This week’s Portland Phoenix features the newspaper’s list of Portland’s most influential people. There’s an entire section devoted to Food and Drink, with a profile of Jay Villani from Local 188/Sonny’s. Members of the Portland food community are also scattered throughout the remainder of the article in the sections for Activism, Business, Letters and Up-and-Comers.
Wayside Moving On
Wednesday’s Portland Daily Sun reports on the Wayside Soup Kitchen’s plans to “transition away from the traditional soup kitchen model and into a neighborhood-based meals programming“.
IIK: Vietnamese Papaya Salad
Lindsay Sterling has published another installment in her collaborative ethnic cooking project Inside Immigrant Kitchens. This time she learns from Hop Nguyen of Yarmouth how to make “green papaya salad from Bac Ninh province in northern Vietnam”.
But what’s really amazing is the story how she ended up here. Thirteen years ago in January in Vietnam, she was riding her bike home from English class in a short-sleeve shirt and jeans. The air was smoky, the gutters next to the road filled with trash. All the motorbikes honking their horns looked like a stream of fish rushing to spawning ground. As she came up to the archway at the Temple of Literature she saw a letter that someone had dropped on the sidewalk…
Vegan Chocolates & Worker Pay
Today’s Press Herald promotes the positive health benefits of vegan chocolates. The article includes a list of local establishments where you can find dairy-free food of the gods.
Researchers say chocolate gives us a heart-healthy antioxidant boost, but only if we enjoy it without a side order of dairy. With Valentine’s Day on Sunday, the heart-shaped boxes will be flying off the shelves, but for those of us who want to cater to our loved ones’ tickers (and not just their sweet tooth), we’ll be seeking out chocolates made without milk.
Today’s paper also reports on the results of a study on worker pay in Maine’s restaurant industry.
Using a sampling base of 525 surveyed workers – 1.1 percent of the Maine restaurant work force – the study found that in 2008, 16.3 percent earned a living wage, defined as $17 or more an hour. The largest group – 59.7 percent – fell into the “low wages” category, defined as $8.46 to $16.99 an hour.
The study found that 20.9 percent of restaurant workers earned between $7.25 and $8.45 an hour – a rate that puts them below the poverty line – and 3 percent made less than the then-minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
Vegan Chocolates & Worker Pay
Today’s Press Herald promotes the positive health benefits of vegan chocolates. The article includes a list of local establishments where you can find dairy-free food of the gods.
Researchers say chocolate gives us a heart-healthy antioxidant boost, but only if we enjoy it without a side order of dairy. With Valentine’s Day on Sunday, the heart-shaped boxes will be flying off the shelves, but for those of us who want to cater to our loved ones’ tickers (and not just their sweet tooth), we’ll be seeking out chocolates made without milk.
Today’s paper also reports on the results of a study on worker pay in Maine’s restaurant industry.
Using a sampling base of 525 surveyed workers – 1.1 percent of the Maine restaurant work force – the study found that in 2008, 16.3 percent earned a living wage, defined as $17 or more an hour. The largest group – 59.7 percent – fell into the “low wages” category, defined as $8.46 to $16.99 an hour.
The study found that 20.9 percent of restaurant workers earned between $7.25 and $8.45 an hour – a rate that puts them below the poverty line – and 3 percent made less than the then-minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
Review of Vignola
Appetite Portland has published a review of the prix fixe menu now offered on Sundays at Vignola.
For entrees, Adam picked the roasted lamb leg and I chose the pork saltimbocca. An artistic fan of balsalmic reduction and basil oil provided a dense and herby slathering sauce for Adam’s slightly gamey lamb. He pronounced the meat tasty if slightly overcooked. Paired with root veggies and mashed potatoes, it was a satisfying, if uninspired, meal.
Opinionated About Dining 2010 Top Restaurant List
Hugo’s came it at #25 on the 2010 Opinionated About Dining list of the 30 Most Important Restaurants in the United States.
Maine claimed 6 of the 15 slots on OAD’s list of the top restaurants in New England, and of those 5 are in Portland: Hugo’s (#1), Fore Street (#5), Miyake (#6), Bresca (#9) and Evangeline (#14).
Katahdin Opening Tonight
Katahdin is slated to reopen tonight at their new space on Forest Ave near Portland Stage. Katahdin closed down their longtime restaurant on the corner of High and Spring late last year. They’re now in the location formerly occupied by Geo’s.
Portland Magazine, The Foodie Issue
The new issue of Portland Magazine includes a review of Sonny’s,
Think of Sonny’s as an F. Parker Reidy’s for the 21st century: seafood-aware (you should see the lobster mariscada there, though the Cuban steaks are great, too); bar on the square (corner of Exchange and Middle Streets, with views of Tommy’s Park); and divertido, with a Caribbean/South American twist.
There’s also an in-depth guide to food events statewide in 2010, and an article about Maine chef’s use of edible flowers in their dishes. The food event guide and edible flower article are only available in the print version of the magazine which is on newsstands now.
Valentine's Day Dinners and Other Events This Week
There’s a lot going on this week:
Monday — Stephen Lanzalotta is teaching a Piatto per Tutti cooking class.
Tuesday — WMPG is holding their 15th Annual Fat Tuesday Celebration and Cajun Cookin’ Challenge, newcomer Po’Boys & Pickles is slated to participate. Katahdin is scheduled to reopen at their new location at 27 Forest Ave.
Wednesday — there will be a wine tasting at RSVP in the afternoon and in the evening Sapporo is hosting an educational program and dinner featuring the sake of Ichishima Shuzo.
Thursday — David Kleban from Maine Beer Company will be at the Great Lost Bear pouring a special high hop version of Spring Peeper Ale, there’s a wine tasting at Browne Trading, The Cheese Iron is teaching a class on artisanal Spanish cheeses, chefs Kaldrovich and Larry Matthews are collaborating on a benefit dinner for Haiti relief and the 5th Annual Dine Around the World is taking place at the Holiday Inn.
Sunday —Portland area restaurants will be competing in the 16th Annual Great Chili and Chowder Challenge.
And there are incredible number of Valentine themed events:
Skip Dinner — and go straight to dessert. Bresca is offering a 3-course all dessert option on Sunday for $16 per person.
Chocolate & Beer — Novare Res is offering a set of 8 chocolate and beer pairings featuring chocolates from Sweet Marguerites.
Chocolat — the Food Film Series which will be featuring food from Aurora Provisions and a showing of the movie Chocolat staring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
Dinners — if a special Valentine’s Day dinner is what your after then there are plenty to choose from: 157 Cafe at the Eastland, Bar Lola, Bibo’s Madd Apple Cafe, Cinque Terre, Emilitsa, Frog and Turtle, Evangeline, Five Fifty-Five, Grace, Hugo’s, Inn on Peaks Island, Miyake, Sea Glass Restaurant at the Inn by the Sea, The Salt Exchange, Vignola.
Other Restaurants — if you don’t see your favorite restaurant listed then give them a call. Some restaurants that aren’t usually open on Sunday night will be on Valentine’s Day with their regular menu.
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.