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About five times a week, diners arrive at Hugo's on Middle Street in Portland to sit down and eat what they're told. They've ordered in advance something called the chef's menu, which has gotten a fairly enthusiastic reception from area diners, said Hugo's owner Rob Evans. ''They don't know what they'll be eating until they sit down. It's a mystery, it's my choice,'' Evans said. ''That's my favorite thing about it, because I get to choose the best and the freshest ingredients.'' There's no fixed price for the chef's menu – the price depends on what the meal ends up being. Evans said it usually works out to be about $65 per person. Diners may request that certain foods be included in the meal as well. Some people request all fish, for example, or, as in Evans' most memorable chef's menu to date, ''quail eggs six different ways.'' ''We try to talk to people beforehand, and they might tell us it's a really special day, that they want to eat foie gras or definitely lobster,'' Evans said. Foie gras and lobster will likely add some to that $65-per-head average. Evans said there is a method to the chef's menu. The meal moves from lighter to heavier fare and includes palate cleansers. He said it can be a tricky proposition, particularly when it comes to determining portion sizes. ''Our goal is to have people leave satisfied with their experience,'' he said. ''We also try to send them off not sick of eating – not bloated.'' Evans said he has been excited by the response to the chef's menu and that the restaurant often gets ''call backs'' from people happy with their experience. That's gratifying for Evans, who enjoys the chef's menu for the challenge it offers him to be imaginative. ''It's a creative outlet,'' Evans said. ''The diner is open-minded, they're adventuresome. They're here to eat. ''Some people come to dinner and go on to a movie or something, which is great. But this is a night out of eating, so we try to make it the best experience we can.'' Evans and co-owner Nancy Pugh have been running Hugo's for a year now. The restaurant also offers a regular menu, as well as two tasting menus – one that focuses on Maine ingredients and the other that focuses on vegetables. Sally Tyrrell can be contacted at:styrrell@pressherald.com Copyright 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. |