A film crew from the Jane Street production company is scheduled to be at Fort Williams Park today shooting for an episode of a new show called Pressure Cooker.
From what I’ve heard it’s a cook-off style show with Portland being the second of three stops (Philadelphia is next). The crew will be setting up a kitchen in Fort Williams for the filming today.
Jane Street owners have produced Chopped among other shows for the Food Network.
The Miyake organization sent out a press release this morning. In it they announced that longtime partners Masa Miyake and Will Garfield are ending their business relationship. The practical impact on the Portland dining scene is that Miyake Diner will be closing and Garfield will be using the space to launch a new venture.
The split is an amicable one, here are their thoughts on the 8-year relationship,
Of the company’s recent changes, Masa Miyake said, “ This is a very positive change for both of us. Will was my first employee when I opened Food Factory Miyake in 2007, and was only eighteen years old at the time. Since then, we have worked together to establish the Miyake name as a pillar in the ever-competitive Portland dining scene. It will be an adjustment for our staff and patrons, but I know that it is time for Will to move on to a project that is his own.”
William Garfield reiterated the same sentiment by stating that, “ Masa has been an amazing mentor throughout the past eight years, but we both agree that it’s time for me to move on to different projects outside of the Miyake name. I am glad that we have been able to bring new and inspiring culinary concepts into Portland over the past few years, and I wish the best to Masa and the Miyake staff moving forward.”
Update: for additional information see this article in the Press Herald.
The new issue of the Portland Phoenix includes some recommendations for summer eats,
Summer in Maine brings a long-awaited flurry of activity. While it’s tempting to recoil into a “locals only” routine to avoid the crowds, dining in Portland is at its finest when it’s warm out. Be strategic about your opportunities for great food within this short season of relative abundance. Here are 10 must-eats for Summer 2014.
and an article about collaborations and foraged foods in Portland restaurants.
The old joke goes, if you want to know what’s going to be popular in Portland in five years, look at what’s happening right now in New York. But what’s closer to the truth is that Portland has been forming — dare we say setting — its own trends all along. Sure, gimmicky things happening here, like putting bacon in a Bloody Mary, were probably done in some Brooklyn bar years ago. But serving farm fresh, local food has always been popular in Maine.
The Boston Globe has written about Portland’s recent designation by the federal government as a manufacturing center.
Famous for lobster, fresh fish, and an abundance of restaurants, the Portland area is hoping to use the designation — and the economic development grants that are expected to follow — to revive a food-processing industry fallen on hard times, expanding it to take advantage of a passionate local-food movement.
In her latest column Natalie Ladd talks about the frustration of dealing with customers who bring their own food to the restaurant.
Despite my less than tactful comments on the subject, people continue to bring their own food and drinks into the restaurant where I sell food and drinks to make money. According to my industry friends, that weirdness is on the rise and, as one veteran pointed out, the practice may be a seasonal offense. Not unlike fruit flies.
Today’s Press Herald Food & Dining section includes a feature article on the small but growing number of specialty tea stores in Maine.
In celebration of their 10-year anniversary, Scratch Baking has posted some photos from the original construction of the space they now occupy.
After an RFP process the city awarded 6 food trucks and food carts the access to operate in specific Portland parks:
The Bangor Daily News has published a report on the Restaurant Impossible makeover of Uncle Andy’s Diner.
The end product was a shocker: Their previously open kitchen is partially sealed off, with a brown window panel separating food prep from customers. But it looks like Dennis Fogg will still be able to make his specialty animal pancakes in front of an audience.
The old booths were replaced with sleek tables and chairs. Muted chartreuse paint and a simple tile frame reading “ANDY’S” replaced the diner’s outdated wall decor.
Urban Eye reports that the lobster roll has made it to the finals of Congressional Roll Call’s Taste of America contest.
This celebrity sandwich is not only killing it on menus this season, the roll is quashing other state’s edible claims and taking names. Maine’s royal roll made the final round of Congressional Quarterly Roll Call’s Taste of America contest this week and (watch your back cherry cobbler of Utah) has the most votes right now.
To cast your vote visit rollcalltasteofamerica.com/brackets.cfm