Initial Impressions of District Grille

Wines; Tasted! has published some initial impressions of the new District Grille.

The menu was, to me, a really interesting mix of Italian, American, unintimidating comfort food, and more creative exciting options.  It has lots of meat, lots of rich food, although there were at least three vegetarian options for the main course.  I was excited to see things like baked halloumi, mussels with creme fraiche, chicken wings with goat cheese dip for appetizers, along with a raw bar with oysters, littleneck clams, and king crab claws.

The Bollard on Linda Bean

The Bollard has published a feature on Linda Bean and the impact her growing lobster empire is having on towns in mid-coast Maine.

Bean uses the image of Maine’s fishing communities to market her company, but the reality of life in her Perfect Maine is far from perfect.

“It’s a divided peninsula: those on the payroll and those who aren’t,” a St. George resident said. Like numerous other locals interviewed for this article, she agreed to comment about Bean on condition of anonymity, for fear that criticizing her would bring economic retribution in this tiny town. The source has been asking St. George officials for help in a land dispute with Bean, but thinks the town government is powerless to rein in the heiress.

You can also see the discussion taking place on Facebook about Bean’s aspirations to brand Maine lobster.

Review of Pizza Villa, Maine Brewer’s Festival

Pizza Villa has received 5 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald,

The chicken sub served as comfort food. I was chilled, and needed something warm and filling. The sub roll was toasted and chewy. The marinara sauce had a tangy bite, and the chicken was tender. I appreciated the stringy melted cheese and the fact that the roll held up to my devouring appetite. The sub didn’t fall apart on me. The chicken and sauce stayed inside the bun, intact. It was delicious.

Also in today’s paper is a What Ales You report on last weekend’s Maine Brewers Festival,

At the Dinner with the Brewers Friday night at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland, Kai Adams of Sebago Brewing Co. said craft brews represent 20 percent of beer sales in Maine, compared to 4 percent of craft-beer sales nationally. In Florida, he said, they are celebrating the fact that the percentage of beer sales has recently doubled there, from 1 percent of the market to 2 percent.

Review of Pizza Villa, Maine Brewer's Festival

Pizza Villa has received 5 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald,

The chicken sub served as comfort food. I was chilled, and needed something warm and filling. The sub roll was toasted and chewy. The marinara sauce had a tangy bite, and the chicken was tender. I appreciated the stringy melted cheese and the fact that the roll held up to my devouring appetite. The sub didn’t fall apart on me. The chicken and sauce stayed inside the bun, intact. It was delicious.

Also in today’s paper is a What Ales You report on last weekend’s Maine Brewers Festival,

At the Dinner with the Brewers Friday night at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland, Kai Adams of Sebago Brewing Co. said craft brews represent 20 percent of beer sales in Maine, compared to 4 percent of craft-beer sales nationally. In Florida, he said, they are celebrating the fact that the percentage of beer sales has recently doubled there, from 1 percent of the market to 2 percent.

Maine-ly Poultry

The Portland Phoenix paid a visit to the Maine-ly Poultry turkey farm in Warren.

John Barnstein figures he’s responsible for about 12,000 people’s holiday repast. As the owner of Maine-ly Poultry, a small farm in Warren, John raises 2000 turkeys for Thanksgiving. And getting that turkey to your dining room table is nothing short of a battle.

You can order a Maine-ly Poultry turkey for this Thanksgiving through Rosemont Market.

Bagel Baker Makes House Calls

The Forecaster has profiled BagelGuy, a South Portland-based bagel bakery that makes home deliveries.

That’s exactly what Yesse, better known to his customers as the Bagel Guy, does. He delivers freshly cooked bagels to households and cafes in Portland, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth.

The cost, including delivery? A dollar per bagel and a minimum of six bagels.

The variety? Whatever you want.

Oysters, 2 Buck Chuck, Robert Pieper

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes Joe Appel’s take on the Trader Joe’s 2 Buck Chuck wines,

Yet. Yet there are hidden costs. The biggest one is a general dumbing down of the wine market. I know everyone’s shopping Trader Joe’s exclusively right now, but next time you feel the need for an edible vegetable, head over to any other Portland-area supermarket and note the changes in the wine departments. See?

Everyone’s racing to the bottom, all desperate to offer an alternative to $3 Chuck. The interesting bottles lose their shelf space, taken over by more and more case stacks of faceless, automaton wine engineered to move.

a feature article on Maine oysters,

Once, oysters were as much a part of holiday celebrations as cranberries and champagne.

There’s never been a better time to revive this tradition. There are dozens of Maine oyster growers who can supply the freshest shellfish for your holiday table.

and interview with sous chef Robert Pieper from Nosh.

A New Equilibrium

Mainebiz has taken a look at what impact the launch of Trader Joe’s will have on the other markets in the area.

“They’re not going to shake up the market too much. They don’t impact competition as much as you would think,” says David Livingston, a supermarket consultant in Wisconsin. “They’re a niche player.” The store offers a “treasure hunt,” he says, and people come in to track down novelty items more than to do their weekly shopping.

District Grille Opening

District Grille is opening with a limited appetizer menu and a cash bar tonight. They will be closed on Wednesday and plan to reopen with full dinner service starting Thursday . Pete Sueltenfuss is leading the kitchen staff with brothers Bill and James O’Brien along with Anthony Mastropasqua as owners of the restaurant.
The restaurant’s liquor license application states that they plan to serve an “Upscale American” menu.