Tandem Coffee Roasters has launched a new monthly coffee delivery program. The Coffee Subscribers Alliance gives participants the choice of drip or espresso blends. For $20 you’ll get a pair of coffees each month delivered to your home.
Category: General News
Finest Kind Get’s NYT Mention
The New York Times referenced an article about Finest Kind Tea (facebook, twitter) in a wrap-up of the week’s small business stories.
Diet soda sales have crashed, and a Maine entrepreneur offers a healthier alternative.
Food Gift & Alternative Diet Buying Guides
The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a food-oriented gift buying guide,
When it comes to shopping local for the holidays, especially when you’re on the hunt for food-related gifts, those of us who live in Maine are luckier than a hungry elf trapped in a gingerbread factory.
and some recommendations on where to source gluten-free or vegan prepared foods for the holidays.
If you’re looking for prepared Christmas food that is gluten-free or vegan or meets other dietary needs, you’re in luck. It’s never been easier to find these eats in Greater Portland. But for the people running the food businesses, it can be hard to keep up with demand.
Holiday Oyster Advice & the Winter Farmers Market
This week’s Portland Phoenix provides advice on making oysters part of your holiday party,
To successfully shuck your own oysters, you’ll need an oyster knife ($10), available at the seafood market where you purchase your oysters. Above all, be careful. Shucking oysters is supposed to add to a holiday party, not interrupt it with an emergency-room visit. Wash your oysters well to remove the grit on the shells. Use the tip of the oyster knife to pry open the two shells of the oyster at the hinge using leverage, not brute strength. Watch a few videos online to get the basics, and practice your technique until you’re shucking with ease.
and an article about the new East Bayside location for the winter farmers market.
This winter, the Portland Farmers’ Market will be in a new location in a neighborhood known for its food and beverage businesses. It won’t be the first time the farmers’ market has moved to complement the growth of an area. In 1990, the Wednesday market moved from Federal Street to Monument Square to counteract the loss of the Porteous department store (where the Maine College of Art is now). It makes sense now that the winter farmers’ market is moving to East Bayside, Portland’s most up-and-coming neighborhood.
Both articles are by Blueberry Files author Kate McCarty.
Update: for additional reporting on the winter market see this article in the Bangor Daily News.
Holiday Cheese Advice
The Press Herald has tapped Vince Maniaci, co-owner of The Cheese Iron, and Shannon Tallman from Whole Foods, for their expert holiday cheese buying advice.
Cheese has become a much more popular addition to the holiday table, but standing in front of a cheese counter these days is like standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store – so many choices, the head starts to spin.
Jay Villani @ 188
Chef/owner Jay Villani is back running the kitchen at his first restaurant, Local 188.
With the return to Local 188’s kitchen, Jay’s introduced a new menu. It’s a great menu of hot and cold tapas, raciones, salads and entrees. For longtime customers, you’ll feel like you’re reading a menu from back in Local’s old space, across the street.
Fire at Boone’s
There was a fire at Boone’s early Wednesday morning that resulted in some damage, but the restaurant expects to re-open on Saturday.
“Firefighters on the scene eventually discovered the source of the smoke in the facade surrounding the chimney and fireplace.” he said.
“Unfortunately, we had to completely remove the facade to the fireplace to extinguish the fire,” he said. “The good news is this fire could have been much worse had it not been for the functioning fire alarm system. It worked exactly as it should have.”
Press Herald Hiring a Food Editor
The Press Herald has opened a new position for a Food Editor to “direct its coverage of food – and specifically of the farm-to-table movement, which is becoming a major part of Maine’s culture”.
According to the help wanted ad on JournalismJobs.com,
Our newspaper is preparing to launch a major initiative in 2014 centered on the farm-to-table movement, and we need a dynamite editor to lead it all. This is a fantastic, unique opportunity for the right candidate. You will oversee the weekly Food section as well as a brand-new Sunday section.
Maine Calling: Farm-to-Table
This week’s Farm-to-Table episode of Maine Calling with Jennifer Rooks is now online at MPBN. Chef Sam Hayward, author Kathy Gunst and food policy expert Amanda Beal joined Rooks for the show.
Mi Sen & Comment Cards
The Portland Daily Sun has published a profile of Mi Sen,
Mi Sen, one might say, serves food fit for a king. The Thai restaurant opened last July at 630 Congress St. Benjaporn “Ben” Chandpen is from Bangkok, Thailand, and has cooked for the royal family there. She moved to Maine in 1997 with her husband, Chu Chandpen, and their sons, Darit and David.
and the Sun has published part 2 of their series on restaurant comment cards.