If I haven’t posted lately it’s not  that the latest version of a lettuce wrap didn’t quite excite.  But, rather, the current flock of restaurants in Greater Portland has been covered so much by others lately that I truly wasn’t inspired to add my two cents.  Yet there were some highlights worth mentioning. Take, for example, my recent visit to Tipo, Chris Gould’s—of Central Provisions renown–new far-flung dining outpost–in an off-peninsula wilderness, a location that’s strictly neighborhood.

The dining bar at Tipo

But on the day that I visited Tipo I had also gone to Gould’s C-P for lunch and wondered why I haven’t been going there regularly, especially in the winter when the crowds are much thinner on a winter’s day lunch hour than at the height of the summer crush.

Lunch at Central Provisions: mussels escabeche

It was a superb lunch.  The smoked salmon board was a brilliant assemblage of house-smoked salmon, pickled vegetables, spreads, and crisps on which to lavish these wonderful ingredients.  Then a chicken tostado was akin to relishing the most flavorful elements of Mexican cooking.  With black beans, red cabbage and a chipotle spice it was a hearty follow-up after the salmon.  But then the kitchen thought I’d like to try one of their specialties: mussels escabeche–a vinegary mélange of pickled vegetables coating the mussels in the shell.

Salmon board at Central Provisions lunch

As an aside, note that another one of our great dinner restaurants—EVO—is now open for lunch.  I will write about that another time (see, I do have something new to add).  For now, try it to enjoy all the novel dishes available at the noon hour.

Lunch at EVO; fabulous chick-pea frites

But that night—a dreadful evening of icy rain and snow—we trudged out to Tipo, an area that the restaurant’s web page describes as Back Cove.  I guess it is but it’s more like that dark backside of Back Cove, and getting there by car (horsefly transport might be better) is a challenge. Depending on your starting point you can take Forest Avenue to Ocean Avenue, the most direct route but often the most congested.  Then there’s the Baxter Boulevard option: Vannah Avenue to Clifton to Codman and voila you wind up there in the dark of night wondering—is that all there is?

In the Back Cove Hood, Tipo

Gould devised a simple neighborhood restaurant, with a menu of Italian style dishes served in a singularly casual setting.  The room is plain (translate—a deadpan roadhouse?).  But seating is comfortable.  And you’re apt to mingle with millennial stroller moms more than old-coot baby boomers of a certain age. If I lived down the block I’d be there often.

The food is fundamentally simple: Neapolitan style pizzas, crudos, house-made pastas and a few main dishes with gutsy sauces.

We began with the proverbial plate of carpaccio decked with squiggles of smoked onion aioli, Parmesan shavings and balsamic.  Flawlessly prepared—delicate wands of raw beef under a very tasty aioli—it was good enough to pick up and eat by hand.

Dishes at Tipo: roast chicken over polenta; meatballs with ricotta and carpaccio of beef

Executive chef Mike Smith—who debuted as the head honcho at Scales—left to join Gould in branding Tipo into the neighborhood joint that it is.  He’s a good chef–careful, inventive and extremely competent.  Given a menu of varied interests he does a good job.  The pasta that we had was a rye cavatelli, handmade, in a pork ragu–loads of flavor and texture–the pasta was toothy, the ragu robust.  We also had a little crock of meatballs under a Sunday sauce with dollops of seasoned ricotta.  It’s a nice interlude before more rigorous preparations.  We didn’t try the brick wood-oven roasted pizzas but ogled them being served at adjoining tables.

My favorite dish was the full-flavored roast chicken, spice rubbed, served with pickled peppers and over creamy polenta. Though not a small plate restaurant per se, all these dishes were sharable and added up to a very nice meal at a reasonable price.

Tipo, 182 Ocean Ave., Portland, ME 207-358-7970,, www.tiporestaurant.com

Excellent trattoria style food including pasta, pizza, crudos and small entrees

Service: Excellent.  Former star  Lolita  waiter,  Montana,  is now working there

Tables: varied–banquettes, two tops, bar dining

$$$: Moderate

Parking: On-site