The Press Herald has published an Eat & Run review of Pie in the Sky,

I thought the slice of pepperoni was especially tasty. The pepperonis were diced into cubes as opposed to sliced, which made the pizza easy to eat on the run. Other ingredients included roasted red peppers, fresh basil, three cheeses and tomato sauce. It had a bit of a spicy kick to it, which probably came from the pepperonis, but not too much.

and a bar review of Joe’s Boathouse.

While the size of Joe’s bar limits the number of people who can sit there to about five or six, the restaurant offers outdoor seating that’s hard to beat. With summer fast approaching, it’s definitely a spot to put on your list to drink in the sun and watch as boats depart and dock.

Union Bagel is planning to open their new retail shop at 147 Cumberland Ave this Friday at 6 am sharp. Union Bagel is located in the former home of Katie Made.

In addition to their bagels they’re serving coffee from Crema. Co-owner Paul Farrell tells me that Crema was the first shop in town to buy his bagels when he launch the company last year.

The Bangor Daily News has published an article about growing number of food trucks in Portland.

The food truck movement is hitting high-profile speed bumps in some major U.S. cities. But in Portland, where the scene is emerging this spring, vendors and city officials say they have an opportunity to succeed where other cities are struggling.

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald features an article about Dirty Pearl, an oyster stout that the result of a collaboration between Eventide and Bunker Brewing.

Smith and Sorensen added 35 large oysters and about three quarts of oyster liquor (saved and filtered from the oysters they use at the restaurant) to a 60-gallon kettle.

The oysters are tossed into the wort at the end of the boil, just before adding the yeast. The oysters stay in the kettle for about 20 minutes, and the heat opens up the shells and releases more oyster liquor.

The Dirty Pearl release party is scheduled to take place Tuesday 5 pm at Eventide.

The Lobster Shack, J’s Oyster Bar and Dimillo’s all get passing mention in an article about lobster rolls that appeared in the current issue of Bon Appetit.

Truth be told, all lobster rolls in Maine start out at a baseline of being very good and proceed upwards from there. For me the lobster roll is more than just culinary transcendence or proof that simple food made simply is the most soul-satisfying of all. It is summer itself…

The article is not yet available online.

Duckfat made it on to the US News Travel list of America’s Best French Fries.

The outcome of Duckfat’s double-dip preparation process is crispy exteriors and soft, fluffy innards, with duck fat creating an intense taste. You can sample these fries layered in one of eight signature sauces like truffle ketchup and Thai chili mayo. Or, you can turn this savory side into a full meal by ordering the poutine: delicious fries covered in cheese curd, house-made duck gravy, chives and a duck egg. 

Natalie Ladd’s column in today’s Portland Daily Sun talks about the stresses of working at a restaurant during the summer tourists season and includes a top ten list of things that servers wished they could say but never do.

1) “How many pints of Mountain Dew refills are you going to let your 12-year old drink?” Not only am I super busy, but the kid is climbing the walls and you waving me down like I’m a taxi cab is really obnoxious.

The Forecaster has published a roundup of recently opened and upcoming restaurants in South Portland including Otto Pizza.

“I know we are not supposed to have favorites, but I have fallen in love with Otto Pizza,” [Councilor Linda] Cohen said as she moved for passage of the license to allow owners Mike Kean and Anthony Allen to open their third Otto Pizza in Maine.

According to Maine a la Carte, Bresca will be closed for the summer while owner Krista Kern Desjarlais focuses on her new venture, Bresca and the Honey Bee.

The Blueberry Files has published a review of Outliers,

But I see this place as more of a ‘date night out’ kind of restaurant. The entrees we saw being carried through the dining room looked beautiful and made our mouths water. Whether you end up coming in for a full dinner or just stop by for nibbles and a local beer, check out Outliers and welcome them to the neighborhood.

Chef Peter Sultenfuss from Grace won the Chopped Challenge cooking competition Sunday. Both Maine a la Carte and Maine Eater have articles with photos and details on the event. The  event raised money for the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

East Ender/From Away took home 2nd place in the Lamb Pro Am competition in Boston. The competition paired restaurants with recipes developed by food bloggers to showcase lamb for the American Lamb Board.

Today’s Press Herald reports that the Legislature is considering changes to Maine’s restaurant inspection program.

State legislators said Monday they will consider increasing the frequency of restaurant inspections and hiring more inspectors a day after the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram reported that Maine has one of the least rigorous restaurant inspection programs in the nation, both in terms of frequency and making information available to the public.

Monday — In’finiti is holding a Broadbent Selections wine dinner.

Tuesday — Local Sprouts is hosting the monthly Local Foods Networking Breakfast.

Wednesday — Ned Wight owner of New England Distilling will be at The Great Lost Bear making cocktails using his gin, and  the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Josh Christie author of Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland will be at Rising Tide for a book signing, Paciarino will be doing a cooking demonstration, there will be a lecture at the Maine Historical Society on Johnny Appleseed, and The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beers from Harpoon Brewery.

Friday — Rosie Schaap author of Drinking With Men will be speaking at SPACE, and there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont.

Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market of 2013 is taking place, Wicked Good Street Kitchen will be at Rising Tide as part of the brewery’s weekly food truck series.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

Portland is #3 on the Travel + Leisure list of the Best Beer Cities in the country.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Ri-Ra.

RiRa does Irish-inspired pub fare extremely well. Traditionalists and meat lovers will enjoy the pub menu and community atmosphere. If the upstairs is open, try dining there for a less crowded experience. The stout-steamed mussels are amazing.

They’ve also published a set of four articles about restaurant inspections in Maine.

Mainely Burgers (facebook, twitter) is launching their Portland food truck today. They’re the featured food truck at Rising Tide this afternoon (noon – 5 pm) and starting at 6 pm  plan on operating out of a parking lot near City Hall on Congress Street.

According to an article in Sentry, Otto Pizza is planning to open a new location in South Portland at 159 Cottage Road.

The property, currently vacant, that may become the new Otto was previously a Getty gas station. It sits on a busy downtown intersection at Cottage Road and Highland Avenue surrounded by the South Portland Public Library, the Holy Cross School and Red’s Dairy Freeze.

Artemisia Cafe on Pleasant Street has started serving dinner, Wednesday through Saturday. The evening service is run by husband and wife team Guy and Heather. You can see photos of the menu below (click to enlarge).

The restaurant wasn’t very busy when I was there, but based on my meal (Muhummara appetizer, Pappardelle with Braised Chicken for a main course followed by Lemon Vanilla Layer Cake) I can’t imagine that will be the case for very long.

Update: According to a PFM reader comment, Heather and Guy are Maine natives who spent time working at restaurants in and around San Francisco including Chez Panisse.

Mainebiz has published an article about Bissell Brothers Brewing Company, a new brewery under development in Portland.

According to their business plan, the two brothers aim to brew unique, complex, unfiltered ales targeted at the growing market of craft beer in Maine and greater New England. The beers will be packaged in both kegs and silver 16-ounce cans sold in four packs, the latter of which they say is a rapidly growing segment of the craft beer market. They plan to sell, distribute and promote their product in-house, essentially by word-of-mouth and personal connections.

The article also makes passing mention of Banded Horn Brewery.

The Portland Phoenix has published a review Blue Rooster,

The rest of the menu, though, costs no more than the typical Portland sandwich (around $7) and tastes a good deal better. Many of the details are fantastic, like pickling the yellow tomatoes on the porcetta sandwich, which brings out its fruitiness (and its grapefruit color) even as it adds some sour. A sweet-salty pork belly, with a nice crispy edge, was stuffed with a spicy, juicy sausage. All the richness was cut by some sharpness arugula and the sour tomato. Thoughtful!

and The Golden Dish has published a review of Nosh.

One memorable sandwich that I had at lunch a while ago was something called Maine Shrimp Bah-Mi: fried shrimp on a house-made hoagie with foie gras pate, pickled cucumber, hot sauce and cilantro.  Only a culinary maverick could dream up this combination to stuff into a hoagie, the aftermath being you adjust your belt notch one less.