Category: General News

Today’s Portland Daily Sun proposes a set of resolutions for restaurant customer behavior in 2012.

5) Do not bring your own food into a restaurant. Please do not ask for hot water and lemon because you brought your own Lipton tea bag, or single serving VIA coffee from Starbucks. Your server works on commission, and the restaurant owner earns a living off what is sold, not what is unintentionally given away. Even restaurants with BYOB policies charge a wine corking fee.This one tied with: Do not ask for extra bread you clearly intend to take home.

The Phantom Gourmet included Grace in their list of the Top 4 Restaurants of 2011.

Grace in Portland, Maine also topped the list, serving new American comfort food in a renovated gothic revival church. Some of the standouts here include the bone-in tenderloin and the pan-roasted cod.

I’ve fielded questions from a few people who are trying to identify their options for eating out on Christmas Day. This year it’s an especially tough challenge with the major holiday falling on Sunday, a day when many restaurants wouldn’t have been open anyways.

So I’m passing the question on to all of you hoping your collective knowledge can help these folks out. Where would you recommend someone eat out in Portland on Christmas Day?

Coffee by Design made Zagat’s list of the 10 Coolest Independent Coffee Shops Across the US.

Sixteen years ago Mary Allen Lindemann and Alan Spear opened this tiny coffee shop in Portland, Maine with the idea of building a place for the community. Over the years, the shop has grown from their original Congress Street location to three other shops and a micro roaster where they process all their beans. But despite their mini-expansion, the independent store remains homey and popular for Mainers as they continue to serve the community one cup of Fore Street coffee at a time.

Today’s Press Herald includes an article about Tony’s Donuts and their partnership to with Shaarey Tphiloh to provide kosher donuts for Hanukkah.

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes gift ideas for the food, and

Even people who are classically “hard to buy for” because of their age (think elderly relatives), or they already have everything they need, will appreciate finding something really delicious that they’ve never tried before under the tree or in their stocking. It puts the surprise back in Christmas, and gives them that joyful little rush they had when they were kids.

and wine lovers in your life.

Gift-giving for wine lovers is usually difficult. The wine lover, like the anything lover, almost always knows more about the object of adoration than the giver, so the risk of an underappreciated gift is high.

This week’s Forecaster reports that Three Sons Fish & Lobster has received an eviction notice from their landlord Great Maine Wharf LLC.

Last month, Three Sons, Chase Leavitt & Co. and Fresh Atlantic were served with eviction notices by their landlord, Great Maine Wharf LLC.

The letter said, “For safety reasons, you must vacate the building where your business is located, effective immediately.”

Today’s Press Herald includes an article on the growing number of winter farmers markets in Southern Maine,

“Probably the busiest market in the state right now is Brunswick, and Portland’s not far behind,” said Lauren Pignatello, who runs the Swallowtail Farm micro-dairy in Coopers Mills, and helped launch both the Brunswick and Portland winter markets.

and a report that Cape Elizabeth may repeal the ban on alcohol in Fort Williams Park. If all goes well perhaps we’ll be able to enjoy a glass of pinot grigio next Summer with a lobster roll from the Bite into Maine food truck.

An article in today’s Portland Daily Sun advises readers on “How to relish the season without adding holiday pounds“.

You wake up puffy and your tongue feels like a giant saltine. After 12 rounds with the snooze button, you flop to the ground and wheeze out a few guilty sit-ups and a push up before the sugar shakes start in earnest. You inhale the festive pastries (they’re for my roommate!) that ended up in your purse after the office party. You vaguely recall a meticulous wrapping job involving one-ply napkins and toothpicks so why is there a frosted explosion at the bottom of your sparkly bag?