Year: 2009

Meal Deals

| Posted in Events

A number of Portland restaurants are now offering specials, giving diners stressed by the bad economy another reason to keep eating out. Here’s a list of the ones I’ve heard about so far:

  • Bar Lola – 5-course prix-fixe menu, Wednesday-Saturday, $36.
  • Blue Spoon – 3-course prix fixe menu, Monday-Saturday, $25.
  • Cinque Terre – “A select chef’s tasting menu”, Wedneday-Saturday, $27.50.
  • Emilitsa – “an endless series of metzethes small plates, chef’s choice, served family style.” Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5-7 pm, $20.
  • Evangeline – 3-course prix fixe menu on Monday nights, $25-30.
  • Hugo’s – 3-course “includes a choice of first course, main course and dessert”, Tuesday-Thursday, $25.
  • Vignola – 4-course prix fixe, Sunday evenings, $25.

And in early March 20+ Portland restaurants are participating in RestaurantWeekME. March 1-10 they’ll all be offering prix fixe menus for $20.09, $30.09 or $40.09.

Brief Reviews

| Posted in Reviews

Type A Diversions has published a brief review of the eats at Brian Boru. Her conclusion?

Go for the Guinness. Skip the food.

Accidental Vegetables has weighed in with a brief review of Loco Pollo.

Otis and I finally made it over to Loco Pollo on Washington Ave yesterday, and we were really glad we did. For $14 we got a filling, flavorful meal for both of us– in a friendly and colorful atmosphere.

Chickens, Pearls, etc

| Posted in Under Construction, General News

The Portland City Council is scheduled to meet Wendnesday night. Urban chickens are on the agenda (link is to a large PDF) as is a liquor license for Pearl, a bar that’s proposed for the former location of Onyx, revisiting the vote on the Cactus Club, as well as liquor licenses for The Farmer’s Table and Typerwriter Tavern. Paperwork submitted to the city confirms that Jeff Landry is behind The Farmer’s Table and includes a draft menu (see page 120 of the agenda).

Chickens and Waterfront Zoning

| Posted in General News

This week’s issue of The Forecaster has a couple food-related articles. There’s a report on the proposal before the City Council to allow raising domesticated chickens in the city,

Residents like Elaine McGillicuddy are excited about the prospect. McGillicuddy said she heard about the proposal and immediately began educating herself about chickens and sending e-mails to friends encouraging them to support the urban chicken movement.

and news on the struggle over the appropriate use of waterfront property along Commercial Street,

The owner of the Comedy Connection and Porthole restaurant wants to reopen the former Boone’s Restaurant space on Custom House Wharf, but is meeting resistance from the city in a new challenge to waterfront zoning rules.

Turf’s Sports Bar Review

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Bar Guide formerly known as 1:00 a.m. Curfew and before that know as John Everett’s Bar Guide has reviewed Turf’s Sports Bar. The reviews conclusion was that Turf’s is “Nothing special. Just the average, bland, Warren Avenue sports bar.”

What is good about the place? It’s huge. If you have a very large party and looking to get everyone seated for food and drinks, Turf’s can accommodate you. If you’re stuck with a kid and want to have a few drinks, you can ditch the baby at Joker’s and kick back with a tall one on the other side of the building.

They must be doing something right because they’re still in business while many others are folding.

A Call to Raise

| Posted in General News

Tracy Allen from the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Maine has called for raising the minimum wage for tipped workers in a guest editorial that appeared in today’s Press Herald.

Despite the fact that they make up such a huge portion of the workforce, many restaurant workers are paid the tipped minimum wage, which is less than the overall minimum wage.

Federally, that means tipped workers are paid just $2.13 per hour plus tips.

The tipped minimum wage has been frozen at just $2.13 per hour since 1991 — that’s 18 years! With the passing of each year, tipped workers effectively earn less and less, and many struggle to make ends meet.

La Bodega Latina

| Posted in Cooking

The Portland Phoenix tries to decode culinary secret behind the bollos de yuca from La Bodega Latina.

Now that I know this thing is basically a meat-filled doughnut, I get why that Saturday my five-year-old daughter gobbled up nearly the whole thing before I intercepted the last bite. The crispy, golden outside gives way to a soft, steamy layer of deliciousness (a little bit more chewy than fried potato) and inside, magically seasoned ground beef.

The article’s author, Lindsay Sterling, has launched her own blog, Inside Immigrant Kitchens, where you can find some additional photos and a recipe for bollos de yuca.

Alcohol Sting Operation

| Posted in General News

According to a report in today’s Portland Daily Sun, several local business were caught up in a sting operation for selling alcohol to underage customers.

Lt. Michael Sauschuck said three summons were issued Jan. 23 and six more were issued on Jan. 24 during a compliance check that used a civilian decoy “between the ages of 18 and 20” who attempted to purchase alcohol without identification. Sauschuck said the 31 locations chosen for the sting were randomly-generated and part of an “ongoing operation” by the department to curb sales to minors.

Colucci’s, Vespucci’s and La Bodega Latina were among those “cited by Portland Police for underage alcohol sales”.