Browne Trading Lunch

Browne Trading has launched a takeout lunch menu which includes offerings such as: a smoked salmon BLT, BBQ hamachi collar and tuna tartar.

You can find the full menu on instagram. Lunch is available Tuesday through Friday, and outdoor seating will soon be available.

MaineHealth Food Pantry

Mainebiz and the Press Herald have published reports on a new food pantry under development in the former Greyhound bus terminal on Saint John Street.

A former Greyhound bus station in Portland — purchased in 2020 by MaineHealth for $1.4 million — will become a food pantry, the health care system announced Wednesday.

Renovations on the terminal, at 950 Congress St., will begin in June, according to a news release. MaineHealth expects to open the food pantry by early fall, in collaboration with Good Shepherd Food Bank.

CN Traveler: Biddeford

CN Traveler has published an article highlighting the up and coming culinary destination of Biddeford.

Every year, a crush of humanity arrives in Maine for one of three things: the ocean, lakes, or mountains. Biddeford, a former textile mill town that sat quiet for decades until recently, has none of the above. What it now has, instead, is oceans of talent and mountains of collaboration—a swell of creative energy that’s beginning to rival the allure of Portland, as well as Maine’s other seasonally congested coastal front towns.

The article mentions: Rabelais, Elements, Banded Brewing, Roundturn, Lorne, Palace Diner, Elda, Jackrabbit, Time & Tide, Nibblesford, Fish & Whistle, Four Star Fresh, Atlantic Sea Farms, Big Tree, Sweet Cream, Reilly’s Bakery, and Batson River.

In April Food & Wine named Biddeford one of America’s Next Great Food Cities.

The Shop Takeout Window

The Island Creek Oyster Shop on Washington Ave is launching a seasonal (April – October) takeout window. Construction is underway and this rendering shows the new look for the side of the building.

The service, which is expected to open in early July, will offer soft serve ice cream with flavors like Maine maple walnut butter crunch, frappes (e.g. lemon vanilla shortbread), hot dogs (e.g. green chili dog with crispy nori), potato chips and drinks.

Upcoming Events: Crispy Gai and Fish & Whistle

WednesdayCrispy Gai is hosting a dinner in collaboration with Little Brother Chinese, Norimoto Bakery, Indy’s Sandwich, Ghee, Pho Huong and Golden Wat on a 5-course dinner. The dinner is a benefit for United Asian Communities. Fish & Whistle will be holding a softshell crab pop-up at Lorne Wine.

FridayStars and Stripes Brewing will have a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new location in Portland (3 Spring St, 3 pm). Their Grand Opening is taking place on Saturday (11 am to 11 pm).

May 16Broken Arrow is hold a farm dinner at Winter Hill Farm in Freeport.

May 1710-course cider dinner featuring Absolem Cider taking place at Oxbow Beer Garden in Oxford, Maine.

May 19Sur Lie is hosting a gluten-free dinner in collaboration with Mrs. GeeFreeLiving. Judy Gibson is holding a 4-course Spanish wine dinner.

May 20Chaval is holding a Spanish wine dinner with winemaker Fredi Torres who produces wines in Priorat, Montsant, and Conca de Barbera.

May 21 – the inaugural Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

May 25 – the debut of Season 5 of the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. Season 5 includes an episode shot in Portland, Biddeford and the Midcoast. Owners of Stars and Stripes Brewing and of Eighteen Twenty Wines will be among the honorees at the 2022 Maine Small Business Awards Ceremony.

June 13 – The 2022 Beard Foundation Awards gala is taking place in Chicago. Five Maine chefs and restaurants are contenders for this year’s awards.

June 13 – 19 – the 5th Annual Portland Wine Week will be taking place—see details on their Women in Wine Dinner.

July 21Magnus on Water chef Ben Jackson will participating in the Outstanding in the Field series with a dinner at Glidden Point Oyster Farm in Edgecomb.

July 23Chaval chefs Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti will participating in the Outstanding in the Field series with a dinner at Dandelion Spring Farm in Bowdoinham. The Wavy Days Beer Fest is taking place.

July 25 – 30 – the Kneading Conference is taking place.

September 3Tender Table is holding their 2nd Annual Food & Art Fair in Congress Square Park.

September 19 – 25Maine Lobster Week is taking place in Skowhegan.

September 23 – 25 – the Common Ground Fair is taking place in Unity.

October 9 – the Maine Cheese Guild is holding Maine Open Creamery Day.

Sylvi and Rob Roy

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram writes about siblings and experienced Portland bartenders Sylvi and Rob Roy.

This March, Rob won both the People’s Choice and the Judge’s Choice awards at ChopTails, a charity cocktail competition at Batson River Brewing & Distilling in Portland, against several of the city’s highest-profile bartenders. It’s one of many competitions he’s won over the years. In 2019, Sylvi won the Northeast Regional Speed-Rack competition and went on to the nationals in Chicago. “She got in the top eight in the country,” Rob said proudly. She, too, has competed, and placed, often.

Review Round-up: Helm, Gross, Corazon, Norimoto, Jefe Juan’s

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Helm,

Helm is worth a visit, especially if you order stupidly rich chicken liver mousse with toasted triangles of homemade brioche and a sweet-spicy Blueberries for Sal cocktail. Sip as you admire the swanky, yet comfortable, award-winning dining room. As a harbinger of what’s in the forecast for Portland’s eternally under-construction Eastern waterfront district, Helm Oyster Bar & Bistro is exactly the Sailor’s Delight we’d hope to see.

Mainer has reviewed Gross Confection Bar,

Though our sobriety didn’t allow us to overindulge in the bourbon sabayon of the chocolate-and-caramel torte, its smoky taste perfectly balanced the syrupy Amarena cherries and the bitterness of the chocolate. Add a little rye-hazelnut crunch and it was #noregrets for our extravagance. We took the opportunity to walk it off back to our home in the West End, not feeling gross at all, just happy.

the Press Herald has reviewed Norimoto,

What separates Fujimoto from the pack is her ability to meld classic European pastries and baked goods with Asian flavorings in a seamless package greater than the sum of its parts.

the Press Herald has reviewed Jefe Juan’s, and

Lively atmosphere, specializing in tequila and local beers with several specialty cocktails. Small, reasonably priced food menu featuring Mexican specialties such as burritos. Loud music and great people watching on Wharf Street.

The Press Herald has reviewed Casita Corazon, the new SoPo location of El Corazon in Longfellow Square.

Though the song brought me to the new Casita Corazon, which opened in April, the food will bring me back there. Everything we ordered on a recent Saturday night was fresh and flavorful, and delightfully different than other Mexican food I’ve had. That said, I’m not very adventurous, so I mostly stick to tacos and burritos.

Roll Call Opens Today

After a soft opening on Thursday, Roll Call (website, instagram) is scheduled to open their new lunch counter today in the Public Market House.

The new Roll Call features an expanded menu which includes their wonderful roast beef sandwich as well a braised lamb quesadilla, a breakfast sandwich, a buffalo soy sandwich, and other offerings.

Roll Call will initially be open Wednesday through Friday, 10:30 – 2:30

Tales of the Cocktail

The Portland Hunt & Alpine Club is an honoree in the Best Cocktail Bar (East Coast) category as part of the 16th Annual Spirit Awards.

The Spirit Awards are organized each year by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. The awards ceremony will take place on July 28th.

Since its founding in 2007, the Spirited Awards has become one of the industry’s most sought-after awards, recognizing beverage professionals, products, establishments, journalists, and media across every facet of the spirits and cocktail community on a global scale. The award categories spotlight a range of talent from bartenders, journalists, and brand ambassadors, to brands and media, to ensure each aspect of the industry is well represented and recognized for its contributions.