KC = BBQ

Norm’s is so close, and yet so far

By Kathy Gunst

THE NEW NORM’S: the barbecue may not even be the best part.

NORM’S EAST END GRILL, 47 Middle Street, Portland, (207) 253-1700. No reservations accepted, except for large parties. Lunch Mon. through Fri. Dinner nightly.

Downtown Kansas City at 8 a.m. isn’t what you would call inspiring. The blues clubs are all shut down and, aside from a few cops on the beat and people walking to work, there’s not much happening. But on a business trip a few years ago I found inspiration in Kansas City on a chilly winter morning. I had just been interviewed on an early-morning TV show, and had a few hours to kill before my flight. It was my only chance to try some of the city’s famous barbecue, and I jumped at it. A reporter I met at the TV station directed me down the street to taste the “best” BBQ in the world. “It’s right nearby,” he told me. “You should definitely check it out. It’s open now. All the cops go there when they get off their shift.”

I practically ran down the street, and found myself in a brightly lit room — a generic coffee shop-looking place. To make a long story short, that was the day I discovered real barbecue. I’m talking about meat so tender and flavorful that it literally melts in your mouth. I can still smell the intoxicating aroma of that “breakfast” — perfectly cooked, smoked, and spiced beef and pork. In all my travels, it rates as one of the great meals of my life.

Segue to a cold December night in Portland. I’m in line waiting to get into the new Norm’s East End Grill, ready to sink my teeth into some barbecue. I know I shouldn’t even be thinking about Kansas City, but I can’t help it. Once you’ve tasted the best it’s hard to settle for less.

Norm’s, now of 47 Middle Street, re-opened in its new locale just a month ago. It’s a great looking place, with brick walls, wooden floors and red and white checkered tablecloths. The street-level dining room is small and smoky, filled with only eight tables or so and lots of action and good smells coming from the open kitchen in the back of the room. Upstairs is a larger room with a bar, blues and rock ’n’ roll belting out of the sound system. Huge platters of food are coming from the kitchen. The place, with its party atmosphere, seems like the real thing.

The lobster stew arrives and my husband proclaims it “amazing.” This is high praise from a man who grew up eating lobster stew at the Oyster Bar in New York’s Grand Central Station (which many critics consider the best in the country). It’s a huge, steaming-hot bowl, filled with a perfectly seasoned, creamy broth and huge hunks of Maine’s most famous ingredient. The rich stew was accompanied by a crispy grilled flat bread, which was excellent for soaking up the last remaining spoonfuls.

The black bean soup was equally good — a thick, creamy concoction filled with tender black beans, crunchy scallions, and a good hit of spice. It was topped with fresh cilantro and sour cream and reminded me of some of the best Cuban black bean soups I have tasted. The special appetizer, Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Fresh Spinach and Balsamic Vinaigrette, was also fresh-tasting and delicious, though the mushrooms were slightly undercooked and crunchy. We were off and running.

Now came the true test. I ordered the special BBQ Sampler — a huge platter of chicken, spare ribs, country ribs, and steak tips, all smoked with hickory and applewood. A spicy dry rub gave the spareribs a good flavor, but they were hardly fall-off-the bone-tender. The steak tips were a bit better, char-grilled, with a satisfying chewy texture. The chicken was well-cooked and moist, but . . . disappointing. The barbecue sauce, which was slathered on nearly everything, just didn’t cut it. It had a good sweetness, but there was no edge, no depth of flavor. It had a remotely artificial smoky flavor which drowned out the taste of the meat. The baked beans that accompanied the BBQ were delicious, a good balance of sweet and savory. But the cornbread was dry and crumbly, almost as if it had been leftover from the previous day.

I have to admit I never ate at the old Norm’s and I know they have plenty of die-hard fans. Everyone around us looked happy as they devoured generous platters of fried chicken, fish and chips, fried clams, and, of course, barbecue. My husband ordered the Blacked Catfish, which turned out to be blackened scrod instead. Norm himself came over and apologized for the mix up, and gave us the dish on the house. The fish, well-cooked with a dusting of Cajun-style spices, was topped with a delicious cucumber, red onion, and scallion topping. Maybe we should have tried the Grilled BBQ Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon or the amazing looking mashed potatoes and onion rings. Maybe we should have ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich (which, according to the guy at the next table, who devoured the whole thing in what seemed like a single bite, was “awesome”).

We drank our ice cold Casco Bay Pilsner and dreamt of Kansas City. If you’re in the mood for delicious lobster stew or a really superb black bean soup check out Norm’s East End Grill. For authentic, drop-dead delicious BBQ you may have to get on a plane.