GQ: Little Giant & Drifters Wife

| Posted in Reviews

Little Giant and Drifters Wife are both mentioned in a recent GQ article about the new generation in American bars that have,

updated the nostalgic references from Prohibition times to the louche playfulness of the ’70s and ’80s. (Think midcentury leather benches, overgrown plants, tons of neon, and rococo garnishes.) Formats are changing, too: Whole concepts are built around one kind of liquor or fermented beverage, meaning you can get an accessible, intoxicating crash course on rum in a single night. But the best part is the less uptight attitude. The expectation that you’ve memorized your periodic table of mixology is totally gone. Bartenders are eager to share their specialized knowledge. Curiosity is all you need. (That and a well-established tolerance.) Plus, bar food is better than it’s ever been. So why even bother with dinner? Pick a spot on this list and spend your entire evening there.

10 Years Ago in July & August

| Posted in History

Here’s a look at the top stories from a decade ago in July/August 2008:

    • Food historian Sandy Oliver wrote an article about Nabisco’s discontinuation of Crown Pilot Crackers for Working Waterfront.
    • Portland bartender John Myers was featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal about a competition held at the annual Tales of the Cocktail convention. Myers was one of six contestants who were challenged to come up with an original cocktail that had to include ginger marmalade and either Grand Marnier or Navan vanilla liqueur. The Journal called Myers’ combination of smoky single-malt Scotch, vanilla liqueur, bitters, and a spoonful of the marmalade an “essay in simplicity”.
    • The Great Lost Bear expanded their bar to include a set of taps dedicated just to Allagash.

Server Stress

| Posted in People

The Press Herald checked in with several current and former servers about the job-related stress dreams their job triggers.

Yes, talk to most any server, and they will tell you that their nights are punctuated by stress dreams filled with the weirdest details from their most recent shift. We asked servers at local restaurants, from a tiny bistro to a tourist favorite that seats hundreds, to reveal the job-related dreams that come to them after they’ve spent a long day running from table to table. Even people who no longer work as servers still have the dreams years later. We’ve gathered anxiety dreams from eight of them here.

Fork Food Lab Closing (Updated)

| Posted in Closings

Eating Portland Alive is reporting that Fork Food Lab plans to close up at the end of September,

After 2 years in operation and one under management of NYC-based Pilotworks, Fork Food Lab is closing and evicting its 35+ entrepreneurs effective September 30th.

Update: the Press Herald has published a report on the closing , as have Maine Startup Insider, and the Bangor Daily News.

Strata

| Posted in Under Construction, Openings

A new knife sharpening service called Strata (website, instagram) launched earlier this year. Owner Evan Atwell sharpens knives using a traditional Japanese whetstone process.

Atwell is looking to expand Strata in the coming months to include retail sales of specialty Japanese and French cutlery  and eventually include knives from New England producers as well.

Atwell moved to Portland from California where he worked for the Bi-Rite Market group. He currently works as a butcher at Rosemont Market.

This Week’s Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – an oyster and wine pairing event is taking place at Cloudport.

Wednesday – Old Port Wine Merchants is holding a wine tasting , and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Friday – Rose Foods is holding a Pizza Bagel Nite, there will be a wine tasting at the East End Rosemont.

Saturday – Little Giant Market is hosting a Sticky Sweet pop-up, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

2nd Annual Dine OUT for Equality – the event is scheduled to take place on August 22nd. Restaurants that want to participate and support the EqualityMaine Foundation can learn more on their site.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

Reviews: Lio

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has reviewed Lio,

The kind of cocktail you’d expect to find in an upscale cocktail bar, not in a bar known for wine, it blew me away with its burst of expertly blended flavors, a sensation that lasted until the final sip. As my sorority sisters know, I’ve enjoyed a lot of cocktails over the course of my travels, and this one was in the top five. It was thus no surprise when I learned that the bartender, Liz, used to be at Central Provisions. Frankly, you should probably stop reading this review right now and go straight to Lio to try one.