The Portland Hunt & Alpine Club has found two reasons to celebrate on Thursday, the launch of New England Distilling’s Gunpowder Rye and the 80th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. NED’s master distiller will be on-hand and the bar will be serving a special menu of Gunpwder Rye and champagne cocktails.
Maine Shrimp Season Cancelled (Updated)
The Bangor Daily News is reporting that regulators have cancelled the 2013-2014 Maine shrimp season.
Northeastern regulators shut down the Gulf of Maine shrimp fishery for the first time in 35 years Tuesday afternoon, worried by reports of what researchers called a fully “collapsed” stock that could be driven to near extinction with any 2014 catch.
Update: You’ll also want to read the article in Wednesday’s Press Herald.
Karen Kay Geary, 68 (Updated)
The Beer Babe has posted an article about the passing of Karen Kay Geary, co-founder of D.L. Geary Brewing.
Notably, Karen was the first female brewery owner in Maine, and among the first in New England and the U.S., after prohibition. Author and beer historian Tom Acitelli commented that, “To be a woman involved in craft beer in the early/mid-1980s was to be in rare company; it was, like the larger brewing industry, very much a man’s world on both the consumer and business sides.” I, for one, would like to thank her for being a pioneer in the early days and paving the way for those that came after her in craft beer. I hope you will join me in raising a toast in Karen’s honor.
Update: For more information see the article in Wednesday’s Press Herald.
555’s New Private Dining Room
Five Fifty-Five created a beautiful new private dining room on the 3rd floor of their building. The room can be set up in a number of different configurations and seats a maximum of 30-35. A projection screen is available for business presentations.
There are only a handful of private dining rooms in Portland and so this space begins to address that need. Hopefully some of the other restaurants in town also follow Five Fifty-Five’s lead.
For more information on the room contact Sarah Allenby, Five Fifty-Five’s manager of marketing and events at sarah@fivefifty-five.com.
Photo credit: Jeff Roberts Imaging
Scallop Season
The Press Herald has a report on the strong start to the 2013-2014 scallop season. Prices were $12-13 per pound on Monday.
Maine scallop fishermen kicked off their season Monday with some of the highest per-pound prices ever seen, helping to offset harvesting restrictions put in place to better manage the fishery, a state official said.
Under Construction: Chez Nous, Liquid M2, Thai 9
Three new food businesses are under construction in Portland:
- Chez Nous is under development at 52 Washington Ave, the current home of Chiang Mai site. Owner Colombe Kahindo is launching an African restaurant, and a draft menu is available on page 22 of the City Council materials for tonight’s meeting.
- Liquid M2 (facebook) is under construction at 465 Fore Street in Two Portland Square. Owner Jacqueline McClure plans to serve “smoothies, cold pressed juices and a healthy food menu…bottled beer, wine and cocktails” with a vegetarian/vegan focus. A draft menu is available on pages 39-43 of the City Council materials.
- Owner Khone Sansay plans to open Thai 9 (website, facebook) at 90 Exchange, the current home of Little Seoul. Sansay currently runs a restaurant with the same name near Cabela’s in Scarborough. A draft menu is available on pages 56-57.
For more info on all the Portland businesses under development see the PFM Under Construction List.
Conley and Mitchell at The Palace
Chad Conley, head chef at Gather, and business partner Greg Mitchell have leased the Palace Diner (website, facebook, twitter) on Franklin Street in Biddeford with plans to relaunch the business this Spring. The pair plan to maintain a traditional diner menu for breakfast and lunch. In the evening they’ll be launching a dinner service with more creative fare, and have submitted an application for liquor license. During warmer weather they’ll have outdoor seating.
Conley is a Portland native who in addition to Gather has cooked at Hugo’s and Jean-Georges in NYC. He worked for Eliot Coleman at Four Season Farm in Harborside and helped launch Miyake Farms in Freeport. He and Mitchell met when they were both working Four Season Farm.
The Palace Diner was founded by Louis LaChance in 1927 and is being leased to Conley and Mitchell by the current owner, David Capotosto. It was built by the Pollard Company in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The new Palace Diner joins a growing community of food businesses in Biddeford. the former mill town is home to Rabelais which moved their in 2011, Elements coffee shop/bookstore, Royal Rose cocktail syrup (a Brooklyn transplant), Cobblestones (formerly located on Monument Square), newly launched Banded Horn Brewing and the production facilities for Vervacious. The low rent and steadily growing downtown community are making it an appealing place to launch a business. A number of other Portland chefs have recently considered opening in Biddeford. Conley and Mitchell’s may become an example for other chefs looking to launch their own restaurant.
These photos are from a friends and family breakfast Conly and Mitchell held yesterday to celebrate their new business.
Gather is now in the process of recruiting a new head chef.
This Week’s Events: Winter Farmers Market, In’finiti Dinner, American Sommelier, 12 Beers of Xmas
Thursday — the annual Twelve Beers of Christmas is taking place at the Great Lost Bear, and there will be a wine tasting at the Public Market House.
Friday — there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli. It’s First Friday Art Walk, restaurants will be extra busy so make reservations in advance.
Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is starting up. This year it’s taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.
Sunday — In’finiti is holding cocktail and beer dinner, the American Sommelier foundation series will be featuring wines from the United States
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.
November 2013 PFM Top 10
The 10 eateries looked up most often on Portland Food Map in November were:
- Piccolo (1)
- Oscar’s New American (3)
- Hunt & Alpine (>50)
- Empire Chinese Kitchen (2)
- Salvage BBQ (5)
- Little Bigs (>50)
- Petite Jacqueline (28)
- Elsmere BBQ (7)
- Portland & Rochester (13)
- Grace (36)
The numbers in parentheses indicates their rank last month.
Reviews: Nosh & Katahdin
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Nosh.
Our meal was delicious. I was certain I was going to have a heart attack on the way out, but I knew it was going to be the happiest heart attack ever. Myocardial infarction aside, Nosh really knows their burgers and fries…
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Katahdin.
This is Portland’s premier pre-theater restaurant, where wood-oven-grilled and roasted fare is featured. Standout preparations include house-baked focaccia, butternut squash tart, steak frites, salmon, pork tenderloin and pasta. Desserts change but include wonderful home-made ice cream and a rich bread pudding. It’s also a popular destination for post-theater cocktails, supper and dessert.