Reviews: Chaval, Cheevitdee, Linda Kate, Cong Tu Bot

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Chaval,

Chaval, Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti’s new French-and-Spanish-inspired restaurant, is a delight. Sansonetti, the savory chef, has built a menu of rock-solid versions of Gallic and Iberian classics, like pa amb tomaquet (tomato bread), yieldingly tender duck confit on Puy lentils ($24) and some of the best pork terrine in North America. On the sweet side, Lopez, who this year was a James Beard Award semifinalist, serves her famous churros with chocolate sauce and sugar ($8), as well as more fanciful desserts like Bee’s Knees, a bombe Alaska made with lemon curd, soft meringue and Barr Hill gin-soaked vanilla cake.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Cheevitdee,

Cheevitdee’s menu isn’t for everyone, but it’s also not reserved solely for health-conscious diners looking for a night out on the town — this is not “diet Thai.” What it is has yet to be fully clarified or realized, but with bright flavors and an approachable atmosphere, this is a restaurant that may well come into its own over time.

Down East has reviewed Cong Tu Bot, and

Cong Tu Bot takes that traditional street fare and gives each dish a unique spin. The bún chá, one of four noodle offerings on the menu, is a perfect example: Dobui takes the Hanoi specialty of cold rice noodles and grilled pork and augments it with ground pork patties, smoky bacon, burnt caramel, and rich, earthy mushroom powder, seasoning it with fish sauce, garlic, shallots, and sugar. Charred bits from the patties enhance the thin but intense broth, which is finished with a dab of schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) and served with a side of cucumber, shiso leaf, mint, and lettuce.

the Portland Press Herald has reviewed Linda Kate.

The roll was brioche and evenly browned, the meat piled high and dressed lightly in a citrus basil mayonnaise, with a dusting of minced fresh herbs on top, maybe parsley, possibly basil. Whatever it was, it didn’t interfere with the delicate flavor of the meat. This was a better lobster roll than I’ve had in some famed Portland restaurants. I didn’t love the shaved lettuce below the meat; it teamed up with the crumb of the brioche to seem slightly dry. This is a personal preference, though. In my kitchen, I’d never put lettuce on a lobster roll. Also, my own jury is out on brioche as a cradle for lobster; sometimes I think it sounds better on paper than it tastes.

Female Beer Brewers

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram has an article about the small but growing number of female beer brewers in Maine.

The state’s thriving beer industry mirrors national trends in which female brewers are a distinct minority. But as more women develop a taste for the product, the boys’ club door has been swinging open.

The article indicate that Shonee Strickland will be the head brewer at Brickyard Hollow Brewing Company when it opens in Yarmouth.

Maine Food Sovreignty Law

The Press Herald has published an article about The new and revised food sovereignty law,

“People can have an idea and try it out in their home kitchen or on their farm,” said Heather Retberg at Quill’s End Farm in Penobscot, a Maine food advocate. “I have apples on my trees; I am now able to can and sell applesauce. Or my neighbor’s been coming here for years and saying, ‘Oh, I really love that goat cheese you make; can you sell it to me?’ and people have had to say no, and now they can say yes.”

Portland Beer Week

Portland Beer Week kicks-off on Sunday. The full schedule more than 50 tap takeovers, lectures, beer dinners, and tours.

It would be close to impossible to get to them all so I’ve made a short list of the ones I’m most interested in getting to:

  • Blind IPA Tasting on Sunday at The Thirsty Pig
  • Early History of Maine Beer Lecture on Monday at The Great Lost Bear
  • Silence of the Lambics on Tuesday at Novare Res
  • Cookie and Beer Pairing on Wednesday at The Thirsty Pig
  • Allagash Mystery Beer Night on Tursday at The Great Lost Bear
  • Goodfire Brewing Launch on Thursday at The Thirsty Pig
  • Oxbozakaya on Thursday at Pai Men
  • Austin Street Beer Dinner on Thursday at Terlingua
  • From There to Here on Friday at Slab
  • Where the Wild Biers are on Saturday at Novare Res
  • Zymurgy Home Brew Tour on Sunday with the Maine Brew Bus
  • Freshman Orientation on Sunday at Bayside Bowl