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.

Down East Interview with Evans

Down East has published an interview with a euphoric Rob Evans.

This was our third time. We knew the set up, and I prepared myself for the let down. I just said, ‘Let’s ride it out, and have a good time. We get to see friends and go out to eat and expect that it might not happen.’ We were ready for that this year. When you hear your name, you’re still not ready for that. It’s just, wow!…These things don’t happen a lot in life, so we really tried to slow down and take it in for the moment. It was great.

Congratulations for Evans have rolled in all day on the web: Rabelais, Travels with Hilary, Accidental Vegetables, Plating Up, Type A Diversions.

More on Evans James Beard Award

Here’s a report from the Press Herald on Rob Evans win in the Best Chef Northeast category at last night’s James Beard Awards.

“I think we’ve got a good scene happening in Portland,” Evans said, minutes after receiving the award – one of the most coveted in the food service industry. “It’s not only good for me, but it’s good for Portland. It solidifies Portland’s standing as a strong food town.”

Where to Eat on Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and a number of Portland venues are offering special menus for what is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants. Here are the ones I’ve heard about so far:

and there’s always the regular Sunday Brunch List to choose from as well.