Barista Brittany Feltovic was victor at Thursday night’s latte art competition at Bard Coffee. 14 amateur and professional baristas participated in the event. This month’s competition was a benefit for Haitian relief efforts. A rematch is scheduled for next month on March 25th.
Red Tide & Bartender Bash Reports
Today’s Press Herald has a report about scientific research on predicting the severity of red tide in the Gulf of Maine this summer.
Sea-floor sampling for the seed-like cysts of Alexandrium fundyense, the organism that causes red tide, shows a 60 percent increase compared with the substantial bloom of 2005, researchers with the Gulf of Maine toxicity project reported Wednesday.
Thursday’s paper also has an article about next week’s Bartender’s Bash, a cocktail competition that’s part of Maine Restaurant Week.
The rules are simple. Each participating mixologist was given two instructions: Use Cold River Vodka and adhere to the theme of ”Celebrating the Spirit of Maine.” Beyond that, the bartenders’ imagination is the only limit.
Bar Review of Walter’s
Portland Bar Guide has published a review of Walter’s.
Our server was attentive, but hardly overbearing, and helped us narrow down the drink choices while we relaxed in our cushy chairs. The bar menu was satisfying and I was quite happy with my Walter’s experience. I’m sure you will be too.
Phoenix Review of Po'Boys & Pickles
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Po’Boys & Pickles.
…the new Po’ Boys & Pickles offers a formula for short-term buzz, and perhaps long-term loyalty: have a clear and distinctive vision and stick to it. In recent weeks, every time I mentioned Po’ Boys someone piped up to say they have been wanting to try that place. And everyone liked it once they got there. Po’ Boys gets the details of a New Orleans sandwich shop right, without an off-putting authenticity obsession.
Maple Syrup, Breakfast Challenge and Vegetarian MRW
Today’s Press Herald includes an article about this year’s maple syrup season,
Warmer-than-normal days and cold nights are combining to create ideal conditions to get maple syrup season off to one of its earliest starts ever, said Keith Harris of Harris Farm in Dayton.
a piece about next week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off,
The Porthole’s eggs Florentine, smothered in a smoky bacon cream sauce, will be the chefs’ entry into the Incredible Breakfast Cook-off March 5 at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in South Portland. Their version of the breakfast classic has “always been a hit” with customers, no matter where they worked, Cross said.
and a listing of all the vegetarian options to be found on the Maine Restaurant Week menus.
Donuts at The French Press Eatery
Edible Obsessions has published a review of the donuts at The French Press Eatery.
Words cannot describe how f’ing good these are. The base of the doughnuts are dense, without being heavy and the outsides are crunchy, yet not greasy. To say that these are the perfect doughnut would not be an exaggeration. Then add on the toppings and you are well into the realm of pure gluttony.
The Boston Globe on Scratch Baking Co.
The Boston Globe has published a profile of Scratch Baking Co.
So they turned Scratch into a village bakery with Cheers-like camaraderie. Johnson’s got everyone’s name and morning brews down pat. Baskets of daily breads beckon in the front window, alongside a small spread of “things that go with bread,’’ including Silver Moon Creamery cheeses from Westbrook, Maine, salumi, Johnson’s well-chosen wine collection, and really good butter.
Maple Syrup Season
Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun hus published reports on the early start to the maple syrup season,
“We’re usually getting started to get ready to go tapping this time of year, but normally the sap is not ready to run for another week or so,” said Lyle Merrifield, president of the Maine Maple Producers Association, whose family was out gathering sap Monday at Merrifield Farm. “It seems like the weather changed so quick on us that we’re tapping; things are ready to run right now.”
and on new taps that are gentler to the trees,
In a shift from the traditional spout size of 7/16-inch diameter, producers like Lyle Merrifield of Merrifield Farm in Gorham have advanced to a spout that fits a 5/16-inch hole. The reason is to extend the life of trees.
This year’s Maine Maple Sunday is scheduled to take place March 28.
Another Nosh Review
Dine In Portland has published a review of Nosh Kitchen Bar.
In sum, the food is fantastic, atmosphere loud, and we’ve seen many people walk in and right out. If you are one of those individuals, turn around and wait for a table – you will not regret it.
Under Construction: Local Sprouts Cafe
The Local Sprouts Cafe is under construction at 645 Congress. The Community Supported Cafe is getting help from its membership for a variety of light construction projects now until the targeted opening date in April. As you can see from the photo (above) taken by Michael Barriault of PortlandTown there’s still a lot that needs to be done to realize the vision mapped out in the blueprints (below).
The left hand side of the blueprint is the front side of the building that faces Congress Street.