Fishermen’s Grill Gets Top Rating

Fighting the Tides has published an article about Fishermen’s Grill and its owner Mike Nappi.

The charming hole in the wall seafood joint, tucked unpretentiously across the street from Baxter Woods in an area that’s traditionally been hard on restaurant owners, is known for their large portions and fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

As of last week they’re also becoming known for their national ranking of 60th best restaurant in the entire country and the number one (I repeat, NUMBER ONE) seafood restaurant in all of New England.

Joe Ricchio’s Portland

Maine magazine has published an interview about his return to Portland and perspective on the food scene.

I was not entirely aware of the full extent to which this reputation had spread until I spent a year away in Boston. Whenever I told people where I’d come from, they reacted as though Portland’s streets were paved with gold, a place where every single bite of food was ambrosial and everyone ate like kings…

Interview with John Golden

Eater Maine has published an interview with Press Herald blogger and restaurant critic John Golden.

How do you chose the restaurants for review?
I try to chose those that haven’t been written about in a long time. Obviously, there’s the new ones. I don’t write about them in a review until they’ve been around at least two months. I’ll do my first look on the blog, but you have to give them some time. Some of it is what I’m in the mood for. This past month, I’ve been doing inexpensive places. That’s been fun but I can’t wait to go to good restaurants again.

Jonah Fertig Leaves Local Sprouts

The Portland Daily Sun reports that Local Sprouts co-founder Jonah Fertig is leaving the restaurant to help other organizations become cooperatives.

Jonah Fertig, who co-founded Local Sprouts seven years ago, is moving on from the food cooperative to plant new seeds. “I am leaving … to now help other people start cooperatives and community projects in the Maine food system,” he said on Facebook at the beginning of the month. “I’m sad to leave and excited to start a new journey in life.”

Bissell Brother Interview

The Bier Cellar has posted an interview with Peter Bissell.

Tell us about The Substance and where it came from. The name comes from an experience in the Nevada desert on a road trip we took in 2009. A story for another time, perhaps. The beer has been a work in progress for almost as long as we’ve been planning the brewery. It’s everything we love about beer – soft, bursting with flavor, crushable, and most importantly, possessing a flavor profile that’s distinct and unique.

The Bier Cellar has also announced that they’ll have Bissell Brothers beer The Substance for sale in cans starting on Wednesday.

Coffee Series, Part 2

The Root has posted part 2 of an ongoing series on specialty coffee in Maine. This send installment is a continuation of an interview with Matt Bolinder, owner of Speckled Ax.

In the Root’s newest series on coffee, we will be looking at some of the craftsmen who make up Maine’s rapidly evolving specialty coffee industry. Their coffee is the antithesis of the water-soluble instant coffee you will find in grocery stores or the over-roasted cup from the corner Starbucks.

PPH Food Editor

The Press Herald has published an article about their new food editor, Peggy Grodinsky, who will be launching a new Sunday section in addition to overseeing all food coverage.

The section, called Source: Eating and Living Sustainably in Maine, will launch in April and will appear each Sunday in all of the daily papers published by MaineToday Media, which include the Kennebec Journal in Augusta and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville. The section will offer comprehensive coverage of Maine’s flourishing farm-to-table movement, from farmers markets and foragers to locavore restaurants and edible lavender growers; it will also examine broader issues of living sustainably, from energy conservation to organic gardening.

 

Little Bigs Interview

Eat Maine has published an interview with Pamela and James Plunkett, owners of Little Bigs.

“First, I want the thing to taste like the thing and not just like sugar, as in: lemon is tart and chocolate is chocolate. I think my years as a bread baker have served me in understanding that doughnuts do not have to taste like sweet air. By using a pre-ferment and by taking care of the dough, one can create a doughnut that has all the characteristics of great bread: structure, crust color, and creamy interior. It’s all about paying attention to what the dough wants.”