The Press Herald has published a Shop Talk interview with Gene DiMillo. DiMillo is co-owner of G & R DiMillo’s, a sports bar and restaurant.

When we opened up I really thought the demographic would be ages 25 to 40. We had the menu of basically pub food, pizza and burgers. And we did some Italian dishes as well. And slowly it started morphing into the family restaurant idea, as we were getting people who used to go the Village. The age range now runs 25 to 80. It’s unbelievable how it’s changed, and we’ve revised the menu two or three times for that reason, different items that appeal to an older clientele.

The Maine Switch has published a profile of Jennifer Flock and her ongoing effort to become a Master Sommelier.

Today, with all of her culinary knowledge and her experience in the service industry, you can imagine that Flock might be a rather intimidating dinner guest. “I have a friend who always says, ‘I have wine, but I don’t know if you want to drink it,’” Flock says with a laugh, but truly her friends needn’t worry. “I usually bring my own wine,” Flock explains, and probably that bottle is the first one drained.

The Portland Press Herald has published a profile of Norm Sprague. Sprague recently retired from a “30-year stint instructing culinary arts at Westbrook Regional Vocational Center.” He is now working as the daytime manager at the Miss Portland Diner.

Chef Christian Gordon from the The Inn on Peaks Island has been named 2009 Chef of the Year by the Maine Restaurant Association.

Co-owner of Pizza Villa, Tony Regios, was interviewed for the ShopTalk column in today’s Press Herald. Regios along with his brothers Andy and Phil run the business that was started by their father.

This week’s edition of The Maine Switch includes an article on the Maine Food and Drink Ambassadors program recently launched by Margo Mallar.

When Margo Mallar volunteered at last fall’s Harvest on the Harbor festival, she realized Maine is filled with enthusiastic food lovers, but few have formal culinary training. So she’s decided to do something about it. The result is a brand new program called the Maine Food and Drink Ambassadors, which kicks off at the beginning of March with a series of classes exploring Maine-made cheeses.

Maine Home + Design has published a profile of Emilitsa and the pair of brother, John and Denos Regas, that run it.

Emilitsa is their affectionate diminutive for Emily Regas, their mother. “When we opened, we finally realized what a gift our parents gave us,” says Denos of their childhood. “We wanted to recreate the kind of food we grew up with.” Which means, of course, using the finest ingredients and importing as much as possible directly from Greece. “We’re first generation,” explains John. “Our recipes are true to traditional Greek cooking; they haven’t been adulterated.”

Paciarino and its two owners, Fabiana de Savino and Enrico Barbiero, were profiled in the Food & Health section of today’s Press Herald.

“De Savino and Barbiero have been getting a taste of Maine through their newfound love for chowders. They hope customers will get a taste of their home country through Paciarino, which gets its name from an Italian word representing the special foods grandmothers prepare on Sundays.”

Also in today’s paper was a report on Lowe’s effort to help remodel the food distribution area at the Wayside Soup Kitchen.

There’s an interview published in today’s newspaper with Paula Pelczar from Make Thyme for Dinner for the ShopTalk column. Pelczar’s business is a “meal assembly business” in South Portland which provides the raw materials, kitchen equipment and recipes for people to cook family meals in advance.

Port City Life interviewed Rob Evon, the administrator of Port City Music Hall, for the January/February edition of the magazine (article not available online). Port City Music Hall is scheduled to open in mid-January.

Tom Manning, the owner of the Miss Portland wrote an article about his decision to open the diner that appeared in the Dec 1 issue of Newsweek (via the Maine Sunday Telegram).

Type A Diversions has posted an ultrasound of her “Type Unknown” future dining companion.

The Food & Health section in today’s Press Herald has an article about Browne Trading’s Jennifer Flock and her journey to becoming a Certified Sommelier.

The Shoptalk column in today’s Press Herald interviewed Pete Wormell, owner of Harmon’s Lunch in Falmouth.

The Maine Mouth has posted an interview with John Myers.