Category: General News

According to a report from the Munjoy Hill News, Sebago Brewing hopes to move out of their spot at 164 Middle Street into a building at the site of the former Jordan’s Meat plant.

Mark Woglom, president, of Opechee Construction Corp. ( N.H.) requested that the planning board put the process on a fast track at a meeting yesterday afternoon. The reason given for that request is that the lease of the restaurant expires about a year from this spring and the Sebage Brew Pub on Middle Street in the Old Port wants to be able to move right in to their complex at that time.

For further information see this article in the Press Herald and this one from The Forecaster.

Today’s Press Herald reports on a SMCC team that’s training to compete in the Northeast Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl.

Boardman reads the “Jeopardy”-style question Bradeen has chosen from the board: “From top to bottom, what order should duck, ground beef, salmon and strawberries be stored?”

Ding! Bradeen’s team hits the bell by the time the word “salmon” comes out of the coach’s mouth.

and a Local Foodie article on the monthly macrobiotic potluck dinner.

I loaded up my plate with a delicious assortment of barley, gingered chickpeas, steamed collard greens, azuki beans and squash, cabbage with poppy seeds, spring rolls, tofu salad, alfalfa sprouts, udon salad with sesame ginger sauce, pesto pasta, and lasagna made with tofu filling and a carrot-beet sauce.

Coffee by Design won out over the competition in a coffee taste test by a “roughly two-to-one” margin among USM students.

Wicked Joe came in second and Pura Vida was last. “The overwhelming choice of our customers was Coffee By Design,” he said. “It was very clear people didn’t like Pura Vida.”

Additionally, the USM food service vendor has switched from Hood to Oakhurst.

USM’s food service provider, Aramark, decided to switch milk to Oakhurst Dairy in their effort to be more environmentally conscious. Retail locations on the Portland and Gorham campuses already sell Oakhurst Dairy products. The change USM will see is in Gorham’s residential dining hall.

Delights & Prejudices, the official blog of the James Beard Foundation, has published a set of photos from chef Mitchell Kaldrovich’s dinner at the James Beard House in February. Kaldrovich is the Executive Chef at the Sea Glass Restaurant in Cape Elizabeth.

Press Herald columnist Justin Ellis takes a look at what attracts younger workers to the restaurant industry,

The thing with restaurant work is that it stuck, and it suited a need for in-between work or, on-the-verge-of-making-new-plans work. It offers prime conditions for young workers.

”I see people of all ages,” she said. ”But I do see a lot of young people coming in.”

Today’s paper also includes a report on Sunday’s CSA Fair, “Think of it as speed dating for vegetables.”

The James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalist for this year’s awards competition. Portland has three entries on the list:

• Sam Hayward from Fore Street for Outstanding Chef
• Fore Street for Outstanding Restaurant
• Krista Kern Desjarlais from Bresca for Best Chef in the North East. The Press Herald checked in with Krista for her reaction: “I just went online and looked not even an hour ago, and almost had the baby right there,” she said, still a little breathless with the news. “It’s incredibly cool, and a total surprise.”

Several other Maine chefs are also semifinalist in the Best Chef North East category:

• Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier from Arrows in Ogunquit
• Brian Hill from Francine Bistro in Camden
• Penelle Chase, Phoebe Chase, Megan Chase and Ted Lafage from Chase’s Daily in Belfast

Final nominees for the 2010 awards will be announced March 22nd, and the winners will be announced on May 3, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

Two members of the Portland food community are moving on to new horizons. Anna Maria Tocci who, together with Kim Anderson founded the North Star Music Cafe, is retiring from the business to pursue a career as a “breath work facilitator”. Also in transition is Jennifer Betancourt, founder of the Silvery Moon Creamery, who according to a post on Edible Obsessions, has “quietly walked away from the cheesevat that she manned for the past seven years”.
Both women have had a significant impact on the Portland food scene and I’m sure they’ll be missed.