Category: Uncategorized

Maine Foodie Tours in Food & Dining

| Posted in Profiles, Uncategorized, General News

A front page article on Maine Foodie Tours is in the new Food & Dining section of today’s Press Herald.

This two-hour walking tour was launched in June and developed by Pamela Laskey, owner of a new company, Maine Foodie Tours. The Old Port Culinary Tour takes visitors to local merchants who make and sell artisanal foods.

There’s plenty of sampling to be had, and guides share a bit about the city’s history and its thriving restaurant scene along the way.

The newly redone Food & Dining section (formerly Food & Health) now includes the Taste & Tell reviews that had been in the Sunday paper, a restaurant dining guide and a promise from editor Rod Harmon that this is just the start. “But don’t think that just because we’ve made a few changes to the Food section we’re going to rest on our laurels. We’re constantly on the loookout for new ideas to help make this section better.”
Elsewhere in the paper was an article about Wolfe Neck Farm “losing it’s famed beef cattle“.

The company that is currently raising beef cattle there, Pineland Farms Natural Meats, plans to remove the livestock by September, its president confirmed Tuesday. Erick Jensen said the operation was no longer economical, in part because of the measures that would be needed to keep manure from washing away and contaminating nearby clam flats.

Maine Foodie Tours in Food & Dining

| Posted in Profiles, Uncategorized, General News

A front page article on Maine Foodie Tours is in the new Food & Dining section of today’s Press Herald.

This two-hour walking tour was launched in June and developed by Pamela Laskey, owner of a new company, Maine Foodie Tours. The Old Port Culinary Tour takes visitors to local merchants who make and sell artisanal foods.

There’s plenty of sampling to be had, and guides share a bit about the city’s history and its thriving restaurant scene along the way.

The newly redone Food & Dining section (formerly Food & Health) now includes the Taste & Tell reviews that had been in the Sunday paper, a restaurant dining guide and a promise from editor Rod Harmon that this is just the start. “But don’t think that just because we’ve made a few changes to the Food section we’re going to rest on our laurels. We’re constantly on the loookout for new ideas to help make this section better.”

Elsewhere in the paper was an article about Wolfe Neck Farm “losing it’s famed beef cattle“.

The company that is currently raising beef cattle there, Pineland Farms Natural Meats, plans to remove the livestock by September, its president confirmed Tuesday. Erick Jensen said the operation was no longer economical, in part because of the measures that would be needed to keep manure from washing away and contaminating nearby clam flats.

Under Construction: Public Market House

| Posted in Uncategorized, Under Construction

publicmarkethouse
The Public Mark House main entrance is blocked off while they install an elevator (you can still get in through the temporary entrances on either side). This part of the ongoing construction project to expand the market to the second floor which will be home to a number of small shops and cafes. They hope to have construction completed by mid-July.

Wine, Coffee, Labels and Growlers

| Posted in General News, Uncategorized

Governor Baldacci recently signed into law LD 904. The new law will allow breweries to sell half gallon containers of beer (aka growlers). See Shipyard’s blog for photos from the signing in Augusta.
A bill that would relax the restrictions on direct shipment of wine to Maine (LD 1008) passed an initial legislative hurdle last week with a 107-39 vote in favor in the House.
The Legislature is considering LD 1259 which would require chain restaurants to display calorie counts for items on their menu. The Maine Sunday Telegram came out in favor of it in a recent editorial,

As the trend in home-prepared meals shows, people are trying to eat better but need support when they go out. That’s why the Legislature should pass a law requiring chain restaurants to post the calories contained in a food item on menus and other displays.

The Portland Daily Sun last week suggested that “[w]hen coffee is illegal, roadside tests are next“.

I don’t know when they’ll finally outlaw coffee, but I have an idea what the roadside uber-sobriety test will look like.
Okay, not totally “outlaw,” but get it onto an alcohol-like track before it’s too late.

The officer, noticing you driving too intently or maybe having noticed your car was outside Arabica for three house in mid-afternoon, will hit you with the pull-over lights.

They will approach with caution. Everyone’s heard the recent stories about caff-fiends losing control, spouting bad poetry and wreaking violence all over town.

September 2008 Blog Posts

| Posted in Uncategorized
September 20
Another big city food critic has made a visit to Maine and written about the strength of Portland’s food scene. Tom Sietsema, the food critic for the Washington Post, calls Portland “a gourmet’s port of call” and picks out Rabelais, Evangeline, Hugo’s, Browne Trading and the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth for special mention.
September 19 pm
1:00 a.m. Curfew has reviewed Top of the East, the lounge located on top of the Eastland Park Hotel. “Because of the view and the ritzy drinks, the Top of the East might be the place to take your parents when they visit. And it would be a great spot for a first date – assuming you’ve got the money to blow.”WMPG broadcast (via Psst!) an audio profile of Bogusha’s, a Polish restaurant and market. Among other things, Bogusha explains the link between schnitzel and matrimonial harmony.
September 19 am
This year’s weather conditions have led to a crop of apples that are sweeter and bigger than usual according to an article it today’s Press Herald.
September 18
This week’s edition of The Forecaster has an article about the meal that Chef Lee Skawinski cooked at the James Beard House last night.
September 17
Todd Richard has a nice article in this week’s issue of the Portland Phoenix about cooking with goat meat purchased at the International Market on Vannah Ave.
September 16 pm
The Maine Switch has reviewed Henry VIII. “Henry VIII Carvery isn’t particularly fancy – you can eat in or out on the patio-type tables or take it to go – but it definitely hits the spot.”There are several other food articles in this issue of The Switch including a report on the upcoming 4-H market animal auction, a look at the diversity of burgers available at local restaurants and an article about local chefs use of beer in their cooking.

There’s been a last minute addition to this week’s Event Calendar. Representatives from the Parmigiano Cheese Consortium will be at The Cheese Iron on Friday and Saturday afternoon.
September 16 am
Portland Psst! has reviewed the Korean fare available at Happy Teriyaki. “Myung and Kum You make steaming hot ceramic bowls filled with fried rice and beef and mushrooms, the bi bim bop, and kimchi stew with soft tofu that has the mouth-coating pleasure, the umami, of Parmesan cheese with cultured soy beans and fermented cabbage.”
September 15 – This Week’s Events
Elizabeth Royte, author of Bottlemania will be in town on Wednesday; she’ll speak at the Public Library at noon and at Lonfellow Place in the evening. Food and farming advocate Gary Nabhan will be speaking at SPACE Friday evening. The Common Ground Fair is taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday; the fair is MOFGA’s annual celebration of organic farming and sustainable living. The next Piatto per Tutti cooking class is on Monday; the classses are taught by baker Stephen Lanzalotta. There are wine tastings at Old Port Wine Merchants on Wednesday and at both Leavitt & Sons and Black Cherry Provisions on Thursday. Farmers’ Markets are taking place in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. Also this week, Chef Skawinski from Cinque Terre/Vignola will be cooking at The James Beard House in New York. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
September 14
The Inn on Peaks Island received 3½ stars from this week’s Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. “The crowds are well served at The Inn on Peaks Island, where guests can count on the utterly familiar to be jazzed up well within the comfort zone.”Today’s paper has an editorial by Joan Silverman of Kennebunk about her concern that servers that don’t take notes will get her order wrong. Personally, I’ve rarely had a Portland waiter bring me the wrong order.

Beer Locavore reviewed the beer list at Blue in his latest post. “Beer is important. So why do so many otherwise fine restaurants get the beer list wrong? . . . An example of a local venue which gets it right is Blue”

Travels with Hilary sampled the chocolates from Dean’s Sweets, Nutmeg Foods and Safe Harbor Confections at a food festival in the Mid-Coast region. After engaging in some enthusiastic “quality control” of Dean’s truffles she wrote, “No sharp edge, just that sublime taste of dark chocolate with depth.”

As reported by Portland Psst!, Arabica will be closed while they move to 2 Free Street. On my way to Standard Baking this morning I noticed a note in Arabica’s window that says they will re-open “as soon as we can, maybe a week or two. We love you! Thanks!”
September 13
1:00 a.m. Curfew has reviewed the Bramhall Pub. “The Bramhall Pub is sure to meet your needs, whether it’s listening to a good band, playing darts or pool, or just quietly having a beer.”Type A Diversions has received kudos from Plating Up the blog of Maine Food & Lifestyle. “Before you head out to dinner in the Portland area (or beyond), do yourself a service and visit Type A Diversions written by ‘Erin,’ a foodie from Southern Maine with impeccable taste.”
September 11
Maine Home + Design published a profile of Back Bay Grill in the August issue of the magazine. “Entering its twenty-first year of operation, the Back Bay Grill has proved its staying power. Credit the classic food, unwavering attention to detail, superb service, and an eye toward the future for its enduring success. “
September 10
Michael Bauer, the executive food editor and restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, was recently in town and wrote about his eating experiences on his blog, Between Meals. Bauer wrote that “Portland is . . . about a tenth of the size of San Francisco, yet in terms of food, it’s every bit as sophisticated” and called out Fore Street, Hugo’s, Evangeline, Emilitsa, Rabelais and Standard Baking for special mention. He singled out Duckfat in a separate post as something he’d “like to have in San Francisco“.The Portland Phoenix has reviewed selected sweets to be found at Maple’s, Mousse Cafe, and Others!.
September 9 pm
Kath’s Cafe and Catering has graduated off the Under Construction List and on to Brighton Ave. Kath’s is located in the building that used to house Francisco’s.Emilitsa was reviewed by Portland Magazine. “Emilitsa is not simply ‘the new Greek restaurant in Portland.’ It is the most exciting new dining establishment of any kind here, and it happens to be Greek.”

Eve’s at the Garden was reviewed by Down East. “Ascend its grand staircase to the lobby and to the adjacent cove of Eve’s at the Garden. There it behooves you to have a seat in a comfy circular booth or tuck yourself away in the enclosed outdoor patio and appreciate Eve’s for what it is: a typical hotel restaurant with atypically fine food.”

A couple additions have been made to what is already a very busy Event Calendar this week. Roberto Rubino is extending his visit to Maine and will be at Nezinscot Farm on Sunday providing a chance for people to meet and talk with him in an informal setting. The Victoria Mansion is hosting a Turkish gala event on Saturday night to celebrate the completed renovation of the Turkish Smoking Room.
September 9 am
Type A Diversions has reviewed the lunch menu at Big Sky Bread Co.. “Using only quality, fresh ingredients, Big Sky is an example of simple done extraordinarily well.”
September 8 pm
Rabelais Books was written up in The Tasting Room, a blog by Food & Wine Senior Editor Ray Isle. Isle spent the last weekend in Portland and seems to have been thoroughly charmed by the Portland food scene in general and Rabelais in particular.eGullet Forums‘s stallwart contributor Johnnyd has added a raft of additional details and photographs to his earlier post about the summer Deathmatch. (You’ll need to scroll down a bit to see the new information but it’s well worth it.)
September 8 am – This Week’s Events
The first Piatto per Tutti cooking class is on Monday; the classses are taught by baker Stephen Lanzalotta. Slow Food Portland is hosting a potluck dinner on Monday night. A wine dinner is taking place at Vignola; the evening is based on the menu Chef Skawinski will serve at the James Beard House the following week. The next training run for the Wine Flight 5k is on Tuesday; trainees will be jogging to Gritty’s. Cultivating Community will hold their biweekly Twilight Dinner at Turkey Hill Farm on Thursday. There is a wine tasting at RSVP on Wednesday and a wine and cheese tasting at Public Market House on Thursday. Farmers’ Markets are taking place in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. Renowned cheesemaker Roberto Rubino will speak at the Pineland Centennial Celebration on Saturday. The East End’s annual street festival, Munjfest, is taking place on Sunday.For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
September 7
The Merry Table received 3 stars from this week’s Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. “A fine opportunity to taste traditional French fast food, with good soups, salads and more.”Also in today’s paper was an article about the Eat the View campaign being run by Scarborough resident Roger Doiron. For an entertaining aside, take a look at these photos shot by Doiron of people standing in front of his home, each posed with a fruit or vegetable in their mouth.

The Antenna, a blog from gBritt the public relations firm for Harvest on the Harbor, has released a pair of audio interviews with Rabelais owners Don and Samantha Lindgren and with Rod Mitchell from Browne Trading.
September 6
Portland in a Snap has researched the story behind the morphing of Granny’s into Grandes Burritos.Type A Diversions has reviewed Fore Street. “Fore Street has re-emerged as one of my favorite places to dine in Portland.”

The September issue of The Bollard has hit newsstands. This month’s edition includes an article about the increasing competition between Coffee by Design and Freaky Bean, and a new installment in The Land of the Forgotten Cocktail series by award-winning bartender John Myers. Copies can be found just about anywhere free newspapers are distributed.
September 5
1:00 a.m. Curfew has reviewed Awful Annie’s Irish Saloon. “The name says it all. Awful Annie’s makes no attempt to charm you with niceties. This place is for the unpretentious.”Travels with Hilary reports her take on the Portland equivalent of the junk food standards: pizza, milk shake and fries.
September 4
Last night the Portland City Council voted to “ban smoking in outdoor dining areas before 10 p.m.”Paul Heckler, a former staffer at Uffa and The Frog and Turtle, is living in Israel for the coming year and blogging about his experiences including details on local market and restaurants.

Accidental Vegetables has a post on her impressions of this past weekend’s Deathmatch dinner.
September 3
The Maine Switch has published a profile of Dollaro’s Bakery, and a review of Emilitsa “Emilitsa brings the wholesome goodness of a Greek grandmother’s country kitchen into the heart of the city. No one ever leaves hungry.”The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Flask Lounge. “The menu at Flask is appropriate to the atmosphere – modest, a bit quirky, affordable, and appealing.”

Blog About Beer reports that Novare Res and The Great Lost Bear have both made Imbibe magazine’s list of 100 Best Places to Drink Beer in America.

Correction: Roberto Rufino will be appearing at the PineLand Centennial Celebration on September 13 and not, as had been previously stated, this coming Sunday.
September 2
Type A Diversions has reviewed Bresca. “Comfortable and relaxed enough to qualify as a neighborhood eatery, the refined cuisine and service at Bresca also makes it worthy of a special occasion.”News on this past weekend’s Deathmatch is starting to come out. The theme of this dinner was food that the participants “found, grew or killed” themselves.

Jan from BeerBloggers.com reports Portland’s beer scene impressed some visiting beerphiles from Boston.
September 1 pm
The 10 restaurants and bars viewed most often during the month of August were:

  1. Evangeline
  2. Bresca
  3. The Grill Room
  4. Five Fifty-Five
  5. Local 188
  6. Caiola’s
  7. Emilitsa
  8. Bar Lola
  9. Back Bay Grill
  10. Chef et al.

Evangeline has been at the top of the list for the last 5 months running.
September 1 am – This Week’s Events
The Slow Food book group will meet on Wednesday to discuss Little Heathens, Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish. Rabelais is holding an opening on Thursday for a photography exhibit entitled Three Mile Radius, 36 Dunkin’ Donuts Shops. There are a wine tastings at the West End Grocery on Friday and Leroux Kitchen on Saturday. Farmers’ Markets are taking place in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.WCSH’s 207 has interviewed Andrew Zimmern for a segment appearing on tonight show. 207 is on channel 6 at 7 pm.

An organization called the Restaurant Opportunities Centers of Maine is trying to organize the restaurant workers in Southern Maine, according to this report from the Press Herald.

The South Portlander has a report on how the increasing price of food is impacting Scratch Baking.

August 2008 Blog Posts

| Posted in Uncategorized

The process of converting all the past blog posts into the new system will take some time. I will chip away at it as time allows.

August 31
The Grill Room received 3½ stars from this week’s Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. “Open for three months and extremely popular, the Grill Room’s food is excellent – even though it can be long in coming.”
August 30
Portland in a Snap has a brief post about Dollaro’s with photos of the staff and the interior of the shop. Dollaro’s is the new Italian bakery on Forest Ave.
August 29
New2Maine.com has reviewed Chef et al. “Aside from the over-use of air conditioning, this was a great little spot, and I know Amber and I will be heading back to check out some of the offerings on their dinner menu.”
August 28 pm
Jonathan Levitt, a Maine-based food writer and photographer, has an article in the latest issue of Gastronomica. You’re likely to have read Jonathan’s work before if you subscribe to The Boston Globe where his articles about Maine restaurants and food have often appeared.Luke Livingston, author of Blog About Beer, has a guest post on NXT: The Next Generation about the advantages of home brewing.
August 28 am
Granny’s has a new name. The Congress Street burrito shop is now doing business as Grandes Burritos Taqueria. The new name comes with some changes and additions to the menu.Yesterday’s email newsletter from Rabelais reports that the Maine episode of Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods which was filmed here this summer will air on the Travel Channel November 18th.

Portland In A Snap has an update on this mural of the Roman Colosseum going up on the outside of G&R Dimillo’s Bayside.

The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance has been added to the list organizations on Portland Food Map.
August 27 pm
Type A Diversions has reviewed The Frog and Turtle in Westbrook. “The Frog & Turtle lives up to its self-description, ‘a neighborhood spot that has good fresh food.’ I particularly love that Chef Tranchemontagne is not afraid to add heat and spice to his dishes.”1:00 a.m. Curfew‘s Amy Martin had a very unhappy Happy Hour at Mesa Verde. “So I was all geeked to write about how summer isn’t over and you should get your fill of margaritas while it’s still hot and sunny outside. Margaritas are now dead to me.”

This week’s Portland Phoenix is their back to school special for college students. The Student Survival Guide section of the newspaper has a list of 100 Things To Do liberally sprinkled with many stops at local watering holes and restaurants. The issue also has an eating out guide for students that is (not yet, at least) available online, and another article in Lindsay Sterling’s cooking series.
August 27 am
The Food section in today’s Press Herald has an article about Jamon Iberico, the $100 per pound Spanish ham imported to the US by a Portland company called The Rogers Collection.
August 26 pm
New2Maine.com has reviewed Cafe at Pat’s. “Our chief complaint was the pace of the meal. The food was worth coming back for; I hope that the service was just having an off night. Amber and I will certainly be taking a walk down that way again for dinner at some point, but we’re not in any hurry.”
August 26 am
Local food writers have produced hundreds of reviews for Portland restaurants and each week more get published. So it’s always a surprise to see that there are still 60+ places for which there’s no review available online. Here’s my top 10 wish list of reviews I hope will be written in the remainder of the year:

Today’s Press Herald has an article on the opposition Poland Spring is encountering in its efforts to expand the sources for their bottled water. Elizabeth Royte, author of Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It will be speaking in Portland on September 17.

Tastes Like the Future writes about her weekend drinks and dining experiences at The Grill Room and Walter’s in this post on her blog.
August 25 – This Week’s Events
The next training run for the Wine Flight 5k is on Tuesday; trainees will be jogging to Novare Res. Cultivating Community will hold their biweekly Twilight Dinner at Turkey Hill Farm on Thursday. There is a wine tasting at Browne Trading on Thursday. Farmers’ Markets are taking place in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
August 24
Type A Diversions declares “I will definitely return” in her review of Local 188. “The atmosphere at Local 188 is fun and party like; the cuisine is creative and well prepared. Everyone in the restaurant seemed to be having a good time and there were many large groups the night we dined.”
August 22
There’s an article in this week’s edition of The Maine Switch about the fun to be had at farmers’ markets. The article includes a short list of markets in the Portland area. Portland Psst! reports that there’s also a farmers’ market every Friday in the Whole Foods Market parking lot. To locate a market further afield in Maine check out the directory on the Get Real, Get Maine! website.
August 20 pm
There’s a profile of Mousse Cafe and Bakeshop in this week’s edition of The Maine Switch.This week’s Portland Phoenix includes a pair of articles on the farming and buying of locally grown produce.

New2Maine.com has reviewed Dogfish Cafe. “Fine dining (a la, some other Congress St. establishments) this is not, but the food is good, the staff is attentive, the atmosphere is fun and relaxed, and we’ll definitely be going again. This is a nice little neighborhood find and within easy biking distance for us to boot.”
August 20 am
Poutine made the frontpage of the Food & Health section in today’s Press Herald. In the article, the paper’s taste testers debate the finer points of the traditional French-Canadian concoction of fries, gravy and cheese.KeepMECurrent.com reports that the State is proposing to raise licensing fees for restaurants and other retail food businesses.

The Associated Press interviewed a number of Mainers for this story about the increasing popularity of canning.

There have been two additions to this week’s event calendar. Shipyard is having a release party at Bull Feeney’s tomorrow for their Pumpkinhead Ale. Kitchen and Cork is holding a wine tasting on Saturday.

Portland in a Snap reports on the theft of a chalice from Novare Res. Owner Eric Michaud is offering a reward ($100 of beer) for information on the thief. The chalice has important sentimental value for Michaud because it was custom made for his wedding which took place last month.
August 18 – This Week’s Events
Amy Trubek, author of A Taste of Place, A Cultural Journey into Terroir will be at Rabelais on Monday for a book signing. There are a wine tastings Wednesday at Old Port Wine Merchants and Thursday at Black Cherry Provisions. The Maine Audubon Society is holding a mushroom foraging workshop on Saturday at their farm in Falmouth. Farmers’ Markets are taking place in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. On Sunday Novare Res is holding a German beerfest and Cinque Terre is hosting a dinner at their farm in Greene, Maine. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.In her contnuing quest to find the perfect lobster roll sandwich, Type A Diversions has reviewed The Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth. “If you want to experience classic seaside Maine at its best, head to the Lobster Shack at the end of Two Lights Road in Cape Elizabeth.”

Earlier this year there was a lot of buzz about a collaboration between Ebeneezer’s Pub, Belgian brewer De Struisse, and chef Sean Paxton to open a beer bar and restaurant in Portland called Pannepot Cafe. News about the cafe has been pretty sparse lately but the same group is holding a dinner in Lovell, Maine August 28 and the menu gives some indication of what we can look forward to when/if the cafe does open.
August 17
Fortune Garden received 3 stars from this week’s Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. ” . . . you can enjoy a good Chinese dinner at Fortune Garden. The sauteed green beans and the Hunan shrimp were the best choices at one recent meal.”BeerBloggers.com has a write-up on this weekend’s Roguepalooza event at Novare Res that saw 27 beers from Rogue available on tap.

Maine food author Nancy Harmon Jenkins wrote an article about Maine blueberries that appeared this week in the New York Times.

Thanh Thanh Bida, a bar and pool hall is now open on Read St.
August 16 pm
Stephen Lanzalotta, the baker at Micucci’s, will be offering a series of 2-hour cooking classes called Piatto per Tutti, to be held Monday nights starting September 8 (polenta cheese pasticciata, cress and mushroom salad, pinenut cookies). For more infomation e-mail piattopertutti@yahoo.com.By coincidence, I was driving out Forest Ave this afternoon and spotted Dollaro’s Bakery. Dollaro’s is a new Italian bakery; it sells a variety of breads and pastries.

According to the Portland Press Herald, Maine lobstermen are applying for the Marine Stewardship Council’s seal of approval. There’s also a report in the Press Herald warning about the risks of eating wild mushrooms without some basic training in differentiating the good from the bad.
August 16 am
1:00 a.m. Curfew has reviewed The Big Easy. “The Big Easy has been a staple for live music in Portland for about a dozen years . . . It’s where you go to hear a good band, dance and have a few drinks.”Tickets for this Fall’s Harvest on the Harbor food festival are now on sale.
August 14
Demand for local produce from large companies like Whole Foods is increasing according to this wire story that appeared in the Thursday Press Herald.
August 13 pm
The Portland Phoenix has published a joint review of Novare Res and Prost!. “Of all the methods humans have devised to deploy alcohol in hope of temporarily deadening us to the stultifying burdens of life, beer-drinking is among the oldest and perhaps the best.”Type A Diversions has posted a review of Haggarty’s. “Haggerty’s is a gem in Portland and one I’m glad I finally discovered for their exceptional Brit Indi cuisine.”
August 13 am
Toni Fiore, host of the locally produced TV show Delicious TV, has published a cookbook for the show entitled Totally Vegetarian: Easy, Fast, Comforting Cooking for Every Kind of Vegetarian.
August 12
The publicity for Masala Mahal keeps rolling in. Southern Maine’s new Indian grocery was the subject of a profile today on KeepMECurrent.com. “‘We specialize in Indian spices, Indian lentils and different flours,’ said Mamta Punjabi, the 38-year-old shop owner. ‘These are the foods that we grew up with. It feels like home to have them.'”
August 11 – This Week’s Events
The next training run for the Wine Flight 5k is on Tuesday; trainees will be jogging to Vignola. Cultivating Community will hold their weekly Twilight Dinner at Turkey Hill Farm on Thursday. There is a wine tasting Wednesday at RSVP. Evangeline and Allagash are holding a beer tasting to celebrate MOFGA, and a beer talk is happening on Wednesday at Prost. Farmers’ Markets are being held in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. Roguepalooza will happen at Novare Res on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday and Sunday the 83rd Annual Italian Bazaar is taking place on Federal St. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.The front page of today’s Press Herald features a story about Oakhurst’s legal battle 5 years ago with Monsanto over Oakhurst’s label which did (and still does) read, “Our Farmers’ Pledge: No Artificial Growth Hormones Used”.
August 9 pm
Mousse Cafe and Bakeshop had a soft opening today and will having their official opening day on Monday. The cafe is in the space in Monument Square formerly occupied by Foley’s Bakery.
August 9 am
1:00 a.m. Curfew has written up a review of Ruski’s. “At any given moment you’ll find the place packed or empty. You’ll always find specials on the board – drinks, breakfast plates and dinners – and people you want to be around.”The Bollard is reporting that a pair of local business owners are planning to buy building that was formerly home to The Icehouse and open a new Mexican restaurant there. For more information on other food business under development in Portland see the Under Construction list.
August 7 pm
The Forecaster interviewed Kim Anderson and Anna Maria Tocci, co-owners of the North Star Music Cafe. Tocci is quoted in the article, “We have grandmothers coming in for lunch, sitting right next to a table full of pierced up teenagers, and it’s no big deal. I love that we provide a space that appeals to so many different kinds of people”.
August 7 am
There’s a review of the sandwich board at Ari’s East End Market in today’s Press Herald.The Maine Switch reviewed Flatbread. ” . . . the flavors were spot on and the thin pizza crust was neither too crispy nor too soft.”

This week’s Switch also contains a profile of Maine Brewing Supply, an interview with Daniel Perron from Sumner Valley Farm about selling all natural meats at the Farmers’ Market, a look at the hot sauce makers in Maine, and several other food articles on topics from blueberries to soul food.
August 6 pm
Here’s an audio article from National Public Radio (via Portland Psst!) about Catch a Piece of Maine, a lobster CSF run by John and Brendan Ready.Commune Tested, City Approved cooked up a beet pizza. No, that’s not a typo, the pizza topping included peppers, garlic, onion, tempeh, potatos and beets.
August 6 am
The Portland Phoenix has reviewed The Grill Room. “The salmon was well-browned and crisp-skinned but still moist and a touch translucent inside. Tuna straddled the line between grilled and seared nicely. The red, tender duck was terrific with a barely sour vinegar-kissed chard. Short ribs were crisp edged but fall-apart tender.”Masala Mahal, Maine’s new Indian grocery store, was profiled in the Food & Health section of today’s Press Herald.
August 4 pm
Chris2fer has reviewed the pizza at Siano’s “I recommend Siano’s Pizzeria if you like thin crust pizza that is on the spicy side.”, and dessert at the Quality Shop “Sweet sugary apple filling with whipped cream in a fried donut like pastry. Yes, please.”There’s an update from Local Foodie on her work to store up blueberries, peas and strawberries for winter. “Rebuilding that relationship with food does take time and effort, but it certainly beats eating frosted toaster pastries!!!” I wonder if Chris2fer would agree.
August 4 am – This Week’s Events
This week there’s a real scarcity of foodie events on the calendar. No wine tastings, book signings, special dinners, or any of the usual items I have to list, just a beer talk at Prost! on Wednesday and Farmers’ Markets taking place Wednesday and Saturday.There’s a video on YouTube about the camapign, run by Scarborough resident Roger Doiron, to get the next President of the United States to plant a vegetable garden at the White House.

Type A Diversions has published a review of Bar Lola.
August 3
StarEast Cafe received 3 stars from this week’s Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. “A Middle Eastern restaurant, StarEast makes great flatbread, fine stuffed grape leaves, lamb stew and other good things from that wonderful cuisine.”Maine, Beer & Me published its final post yesterday. He has relocated to Northampton, MA and will no longer be updating the blog.
August 2
BeerBloggers.com reports that The Great Lost Bear has added a new set of taps exclusively dedicated to serving up Allagash brews.
August 1
The 10 restaurants and bars viewed most often on Portland Food Map during the month of July were:

  1. Evangeline
  2. Bresca
  3. Emilitsa
  4. Caiola’s
  5. Five Fifty-Five
  6. The Grill Room
  7. Prost! International Tap House
  8. Chef et al.
  9. Novare Res
  10. Back Bay Grill

Evangeline has been at the top of the list for the last 4 months running.