Anapurna’s Thali Food Cart & the Thai Culinary Studio

Today’s Press Herald includes a profile of Anapurna’s Thali, a vegetarian food cart in East Bayside.

At the new Annapurna’s Thali vegetarian food cart in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood, the flavors have roots in the Himalayas.

Owner Gloria Pearse spent part of last summer on a vegetarian farm in Kotabagh, India. The farm sits in the foothills of the famous mountain range near the border with China and Nepal. While there, Pearse, a long-time vegetarian, was able to learn traditional vegetarian recipes from the cook.

Today’s paper also has an article about the Thai Culinary Arts Studio in Yarmouth.

Limanon, a native of Bangkok, is an environmental lawyer embarking on a new path in life, one in which she will teach traditional Thai cooking to Mainers. She’s calling her new business the Thai Culinary Arts Studio. In addition to regular cooking classes, Limanon plans to offer group dinner party classes and, eventually, culinary travel to Asia.

Del Ducato/Oxbow Beer Dinner

Piccolo will be holding a beer dinner on July 21st in collaboration with Oxbow and Italian brewer Birrificio Del Ducato. The 6-course dinner will feature beers from both brewers including a set of limited releases from Oxbow.

Del Ducato’s brewer, Giovanni Campari, will be attending the dinner. He’s visiting Maine to work with Oxbow on a collaboration beer.

The dinner is $100 per person, call Piccolo at 207-747-5307 for reservations.

Maxim: A Man’s Guide to Portlandia East

maximThe new issue  of Maxim includes an article about visiting Portland. It recommends Eventide, Fore Street, Hunt & Alpine, In’finiti and The Great Lost Bear.

Maxim also checked in with Joe Ricchio who suggested a day of noshing that starts with Saigon followed by stops at Miyake, Central Provisions, Hunt & Alpine and the Snug.

The article isn’t yet available online.

Blue Rooster Review: Vinland Hot Dog

Chubby Werewolf has continued his excellent coverage of the Blue Rooster guest chef series with a review of the Vinland hot dog.

The surprisingly substantive corn tortilla—the first departure from a standard hot dog bun in the Summer Chef Series—gets points not only for being locally sourced, but also for originality. Bun substitutes can sometimes turn out to be gimmicky failures, but not here. As a vessel for transporting meat and toppings, it was more than up to the task, staying intact right up until the last bite. And while I love my hot dog buns, I’d argue that the tortilla functions better than the regular bun in that it lets the meat itself play a larger role in the sandwich, which is great when you’re using a premium-quality hot dog.

Interview with Chef David Turin

The American Journal has published an interview with chef David Turin.

Turin is about food, not flamboyance. Following a couple of years as executive chef at Boston’s Bay Tower Room, which at the time took in the 13th-largest dollar volume of any restaurant in the country, Turin turned to the Massachusetts coastal town of Newburyport. He then ventured north to Portland in 1994. In the city’s arts district, Turin began creating what he calls “refined comfort food” at his eponymous restaurant.

This Week’s Events: Pocket Cruise, Flea Bites, Shipyard Festival, Bastille Day

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — the Pocket Bunch crew is running their first Pocket Cruise; tickets are available online. The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beers from In’finiti.

Friday — a group of food trucks will be at Portland Flea-for-All for the July Flea Bites.

Saturday — the Shipyard Summer Festival is taking place as is the Deering Oaks Farmers Market.

Sunday — Petite Jacqueline is hosting a Bastille Day celebration; tickets are available online.

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.

Saveur’s Portland Grocery Mile

Saveur has posted a eating  tour of some of the author’s favorite Portland destinations.

You could (and should) plan a week-long itinerary around the city’s great restaurants, as many do. But the simple pleasure of selecting ingredients and enjoying them at their freshest shouldn’t be overlooked by visitors; whenever I have friends coming into town, I send them on my favorite Saturday morning grocery itinerary, to make like a local and gather the fixings for a perfect afternoon picnic. Because, after all, the same resources that attracted ambitious chefs to Portland—abundant seafood and an equal abundance of local produce—are available to you and me.

Interview with Foundation Brewing

Epicurious has published an interview with Foundation Brewing.

“The biggest change,” he says, “is that something that was only a goal a short time ago is now a reality. You make plans, and when you really get into it, there’s a big difference.”

“How so?” I ask.

“We knew this intellectually,” John says, “but we really learned that when you are brewing, or doing some other task around the brewery, that you can’t leave until it’s done. So if it’s eight or nine at night, and you’re still in the middle of some process, you know you are staying late.”

Q&A with Leigh Kellis

Knack Factory has interviewed Leigh Kellis, owner of The Holy Donut.

Whenever I go into your places, there is a full line, sometimes extending out the door. What is it about what you do that people are responding to?
That’s a really good question. I have been trying to figure it out for a couple of years. We have had a spectacular reception to this business. I don’t take that for granted. I am grateful for literally every person who comes through the line. I realize that this might not last forever. Yes, we have a good product, but there is also something very quirky about this place and I know that…