December Down East

| Posted in Reviews, Profiles

de200912The new issue of Down East is out. It includes a review of Grace,

Grace is an ambitious restaurant that successfully bestows on its guests the multiple meanings of its name. “The original intention of grace,” says Anne Verrill, “is everything from beauty down to the actual saying of grace at the table.” After a feast or a bite, a cocktail or a bottle, guests will certainly have plenty to be grateful for.

and a survey of Maine chocolatiers which included Portland area favorites Haven’s, Dean’s Sweets, Sweet Marguerites and Len Libby’s.

PortlandTown Visits Piatto per Tutti

| Posted in Events

Taking this week’s busy schedule of food events as a challenge, PortlandTown is trying to “do as many as I can or at least one every day” and is reporting on the experience. The first post in the series is on last night’s Piatto per Tutti cooking class and includes a number of photos of the Lanzalotta-led class cooking crepe-style cannelloni and olive oil brownies.

Review of Quality Shop

| Posted in Reviews

Portland Food Heads has reviewed a lunch at the Quality Shop, a neighborhood convenience store located on Stevens Ave.

While that’s not necessarily my thing, the pre-made salads and sandwiches in the cooler are usually what I go with for a quick lunch if I have to hurry back to work. Again, there’s nothing special going on here, but for the price (usually $4 or under), you can’t go wrong.

Thanksgiving Dinner

| Posted in Events

Some restaurants do stay open on Thanksgiving. Here’s the ones I know about so far:

There are also several vendors are selling pies, cakes and even entire meals to take home:

  • Aurora Provisions is selling a full dinner for two, $68
  • Aunt Dee’s is selling apple, pumpkin, squash and pecan pies
  • Cakes Extraordinaire, is offering a free pumpkin pie with every pie purchase
  • Rosemont Market, pre-order your locally raise turkey by Nov 20, they’re also selling pies, rolls, quick breads, cranberry sauce, a stuffing mix, gravy, herb butters, etc.
  • Leavitt and Sons is “offering side dish catering (everything but the bird)”
  • Standard Baking on Commercial Street, Scratch Baking in South Portland, and many of the other bakeries in the area are good sources for pies, breads, etc. They probably produce some holiday themed options in addition to their usual offerings.
  • Black Tie Bistro is “offering everything from fully stuffed and cooked birds, to all the side dishes and trimmings. Desserts from bread puddings to classic pies, everything from scratch and available to pick up.”

UPDATE: The Press Herald has also published a list of sources for Thanksgiving, pies, side dishes, etc and it includes a number of options not already listed above as well as additional details on the ones that are.
Is there a local restaurant, market or bakery that’s missing? Post  a comment and I’ll add them to the list.

Big Sky Cookie Review

| Posted in Reviews

Hilly Town has published a cookie review of the Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Walnut Cookie at Big Sky, rating it a 4 out of 5 for Flavor and Bang for Buck, and a 3 out of 5 for Texture.

However, in my mind, there is a clear distinction between a chocolate-chip cookie and an oatmeal chocolate-chip cookie. Oats lend sturdiness, texture, and yes – flavor. Oats in a CCC aren’t an ‘add-in.’ They’re a revision (OCCC). Mind you, it can be a tasty revision, as this OCCC from Big Sky proves.

A Packed Week of Events

| Posted in Events

Monday—The weekly Piatto per Tutti cooking class and Foodie Trivia Contest are taking place tonight.
Tuesday—Simply Divine Brownies is hosting a brownie tasting to celebrate their Grand Opening. Bar Lola is holding a wine dinner featuring wines from Portugal. A cooking class is taking place at SMCC.
Wednesday—The Monument Square Farmers’ Market takes places in the morning. In the evening, there’s a Slow Food Dinner at Cinque Terre with guest Douglas Gayeton, author of Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town. There’s also a cooking class taking place at Black Tie Bistro.
Thursday—Wine tastings are scheduled to take place at Leavitt & Sons and Kitchen and Cork. There will be a launch party for Shipyard Prelude at Portland Pie. Vignola is holding their 4th Annual Allagash Tasting Dinner, and Port Sports is organizing a Mead Crawl which will finish up at Novare Res to taste Maine Mead Works’ new Lavender Mead.
Friday—Rosemont Market on Congress Street is holding a wine tasting.
Saturday—The Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market takes places in the morning. In the afternoon Barbara Lynch, chef/owner of No. 9 Park and James Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast in 2003 will be at Rabelais for a book signing for her work Stir: Mixing it Up in the Italian Tradition.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

Review of Hugo's

| Posted in Reviews

Appetite Portland has published a review of a recent meal at Hugo’s.

First, let me say that Rob Evans deserves all the accolades. My birthday dinner at Hugo’s was nothing short of spectacular. That said, when your restaurant sits perched on a pedestal boasting a shining, gleaming “sterling” reputation – well, the expectations of your guests run high. Very high.

My admittedly stratospherically high expectations were almost – just about – very nearly – exceeded. But not quite.

Review of Hugo’s

| Posted in Reviews

Appetite Portland has published a review of a recent meal at Hugo’s.

First, let me say that Rob Evans deserves all the accolades. My birthday dinner at Hugo’s was nothing short of spectacular. That said, when your restaurant sits perched on a pedestal boasting a shining, gleaming “sterling” reputation – well, the expectations of your guests run high. Very high.

My admittedly stratospherically high expectations were almost – just about – very nearly – exceeded. But not quite.