Wine Enthusiast has listed Cold River Vodka in a recent article on the Top 50 Spirits of 2008.

“The lovely, austere and enticing bouquet offers scents of black pepper, charcoal and limestone. Entry is sweet and lightly spiced; at midpalate luscious tastes of caramel corn, charcoal, quartz and cocoa bean make for wonderful North American unflavored vodka drinking. Concludes smooth, complex and layered. A coming superstar.”

Little Lad’s Bakery & Cafe on Congress Street  which is already known for its vegetarian fare is in the process of becoming a kosher restaurant as well. They’re working with Rabbi Akiva Herzfeld from Congreation Shaarey Tphiloh to bring their operation in alignment with kosher food preparation standards. Shaarey Tphiloh was also recently the location of the 2nd Annual Top Latke competition.  James Lockman was the winner for his sweet potato and horseradish latke.

According to The Bollard, the City Council’s recent vote not to renew Slainte’s liquor license is irrelevant because of a bureaucratic snafu.

“In a memo dated January 8, city attorney Gary Wood told councilors their vote to strip Slainte’s liquor license was moot, because state liquor authorities had already granted the bar’s license renewal request based on the city’s initial recommendation.”

The article goes on to indicate that the bar owner wasn’t aware of the issue until The Bollard contacted him for comment.

Today’s Press Herald has an update on Roger Doiron’s campaign to get the next administration to plant a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.

“I like to think of the White House as America’s house,” Doiron said in a telephone interview Wednesday, “and I think it should have a vegetable garden. … One of the first things John Adams, the first president to live in the White House, did was to plant a vegetable garden.”

The Police have asked the City Council to deny the Cactus Club’s liquor license application according to an article in today’s Press Herald.

“The recommendation follows a pair of underage-drinking stings at the Fore Street club and a shooting just a few steps away that left an active duty U.S. Marine in a wheelchair.”

There’s an article in the Food & Health section of today’s Press Herald about Maine Natural Oils. Maine Natural Oils is ramping up to produce cold pressed oils from locally grown non-GMO seeds for home cooking use. They plan on initially selling canola and mustard oil, and their “target market is the natural foods consumer who is interested in healthy, locally made products.”

The new issue of The Bollard includes a another installment in the Land of Forgotten Cocktails series by mixologist John Myers, a few more details about the new restaurant that Binga’s hopes to open on Washington Avenue, as well as a review of the caprine cuisine at Federal Spice and Hamdi Restaurant and Grocery. The goat dish at Federal Spice is one of the Jamaican items on the menu added by owner Eric Martin.

“The Curried Goat Platter at Federal Spice in downtown Portland is a pile of braised goat chunks served beside a pile of rice and peas…the curried goat at Federal Spice is the real deal.”

“Gastronomically, the goat plate at Hamdi is remarkably similar to the one served at Federal Spice: a big plate of flavorful meat falling off the bones, and a mound of tasty yellow rice. “

There’s a front page article in today’s Press Herald on the impact the recession is having on Maine restaurants.

Today’s paper has a report on the collaboration by members of Portland’s Jewish and Muslim communities to serve a holiday meal at the Wayside Soup Kitchen.

Today’s Press Herald has articles on the French tradition of Reveillon, the way imigrants weave food traditions into their new lives, and the Wayside Soup Kitchen’s holiday meal being cooked by members of Portland’s Jewish and Muslim communities.

Both The Bollard and the Portland Phoenix have published articles this week on the controversy over a food salvaging operation at Whole Foods.

Maine Roasters Coffee and Freaky Bean Coffee Co., which merged their operations late last year, have now decided to go their separate ways. According to an article that appeared in The Forecaster, the original owners of Maine Roasters Coffee bought back the business in mid-November.

According to a report in today’s Press Herald, the City Council voted last night not to renew Slainte‘s liquor license. The bar can appeal the decision to the state.

The bicoastal food rivalry carries on at Blogtown, a blog run by left coast Portland’s weekly newspaper. The baiting also come with the olive branch offer of a food writer exchange. (via Original Portland).

Apparently, the Portland, ME is the new Portland, OR item on Epicurious.com’s 2009 food trends list touched a nerve for at least one Oregonian food blogger. Patrick Alan Coleman has written “I’m challenging Portland, Maine, to a fight. If they want our gold leaf coated, slightly salted, smoked chocolate crown, then they’re going to have to come over here and take it! I dare ‘em!” (via a post on Original Portland).