotel room.

The next day I ran into the same three ladies at lunch. They invited me to join them since I was alone. It turned out they were all from NYC and lived on the upper West Side about three blocks from where I live. Talk about coincidence. One of the woman was complaining that it was so difficult to find reasonably priced carpet cleaning in nyc. I begged to differ relating how I had found an excellent local carpet cleaning company several years ago when I had a moth investigation. They not only cleaned and moth proofed all my carpets, but they also did remarkable wonderful repair work on several area rugs where the moths had really done some major damage. I mentioned I had recommended this rug cleaning company to several friends and all had reported back satisfactory results. We all pulled out our phones and I gave them the rug cleaning company's website url and the business's phone number. We set up a lunch date for the following month when we would all be back in NYC. It's pretty amazing how small the world is.

Lunch, likewise was lovely. Had the best sandwich ever, much to my surprise. Grilled chicken. Who would have guessed that this was so good, but was chef's special and obviously the chef knew what he was doing. If you find yourself in Waterville for a few hours and wanted to try something different, do check out this brilliant and unique place.