Now is the time for true confessions.

If left to my own devices, I will rarely leave the west end.

I know, I know... it's terrible! I mean, sometimes I'll grab lunch near school, or even Huong's on Cumberland. But it's a rare day when I go Up The Hill.

I know everyone who loves Munjoy Hill will scoff at me, but it's not that I don't like the restaurants up there. It's just that they rarely come to mind, especially for lunch.

So, I was pretty pleased when a colleague suggested lunch at the Blue Spoon. Otis and I had dinner there back when they first opened aeons ago, but the few times we had tried to go back for dinner the wait seemed eternal, and it just didn't seem worth it. And, to be honest, I didn't even know they served lunch.

But, happily, they do, and it is quite delicious! I had a half-sandwich with a cup of soup, which is $9. The soup was amazing-- a slightly-chunky blend of root vegetables with just enough acid and sweetness, with bits of kale and small pieces of well-cooked smoky bacon. My only complaint was that it was slightly undersalted-- surprising given the bacon-- but of course a few dashes from the salt shaker fixed that right up. My sandwich was great, too-- grilled cheese with mushroom duxelles and a garlicy paste, on nice crusty liberally buttered French bread, fried to a perfect brownness.

I ate every bite.

What a lovely meal. The service was a little slow, given that one waiter was taking care of the entire (albeit small) restaurant... but I didn't really mind. Once we ordered the food arrived swiftly.

So, if you're looking for a nice, friendly, reasonably priced lunch spot, give the Blue Spoon a try. There was a nice selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Next time, I'm going to try the burger. I promise, Munjoy Hill, I will forsake thee no more!

89 Congress St
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 773-1116