Congratulations to chef Matt Ginn from Evo on becoming a Food Network Chopped Champion in the episode that aired last night.
Month: July 2018
Openings: Poke Pop, Crown Jewel, Dunstan Tap & Table
Three new restaurants have opened in the last few days:
- Poké Pop (facebook, instagram) opened in Longfellow Square at 658 Congress Street on Friday.
- Crown Jewel (website, facebook, instagram) opened on Saturday night in Diamond Cove. Here’s a look at the menu.
- Dunstan Tap & Table (website, facebook, instagram) opened last night in Scarborough. It is from the same folks who own Shay’s.
New Food Coma Episode
Food Coma TV has released the first of twenty 5-minute episodes they’ll be putting out this season. This is the first new content from Food Coma since they disbanded in 2012.
This Week’s Events: Chopped Party, Bastille Day, Flea Bites, Caaan You Dig It?
Tuesday – Evo is hosting a Chopped viewing party to cheer on their chef Matt Ginn as he competes in an episode of the Food Network TV show.
Wednesday – the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Thursday – The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beers from Rising Tide.
Friday – Cellardoor Winery is doing a wine tap takeover at Silly’s.
Saturday – there will be an non-dairy ‘ice cream’ tasting at Little Giant Market and a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, Petite Jacqueline is celebrating Bastille Day, Novare Res is holding Caaan You Dig It? putting the focus on 25 canned beers, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday – the July edition of Flea Bites is taking place, and the monthly Sunday wine seminar is being held at Bow Street Beverage.
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.
Reviews: Woodford F&B, Uncle Billy’s, Paciarino, Portland Pulp
The Bollard has reviewed Woodford F&B,
When it opened in early 2016, Woodford F&B breathed new life into the perpetually under-construction clusterfuck of an intersection known as Woodfords Corner. Locals took notice right away, filling the booths and barstools on most nights for classic, upscale American dishes and excellent cocktails. F&B started serving brunch soon after, and my family has been there at least a half dozen times since we moved into the nearby Oakdale neighborhood last year. I haven’t written about this brunch until now — not because I didn’t love it, but because I didn’t want to share. I now realize that was unfair to you, dear reader. I’ve been selfish. I feel terrible, believe me.
the Portland Phoenix had reviewed Uncle Billy’s,
Uncle Billy’s in its current form doesn’t come off as thrown together or temporary in any sense; it feels lived in and well-seasoned. Customer-drawn napkin art and BBQ-themed tchotchkes line the walls, with warmly saturated blue and ride lighting giving the space a roadhouse-esque ambiance recalling Twin Peaks in its most dreamlike moments. It doesn’t feel like you’re in Maine, and for a concept which aims to transport the diner to Memphis for just a short while, this is a success.
the Peter Peter Portland Eater had reviewed Paciarino, and
There are a number of Italian restaurants that have opened in Portland over the past few years and I like many of them. But Paciarino holds a special place in my heart and it’s most certainly because their pasta is on another level. They make it daily and it adds a component to their meals that differentiates them from many of the other Italian cuisine purveyors around here. Whatever you get, it’s guaranteed to be tasty, fresh, and filling.
the Press Herald had reviewed Portland Pulp.
As I watched a young suit-clad man depart delighted with his buffalo chicken wrap (a special on the menu at the time), I surveyed the premises, confused: Was I still in the same vegan-looking health food paradise? I was, and it was then that I realized that Portland Pulp is one of the few juice bars where buffalo chicken wraps and straight kale juice can be friends.
Edible Insect Dinner
The Press Herald reports Bao Bao is hosting an edible insects dinner on Monday prepared by chefs Zach Pratt and Keshia Thanephonesy, co-founders of Boba in Lewiston.
Monday’s menu will include Sum Tum, which is green papaya, carrots and long beans served with toasted crickets and chili vinaigrette; bacon-fried rice made with sweet corn, cured bacon, jasmine rice, scallion, and garlicky meal worm; and shumai (dumplings) of scallops and shoyu maguey worm.
Smokin’ Sausage Showdown
The Bollard has published the results from this year’s Smokin’ Sausage Showdown.
Welcome back, barbeque fans, to another Smokin’ Sausage Showdown, the annual backyard battle in which local butchers go butt to butt in the eternal quest for porky glory!
Vegan Ice Cream
Wednesday’s Press Herald reports on the growing number of local options for vegan ice cream.
“People went crazy for it,” said Kelley. “And those who had tried our ice cream that weekend ended up telling everyone they knew. Before we knew it, people were coming into the Market House looking for the vegan ice cream.”
Ashley said the demand was too big to ignore, causing Sticky Sweet to pivot from sticky rice to vegan ice cream (which Sticky Sweet calls a “frozen plant-based treat.”)
Crown Jewel Opening Soon
Crown Jewel (website, facebook, instagram) is set to open later this week, the specific date and time are still TBD.
The 35-seat restaurant is on Great Diamond Island. Owner Alex Wight was the organizer of the highly regarded Flanagans Table series that ran for several years in Buxton.
Crown Jewel will be open seasonally through Columbus Day. Rocky Hunter is the chef for the restaurant; Hunter was formerly a co-chef de cuisine at David’s Opus Ten. Here’s a look at the opening menu he’s put together for Crown Jewel:
Heritage Seaweed (