Price Fixing?

An article in the latest issue of Working Waterfront reports on the belief by some that the recent fluctuations in lobster price are the result of price fixing.

Some fishermen think dealers and poundkeepers cheat them and have “since time immemorial,” to quote one, as a matter of course, and nothing will disabuse them of this notion. But fishermen and dealers from both sides of the border, this time, were sure someone-and by that they meant one of the big dealers or perhaps one of the big Canadian processors-must have been manipulating the price. There could be no other reason for the price to jump so high so fast.

Freaky Beans Closes 2 Locations (updated)

According to the Westbrook Diarist, two of Freaky Bean’s locations have closed. Both the store in the Cabela’s mall, and the store on Main Street in Westbrook (which houses their roasting operation) were closed “due to ‘unforeseen circumstances'”. This comes just a few months after Maine Roasters Coffee demerged from Freaky Bean and resumed operation as a separate business.
The Bollard has also published a report on the closings at Freaky Bean and confirms that the location in South Portland and Scarborough are still open.

Walter's Review

Down East has reviewed Walter’s.

Walter’s seafood-heavy menu hopscotches across cuisines, sometimes within one dish. The grilled fish tacos, for example, consist of haddock over shredded greens, with cheddar and pico de gallo — as well as a sriracha mango tartar sauce and a Fuji apple and jicama slaw. That’s a lot of flavor for one dish.

Ri-Ra Review

The Portland Bar Guide has reviewed Ri-Ra.

Unless you’ve visited the Ri Ra website you probably didn’t know the bar is a chain with others in Arlington VA, Charlotte NC, Atlantic City, NJ, Evansville, IN, Bethesda, MD, Burlington, VT, Providence, RI and Louisville, KY. Usually, I’m turned off by chain establishments, but Ri Ra has got a killer Happy Hour and I’ve had nothing less than a memorable time when I’ve visited.