Big Fin Poké (website, facebook, twitter, instagram) has signed a lease for 2700 sq ft of space at 29 Western Ave in South Portland where they’ll be opening a second location.
Author: PFM
Dramatic Growth in Number of Juice Bars
The Press Herald’s Avery Yale Kamila has taken a look at the significant uptick in the number of juice/smoothie bars in Portland.
If the two juice bars now under construction in Portland open as planned, the city will have at least eight independently owned smoothie shops by the end of this year. Up from a single one a decade ago.
Wiley and Taylor
Take has published an article about Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, co-chefs for Hugo’s/Eventide/The Honey Paw.
Wiley says he and Taylor focus on using the best ingredients possible while presenting them in a thoughtful way throughout all three of their restaurants. “No matter what type of food, the local ingredients are what shine through,” he says.
McFadden Dinner at Palace
Joshua McFadden, chef of Ava Gene’s and Tusk in Portland Oregon, will be serving a multi-course dinner at Palace Diner in Biddeford next week. The dinner will feature dishes from McFadden’s new book Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables. The dinner will feature dishes highlighted in the book.
Earlier this year, Food & Wine named Tusk one of the 10 best new restaurants of the past year.
Palace’s co-owners Greg Mitchell and Chad Conley and McFadden met while they were all working on Eliot Coleman’s Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine.
Don Lindgren from Rabelais Books will be at the dinner selling copies of McFadden’s book.
New Technology Use in Restaurants
The Press Herald has taken a look at the digital technologies being used in Portland restaurants.
New technology, from simple apps that speed up the ordering process to robots that help busy bartenders make Jell-O shots, is making inroads into the restaurant business. But with concerns over the cost and the impact on customers’ dining experience, embracing some of these changes may take time – especially in smaller, independently owned restaurants like most of those in Portland.
Bon Appétit Best 50: The Purple House & Nina June
Congratulations to chef/owners Krista Kern Desjarlais and Sara Jenkins for their two Maine restaurants, The Purple House and Nina June, being included in the Bon Appétit 2017 list of the 50 Best New Restaurants in America.
Bon Appétit will name their choice for top 10 (aka the Hot 10) on August 15th. Check back then to see if either of our home state favorites is selected.
Food Stories Interview with Lazzari
For the latest episode, Food Stories host Stephen Joffe has interviewed co-owner Meg Stanley and chef Rich Maggi from Lazzari. You can learn about the meaning of the word Lazzari, the inspiration for the restaurant, the history of the building, hear about the menu, learn the secret to their pizza dough and the process of developing the restaurant.
You can listen to the full interview on the WMPG website.
Nitro Cold Brew Grows in Popularity
The Press Herald has published an article on the growing popularity of nitro cold brew coffee.
It wasn’t that long ago that cold brew coffee became the new, hip drink in coffee bars all around the country. Now that cold brew is mainstream (you can get it at Dunkin’ Donuts) a subset of that category, nitro coffee, is fast becoming the new favorite among coffee drinkers who like specialty brews and trying something new – and who don’t mind paying $4 or more per 16-ounce cup.
The Righteous Russet
Munjoy hill resident, Sean Ryan Turley, will be writing a weekly apple column this fall for the Press Herald. Turley is an ardent heritage apple enthusiast. Along with his wife Cecilia Ziko, Turley has organized an annual rare apple tasting for the past three years (2015, 2016) that’s assembled upwards of 80 apple varieties for attendees to try.
You can follow Turley on instagram where he publishes under the monicker The Righteous Russet.
Near Mid East
Portland Magazine has published a survey of Portland restaurants serving food from the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.