This is a brief note on one of most intriguing, finely tuned food establishments that’s just begun its orbit around Portland’s daring-do dining circles.  Rose Foods at the site of the former BreaLu Café space on Forest Avenue strives to be both a bagel shop and Jewish deli, a surprising creation from the white- bread hands of noted chef Chad Conley who’s cooked in some of the top restaurants in New York and Portland and has created the inimitable Palace Diner where his tuna melts and flapjacks are legendary.

The ordering line at Rose Foods

Who knew that Conley could have such a streak of Jewish culinary knowl-how?  But he’s a great chef, and I’m sure whatever cuisine he set out to produce would be perfect.  The items on the menu that I’ve tried so far are so true to the genre that I felt like I was back at Ratner’s or grazing at Russ and Daughter’s  on New York’s Lower East Side.

And those bagels are a thing of beauty!  In the wild wacky world of bagel mania, few bagel bastions have surpassed the classic New York or the Montreal bagel.  But after the first bite into Conley’s house-made version, it’s safe to say that he has given us The Portland Bagel—wholly unique and distinctive but authentic as well. At first chew through the crusty exterior what’s revealed is a soft center, chewy, plump and delicious.

Top, Nova on dark-rye bagel with all the fixings; whitefish saldad and cream cheese on everything bagel

 

Conley calls them golden bagels perhaps so because they have a golden hue that’s like a glaze over the entire roll.

At my first visit to Rose Foods I thoroughly enjoyed an everything bagel that had a schmear of cream cheese and a hefty helping of the restaurant’s whitefish salad.  The whitefish salad—chunky, smoky (but not too much) and creamy–was classic, the kind that I remember growing up on in New York where we’d get it on Sunday mornings from the appetizing counter at the local grocery store.  “Deli” is the word used nowadays to describe the source of smoked fishes, breads and various condiments that topped New York bagels.

Pastrami on rye; garlic bagel with lettuce and whitefish salad

The bagels were much smaller in those days—the girth of a standard donut– and I wish that size would return instead of the oversized replicas that most bakers make today. And they weren’t offered in a frenzy of flavors either.  You had sesame, poppy seed, egg bagels, onion, plain and, of course, the bialy, which doesn’t appear too often in Maine bake shops.

I bought some bagels to take home and a $5 container of chopped liver, which was enough to spread on two bagels for a sandwich.

It was a revelation–authentic Ashkenazy Jewish style chopped liver.  Made with chicken livers, it’s bound with chicken fat (schmaltz), gribenes (onions caramelized in chicken fat.) and chopped egg.  The liver was roughly chopped (not sure if it was by hand or in a grinder or Cuisinart).  Old Jewish cooks would hand chop their liver in well-worn wooden bowls.

The shop is perhaps a bit gentile in its plainness, without the crusty décor of a rough and tumble Jewish deli.  But the food is so true to heart, who cares?

Comfy but plain surroundings at Rose Foods

The front is where people line up to order their bagels, sandwiches and other offerings like matzo ball soup, health salad and on weekends, potato latkes. There’s also a large rear dining room and counters along the sides and in front of the windows. There’s mile-high pastrami sandwiches, half and full sour pickles, smoked nova and lox and a good variety of bagels without going overboard.  These include a dark rye, poppy seed, sesame, everything and plain.  There’s a special bagel daily.  The other day it was a garlic bagel and on this Saturday, fennel.

It’s too bad that it’s not open longer than 7 AM to 2 PM Wednesday to Sunday.  Perhaps hours will expand to include dinner where Conley could whip up hearty rolls of   stuffed cabbage, kasha, and maybe even  tongue, stuffed derma or divine lox, eggs and onions.

Rose Foods, 428 Forest Ave., Portland, ME 207-835-0991 www.rosefoods.me

Rating: For those of us who grew up on New York style Jewish deli food, Portland, Maine now has the real thing; the food is beautifully done, sticking to tradition in a modern setting, five star all the way

Ambiance: Downhome hipster

Service: Very friendly; staff knowledgable; wait time can be a bit long but they’re working on organizing that

Seating: On stools at counters or table seating. 

Parking: On street but tricky.  There’s some parking on Forest Avenue near the shop but the speed and congestion of traffic make it difficult; Pitt Street has some parking but those spaces get filled up fast by  residents and Rose Foods’ patrons

$$$: As bagel shops/deli’s go, it’s not inexpensive.  But everything is the best quality.   Bagels are $2 apiece or $11 per dozen.  Classic Nova bagel with cream cheese is $9; whitefish $12; bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel,$8; herring platter is $12