Under Construction: Maine & Loire

| Posted in Under Construction

A new wine shop called Maine & Loire (website, instagram) is now under development.

Maine & Loire will be a retail wine shop in Portland, Maine featuring well-made wines that are expressions of the people who craft them and the places they’re made.  We will be the first store in Portland that solely focuses on terrior-driven wines and spirits from smaller producers.  We’re excited, in particular, about showcasing natural, organic, and biodynamic wines in our store.  Our goal is to create a wine shop where minds are expanded and discoveries are made. Serious wine can be fun!

Owners Peter and Orenda Hale have recently moved to Maine from NYC where they worked in the restaurant industry.

The Hales plan on holding regular Farmer Flight Tastings, running a monthly wine club and providing curbside pick-up service. They are in the final stages of securing a location for the shop and hope to open sometime in early 2015.

Review of Taqueria Tequila

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has reviewed Taqueria Tequila.

I was impressed.

In addition to the plentiful and excellent fresh food, I appreciated the friendly and efficient service.

I’m not smart enough to know if this is authentic Mexican food, but I believe it is. It’s certainly more tasty and interesting than many of the other choices that we have around here. I’ll be back, and next time I’m getting a beer.

Sangillo’s Hearing

| Posted in Events

sangillosadSangillo’s liquor license appeal is starting this morning in the council chambers at City Hall. According to a report from the BDN,

The hearing, postponed >from Sept. 11, will be conducted by staff from the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations. Laurence Sanborn, who manages the agency’s Liquor Licensing and Enforcement Division, said in June that public comment will be accepted at the hearing, which will reconsider the evidence heard by city councilors on March 17.

An ad ran in this week’s Phoenix letting people know about the appeal and encouraging them to speak on Sangillo’s behalf.

Shrimp Season Cancelled Again

| Posted in Fisheries

Federal regulators have again cancelled the Maine Shrimp season. According to a report in the Press Herald,

Federal regulators are canceling the commercial fishing season for shrimp in the Gulf of Maine for a second straight year, citing a population collapse blamed partly on rising ocean temperatures.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section voted Wednesday in Portland to cancel the upcoming winter season. Regulators say the region’s population of northern shrimp fell dramatically from 2011 to 2013.

MECA Mixology Class

| Posted in Events

The Blueberry Files reports on the MECA mixology class she recently attended, taught by bartender John Myers.

Myers started out by saying that he’d structured the class like an art history class, “from cave drawings to the modern weirdos.” After a short history of early American drinking habits (a lot of cider, rum) we delved into the first time a cocktail was defined. First appearing in a New York newspaper in 1806, the cocktail was described as “spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.” None of us guessed the answer, but that definition also describes the recipe for an Old Fashioned and thus, our first drink of the course. 

Ebb & Flow Opens Thursday

| Posted in Openings

ebbandflow

Ebb & Flow (facebook, twitter, website, instagram, opentable) has been fine tuning their operation over the last few days with a series of private events and plans to open Thursday at 5 pm. The menu is a mix of Mediterranean inspired seafood and meat dishes. Appetizers will generally be in the $8-14 range and entrees $15-25. The “1000 Degree” items will be a bit more expensive.

Ebb & Flow is co-owned by Angello Ciocca, founder of Nova Seafood, and chef William D’Auvray. It is located at 100 Commercial Street in the completely renovated space formerly occupied by Spread.

To start out Ebb & Flow will be open for dinner Monday though Saturday. They to eventually start serving lunch and Sunday brunch as well.

Oxbow Tasting Room Opens Thursday

| Posted in Openings, Beer

oxbowtastingroom

Oxbow Brewing Company’s new tasting room in Portland is set to open on Thursday at noon. The room is part of a 10,000 sq ft space at 49 Washington Ave that Oxbow took over this summer to use for aging, blending and bottling their beer.

The door to the tasting room is at the back of the driveway to the left of CBD. It’s hand lettered sign (by Will Sears) reads Oxbow Blending and Bottling.

Updated: A Happy Tummy and Maine Today have both posted photos of the new tasting room.

Under Construction: Tempo Dulu

| Posted in Under Construction

A new Asian restaurant called Tempo Dulu(facebook) is under construction according to a brief report in today’s Press Herald,

The new owners of the Danforth Inn, 163 Danforth St., plan to open a Southeast Asian fine dining restaurant called Tempo Dulu in early 2015. It will be the first restaurant at the inn since Carmen at the Danforth, a Latin restaurant, closed in early 2013.

Here’s an explanation of the name from the restaurant’s facebook page,

Many ask us what does Tempo Dulu (or Doeloe) mean? It is Indonesian for the Olden Days..Tempo + Dulu means time of old. A time when Indonesian was part of the Netherlands East Indies and more specifically the time between 1870 and the beginning of the First World War. A time when life was good, the paste was slow and a where an ‘Indies’ lifestyle was created, blending Indonesian and European elements. The rijsttafel (rice table), a meal of rice with spicy side dishes, is one of the best-known aspects of this mixed Indonesian European culture.

See the PFM Under Construction list for information on other projects under development.

Review of Ruski’s

| Posted in Reviews

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Ruski’s.

Ruski’s prices are very reasonable, their pours are strong, and their atmosphere is definitively dive. This place is fun for any time of day, week, or year and since they are open both early AND late, you can test that for yourself. I envision this as a go-to hangout in the event my wife isn’t around for a weekend, though I couldn’t see myself spending more than eight or ten hours at a time there. That would be overboard.