North Spore Mushroom CSA

| Posted in Farming

northsporePortland now has a mushroom CSA.

North Spore is run by ” three friends and graduates of College of the Atlantic with an admiration for all things related to the mycological world,” Jon Carver, Eliah Thanhauser and Matt McInnis.

One of our primary goals at North Spore is to engage with the Greater Portland community and help to supply that community with local, sustainably produced mushrooms. What better way to do that then with a mushroom CSA? By becoming a member of our CSA you help to support your local mushroom farmers as well as the larger local food community. As part of this CSA you not only will receive the freshest gourmet mushrooms possible but you will also become part of our mycological network. We will be including education material with our CSA shares and will also be hosting tours and workshops that all CSA members are encouraged to attend.

The CSA will run for 18 weeks, from December 1st through March 30th. Participants receive a pound of culinary mushrooms per week for $250. Half shares are an option. Medicinal mushrooms are available for a $50 premium. Full details are available at northspore.com/mushroom-csa

 

The Hunter’s Bend

| Posted in People

thehuntersbend A new supper club and catering operation called The Hunter’s Bend (website, twitter, instagram) is now in operation in Portland.

Founders Frank Anderson and Rebecca Ambrosi originally hail from northern Maine and Chicago respectively. Frank has spent the last 15 years cooking restaurants across the country including as the chef de cuisine at Son of a Gun in Los Angeles. Rebecca is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute and has worked for both Thomas Keller and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

The supper club is described as a “closed-door restaurant offering an intimate, dinner party style experience at unique locations around Portland.”

The hunter’s bend club is a closed-door restaurant offering an intimate, dinner party style experience at unique locations around Portland. The evening includes a guided food tour of the one of a kind menu, where Frank and Rebecca explain every course, it’s ingredients and why they chose it. Their favorite parts of the dinners so far include bringing people together, strangers who are seated next to each exchanging their information by the end of the night and answering guest’s questions about technique, ingredients and anything else they might be curious about.

The upcoming dinner they have planned is a 6-course meal featuring Ora King king salmon from New Zealand.

The Hunter’s Bend is a reference to a type of knot credited to Dr. Edward Hunter.

Review of Schulte & Herr

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Schulte & Herr.

Most fundamentally it is nice that they manage to preserve what is comforting in German cuisine while giving it unexpected brightness. So a salad of smoked trout and potato does not chase flavor with an aggressive dressing or by over-smoking the fish, but instead uses peppery arugula, spicy shards of radish, and tart-sweet pickled beets to enliven things. Even potato pancakes are almost light—under the thin layer of gorgeous brown crunch is a whipped up fluff. The dish is best ordered with salmon, cured in house with notes of citrus and pepper suffusing its creamy texture.

Dutch’s Opening Soon (Updated)

| Posted in Under Construction

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Dutch’s (facebook, instagram, twitter) is making good progress and co-owners plan to open on Tuesday November 11th.

They’ll be serving breakfast and lunch from their new store at 28 Preble, right next to Arcadia and across the street from Slab. Here’s a look at the sandwich section of the menu.

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Co-owners Lucy and Ian Dutch have have spent the early part of their career working in fine dining and as a private chefs. According to a recent article from Urban Eye,

Together the 30-year-olds have two decades of culinary experience and kitchen star credentials. Ian has worked for top chefs like Todd English and the couple helped open Market for global chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the W Hotel in Boston.

And here’s a few of the wonderful set of photos that Zack Bowen from Knack Factory shot Monday at Dutch’s.

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Mainebiz: Business is Brewing

| Posted in Beer

Mainebiz has published a feature article on Maine’s rapidly expanding brewing industry.

A study released earlier this year by the Maine Brewers’ Guild, the state’s trade group, found that at 2013’s 35 breweries, production was expected to increase by 36% this year and double by 2018, figures that sound a little conservative now, considering this year’s boom.

“Now we’re making up for lost time,” says the Maine Brew Bus tour guide on that fall afternoon, referring to Maine’s Prohibition era, led by “Father of Prohibition” Neal Dow, who must surely be spinning in his grave now.

This Week’s Events: Blind IPA Tasting, Terry Theise, Champagne Tasting, Pocket Brunch Game Dinner

| Posted in Events

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Monday — Allagash is releasing Farm to Face, a pale ale fermented in stainless with pediococcus and lactobacillus added along with 3lbs of peaches per gallon, and Portland Beer Week continues until Friday.

Tuesday — The Thirsty Pig is holding a Blind IPA Tasting; correctly name all 10 and win a $500 prize.

Wednesday — Bill Murray themed beers will be on tap at bars across the city, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — award-winning wine expert Terry Theise will be the special guest at Hugo’s for a 5-course wine dinner, and there will be a beer and cheese tasting at the Public Market House.

Friday — Terry Theise and Rosemont are collaborating on a champagne tasting featuring “special, rare, and never-before-available-in-Maine grower-produced Champagnes”, and Bite into Maine will be featured in an episode of Eat Street at 8pm on the Cooking Channel.

Saturday — Pocket Brunch and Family Feast are working together on a Game Dinner (tickets), and 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, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

Dinner Review of Artemisia Cafe

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed the dinner service at Artemisia Cafe.

You can’t go wrong at this relaxed eatery where evening chef Guy Frenette specializes in classic dishes – many Italian inspired – that are big on flavor and fresh, local ingredients. Groups of up to four will enjoy booths lining the walls of the simple dining room; large parties are seated at central tables. The wait staff is welcoming and responsive and quick to answer questions (agrodolce is an Italian sweet and sour sauce) or accommodate special requests. Go hungry and take a friend so you can try a small appetizer, a shared plate of pasta such as pumpkin ravioli, and seasonal entrees – rich braises like pork osso bucco in fall and winter, lighter fare in warmer months.

The new MST restaurant reviewer is James Schwartz. According to the bio in the paper Schwartz,

Schwartz has covered food, travel and architecture for The Washington Post, Downeast, Coastal Living and Southern Living magazines for more than 30 years. Long a commuter between Portland and Washington, D.C., he retired from his job as vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2013 and relocated to Maine. He lives in Cape Elizabeth and Brooklin.

Under Construction: Studio 55

| Posted in Under Construction

A new night club and music venue called Studio 55 Mixology Show Lounge is under development on Market Street in the location that formerly housed the Big Easy. According to the cover letter supplied with the lounge’s liquor license they plan on serving a creative cocktail program,

“With a wall full of containers of unique products from fresh herbs, dried herbs, flowers, exotic fresh fruits and an amazing mixologist on our side why just get a plain old cocktail these days.

Studio 55 is owned by Joseph Richards and managed by Marcus Verrill who run Styxx as well as restaurants in Sanford (Fresco Mexican Grill) and Ongunquit (Let’s Get Bacon).

Studio 55 plan to open in November.