Today’s installment of The Golden Dish pays a visit to Urban Sugar Mobile Cafe and B.Good.
I tried the Southern Sugar. Here the donuts are covered in a maple-bourbon drizzle, filled with a maple pastry cream and topped with candied pecans. I had a double box, which I brought to a dinner party I was attending afterwards. As soon as I arrived everyone saw what I had in my hands and made a mad dash for these fabulous looking pastries. They were gone in a flash before we even had dinner.
BBC New has posted an article about Maine Mead Works.
Long relegated to the dusty corners of history, mead – the drink of kings and Vikings – is making a comeback in the US.
But what’s brewing in this new crop of commercial meaderies – as they are known – is lot more refined from the drink that once decorated tables across medieval Europe.
Monday — Rob Evans is the featured chef for a farm dinner at Flanagan’s Table in Buxton.
Tuesday — GMRI is hosting a lecture on commercial trawl fishing.
Wednesday — Freeport Coffee Roasting and the Bier Cellar are collaborating on a coffee and beer tasting, Black Tie is catering a farm dinner in New Gloucester, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place in the morning.
Thursday — there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont on Brighton.
Friday — apple expert John Bunker will be at Rosemont Produce for a book signing and apple tasting.
Saturday — The Honey Exchange is hosting a mead making workshop, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.
Sunday — it’s the Maine state Open Creamery Day, and the Holy Donut episode of Donut Showdown will be airing on the Cooking Chanel.
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.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Salvage BBQ.
Salvage BBQ is an overall good experience. What Salvage BBQ gets right, is quite good, especially the atmosphere, the drinks, and most importantly – the meat. Stick with the basics, and enjoy!
Eat Maine has published a review of The North Point, and
As Noah Talmatch points out, there are a lot of fantastic places to eat in Portland, but those aren’t necessarily the spots you go to kick back and socialize. And while we have some great neighborhood bars, even the best pub grub can feel heavy after a few too many UFOs (unidentified fried objects). It was with this observation that The North Point, a casual yet decidedly Parisian flavored restaurant, was born.
Maine a la Carte blogger Meredith Goad has written about the cheese selection at Piccolo.
They’ve only been open about three weeks or so, and this was my first visit. I decided to indulge in the cheeseboard, and these cheeses, imported from Abruzzi by Bob Marcelli of Marcelli Fromaggio, were so outstanding I thought I would share them with the other cheese lovers out there so you can go try them if you want.
Chef/owner David Levi has submitted his liquor license application for his restaurant Vinland (website, facebook, twitter) to the Portland City Council. A sample menu includes some interesting choices like the “potato risotto with daylily pollen and black trumpet mushrooms” and “grilled aged beef with roasted marrow, seared cauliflower, currant and yarrow” entrees.
According to the cover letter (page 221) Levi plans to open sometime in November. The restaurant is currently under construction at 593 Congress Street immediately adjacent to Congress Square Park.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Phoever Maine.
None of which would matter if the food were not good, but it is. The pho #4, for example, was a good one. The broth had an almost floral fragrance, and was rich but not too heavy, with an oniony sharpness. Big slices of thin brisket had a great char flavor, while slices of rarer beef were more tender and sweet. With a squeeze of citrus, another of sriracha, and a dash of crunch sprouts and basil, it was a great bowl.
The Bangor Daily News spoke to Wannawaf owner Anya Arsenault about the planned closure of her Portland location and thoughts what she might do next with the space.
But don’t count her out just yet.
Later this fall she may reinvent herself as a lunch caterer.
“I’m thinking of scrapping the waffle sign off the window and doing boxed lunches,” said Arsenault, who is looking for business partners. “I’m an entrepreneur. I still have to pay the rent.”
The Golden Dish has published a review of The Front Room.
A continuing qualm that I have with Portland’s dining scene is that there aren’t enough casual restaurants serving moderately priced fare that’s well made and presented in an attractive setting. But that’s just what the Front Room is all about—a neighborhood haunt (even if you’re from away) where a good time and good food are generally assured.
The 207 Foodie has posted a piece that compares the pulled pork sandwiches at Hot Suppa, The Thirsty Pig and Blue Rooster.