Category: General News

Solo Dining & Bartender Interview

| Posted in General News, People

Dispatch magazine has published their list of the 5 best spots in Portland for solo dining,

…I think there’s something totally underrated about alone time.  I especially like eating alone and my buds here at Dispatch agree. In fact, my twitter identity is the @thelonelymower because I often “mow” (meaning to eat quickly/aggressively) alone. Thus, we bring you a list of five great spots to go and have a meal in the company of yourself in Portland.

and an interview with Sonny’s bartender Jon Clemons.

So, what’s your favorite thing about bartending?
Making drinks and watching people—teaching people about cocktails. I love it when people sit in front of me and ask, “What’s that? Why you doing that? What’s that for?” I love turning people on to cocktails that don’t like cocktails. Like some dude sitting in front of me watching me make cocktails and he’s drinking a beer and ten fifteen minutes into it he’s asking me a million questions then all the sudden he’s drinking cocktails. That’s what I like.

Breakfast FAQ & Silly’s with a Twist

| Posted in General News, Reviews

This month’s edition of The Bollard includes a Portland breakfast FAQ,

“I just want a regular breakfast at a regular diner. Is that OK with you, Mr. Fancy Brunch Guy?”
Go to Steve and Renee’s (500 Washington Ave., Portland). You won’t find a better basic breakfast. The prices are low, and there is no friendlier service anywhere, period. And that’s a fact.

a bar review of Silly’s with a Twist,

In keeping with the more-is-more philosophy at Silly’s, the drink menu is four pages long. A fair amount of real estate is devoted to shakes, which can be made with ice cream and milk from cows, rice or soy. They also serve shakes with booze, like the Ragin’ Ruby (made with ruby port), Twist & Stout (contains Guinness) and the more traditional Mudslide. I tried the Sherry Baby ($7.50), which is made with Sandeman Amontillado. The fruits of the medium-dry Spanish sherry came through nicely and complemented the ice cream well.

The Maine Brew Bus

| Posted in General News

Today’s Press Herald includes a report on the The Maine Brew Bus,

In addition to the new Pour Tour, he offers beer-only tours of breweries and brew pubs York County and Portland. He began the business because he sensed a money-making opportunity in shuttling people around from brewery to brewery for samples and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the brewing process.

For more info visit www.themainebrewbus.com.

Chef on Thanksgiving, Vegan Conversion, Thanksgiving Wine

| Posted in General News, Cooking, Wine

The Press Herald checked in with 10 Southern Maine chefs about what they typically do on their Thanksgiving day off,

Do they hang up their pots at work only to have to take them down again at home? Does their family expect them to create some spectacular spread every year like the ones you see in the Thanksgiving issues of glossy food magazines?

Or are they allowed to chill on the sofa, for once, and watch football while someone else does all the work?

The Food & Dining section also includes an article about WGME news anchor Jeff Peterson’s conversion to a vegan diet,

The change to an all plant-based diet literally happened overnight. He and his wife, Laura, watched the 2011 documentary “Forks Over Knives” in February of this year and it opened their eyes to the health consequences of the standard American diet and the healing powers of vegan food.

“I remember looking at my wife and I thought that would make a good story for News 13,” Peterson recalled.

and Joe Appel’s wine column makes recommendations for your Thanksgiving meal.

You get a twofer today. I want to introduce more people to an importer of exceptional French wines, Cynthia Hurley, and it’s time to think of wines for Thanksgiving. Happily, several of Hurley’s wines I’ve recently drunk are not only remarkable in their own right, they also will make a splendid show at a Thanksgiving table.

Kids at Restaurants

| Posted in General News

Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie Ladd shares her thoughts on children at restaurant.

Like most things, starting young is crucial to developing good restaurant behavior habits. Without them, things don’t go well. Overtired parents usually get the lion’s share of dirty looks and passed judgment, fellow patrons are simultaneously sympathetic and annoyed, and the hungry, confused kids wonder why they aren’t at Joker’s.

TV x Restaurant List

| Posted in General News

I Love Portland Maine has reviewed recent TV shows about the Maine food scene and compiled this handy list of which restaurants where visited by each show.

In the past couple of years alone, we’ve had four shows filmed right in the Old Port, and that’s just for our (apparently world class) restaurant scene, where Food is being elevated to the level of Art. It doesn’t even count all the movies that needed a quaint, reclusive backdrop for their sets. Actually, with all the camera crews that must’ve been milling around I can’t believe I haven’t stumbled into one of them by now…

ILPM has also posted an interview with chef Chuck Hughes whose TV show, Chuck’s Eat the Street aired an episode about Portland earlier this week.

ILPM: Why did you pick Commercial Street in particular?
Chuck: Because it’s a mix of the working waterfront, locals, and tourists… it’s a showcase of fresh food– simple and authentic.

The Portland episode of Chuck’s Eat the Street will be rebroadcast on The Cooking Channel this Sunday at 4 pm.

Food Trucks in Falmouth

| Posted in General News

The Forecaster reports that Falmouth is considering legislation to formalize authorize the operation of food trucks.

Two food trucks, Love Cupcakes and Della’s Dogs, did business in town this summer, but the future of these and other mobile restaurants could depend on an ordinance yet to be drafted.

Bill Lunt, chairman of the Falmouth Economic Improvement Committee, said the Town Council asked the committee to look into drafting an ordinance to govern food trucks, but that he doesn’t expect anything to happen before next spring.

November Down East: 50 Reasons to Love Portland

| Posted in General News

Tandem, Bunker Brewing, Urban Farm Fermentory, Allagash, Standard, Bard, Speckled Ax, Otto, Pocket Brunch, Cloak & Dagger, Petite Jacqueline, Boda, and Local 188 are all called out in the Down East cover story, “50 Reasons We Love Portland”.

The article isn’t online yet but you should be able to find a copy of the November issue at your local newsstand.

Baum+Whiteman Food Trends

| Posted in General News

Grace’s Whole Beast Feast is cited as an example of high-end “bundled” meals in Baum+Whiteman’s predictions for food trends in 2013.

Grace Restaurant in Portland, Maine, has a “whole beast” lamb dinner for six to eight people at $65 a head, including harissa-spiked lamb tartare, cured lamb “bresaola,” rigatoni with smoked lamb shoulder, and leg of lamb stuffed with pine nuts and corn. Like many such feasts, it requires 72 hours’ notice.