Cheap Eats in Portland & Wild Blueberries

| Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized, Farming

This Week’s edition of the Portland Phoenix includes a guide to cheap eats in Portland for the newspaper’s annual student guide,

We know you’re dirt poor. Those textbooks are outrageously expensive and you’re forced to divvy out your remaining dollars on cheap beer and illegal substances. We’ve all been there. However, we wanted to remind you that there are places you can afford to eat in Portland that won’t bankrupt you (any more than those student loans will when you graduate). We even helped you with the math and organized it by how many dollars you have in your pocket. So, give up your tray and check out these places.

and a feature article about Maine’s wild blueberry industry.

Whether scooped by hand-held rakes or gathered mechanically by tractors, Maine’s blueberry crop is expected to be down a bit from the recent annual average of 83 million pounds. All told, Maine accounts for nearly all of America’s wild blueberry production, and is second to Michigan (which grows cultivated varieties) in terms of overall blueberry production in America. The US grows more blueberries than any other country in the world; Canada ranks second.

 

Portland Brew Festival

| Posted in Beer

The Press Herald has published an interview with Mark Sprague, the organizer of this weekend’s Portland Brew Festival.

Sprague is putting his own stamp on the festival. First, the brews will be coming from all over New England, not just Maine. Second, the brews will include cider, mead and even kombucha, a kind of fizzy fermented tea, in addition to beer. Third, attendees will be able to watch people brew beer and make cider. And fourth, Sprague is not planning to bring in live bands as entertainment.

Review of the Cafe at Pat’s

| Posted in Reviews

Chubby Werewolf has published a review of the newly reopened Cafe at Pat’s.

As for me, I hit the proverbial jackpot with my entree. Despite feeling a bit guilty about ordering mostly seafood at a restaurant with strong ties to red meat, I opted for something called the “Portuguese Shrimp Saute.” Somewhat evocative of a cioppino stew, the dish featured several large shrimp over a generous helping of fettucini, and accompanied by sweet Italian sausage, Mahogany clams, Jonah crab claws, mussels, lemon, garlic, tomato and saffron. (As with Ilsa’s scallop dish, it came with asparagus, that day’s vegetable offering.) It is a lot of ingredients, but they all worked together in unison to produce the perfect meal: one that is balanced and flavorful enough to be eaten on a breezy summer evening, and yet hearty enough to be savored on some cold night in mid-November.

Maine Wine Regulations

| Posted in Wine

The Appel on Wine column in today’s Press Herald examines state regulations that are impeding the Maine wine industry,

As Ned Swain, owner of the Maine distributor Devenish Wines, put it, “Allow shops to sample people on wine. If they’re in good standing (and) not selling alcohol to minors, having a sample bottle open wouldn’t harm anyone. It would make it a lot easier for shops to sell new, unusual, unknown wines.” (I’ll add: The state liquor authority could conduct undercover monitoring of a one- or two-ounce maximum per customer, to prevent an increase in public inebriation.)

Review of Nosh

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has published a review of Nosh.

Then consider the Nosh burger. For me a great burger is a thick 8-ounce mound of beef that’s simply seasoned and charred over a grill. Here  the ultimate choice is the extravagantly conceived Apocalypse Now Burger, a summit of  multi layers of meat patties each topped with bacon, deep fried pork belly, foie gras, mayo, cherry jam and glued together with melted cheese.
Outrageous? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely.

Review of Boda

| Posted in Reviews

The Blueberry Files has published a review of Boda.

The Miang Kum Som-oh is not to be missed though.  The “bite-sized pummelo fruit salad [is served] on betel leaves w/ toasted coconut, peanut, lime, ginger, shrimp & shallots in a palm sugar dressing ($5).”  As you can see, these fruit salad bites include a lot of great Thai flavors, and it comes together nicely in a mix of bitter, crunchy, sweet, and herby.