Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Veranda Noodle Bar.
Overall, I think this is an excellent restaurant. I have never had a bad meal here and constantly tell people that they need to try it. So, now I’ll tell you, if you haven’t been you need to go now. Veranda is the pho king in Portland.
Henry Steinberg has withdrawn his liquor license application for Lamplighters Tavern. According to the Press Herald, several residents of the Pleasant Street neighborhood objected at the City Council meeting last night and in response Steinberg has cancelled his plans.
Rabelais teamed up with Bon Appetite to publish a list of the Best Cookbooks of 2011.
Monday — Cabin Cove Oysters and their Shuck Truck will be at El Rayo serving up $1 oysters. Chef Steve Corey will appear in tonight’s Thanksgiving episode of Foodography on the Cooking Chanel at 7 pm.
Tuesday — an Aquaponics workshop will be taught at the Urban Farm Fermentory.
Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.
Thursday — Thanksgiving, check the PFM Thanksgiving resource guide for more info on planning your own Thanksgiving dinner or locations for eating out that day.
Saturday — Wine Wise is leading a red wine walk among several restaurants in the Old Port, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.
Viva Lebowski — fans of White Russians and the movie The Big Lebowski should check out this year’s Viva Lebowski festival. The event is taking place December 3rd at Bayside Bowl. There will be bowling, a screening of the movie and a Lebowski costume contest. All ticket sales will benefit the Maine Heart Association.
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.
Top of the East received 3 stars from the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Go to the Top of the East for elegant cocktails while you can, before its planned two years of renovations. The ambience and service are outstanding, as is the extensive drink menu. Enjoy a holiday cocktail or glass of wine with the hands-down best view in Portland, either to begin or end an evening. The Top of the East does beverages and service exceptionally well.
The November issue of The Bollard included a bar review of the East Ender.
If you haven’t visited the East Ender yet, I urge you to check it out. Get there while you can still get a table.
Lamplighters Tavern is the newest entry on the Under Construction list. Owner Henry Steinberg plans on opening a “coffee, tea, beer, dessert and snack shop” at 21 Pleasant Street. Many years ago 21 Pleasant was the location of Jim Ledue’s restaurant Alberta’s.
Looking for advice on selecting the perfect wine(s) for your Thanks giving dinner?
Then you’re in luck. Four different websites have posted their thoughts on makes for a good wine for next week’s holiday:
For more advice on preparing your Thanksgiving dinner or escaping the kitchen and eating at out on the turkey day check out the PFM 2011 Thanksgiving Resource Guide.
Today’s Press Herald includes a review of the Ohno Cafe (4 stars),
It may have taken me a while to find my way to Cafe Ohno, but they had me at hello and at first bite.
and a bar review of Plush West End.
At the suggestion of Sean Steinmark, our bartender for the evening, I tried one of Plush West End’s most popular drinks, the Stargazer cocktail ($9). The drink blends citron and mandarin vodkas with white cranberry juice and something called luster dust, topped with a beautiful purple orchid. Not usually a fruity-drink imbiber myself, I could easily have drunk two or three of these. They were that delicious.
In the latest entry on Immigrant Kitchens Lindsay Sterling learns how to make Vietnamese Beef Stew from Quang and Minh Nguyen (read the recipe and see the photos).
I learned this stew from two brothers from Cam Ranh, Vietnam. Their names are Quang and Minh Nguyen. The soup’s name is Bo Kho, but they pronounce it Ba Kah. Their mother used to stay up until midnight making it so she could sell in the morning in front of their house. People in Vietnam eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, at parties and everyday. After a couple months of eating Kix, Grape Nuts, and Special K, the brothers called their mom in desperation and had her tell them over the phone how to make the soup.