Month: April 2013

The latest issue of Portland magazine bemoans the lack of a French-Canadian restaurant in the city.

Everyone knows poutine, the retro pile-up of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. The hearty Canadian treat has rocketed into the wider foodie-sphere and can be found all around Portland, including in a few fancy iterations like the East Ender’s lobster poutine and Duckfat’s silken version with local cheese curds and duck gravy. But where is the rest of traditional Franco-American or Acadian cuisine?

Several Portland area chefs have been included in the 2013 edition of Best Chefs America: Chad Conley (Gather), Steve Corry (555), Krista Kern Desjarlais (Bresca), Rob Evans (Duckfat), Christopher Geer (Vignola Cinque Terre), Mitchell Gerrow (East Ender), Matt Ginn (555), Sam Hayward (Fore Street), Ian Hayward (Petite Jacqueline), Jason Kennedy (Black Tie), Larry Matthews (Back Bay Grill), Masa Miyake (Miyake), Lee Skawinski(Vignola Cinque Terre), Harding Lee Smith (The Rooms), Peter Sultenfuss (Grace), Andrew Taylor (Hugo’s), David Turin (David’s), Mike Wiley (Hugo’s), Jason Williams (The Well).

Chris Gould was included in the Boston section for his work at Uni. There are also chefs from elsewhere in Maine on the list.

According to the publisher, the list of chefs in the book are “compiled by a comprehensive process of interviewing chefs across the country. Chefs are nominated for participation by fellow chefs, other culinary professionals, and food enthusiasts.”

This is the first year they’ve issued the list. If you see a name missing (and there certainly are many just in the Portland area) that you think belongs in the 2014 edition, you can nominate them on the BCA website.

The Press Herald has published an article about the high level of need for assistance facing food pantries and soup kitchens across the state.

“They’re seeing more families, more children and more seniors coming through their doors. The face of hunger today is much different than before the recession in 2008,” said Clara McConnell Whitney, communications and advocacy manager for Good Shepherd Food-Bank, which last year supplied 13 million pounds of food to food pantries and soup kitchens in Maine.

You can make a donation to the Good Shepherd Food Bank online. The organization distributes food aid to organizations across Maine.