Month: March 2011

WSET Wine Course

| Posted in Events

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, will be offering their Intermediate Level 2 certificate class in Portland March 26-27. The class is being taught by Adam Chase from Grape Experience. The program is aimed at anyone “who works in wine, wants a career in the wine industry or has a serious interest in the subject”. See the WSET website for a more detailed explanation of what the course covers.

For more information contact Adam Chase at adam@grapeexperience.com or Marc Doiron the bar manager at Street & Co.

Review of Boda

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has published a review of Boda.

What Boda offers—beautifully—is very authentic street-vendor food, satays being one of their specialties, and typical dishes of home-style cooking. If this is considered their everyday fare, then take me to the haute cuisine table too!

Review of Colucci’s

| Posted in Reviews

From Away has published a review of the Ham Italian at Colucci’s.

Colucci’s layers on slightly more ham than some other places, but it doesn’t overpower the long slices of pickle, onion, and green pepper, who all do their part to lend crunch and freshness to the sandwich, with the olives kicking in a slight bitterness, right when you need them. The tomatoes could have been better, but that may just be the time of year. Best of all, Colucci’s isn’t shy with the salt and pepper shaker, which goes even further to amp up the habit-forming qualities of this sandwich.

MRW Breakfast Competition

| Posted in Events

The Food & Wine section in today’s Press Herald features an article about Maine Restaurant Week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off. The event is taking place Friday morning in South Portland. Tickets are available online.

Last year’s cook-off sold out, and some folks drove from a couple of hours away just to sample dishes such as the Creme Brulee French Toast from The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth. The “bring you to your knees delicious” French toast, smothered in fruit, took top honors and will be back this year to defend its title.

Restaurant Health Inspections

| Posted in General News

The Forecaster has published a report on the current state of restaurant health inspections in Portland and across Maine.

In Portland, where the city is delegated inspection authority by the state, some restaurants haven’t been inspected since 2007. And there is scant evidence the city has conducted required follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with food codes by restaurants that have been cited for violations.

$1M Allagash Expansion Plans

| Posted in Beer

Mainebiz reports that Allagash Brewing is “investing about $1 million to expand its production facility by 50% and is planning to hire two or three new beer makers by the end of the year.”

“We’re growing significantly. We’re planning to be up 40% this over last year,” Dee Dee Germain, the company’s spokeswoman, says. “The new facility should get us a couple more years at 40% growth.”

Review of Sonny’s

| Posted in Reviews

The Blueberry Files has published a review of Sonny’s.

I love Sonny’s interior- the redesign really shows off the spectacular building with remaining elements of an old bank- and their cocktail list. And I struggle to put my finger on what is missing from their culinary offerings. But after this meal, there was nothing that stuck in my head. No, ‘how do they do that,’ no ‘I can’t stop thinking about…’ So while Sonny’s offers a great libations and is a fancy hang-out spot, I will be saving my appetite for Local 188.