Month: November 2011

Review of Grace

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has published a review of Grace.

The menu is intriguing American bistro fare. The concept is hardly ground-breaking but a newly inspired kitchen staff is striking the right culinary chord. Take, for example, a warm escarole salad with crispy sweet breads or local apples with smoked ricotta among some of the starter options. As for main courses, they’re equally compelling, from hanger steak in a mustard beer sauce to seared cod coddled by a watercress emulsion to comfort fare like a loin pork chop with grits and redeye gravy.

This Week’s Events: Maine Beer Week, Sea State, Vegan Cooking Class, Oolong Tea Workshop

| Posted in Events

Wednesday — both RSVP and the Old Port Wine Merchants are holding wine tastings, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Maine Beer Week kicks off with Oxbow showcase at Novare Res and beer dinners at David’s and the Inn by the Sea. There will be a wine and cheese tasting at the Public Market House, a wine tasting at Browne Trading, a vegan/macrobiotic cooking class, and a screening of the movie The Fish Belong to the People at GMRI.

Friday — there will be a beer dinner at The Farmer’s Table and Novare Res is showcasing Maine Beer Co. Rosemont on Brighton will hold a German wine tasting with the historic Valckenberg wine company, and the Cockeyed Gull on Peaks is hosting a wine dinner.

Saturday — Novare Res is showcasing Bull Jagger, Wine Wise and the Chadwick Inn are teaming up on a Thanksgiving cooking class, LeRoux is holding a set of Thanksgiving tastings and demos in the afternoon, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — Dobra Tea is holding an Oolong Tea Workshop and Novare Res is showcasing Rising Tide Brewing.

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.

Lobster Smackdown

| Posted in Events


Chefs from the East Ender, Hugo’s, Nosh, The Cheese Iron, The Great Lost Bear and Verbena assembled this afternoon for the latest in the Smackdown series of competitions among area restaurants.

Hugo’s took home the trophy for their entry of lobster consomme, lobster hotdog in a brioche bun and lobster chips. Verbena came in second and The Great Bear (shown above) came in third with a savory lobster phyllo cannoli.

Review of Bintliff’s

| Posted in Reviews

Bintliff’s received 4 stars from the review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.

Bintliff’s American Cafe has been serving brunch to Portland for 18 years, and the skill shows. They know what works, and they balance familiar standards with enough creativity to keep the energy fresh. Like your well-worn jeans accented with a brand-new scarf, the Bintliff’s experience makes you feel simultaneously comfortable, modern and satisfied.

More Praise for Schulte & Herr

| Posted in Reviews

Vin et Grub has published a review of Schulte & Herr.

The waffle, supposedly my area of expertise, annihilated Bintliff’s Belgian waffle that I ordered the day before.  The batter crisped up perfectly, and was not too sweet.  Upon first bite you realize that this waffle, unlike the majority served out there, is miraculously airy, crunchy, and borderline elysian.  Topped with spiced plums, there wasn’t even an ounce of me that wanted a side of maple syrup (which is something that I always douse my waffles in).  I am being one hundred percent honest when I say that this waffle is possibly the greatest waffle you can find on the East Coast.

Maine Shrimp Season Limits

| Posted in Fisheries

Working Waterfront reports that the 2011-2012 Maine Shrimp season is being curtailed.

On October 28, regulators with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission imposed new restrictions for the upcoming shrimping season, including halving the season’s total allowable catch to 2,000 metric tons. Also, the start of the northern shrimp-fishing season was pushed back into early 2012.

Review of Schulte & Herr

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Schulte & Herr.

S&H gets this balance just right with dish after dish. For example, not only are the potato pancakes made from a pillowy whip, and seared crispy without too much crunch or grease. They are also served with a house-cured salmon that keeps things bright by enhancing the flesh’s natural sweetness with subtle notes of orangey citrus. It is all served with a thin, light sour cream and horseradish sauce, which along with some capers, radish, and cornichon, enhance both fish and potato, and overwhelm neither.