Category: Profiles

Eating Portland Alive has published a set photos and some commentary on Evo.

That being said, I greatly enjoyed my meal at EVO and I would not hesitate to steer diners in their direction. The stars of the evening for me were the meat courses. The duck meatballs, lamb loin, sweetbreads, and chicken livers were all stand-outs. I also greatly appreciated the bartender’s efforts to develop a selection of mocktails while the other guests were offered wine pairings. I think that EVO is a strong addition to both the growing Mediterranean niche and Portland’s food scene in general.

The Press Herald has a report on a new smoothy line from Maine called Sam Lives! run by Samantha Levin.

Some would say smoothies run in Samantha Levin’s veins. Including Levin herself.

“I have a love for smoothies and juices because I came from a family where we were always playing around with them,” said Levin, 24, who launched a new line of bottled, superfood smoothies called Sam Lives! at the Portland Whole Foods Market earlier this month. The store sold out of its initial order of 500 bottles in two days.

Those of you who were in Portland back in the ’90s will remember the Fresh Samantha line of smoothies. That company was launched by Levin’s parents and named for Levin.

The Forecaster has published an article about Snappy’s food cart and the new food truck called Morsel.

Two of Portland’s newest food carts are dishing out some rather interesting takes on otherwise ordinary street foods.

Urban  Eye has posted a report on BP’s Shuck Shack.

Shucking ‘em before your eyes from an old hotdog cart, BP gives new meaning to the term street food. Once newly pried, Parson’s tucks the gleaming gems in a custom wooden tray. Choose from six finishing sauces, from traditional cocktail to tangy green curry mignonette sauce. Nothing pedestrian here.

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about Tempo Dulu.

Take a walk or a drive over to 163 Danforth St. Look inside and see for yourself. Better yet, have a drink at the bar or enjoy the height of comfort in the lounge. Take in the smells coming from Chef Lawrence’s kitchen and allow yourself to be tempted to dine; you’ll be glad you stayed. Portland is a city that can handle high-end dining. Our residents have a sophisticated palate and our tourists come here to eat. No doubt, Tempo Dulu will be on all the top 10 lists before too long.

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about Emilitsa.

As we tasted each beautifully plated dish, John, Nemo and Niko talked about what inspired each preparation. What resonated for me were references to growing up in a Greek home transplanted in the United States. Although it was important to assimilate, keeping the tradition of Greek food and culture alive had its place. It is this tradition that is the essence of Emilitsa’s success. You are at once transported to a time and place when family gathered around the table and celebrated the bounty of the land.

The Press Herald has published an article about Standard Baking. The bakery is celebrating their 20th anniversary.

On April 25, 1995, when the bakery was in its original location on Wharf Street in the Old Port, it had no sign outside and no cash register inside. There were no business hours and no locks on the door. Alison Pray and Matt James, the owners and partners in work and life, didn’t even know on that first day that they would end up with a retail business.

Standard is holding a 20th anniversary celebration this Saturday, 11 – 2.

An article from the Wall Street Journal highlights Tandem Coffee as one of Coffee’s Next Generation of Roasters.

Populated by veterans of those first pioneering brands, this new guard isn’t reinventing coffee so much as continuing a transformation already underway. Small, creative and hyperlocal, they’re sourcing even more adventurously and sustainably, importing the best beans from the farthest corners of the earth. And they’re opening in ever-smaller cities, turning America’s long-brewing revolution into a full-blown indie coffee diaspora.

Urban Eye has posted a report on MK Kitchen in Gorham.

Finally a key corner space in this sleepy downtown became available and Kaldrovich and his wife Lisa, a Gorham native, pounced. “I have wanted to do this my whole life,” said Kaldrovich, an Argentinean with a pan-European background who grew up grilling meats and learning handmade gnocchi from his Italian grandmother. He made good on that dream last weekend when MK Kitchen opened on School and South streets.

Urban Eye has posted a report on a recent visit to Opus Ten.

With its brick walls, diaphanous curtains and bistro-style seating, Opus Ten is a food lab for chef Bo Bryne. The bearded Bryne works quietly in a small, open kitchen all night, toiling like a scientist mixing new formulas for your gastro pleasure. Dish by dish, a parade of butter-poached lobster on a risotto cake with citrus truffle micro greens, arrive as if parachuting down from heaven.