Month: January 2011

Rockin’ Ricky’s Tavern

| Posted in General News

The Portland Daily Sun has report on the liquor license hearing for Rockin’ Ricky’s Tavern that took place earlier this week,

If the ideal of urban commercial districts is diversity, then Portland Street between the Post Office and the Preble Street Resource Center is a work of planning genius. Along with Rockin’ Ricky’s and other bars, you have two of Portland’s culinary landmarks: Bintliff’s American Cafe and The [Back Bay Grill]. There are church-focused service centers, independent businesses and a union hall on the corner.

For additional reporting see the Forecaster.

DiPietro’s Review & Portland Shellfish Co.

| Posted in General News, Reviews

Today’s Press Herald includes a review of the South Portland branch of DiPietro’s,

For $8.65 — the price of one lunch at many sandwich shops and restaurants — I got a dinner-sized portion of spaghetti and meatballs with grated cheese, plus a loaded ham Italian sandwich.

And both were great.

and an article about food safety issues at Portland Shellfish,

Jeffrey Holden, president and founder of Portland Shellfish, said Wednesday that the 35-year-old company has made sanitation improvements at its crab processing facility on Dartmouth Street in South Portland and its lobster and shrimp facility on Waldron Way in Portland.

11 for 2011 and the Sociology of TJ’s

| Posted in General News, Reviews

This week’s Portland Phoenix includes a commentary on socio-economic class and the grocery cart,

I often like peeking in people’s carts at grocery stores — my maiden voyage into Trader Joe’s a couple months ago was no exception. I found myself thinking that most of the patrons (myself included) had quite a lot of processed food items in their carts. These are people who by and large would never be caught in Wal-Mart buying some off-brand frozen burritos yet in the right and proper setting, buying such things is a sign of how hip you are.

and a selection of 11 eats to try in 2011,

While new restaurants intrigue food critics and patrons alike, it’s the tried-and-true, the places that have established themselves as mainstays in Portland, that shouldn’t be forgotten in all the hype. Here’s a list of places not to be missed this year. It won’t make you thinner, fitter, or wealthier, just a lot more satisfied…

Maine Beer: Shipyard

| Posted in Beer

Josh Christie has published the next installment in his series on The Beer of Maine. In part 7 he writes about Shipyard Brewing,

Among all the breweries and brew pubs in Maine, Shipyard is the big momma. Alan Pugsley’s brewhaus isn’t just the biggest in Maine, though it easily passes that test at over 80,000 barrels of beer a year. Shipyard’s massive production scale positions them as the 21st largest craft beer company in the US, ahead of well-known brands like Rogue, Victory and Long Trail. All this from an Englishman with a love for Ringwood yeast.

Hayward’s Maine Fresh Seafood Pies & the Local RootZ Project

| Posted in People, Cooking

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an interview with Fore Street’s chef Sam Hayward about his new line of Maine Fresh seafood pies,

“It took months of trials – mostly down here at Fore Street in my spare time, and also in my home – to come up with a format that worked for different seafoods, and we settled on four species that are harvested locally,” Hayward said. “So there are Maine shrimp, Maine scallops, Maine lobster and rock crab.”

and a profile of a Portland couple who have just finished a year of eating locally and blogging about it,

On the first day of the local eating adventure, Fuller and Madison showed this isn’t a deprivation diet. Their meals that day included a kale, onion, Gouda and goat cheese omelet with home fries for breakfast and a dinner of boiled lobster, roasted red beets and parsnips complemented by a wheat berry salad with delicata squash.

This Week’s Events: Rwandan Cooking, Winter Farmers Market, Sonny’s

| Posted in Events

Wednesday — Grace’s Wine Revolution will be tasting wines from Optimus Imports with special guest Barney Schneider.

Thursday — The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beer from Andrews Brewing Company.

Friday — a Rwandan Cooking demonstration is taking place and the West End Deli is holding a wine tasting. It’s also the January First Friday Art Walk and restaurants will be busy so be sure to make reservations now.

Saturday — it’s the opening day of the Winter Farmers Market, Wine Wise is teaching a class on Italian Reds, Sonny’s is celebrating their 1st year anniversary and LeRoux is holding a wine tasting.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

Restaurant IPOs?

| Posted in General News

Brian Duff from the Portland Phoenix has put together some recommended business strategies for restaurants in the new year,

Another plan is to take advantage of government stimulus spending while it lasts. Hot Suppa! recently got a Community Development Grant to develop a dinner service that should find its feet in 2011…Other restaurants should pursue this strategy. There are a lot of unemployed college grads around who would probably write a grant application right at your bar for a free drink or two.