Limoncello in Maine? You Bet!! Street & Company's Housemade Limoncello

I'll be honest with you... Portland Maine is one of the last places that I thought that I would sample some of the best limoncello of my life.  I've been to Ischia, Naples, Sorrento, Vibo Valencia, Cosenza, Siracusa, Agrigento, etcetera.  What I mean to say is that I've headed out to Southern Italy where literally everyone and their nonna make their own limoncello.  They are surrounded by lemon trees! What do you expect?

Having been to Italy, and having sampled nonna-made limoncello passed down from generation to generation,  you can see why I feel a little guilty for loving a limoncello made on the east coast of the USA.  It's not even from Florida!  Mamma Mia! It's from Maine!  We can't help who/what we fall in love with.  I'm telling you, it is superior.  This extraordinary limoncello can be found at a cool Portland restaurant called Street & Company.  Some of you may be familiar with their famous sister restaurant Fore Street Restaurant.  If you are in Portland, Maine you MUST go!! Look at their Menu: http://www.streetandcompany.net/menu

This is made mainly (no pun intended) by the bar manager Mark, who has NEVER even been to Italy before!! He's never experienced the sun dappled lemon grove of Sicily or the ripe sweet scent of the lemon as you pluck it off the tree in Campagnia stare off into the Mediterranean and bring it home to Zia Rita to make into her famous-in-the-village limoncello.  Yeah, I still feel really guilty.  However, good is good no matter where it comes from and this was my kinda limoncello!!!

Perche? What makes this so good?  It is a perfect balance of sweet and tart, lightness and viscosity, acid and sugar. It's like the perfect lemonade - except potent and  in tiny little glasses.  What makes the housemade limoncello at Street & Company so great it that it has a balance that I have not experienced yet in limoncello.  I said potent earlier, and this is indeed alcoholic, but it didn't taste like lemon Pledge rocket fuel as so many do.  It was fresh and subtle, natural and zesty.  It was totally in keeping with the food on their menu.  Clean flavors, great products, fresh, fresh and fresh.

Now that you know where to get the best, let me give you a little 411 on Limoncello in general.  This is usually made from a neutral grain spirit - like vodka and lemon zest is added to sugar and water and then left to steep in the booze for up to 3 months.  Everyone has their own magical cut off time, and honestly if I had been less tipsy at Street and Company, I would be able to tell you their secret formula.   Really all you need to know it that it should be served chilled and frosty.

If you ae interestested in making your own (and then inviting me over to sample) check out this website:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/Limoncello.htm