Author: PFM

Profile of Blue Mango

| Posted in Profiles

The Portland Phoenix has published a profile of Blue Mango makers of the near ubiquitous veggie burger.

Lallo didn’t set out to make veggie burgers; he isn’t even a vegetarian, but his eclectic clientele and lack of purchasable options forced his hand. “There wasn’t a veggie burger on the market that I liked — most of them were heinous — so I started throwing together my own recipe,” he says. The burger is made with seven ingredients: onions, black beans, bread crumbs, spinach, rice, and spices. Before he knew it, people were coming in asking for the veggie burger.

Zapoteca Opening Today

| Posted in Openings

Zapoteca is set to open today at 4:30. They aim to be Portland’s answer for the intersection of Mexican food and fine dining. At last count they were planning on offering 80 tequilas at the bar.

I’m especially looking forward to trying the Ceviche Veracruzano which the menu describes as “Fresh, locally caught whitefish marinated in tangy lime juice with tomato, tomatillos, jalapeño, manzanilla olives & avacado. Fresh tortilla chips.”

According to the floor plan the restaurant will seat up to 80 people.

Review of The Porthole

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has published a review of The Porthole.

In daylight or dark, this little square wood-frame building looks like it’s on the verge of collapse. But that would be a shame because it’s a lovable old spot, offering a sense of place, pretty good food, and a welcome respite from otherwise precious dining alternatives elsewhere in the city.

Jan Mee Review, Taste of the Nation, Brewery Charitable Donations

| Posted in Reviews, Events, Beer

The Press Herald has published a review of the buffet at Jan Mee.

I filled my plate twice, so clearly something made me happy. The only thing that held me back from visiting a third time was the thought of my trainer, calculating the number of planks, deep-knee thrusts and burpees I would have to do to work off another steaming plate of lo mein.

Today’s paper also includes a What Ales You column on the charitable donation programs set-up by local breweries, and an article about this weekend’s Taste of Nation fundraiser to fight hunger in Maine.

Mead Tasting

| Posted in General News

As part of her birthday celebration, The Spiced Plate went to Maine Mead Works to sample their products.

Of the six meads that we tried, the ones that intrigued me the most were the lavender mead and the elderberry mead.  Lavender is known for its relaxing properties, and sounded like it would make the perfect night cap.  Elderberry is a pretty little purple fruit that helps to keep your immune system strong and functional, especially in the winter.

Strawberries and the Vegetarian Food Festival

| Posted in Events, Farming

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald celebrates the start of the native strawberry season,

“The crop looks really good,” [farmer Bill Bamford] said. “There were a lot of blossoms there earlier, and every blossom turns into a strawberry. Barring some natural disaster, we’re pretty optimistic at this point and hoping we can make a few people happy.”

and provides an overview of this wekend’s Vegetarian Food Festival,

“The food we eat makes us sick over time,” Bell said. “We have pharmaceuticals to get us well. But the bad news is, no one gets well. We just take more pharmaceuticals.”

In his own life, Bell has broken out of the conventional way of thinking and switched from the standard American diet to one based on plants. At Saturday’s festival, he will be surrounded by plenty of other folks who have subverted the dominant food paradigm.

Review of Punky’s

| Posted in Reviews

From Away has published a review of Punky’s.

Punky’s is, in many ways, often exactly what I am looking for when I am choosing a lunch spot in Portland. It has delicious versions of enough of Maine’s lunchtime staples that I know I will find something I want. And when I’m looking for something a little more complicated, I know Punky’s will deliver on a giant burrito, a homemade dish that I hadn’t even thought of, or on an inventive sandwich…It’s the kind of place you go when you want a sandwich, not an “experience,” and sometimes, that’s just fine by me.

This Week’s Events: Loire Tasting, Greek Festival, Strawberry Festival, Taste of the Nation

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — Wine Wise is running a sparkling wine crawl on Wharf Street, and Devenish Wine and Caiola’s are teaming up to offer a tasting of wines from the Loire paired with food pairing prepared by chef Abby Harmon.

Wednesday — Havana South is holding their monthly wine club, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Aurora Provisions is holding a Portuguese wine tasting, it’s the opening day of the Greek Heritage Festival and the Great Lost Bear is showcasing brews from Clown Shoes brewery in Massachusetts.

Friday — Allagash is holding a Victoria Ale Premiere Party at the Victoria Mansion, and it’s the 2nd day of the Greek Heritage Festival at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church on Pleasant Street.

Saturday — the 3rd Annual Strawberry Festival, the 3rd Annual Lobsterfest, and the 7th Annual Vegetarian Food Festival are taking place, Standard Baking is offering tours of their bakery on Commercial Street, it’s the last day of the Greek Heritage Festival, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — the 6th Annual Taste of the Nation is taking place at SMCC. Taste of the Nation raises funds for Share Our Strength to fight hunger in Maine—tickets are available online.

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.

Review of Figa

| Posted in Reviews

The Spiced Plate has published a review of Figa.

The last part of this course was the eggplant bharta.  This dish was so comforting, overflowing with softness that embraced your tongue like a mother’s hug.  It also was similar to something I would make at home, which made me extremely happy…The eggplant, pepper, zucchini, squash, onion, and garlic combined flavors in a way that led you to believe that the vegetables were good friends who had known each other for a while and were completely comfortable and open with their personalities.  Each bite was a bit different, but equally lovely.