Maine Craft Breweries & Reviews of Scarpa’s and The Holy Donut

As I had mentioned last weekend the new issue of The Bollard is out. They’ve now put the articles online. The July issue includes a bar review of Scarpa’s,

On my follow-up visit, I tested Maciek’s creative side. Still strapped for selection behind the bar, he whipped up a light mix of Stoli orange and raspberry vodkas with citrus juices. As a summer drink, it hit the spot and was a competent companion to the delicious Chicken Saltimbocca — the broth was so good I ordered a side of bread to clean my plate.

a breakfast review of The Holy Donut,

So what does the future hold? For all I know, upscale doughnuts could go the way of the frozen yogurt shop and disappear within a few years. Or maybe they’re here to stay, and we’ll be seeing Holy Donut franchises opening up across the country. Regardless, they’re here right now, in Portland, and you should go get some today before they’re all gone. This is one upscaled, luxury food you can’t afford to miss.

and an article about the latest wave of craft breweries to open in Maine.

The battle is becoming a rout. No fewer than six homegrown breweries have been established in Maine in the past three years. Portland is home to four: Bunker Brewing, Maine Beer Company, Bull Jagger and Rising Tide. Baxter Brewing Co. is cranking out cans in Lewiston’s Bates Mill. Oxbow crafts Belgian farmhouse beers in a remodeled barn in Newcastle.

Review of Mom’s Cafe & Farmers Impacted by Unusual Weather

The Press Herald has published a review of Mom’s Cafe.

There’s a lot of secret little places around Portland that hungry office workers know about but are hidden from the general public. The cafe in city hall used to be one of those places, but it’s now gotten enough ink that it can no longer be considered a secret.

Mom’s Cafe is another one of those places.

Also in today’s paper is an article about how this year’s highly variable weather is impacting Maine farmers.

It started in March with temperatures that soared into the 70s and 80s, dipped to freezing levels in April and was followed by heavy rain in May and June.

The National Weather Service in Gray recorded 11.03 inches of rain in June, almost 7 inches above average.

First Review of Eventide Oyster Company

The Golden Dish has published a review of Eventide Oyster Co.

For entrees we had the roasted seaweed-wrapped branzino and the grilled Nova Scotia swordfish belly. These were two of the best seafood entrees I’ve had in Portland. Whole fish is a pain to dissect but I lifted the central bone off easily and the fish was incredibly moist. The accompanying wheat berry salad, broccoli rabe and lemon confit added essential elements of flavor.

Comparative Review of Gorgeous Gelato and Gelato Fiasco

The Portland Phoenix has published a comparative review of Gorgeous Gelato and Gelato Fiasco.

These life-cycle complexities emerge in the taste and texture of the gelato itself. The essence comes down to this: Gorgeous Gelato offers a creamier, more mouth-coating gelato, while Fiasco offers something slightly denser and more flavor-intense. The reason is simple: Gorgeous uses some cream in its mix, and Fiasco relies on whole milk alone.

The Bollard: Maine Beer, The Holy Donut, Scarpa’s

The July edition of The Bollard is now out. It includes:

  • A feature article on the latest wave of craft brewers to open in Maine: Maine Beer Company, Bull Jager, Rising Tide, Bunker Brewing, Baxter Brewing, and Oxbow.
  • A review of The Holy Donut (194 Park Ave)
  • A bar review of Scarpa’s (15 Exchange St)

The articles aren’t on The Bollard website yet, but they usually posts them up in the week following print publication. In the meantime you can find free print copies in just about every coffee shop and cafe in Portland.

Review of The Lobster Shack

The Golden Dish has published a review of The Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth.

For those of us who live in Greater Portland, Two Lights is like the neighborhood pound for lobster in the rough and all the fixings. It’s like getting away to someplace exotic and remote, yet it’s so accessible, with gorgeous scenery, very decent food, and I hope it stays that way for at least another 50 years.

Review of Nosh

USA Today has published a review of Nosh.

No matter what you choose you will probably like it because the food at Nosh is creative, carefully prepared and impeccably sourced, presenting a unique take on classic comfort foods in a neighborhood setting with a fun, family-friendly vibe and reasonable prices. Nosh also has an extensive list of craft beers, wines and specialty cocktails. It works equally well for lunch, dinner or late-night party spot, and presents a different side of Maine dining with no lobster whatsoever on the menu.

Review of Vignola/Cinque Terre

Sfphotocraft has published a review of Vignola/Cinque Terre.

The anti pasta was good.  It had shrimp, mussels, oysters and clams.  It was a nice bite of a taste of the taste of Maine, with some interesting sauces to spice up the bites.  I was a huge fan of the oysters, they were local and had a nice sweet taste to them.  It would be hard to screw up this plate as we were in Maine and seafood is everywhere.  My next course was the mushroom pizza. I loved the crisp, thin and crispy, but not overly so. The best part were the mushrooms…