Silver Moon Creamery has made it off the wait list and in one of the spots at the Saturday farmers’ market in Deering Oaks. In addition to the flowers (a good idea for Mother’s Day) and seedlings that predominate at this time of the year, I also saw fiddleheads, lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, small cucumbers and more.
Pandalus borealis
An article in today’s Press Herald explains the reproductive cycle of Maine shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and how the temperature sensitive process might be impacted by global warming.
Shrimp spend their brief adult lives on the dark ocean bottom and never come near blooming plankton. So, to synchronize the egg hatching and plankton blooming, it seems, the shrimp key in to the temperature at the ocean bottom.
Miss Portland Review
Travels with Hilary has reviewed the Miss Portland Diner.
My new favorite breakfast joint is the Miss Portland Diner, on Marginal Way (between Franklin and Forest). The restored, original Worcester Lunch Car Company #818 shines not only in its gleaming metal surfaces, but also in service and food.
Casa Novello Review
Down East has reviewed Casa Novello in Westbrook.
As for those entrées: The penne a la vodka was fantastic — perfectly cooked seafood in a reddish-pink sauce that had just a hint of a kick. My veal parm, however, suffered from a slight lack of attention, with the cutlet’s thin ends dry from overcooking and the accompanying dish of pasta boiled well past al dente. Did any of that stop me from gobbling it up, however? Heck, no.
Interview with Gene DiMillo
The Press Herald has published a Shop Talk interview with Gene DiMillo. DiMillo is co-owner of G & R DiMillo’s, a sports bar and restaurant.
When we opened up I really thought the demographic would be ages 25 to 40. We had the menu of basically pub food, pizza and burgers. And we did some Italian dishes as well. And slowly it started morphing into the family restaurant idea, as we were getting people who used to go the Village. The age range now runs 25 to 80. It’s unbelievable how it’s changed, and we’ve revised the menu two or three times for that reason, different items that appeal to an older clientele.
Indian Prawn Curry
Lindsay Sterling from Inside Immigrant Kitchens has published another installment in her series on authentic ethnic cooking in this week’s Portland Phoenix.
Cooking Indian food by myself for the first time felt like skydiving; it went against all my instincts. I had one thing going for me: an Indian woman, Aruna Kilaru, had shown me exactly how to do it two weeks before. Aruna, a botany teacher and school principal from Hyderabad, India, had been visiting her daughter and son-in-law in Maine. I met them in, of all places, the office supply store Staples.
Meal Deals
Here are some new meal deals that I’ve recently come across:
- Bonobo – slice and soup or salad for $6.50, get all three for $9, lunch Wednesday – Saturday.
- Maria’s – “3-course Italian dinner for 2”, $19 per person.
- Old Port Sandwich Shop – buy one sandwich and get the second one at half price, Tuesdays.
- Pom’s Thai Taste – “2 for 1 dinner”, Wednesdays.
Joe’s Bar Review
Portland Bar Guide has reviewed the 2nd floor bar at Joe’s New York Pizza.
The most notable trait is the ice strip at the bar, which seats around 10 people. The strip follows the length of the bar and is 11 degrees. Meant to keep your drinks cold, the ice strip could serve many needs, however Dino said no one has gotten their tongue stuck to it.
Farmers' Markets Expansion
The Portland Daily Sun has a report on the start of the season for Farmers’ Markets and the nascent Monday market as well as the planning for a weekly market at Mercy.
There’s also an interview in today’s Sun with Jon Courtney, the organizer of this week’s Food+Farm program.
Allagash to Release Gargamel
A Blog About Beer has the scoop on Gargamel, the new a Belgian Style sour ale that Allagash is releasing on Thursday morning.