Category: Uncategorized

Elda Opening Tuesday

| Posted in Openings, Uncategorized

A new restaurant named Elda (website, instagram) is scheduled to open this Tuesday in Biddeford. The restaurant is in the space formerly occupied by Custom Deluxe at 140 Main Street. Chef/owner Bowman Brown has also expanded into the adjacent space renovating both and adding a bar.

Brown has moved from Salt Lake City where he was the co-owner and chef of Forage (instagram). He was recognized as part of the 2011 class of Best New Chefs by Food & Wine. Additionally, Brown has been a Beard semifinalists in the Best Chef: Southwest category for six years running from 2011 to 2016.

Here’s a look at the menu from Thursday night’s friends and family dinner:

The name Elda is a reference to the Icelandic word meaning ‘to cook’ as well as the name of Brown’s great-grandmother, Elda Whiting Brown.

Under Construction: Forage Market

| Posted in Under Construction, Uncategorized

Forage Market (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) has leased space at 123 Washington Ave where they plan to open a Portland branch of their popular Lewiston bakery and cafe.

Owner Allen Smith is excited to open on Washington Ave because as he explains, “it feels like a place we can be part of a neighborhood and get to know our customers by name. And we love the camaraderie of the amazing group of food entrepreneurs already on the street.”

Forage is perhaps best know for the bagels which Saveur tipped for the best in the country. In addition, Smith and his team lead by Portland store manager Laura Posiak also plans to serve breakfast sandwiches and hand-made pastries in the morning and European-style market sandwiches along with soups and salads for lunch.

Smith has ordered a wood-fired masonry oven from Spain which is expected to arrive in the Spring and hopes to open Forage “as soon as the mortar is dry”.

Crab Apples

| Posted in Uncategorized

The Press Herald has published the latest article in their ongoing apple series,

“Here are Super Chilly Farm we have a few favorites – it just depends on the week since they ripen throughout the season,” Watts said, listing Trailman and Centennial to start. “We often offer Martha the first week of our Apple CSA, and it is always a hit. Chestnut and Whitney are usually ripe about the time of the Common Ground Fair, and they have both been winners at the apple tasting there. And then my favorite late-season apple is Wickson, which is also a crab. All of these are amazing for fresh eating because they blend sweet and tart into one tiny package.”

Roma Opens Today

| Posted in Openings, Uncategorized

The new incarnation of the Roma Cafe (facebook, instagram, website) is scheduled to open today. You can make a reservation on OpenTable.

As you can see from the menu below, chef Anders Tallberg along with co-owners Mike Fraser, and Guy Streitburger are serving a menu of Italian classic such as Caesar Salad, Clams Casino, Tagliatelle Bolognese, Veal Piccata, and Shrimp Scampi. The Roma is located in the West End at 769 Congress Street. The restaurant is donating $1 for every caesar salad sold to Full Plates, Full Potential, a program to fight childhood hunger in Maine.

The original Roma Cafe was founded by Dominic Marino at 489 Congress Street in 1924 and moved to 769 Congress in 1935. The restaurant remained in the Marino family until 1985 when it was bought by Peter Landrigan. The restaurant closed sometime in the early 2000’s.