ILovePortlandMaine.com has posted a video interview with Chris Tyll, the owner of Pat’s Pizza in the Old Port.
Category: People
Meat at Work, Red Crab, John Martin
Today’s Press Herald includes a feature story about the red crab fishery,
He owns the majority of the handful of permits allowed to catch deep-sea red crab — a fishery valued at $2.4 million to $4.2 million a year between 2004 and 2008, according to the New England Fishery Management Council. Williams owns the dominant share of the crab fishing fleet and has just opened his own deep-sea red crab processing plant.
a Maine at Work article where reporter Ray Routhier learns to butcher meat at Fresh Approach,
We started the morning cutting some New York strip steaks, which would sell for $9.99 a pound. McCourt put the hunk of meat on the cutting table and handed me a knife — it looked more like a machete to me. It was about 2 feet long, with a curved blade.
and an obituary of John P. Martin,
Martin is probably best known in the Portland area for his restaurants, such as the Merry Manor in South Portland and the Art Gallery in downtown Portland, which operated for many years.
Desjarlais Leaving Evangeline to Become Full-Time Dad
Erik Desjarlais has sent out a press release announcing his decision to resign his post as Chef at Evangeline in order to become a full-time parent to his daughter Cortland.
Here’s the full text of the announcement:
I’m bittersweetly pleased to announce my resignation as Chef of Evangeline restaurant.
As 2011 approaches, and my daughter Cortland nears 6 months, I’m recognizing the delicate role that is parenthood. This recognition definitely makes this choice an easy one.
The intensity of my role at Evangeline drew me away from spending any time with our daughter whatsoever, and with two restaurant chef/owners under one roof, time is a valuable asset.
Moderating my time spent at Evangeline would have an adverse effect on the business, so I have decided to move my role as full time nurturer from the restaurant to our daughter, which I’m sure any parent would understand.
I’m very proud of what I have accomplished at Evangeline, and I am definitely excited to move forward from my role as Chef to my role as a full time Dad and supportive husband.
I feel very fortunate to be in a position in life to have this amazing opportunity. And while I will sincerely miss firing up the ranges every day and making the food I love, I’m excited to be immersed in diapers, teething, baby-babble, and all of Cortland’s “firsts.”
I’d like to thank all of my wonderful staff, past and present, the family farms I have worked so closely with, and all of the guests who frequent my tables to enjoy my efforts at creating a dining experience.
Erik Desjarlais
Update: for additional reporting see Maine Travel Maven and the Press Herald.
The Bollard on Linda Bean
The Bollard has published a feature on Linda Bean and the impact her growing lobster empire is having on towns in mid-coast Maine.
Bean uses the image of Maine’s fishing communities to market her company, but the reality of life in her Perfect Maine is far from perfect.
“It’s a divided peninsula: those on the payroll and those who aren’t,” a St. George resident said. Like numerous other locals interviewed for this article, she agreed to comment about Bean on condition of anonymity, for fear that criticizing her would bring economic retribution in this tiny town. The source has been asking St. George officials for help in a land dispute with Bean, but thinks the town government is powerless to rein in the heiress.
You can also see the discussion taking place on Facebook about Bean’s aspirations to brand Maine lobster.
Oysters, 2 Buck Chuck, Robert Pieper
The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes Joe Appel’s take on the Trader Joe’s 2 Buck Chuck wines,
Yet. Yet there are hidden costs. The biggest one is a general dumbing down of the wine market. I know everyone’s shopping Trader Joe’s exclusively right now, but next time you feel the need for an edible vegetable, head over to any other Portland-area supermarket and note the changes in the wine departments. See?
Everyone’s racing to the bottom, all desperate to offer an alternative to $3 Chuck. The interesting bottles lose their shelf space, taken over by more and more case stacks of faceless, automaton wine engineered to move.
a feature article on Maine oysters,
Once, oysters were as much a part of holiday celebrations as cranberries and champagne.
There’s never been a better time to revive this tradition. There are dozens of Maine oyster growers who can supply the freshest shellfish for your holiday table.
and interview with sous chef Robert Pieper from Nosh.
13th Cookie Profile
The Munjoy Hill Observer has published a profile of 13th Cookie and the bakery’s owner Nicholas Stevens.
A funny thing happened on the way to the Tea Shop… Granted, this isn’t the way you’d expect a joke to begin, but some of the best things in life have unexpected beginnings.
Paper Food: Cooking Matters, Pecan Pie, Macrobiotics . . .
The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes article about Cooking Matters, a program that “recruits local culinary and nutrition professionals to teach low-income families on a limited budget how to prepare nutritious meals that also taste good”, and interviews with macrobiotic educator Warren Kramer and Ethan Toby, sous chef at Sonny’s.
Yesterday’s edition of the Portland Daily Sun provides advice on where to source ingredients for you home Mexican cooking and a reminder that Two Fat Cats made the cut for a Yankee magazine article about where to find the best 5 holiday pies in New England.
Mycologist Greg Marley
The Boston Globe has published an interview with Maine mushroom expert Greg Marley. Marley has published a new book, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms. You can find copies of Chantrelle Dreams and an earlier work, Mushrooms for Health, at Rabelais where he spoke in October as part of his book tour.
Greg Marley is in a damp grove of hemlock, toting a woven basket, followed closely by Rosie, his big black Newfoundland. He’s looking for black trumpet mushrooms and finds the sinister-looking, funnel-shaped fungi on a patch of moss. “The French call them trumpets of death,’’ he says. “It’s probably because they want them all to themselves. They’re my wife’s favorite. So good on pizza.’’
Interview with Masa Miyake
Find Eat Drink has published an interview with Masa Miyake who is the chef/owner of Miyake and Pai Men Miyake,
Q. Is there a particular fish you love to work with and why?
A. Right now, it would be Sayori, also known as ‘needle fish.’ Not only is the flavor outstanding, but it is also very difficult to cut this fish properly – making it rewarding for everyone involved.
Trader Joe's Preview and Oriental Table Interview
Today’s Press Herald includes an article about the upcoming opening of Trader Joe’s,
The Trader Joe’s rumor mill has been churning overtime, so let’s start by setting a couple of things straight.
First, despite the rampant Internet speculation and breathless phone calls to the new store at 87 Marginal Way, there will not be a “soft opening” today.
and a ShopTalk interview with Yan Lam the owner of Oriental Table,
Q: When did you learn to cook?
A: Well actually, to be honest with you, when I opened this place.
Q: You must have learned fast.
A: You have to, you know? I learned a lot by making myself dinner after the place closed. It was a good way to learn how to make things better. And I’m still learning.