2010 Best of Portland Readership Poll

| Posted in General News

The Portland Phoenix has kicked-off their 2010 Best of Portland readership poll. As in past years its a 2 step process:

  • Step 1, nominate candidates you think are an especially good fit in any or all of the dozens of categories
  • Step 2, based on the nominations, the Phoenix will publish a ballot next month summarizing the top nominees from each category for you to vote on.

There are a plethora of food and drink categories (Bagels, Bars, Barbecue, Beer Selection, Brewpubs, Brunch, etc) there’s even one for food blogs. A list of the 2009 winners is available online as a reference.

Help for Haiti

| Posted in Events

Several Portland restaurants are raising money for the relief efforts in Haiti.

Review of Ribollita

| Posted in Reviews

The Blueberry Files has published a review of Ribollita.

So yeah, I liked Ribollita! I didn’t loooooove Ribollita, but that certianly wasn’t due to any failings on their part. I am glad to know where I can go to get solid and relatively inexpensive Italian food in town. But it doesn’t make my ‘hurry back to’ list (man, I sound hard to please!).

Indoor Winter Farmers’ Market Coming to Portland

| Posted in Events

Today’s Press Herald reports on a new indoor Winter Farmers’ Market for Portland. According to the article, it’s scheduled to open on February 13 it will be located at 85 Free Street and will take place on Saturdays 10 am to 1 pm.

…it won’t be bound by city restrictions that prevent vendors such as bread bakers and fishermen from selling at the summer markets in Monument Square and Deering Oaks, said Larry Bruns, who coordinates the Portland Farmers Market.

“It’s going to be a very different market from what Portland’s used to,” said Dean Zoulamis, who runs the Mother Oven Bakery in Bowdoinham and is part of the group that’s organizing the Free Street market. “This will be a much more diverse market.”

Interview with Steve DiMillo

| Posted in People

Today’s Press Herald includes a ShopTalk interview with Steve Dimillo, manager of DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant.

Q: How many in the family are in the business?

A: My mother, Arlene, two aunts, Jeanette and Jay, two brothers Dan and Johnny, my twin sister Stephanie, me, my two kids, my brother-in-law Tony Quatrucci, who runs the kitchen. That would be 10. The most recent family member to join is Steve Junior; he’s the banquet manager. Stephanie does the bookkeeping. The primary management team is my brothers and I, and my mom works with the three of us. Another brother, Chris, doesn’t work in the restaurant, but he runs the marina. I’m one of nine kids, I think I mentioned. Gene now has his own place, G & R DiMillo’s, and my sister Vicki has hers, Bruno’s.

Review of The Picnic Basket

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of The Picnic Basket.

So I was glad to try the Picnic Basket in the dead of winter, when there is no reason not to settle in at one of the eclectic set of tables in the cozy second room. The room has a wall of wine and lots of artisanal jars of this or that jam or mustard. It has a very Stonewall-Kitcheny look. There are twigs clinging to the track lighting.