The Portland Daily Sun has published a report on one Mainer’s inadvertent impact on the US kombucha industry.
“Maine can take credit for the kombucha nationally being taken off the shelf,” said Chris Hallweaver, who thinks he might be personally responsible for sidelining the industry because he applied for a license to sell the drink commercially under the brand name “The Booch” with the Maine Department of Agriculture last December.
The new issue of The Bollard also includes their 3rd Sausage Showdown.
So, to recap the results of Smokin’ Sausage Showdown III, in the Sweet Italian category, it’s a tie between Pat’s and Fresh Approach. Among the Hot Italians, Fresh Approach and Colucci’s tie for top honors. And in the Wild Card category, Pat’s wins by a snout (or, rather, a beak) with its mobbed-up chicken link.
Here are links to the 2009 and 2007 (part 1, part 2) Sausage Showdowns.
The Bollard has published the first review of Local Sprouts Cafe.
There are breakfasts out there that are bigger or fancier, but for fresh, local and organic food at prices on par with fast food and greasy spoons, there’s nothing even close to Local Sprouts Café around here. Leave your politics at the door and dig right in.
Brews & Books blogger Josh Christie has continued his survey of Maine beer with an article about Sebago Brewing and Gritty McDuff’s.
For decades (two decades for Gritty’s, one for Sebago), the two breweries I’m looking at today have been staples in local pint glasses and refrigerators. Neither has quite the distribution around the US as an Allagash or a Shipyard, but it’s almost impossible to go to a bar in Maine and not see at least one tap devoted to Sebago and another to Gritty’s. Both also operate stellar brewpubs – bars with some of the best pub fare available in Maine.
Brews & Books blogger Josh Christie has continued his survey of Maine beer with an article about Sebago Brewing and Gritty McDuff’s.
For decades (two decades for Gritty’s, one for Sebago), the two breweries I’m looking at today have been staples in local pint glasses and refrigerators. Neither has quite the distribution around the US as an Allagash or a Shipyard, but it’s almost impossible to go to a bar in Maine and not see at least one tap devoted to Sebago and another to Gritty’s. Both also operate stellar brewpubs – bars with some of the best pub fare available in Maine.
Baja Dogs, a new food cart in Monument Square, received 5 stars from the Eat & Run column in today’s Press Herald.
The first menu item I tried was the signature Baja Dog ($3), a bacon-wrapped grilled turkey dog on a bun. It was smothered in chopped tomatoes, onion, mustard, ketchup and crema Mexicana, a sour cream-like sauce that Heathers buys at Bodega Latina. After asking me if I wanted some heat, Heathers added some jalapeno.
This dog was so good, I wished I had ordered two…
Today’s paper also includes an interview with brewer Alan Pugsley.
Writing this column has already had a benefit: Alan Pugsley gave me a personal tour of the Shipyard Brewery last week. Pugsley’s the person who brought English-style brewing to Maine when he helped David Geary set up his brewery, which began selling its beer in 1986.
So.ME.Vegans has started a series looking at Maine vegan food producers and in their first post they include a mini-review of Falafel Toasties which are produced here in Portland by Papou’s Kitchen.
Honestly we hadn’t heard of them yet, despite the product originally being conceived of in 1986. We were truly missing out. This has got to be some of the most finely crafted falafel we’ve tried. Djgray1200 thought the seasoning was just right. A number of falafels we’ve tried have been bland, but then again in frozen food you always run the risk of getting something that’s obnoxiously salty. This product walks that line masterfully.
Back last September word got out of two new restaurants in the works, Sonny’s and Your Grandma’s. Sonny’s opened in early January but Your Grandma’s (slated for the old Chef et al. space) has yet to launch.
Now there’s a sign up at 408 Forest Ave promoting a new venture to be called WhaddaPita – Taste it, Love It. According to Trademarkia, a Constantine Casvikes from Saco owns the trademarks for both Your Grandma’s and WhaddaPita so it seems like it’s more a re-alignment of concept than a completely new venture.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Jewel of India in South Portland.
Generally it is the entrées where Jewel of India shows its real strengths. The bengan bharta — with a sauce based on roasted eggplant, was a symphony of sharp notes. It opened with a burst of aroma that made me anticipate more heat than the dish actually contained. Instead, the fresh ingredients — eggplant, tomato, onion, garlic, green pepper, each of which offers some bite without spicy heat — take turns gently pricking your palate.
Working Waterfront has published a report on Ocean Approved. The Maine seaweed aquaculture venture that received a “$95,000 NOAA Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I Grant and an experimental lease to raise seaweed near Little Chebeague Island”.
The NOAA grant will make it possible for the company to generate their own seed and raise young seedlings (or sporelings) to put on aquaculture lease sites for growout, a move which Olsen says is necessary if they want to increase productivity. “We have been hand picking seaweed from the wild,” he explains, “always respecting the biomass and making sure we are tending the beds. But kelp can be overharvested, so to expand into larger scale production, we have to begin growing plants from our own seed.” He adds that this move also has the advantages of making possible selective breeding and choosing the ideal environment to put down their seedlings for optimum growth.