Category: General News

The October issue of Maine magazine includes:

• an article about Zapoteca, “Although there are as many opinions as there are styles when it comes to outstanding Mexican cuisine, anyone would agree that Zapoteca’s creative menu and superlative tequila selection are a long overdue addition to Portland’s ever-growing dining scene.””
• profiles of three Maine coffee roasters: 44 North, Rooster Brother, and Matt’s
• an eating guide to South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough: The Cheese Iron, Aroma, 158, etc.

The articles aren’t online yet so you’ll need to find a paper copy at your local newsstand.

Bard Coffee is highlighted in the latest issue of Fortune magazine as one of of the most promising cult coffee brands in the nation.

City government is considering a change that would allow alcohol to be sold at the Farms Market.

Small-scale vintners, brewers and cider-makers would be allowed to sell their products at the Portland Farmer’s Market under a proposal before the city council’s Health and Recreation subcommittee today.

As drafted, the plan would amend the city’s Farmer’s Market rules to allow sale of fermented beverages such as beer, wine and hard ciders as long as the seller held a state license and met conditions to sell at the city’s farmer’s market.

Buy Local has published the list of nominees for the 2011 Indie Biz Awards. The nominees include: Local Sprouts, El Rayo, Local 188, Silly’s, Rosemont, Dobra Tea, the Portland Farmers Market, Sebago Brewing, Dean’s Sweets, Y-Lime Cupcakes, Coffee by Design, Allagash, The Honey Exchange, and Micucci’s.

Voting is now open, and the awards presentation is scheduled to take place October 18.

Columnist Natalie Ladd at the Portland Daily Sun muses on the impact our own prior expectations have on our enjoyment when eating out.

This is certainly not the case in business as we expect things to meet or exceed our standards based upon experiences tucked away in our “frame of reference” file. In a restaurant for example, we may be disappointed in a perfectly delicious, beautifully prepared, half-pound, medium-rare burger served with a mountain of hand-cut fries for $17, as this price point may seem offensive and unwarranted. Even if the food meets or exceed the standards of quality tastiness, the overall end result becomes null and void by the number of zeros on the meal ticket. I witnessed this very incident while sitting at a bar of a well known, carnivorously-oriented hot spot just last week.

Portland Daily Photo has posted some photos of the recently launched Taco Escobarr and Bam Bam Bakery, as well as Plush which is still under construction.

Food Trucks were on the agenda at yesterday’s meeting of the Creative Portland Corporation and made it on to the front page of today’s Press Herald.

The organization’s directors unanimously endorsed food trucks at their monthly meeting, and will propose an ordinance to the City Council’s Health and Recreation Committee later this year. If the committee endorses the ordinance, it will go to the City Council.

“It seems odd that we would make rules that limit people’s choices,” said Andy Graham, president of Creative Portland. “We just need to come up with policy suggestions that balance everyone’s interests.”

I was at the meeting, as were Andre Polhill and Helen Andreoli who are interested in starting a “food truck in the city with barbecue and Southern comfort food”.

Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie Ladd wrote today about the important role the host plays at a restaurant.

To the unindoctrinated, it’s hard to explain why the host position is so difficult to execute and so vitally important to the operational flow of a busy restaurant. There’s the reservation book or list that’s been building, with the names and times often incorrect due to hasty human error that can set off a domino effect of disaster.

Today’s Press Herald includes a report on the Portland Food Co-op and their new space on Hampshire Street.

Each month, the Portland Food Co-op orders $10,000 worth of goods from the Crown O’Maine Organic Cooperative, United Natural Foods, Frontier Natural Products Co-op and individual farmers and food producers.

All of the food is marked up 10 percent from its wholesale price to cover operating expenses, such as property taxes and electrical bills. Most retailers add a 20 percent to 40 percent markup on food products.