Nonesuch River Brewing (website, facebook) opened their “craft brewery + seasonally inspired restaurant” in Scarborough on Thursday. They’re open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Reviews: Maiz, Luis’s, The 5 Spot, Bayside
The Press Herald has reviewed The 5 Spot,
I’ve never been to Philadelphia, so I don’t know what a “real” Philly cheesesteak exactly is, but I can tell you that what’s being served up at The 5 Spot is absolutely delicious.
the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Luis’s Arepera and Maiz Columbian Street Food, and
The Colombian arepa is bigger and softer — one step closer to a tortilla. But there is no mistaking it for something so thin and floppy, especially when you see the thick bumpy beauties served up at Maiz — which occupies the front section upstairs at the Public Market House. The menu is simple, with just five arepas and a cheese bread. It is all they need. While Luis’s arepas are stiff enough to maintain a jaunty tilt, the Maiz version sags a bit to form a sort of pocket.
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed the Bayside American Cafe.
I was very happy with the food; both sweet and savory items were excellent which makes it easy to be confident that whatever I order in the future, it will be solid. In addition, I thought the drinks were good, and overall, the prices were quite reasonable.
BA: Where to Drink
Portland expat Adam Callaghan has penned a guide on where to drink in Portland for the Beer Advocate.
Maine’s reputation as Vacationland, and millions of yearly tourists, have allowed a food and beverage scene to flourish here in a way normally reserved for huge metropolises. In Portland alone, the state’s largest city at nearly 67,000 residents, close to 20 breweries ensure the world-class restaurants and bars lining the Old Port’s cobblestone streets have access to the best bottles of fruited sours, cans of pristine European-style lagers, and kegs of coveted New England-style IPAs reeking of trendy hops.
‘Outsized Food Town in a Small Package’
American Way magazine has published a well written article about the Portland food scene.
Portland certainly has the right ingredients for culinary success: a natural bounty from land and sea, a tradition of locavorism and a wealth of homegrown gastronomic talent combined with an influx from elsewhere, improving the quality and variety of food on offer. Sure, you could argue that the city has been on the nation’s food radar since at least 2009, when Bon Appétit named it “America’s Foodiest Small Town.” But in the years since (especially the last three), it’s upped its own ante, thanks to a second wave of chefs and a populace that’s literally eating it up.
The author interviewed Paige Gould, Andrew Taylor, Mike Wiley, Michelle Corry, Courtney Packer, Clayton Norris and Peter Hale for the article.
Hardshore Distilling Finalist in Competition
Hardshore Distilling in Portland has been selected as a finalist in a national spirits awards competition by a panel of experts.
The final ranking will be determined by a readers choice process.
You can see the full list of finalists and cast your vote for Hardshore online at usatoday.com.
Island Creek Oyster Opens Today
The Island Creek Oyster Shop (website, instagram, twitter, facebook) is scheduled to open today, noon – 8. Island Creek is serving an assortment of oysters from Maine and Massachusetts, littleneck clams, tinned seafood as well as beer and wine. They’ll also be selling shellfish to go.
Here’s an excerpt from their press release:
The Shop gives guests an opportunity to engage with local products in a casual setting, underscored by the deep understanding of aquaculture Island Creek Oysters is known for. Seasonal seafood offerings for purchase include local bivalves such as Little Island oysters from the Bagaduce River and Mookie Blues oysters from Damariscotta, Maine. Inspired by the heritage of Maine’s canneries, The Shop will feature a selection of international tinned fish and caviar. A rotating selection of champagne and wines by the glass will complement The Shop’s simple, ingredient-forward menu. With 75 total seating capacity inside and outside on the seasonal patio, The Shop is designed to reflect Island Creek’s stripped-down, product driven approach to farming oysters and the people who grow them – the oyster is the focal point.
Island Creek is located at 123 Washington Ave. They’re the latest of a string of new restaurants and bars that have opened on inner Washington over the last couple years, including Oxbow, Drifters Wife, Izakaya Minato, Hardshore, Maine Craft Distilling, Cong Tu Bot and A&C Grocery.
Cups of Sea
The Forecaster has published an article about Cup of Sea (website, facebook, instagram), a Portland company selling seaweed teas.
Each blend of tea uses a different type of seaweed, Rogers said, including bladderwrack, dulse, kelp and sea lettuce. He buys only sustainably harvested seaweed from sources like the Atlantic Holdfast Seaweed Company in Deer Isle.
Once the seaweed is harvested, Rogers said it is dried and milled into flakes. Then, he said, “I get to do the easy part: blending it with other ingredients. The final product is a loose-leaf tea that you can brew just like regular tea.”
The New Roma Cafe
Today’s Press Herald includes a feature article about the memories of the old Roma Cafe and new incarnation.
The first weeks of the restaurant’s second life were filled with diners who told the staff that the Roma, closed for more than a decade, was where they’d celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, held wedding rehearsal dinners and romantic Valentine’s Day celebrations, and gotten engaged. Teenagers trying to impress each other suffered through awkward prom dates at the Roma.
Zagat: Restaurants in Maine
Zagat has published a list of 10 Must-Try Restaurants on the Maine Coast.
From the Portland area the list includes: The Honey Paw, Central Provisions, Hunt & Alpine, Woodford F&B.
This Week’s Events: I Hart Food, Zamboni Lecture
Monday – the latest episode of the Food TV Network show I Hart Food will feature several restaurants in Portland including Boda.
Tuesday – cinematographer Zach Zamboni will speak at One Longfellow Square. Maine native Zamboni “has won three Primetime Emmys as well as a Peabody Award for his work on Anthony Bourdain’s food and travel shows”.
Wednesday – the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Friday – there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont in the West End.
Saturday – the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.
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, please provide details as a comment to this post.