Another Food Truck Loss for Portland

The Forecaster has published a report about Love Cupcakes in Falmouth. According to the article, “Love Cupcakes came to Falmouth because of Portland’s strict restrictions on food trucks. So far the town has received the business with open arms – and mouths”

Owned and operated by Anna and Joey Turcotte, with the help of Jenny Spear, the business promises to take “everyone’s favorite, old-school dessert” and “serve it with a distinct twist.”

The Turcottes started just over a year ago by doing private parties, weddings and catered events. They now operate in a renovated, 1960s travel-trailer parked a short distance north of Martin’s Point, at Foreside Antiques.

 

Father’s Day & Vegan Kathy Freston

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald asked some local chefs for their thoughts on Father’s Day breakfast,

Chefs love it when their kids get busy in the kitchen to make them something special for Father’s Day. Tony Poulin, a chef instructor at Southern Maine Community College and father to a 9-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, says his perfect Father’s Day meal would be “fresh Maine sea scallops, prepared any way.”

and an interview with vegan author Kathy Freston who will be speaking in Portland later this month.

Freston gradually removed one animal product after another from her dinner plate until her leaning process led her to a completely plant-based diet. When she arrives in Portland on June 25 to deliver two talks at Whole Foods Market (one of which is already sold out), the subject of leaning into dietary changes will be the main topic of discussion. That’s because her latest book is called “The Lean: A Revolutionary 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss.”

Book-o-rama: Texas Eats, Street Food, Apron Anxiety, People’s Pops

For this months collaborative food blogging project the group is once again collaborating with our good friends at Rabelais Books to do a Summer series of book reviews. Having read the groups reviews I think the book that most appeals to my reading interests in Texas Eats although that might just because it makes reference to The Federal Writers Project in the Introduction.

Edible Obsessions – Texas Eats by Robb Walsh

He starts in East Texas and the Gulf with delicious seafood recipes and traipses across the state and ends with a nod to the diverse contributions from Thai, Vietnamese and Indian cultures to the Texas food scene. He contributes even more space to the influence of Czech and German immigrants of Central Texas. Every chapter is dotted with anecdotes and first hand stories about the dishes, some by the people who created them. read the full article

From Away – Street Food by Susan Feniger

Susan Feniger is joie de vive personified. She’s a cook who seeks to introduce her audience to new worlds through food. She’s been doing this with her West Coast restaurants for decades, and with this title, cements her place in the cookbook author pantheon. It’s infectious, her love of food and life and humanity. These “irresistably crispy, creamy, crunch, spicy, sticky, sweet recipes” are bound to become part of my repertoire. I can’t wait to make my way through Street Food one page at a time. read the full article

The Blueberry Files – Apron Anxiety by Alyssa Shelasky

Apron Anxiety features the slightly troubled times in a young, upper-middle class, white woman’s life, the most challenging being her existential strife over love and work. OK, so not every memoir has to be about war, famine, or poverty, but after a while, the author’s complaints become a little grating. read the full article

Vrai-lean-uh – People’s Pops by Jordi, Carrell and Horowitz

There’s a fair argument to be made that popsicles don’t require a cookbook so much as a popsicle mold, a working freezer, and a low-to-moderate spirit of experimentation. It also has to be said that I am much less likely to give a cookbook the benefit of the doubt when they have the phrase “brooklyn’s coolest pop shop” on the cover. But I do love popsicles, and summer is approaching. read the full article

Mumford & Sons: Calling All Food Trucks

The organizers of the (sold out) Mumford & Sons concert taking place in Portland later this Summer are interested in having Maine’s local mobile food scene represented at the event. They’re looking for Portland-area food trucks that are interested contact them about one of the 12 food vendor slots available.

I picture Mumford fans enjoying lobster rolls from Bite into Maine, dessert from Gorgeous Gelato, oysters from Cabin Cove. Hopefully some of the food trucks from Brunswick will want to make it down to Portland for the concert as well.

Food truck operators who are interested in being part of the event should email info@statetheatreportland.com for more information.

Under Construction: Kushiya Benkay & Novare’s New Thing

There are a couple new additions to the Under Construction list:

  • Kushiya Benkay is under construction at 653 Congress Street. If the address looks familiar it’s because it was the former home of Gogi, Barava, Granny’s, Uncle Billy’s, Nile, etc. It even once was the home of a Jim Ledue restaurant that I was quite fond of called Bella Cucina. According to Wikipedia Kushiya is a Japanese term for a skewered and charcoal grilled food, roughly analogous to Yakitori, except formally Yakitori only refers to grilled chicken and Kushiya could be any type of skewered food. The sign in the window indicates that they hope to be open as soon as July.
  • Novare Res is rumored to be working on a new venture which will, if the information proves out, be a pub/brewery/distillery that will be collaborating with other brewers in the state. From what I’ve heard the new place is located on the corner of Commercial and Union Wharf. There’s no official word yet from Novare Res on their plans.

Tip Skimming Suit

An article in today’s Press Herald reports on a tip skimming suit filed against the Eastland.

According to the complaint, the downtown hotel keeps a portion of gratuities for itself or distributes a portion to managers or other employees who do not serve food or beverages. The hotel adds a gratuity of 18 to 20 percent to food and beverage bills, including those for banquets, according to the complaint.

Eater.com Coming to Maine

According to an article on the Press Herald food blog Maine a la Carte, the national food blog Eater.com will be a launching a Maine branch of its site tomorrow.

“Part of why we decided to call it Eater Maine is we already have a site called Eater Portland out of Oregon,” Steele said in an exclusive interview with the Portland Press Herald. “I think when you look at what’s going on down in Kennebunkport or up on the midcoast or further up, there’s just exciting food happening up and down the Maine coast. I think by calling the site Eater Maine it will let us talk about the areas outside of Portland when they’re really important, but the focus will be the Portland metro area.”

This Week’s Events: Peter Weygandt at Caiola’s, Sake Tasting, Smuttfest 2012, Taste of the Nation

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — esteemed wine importer Peter Weygandt is collaborating with Caiola’s on a 6-course wine dinner ($70pp, 772-1110), Miyake is holding a sake tasting, there will be a wine and cheese tasting at the Public Market House, and a wine tasting at Aurora Provisions, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beer from Founders Brewing.

Saturday — Novare Res is holding the 2012 Smuttfest celebrating Smuttynose Brewing by offering 25 of their beers on tap, RSVP is having a Founders Brewing beer tasting and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Taste of the Nation — looking out a couple weeks, the Taste of the Nation fundraiser to fight hunger in Maine is taking place on June 24 on Great Diamond Island. Many of Portland’s best restaurants are participating. You can learn more and buy tickets online at Share Our Strength website.

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.

4½ Stars for Bresca

Bresca has received 4½ stars from the Taste & Tell in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.

Bresca’s small menu and frequently changing wine list seem carefully curated to take advantage of seasonal ingredients and make the dining experience harmonious. The intimate atmosphere and service match the outstanding food not only in quality but also in mood and tone. To my mind, Bresca belongs at or near the top among Greater Portland’s fine-dining restaurants.