The Blueberry Files has published some photos and commentary on her recent tour of the Maine Mead Works.
And maybe you’ve heard of and love Maine Mead Works too, since their popularity is on the rise. Maybe you’ve sampled their product at a Greendrinks or eyed up a bottle at the Portland Public Market’s Maine Beer & Beverage Co. But have you ever toured their production facility or sipped their mead while chatting with the staff? If not, get thee to Washington Avenue.
Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie Ladd passes on a selection of diner etiquette recommendations/observations from a server at a Portland restaurant.
So many of Lydia’s restaurant-based observations are applicable to all aspects of life and while I am still sorting them into categories for future reference, here (with very little paraphrasing) are some of her most relevant thoughts:
Interrupting gets you nowhere. Saying, “excuse me” loudly while your server is attending to the table next to you is rude to the server and other table, and generally makes you look like an ass. December 12, 2007
Maine mushroom expert and author Greg Marley is a finalist in the International Association of Cookbook Professionals annual cookbook awards competition. Marley is a nominee in the Culinary History category for his book Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms.
Vrai-lean-uh has put together a point by point comparison and found cupcakes wanting.
I had an important realization this weekend, and I wanted to share it with you.
Namely: cake is better than cupcakes.
Everyone’s all jazzed about cupcakes, right? But cake is absolutely better.
Let’s go to the charts.
The Bollard visited the Super Great Wall Buffet, Lang’s Express, Jan Mee, Asia Restaurant in South Portland and Tin Tin Buffet as part of a tour of local Chinese buffets.
Walking into an all-you-can-eat Chinese place is like walking into an adult bookstore. You feel the same sort of self-conscious shame, particularly if you are dining alone. You don’t make eye contact with the hostess as you say, “Yes, one for the buffet, please.” She knows why you’re there, you know why you’re there: to stuff yourself to the point of immobility.
The March issue of The Bollard also includes (all in one article) some thoughts on bread as a luxury item, a recipe for Poke and an experimental poetic anecdote.
According to an article from the Press Herald,
Portland Shellfish Co. is scheduled to restart production next week at its crab processing plant in South Portland, which was shut down by federal officials two months ago because of food safety violations.
The Forecaster has published a report on the current state of restaurant health inspections in Portland and across Maine.
In Portland, where the city is delegated inspection authority by the state, some restaurants haven’t been inspected since 2007. And there is scant evidence the city has conducted required follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with food codes by restaurants that have been cited for violations.
The Bartenders Bash and the MRW Signature Event took place last night.
Old Port Sea Grill took first place at the Bartenders Bash, Hugo’s took 2nd place and Fifty Local took 3rd. Vignola won the judge’s choice.
At The Signature Event, Walter’s won the people’s choice award for the best dessert (my favorite taste of the evening too) and Academe Brasserie won the people’s choice award for the best cocktail. The dessert judges awarded their first place to The Salt Exchange.
Travel+Leisure has rated Portland #11 on their list of America’s Best Coffee Cities (via Maine magazine on Facebook)
Granted, when Starbucks and other chains reign in so many shopping centers and office-building lobbies, it may be hard to imagine how one city’s coffee scene is much better or different than any other anymore. But when we looked at the survey’s top 20 results, we found several towns with great historic districts that still offer a unique café culture.
El Rayo was included in an article by the Wall Street Journal about taquerias that operate in former gas stations.(via Meredith Goad on Twitter)
El Rayo didn’t retain any gas station elements in the conversion, but the restaurant, open since 2009, pays indirect homage to the motor vehicle by recycling all of its fry oil into biofuel. A liquor license means there’s tequila to help wash down that BBQ pulled pork or veggie taco.
Today’s Press Herald includes a report on the CSA fairs that took place across the state this weekend,
Lee said Sunday’s Portland CSA fair was double the size of a year ago. Among the farms offering CSA programs for the first time were Emma’s Family Farm of Windsor (meat only), Frith Farm of Scarborough (first year in operation) and Green Spark Farm of Cape Elizabeth (second year in operation).
and an Associated Press article about the Pennsylvanian perspective on the Maine’s efforts to denote the whoopie pie Maine’s State Treat,
“We’ve had this thing going with the whoopie pie here for years and years and decades,” John Smucker, CEO of the family-run company that owns the Bird-in-Hand Bakery, said as kitchen workers put together a batch of red velvet whoopie pies. “And all of a sudden they try to enter into the picture. … It’s just a bunch of nonsense.”
Talk about a food fight.