Category: People

Food & Wine has named Jordan Rubin to their 2025 class of Best New Chefs. Rubin is the chef and co-owner of Mr. Tuna which he launched as a food cart in 2017. The now fully realized Mr. Tuna restaurant opened for business on Middle Street in 2024.

Rubin is one of just ten Best New Chefs this year which Food & Wine identified as “the most dynamic and promising up-and-coming chefs in the country.” The article about Rubin and Mr Tuna reads in-part,

The food at the standalone incarnation of Mr. Tuna is delightful, impeccable, honest, and full of surprises. The emphasis is on Japanese-inspired sushi: elaborate, overflowing donburi rice bowls, gorgeous sashimi, and over a dozen types of hand rolls. Rubin also pulls from the global pantry, as in his ravishing Tuna de Tigre dish, a Peruvian- and Thai-inspired ceviche in which creamy avocado and ruby-red cubes of tuna get dressed in a sauce made from coconut, fish sauce, lime juice, and bird chiles, then topped with herbs and crispy shallots.

The article about Rubin also includes editor Raphael Brion’s recommendation for the “perfect order” at Mr Tuna which starts with the Skin N Dip and ends with Tuna Tasting.

Begun in 1988, the annual Best New Chef program highlights chefs from around the country. You can see a full list of prior honorees on the F&W website which include luminaries like Nancy Silverton (1990), Wylie Dufresne (2001) and David Chang (2006). Four Maine chefs have received this recognition in the past: Rob Evans (2004), Steve Corry (2007), Bowman Brown (2011) and Cara Stadler (2014).

The latest episode of the Boulos Beats podcast features an interview with Harding Lee Smith, the founder of The Front Room, The Corner Room, The Grill Room, The Mountain Room at Sunday River, and The Last Run Room in Newry.

Chef Smith shares his remarkable journey, from his introduction to the restaurant industry at the age of seven to his formal training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. Together, they explore the vision, inspiration, and challenges behind Smith’s five celebrated establishments…The discussion also delves into the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent staffing challenges, and the complexities of rising operational costs.

The Boston Globe has published an article about Sur Lie’s new chef Sam Helmke.

Helmke’s menu for Sur Lie promises a mix of familiar and new. A few riffs on fan favorites will stay, but expect additions like halibut with a Spanish romesco created by charring local bell peppers and mixing them with almonds, fennel, cayenne, and paprika. It makes a robust, smoky, spicy sauce which they pair with a classic rouge reduction. He adds cipollini onions that are both pickled and caramelized, grilled shishito peppers, and escarole. It’s also a dish that best showcases his cooking style: “I usually start with purées and sauces and then bring in the vegetables,” said Helmke.

Today’s The Globe also published a New England travel article. The Portland section features Boda, Central Provisions, Clam Bar, Crown Jewel, Cuties, Duckfat, Forage, Mr Tuna, Norimoto, Onggi, Oxbow, Scales, Tandem, Wayside

The Boulos Beats podcast has published an interview with Joshua Miranda who owns and operates Blyth & Burrows, Via Vecchia, Papi and Off-Track Pizza.

Josh shares candid insights into the complexities of managing multiple dining establishments, the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the significance of crafting distinctive guest experiences. He also addresses industry-wide challenges, including rising rents and labor costs, and emphasizes the importance of adaptability in a constantly changing market. Looking ahead, Josh discusses his strategic focus on refining and strengthening his existing restaurant portfolio.

Sara Rademaker and her Waldoboro-based company American Unagi has been featured by Food & Wine in their 5th annual Game Changers article. The Game Changers article recognizes “the people, products, and companies changing the way we eat and drink for the better — are meeting those challenges with creativity and grit.”

The unagi supply chain has long been convoluted — eels were caught in Maine, then shipped to Asia to grow to maturity. Now, thanks to American Unagi, eels never have to cross international waters to reach dinner plates. The first large-scale, land-based eel aquafarm in the United States is making eel more accessible and sustainable for American consumers and chefs alike.

American Unagi eel is available in the Portland area at Harbor Fish, SoPo Seafood and Brown Trading, and online via their e-commerce site.

Mainebiz has published an interview with Hannah Ryder, the executive chef at Twelve.

Hannah Ryder was recently promoted to executive chef at Twelve, a high-end restaurant on Portland’s East End owned by the Prentice Hospitality Group. The 27-year-old, who grew up in Cumberland and has worked at the Prentice-owned Evo and Chebeague Island Inn, was part of the team that opened Twelve in July 2022. We sat down with her in the enclosed waterfront patio one sunny April morning as chefs were prepping that evening’s dinner.

The Boulos Beats podcast has published an interview with chef David Turin who owns and operates David’s, David’s 388 and David’s Opus Ten. Listen to the podcast to hear about Turin’s early career, his thoughts on a wide variety of business management topics, and advice on running a successful restaurant and having a successful culinary career.

Delicious Musings has published an article about The Jewel Box and interview with owner Nathaniel Meiklejohn.

Velvety cushions line the front window bench. The aesthetic is a thoughtful blend of history and romance, with hints of punk and modern tech—less curated than conjured. Victorian frames meet party lights. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying. It just is: timeless, a little mysterious, and utterly inviting—and encourages you to be too.

While you’re on author Sharon Kitchen’s substack you might also read about her visit to a bean supper in Sabattus and a conversation with Tandem co-owner Will Pratt about the books he’s been reading.

The latest episode of Restaurant Unstoppable is an interview with Tom Barthelmes, a co-owner of Finestkind in Saco.