The new issue of Maine magazine includes an interview with Lee Farrington, the chef behind the highly anticipated new restaurant Figa. There’s no word yet on Figa’s opening date.
The magazine also includes a trio of Joe Ricchio articles: a selection of cup cakes from Maine bakers, a look at some of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week next month and a report on David Chang’s visit to Portland.
The articles aren’t online yet but the magazine is starting to show up on newsstands. I picked up my copy at the Rosemont Market in the East End.
Author: PFM
This Week's Event
Monday — Baker Stephen Lanzalotta is teaching a Piatto per Tutti cooking class.
Tuesday — chef Eric Simeon at Grace is tapping into his Creole roots to cook up some specials for Fat Tuesday
Wednesday — Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class and a wine tasting is taking place at Old Port Wine Merchants.
Thursday — Leavitt & Sons is holding a wine tasting, there will be a wine dinner at Sea Glass restaurant and the Slow Food Book Club will be meeting to discuss American Fried by Calvin Trillin.
Saturday — the new Winter Farmers’ Market is kicking off, a wine and herb jelly workshop is taking place at Wolf Neck Farm, and the Port Clyde Fresh Catch shrimp CSF is doing their biweekly Portland drop-off.
Sunday — Casey Turner from El Rayo Taqueria will host a showing of the movie Dinner Rush at the Museum of Art.
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.
This Week’s Event
Monday — Baker Stephen Lanzalotta is teaching a Piatto per Tutti cooking class.
Tuesday — chef Eric Simeon at Grace is tapping into his Creole roots to cook up some specials for Fat Tuesday
Wednesday — Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class and a wine tasting is taking place at Old Port Wine Merchants.
Thursday — Leavitt & Sons is holding a wine tasting, there will be a wine dinner at Sea Glass restaurant and the Slow Food Book Club will be meeting to discuss American Fried by Calvin Trillin.
Saturday — the new Winter Farmers’ Market is kicking off, a wine and herb jelly workshop is taking place at Wolf Neck Farm, and the Port Clyde Fresh Catch shrimp CSF is doing their biweekly Portland drop-off.
Sunday — Casey Turner from El Rayo Taqueria will host a showing of the movie Dinner Rush at the Museum of Art.
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.
Coming, Going and Expanding
Here are some under construction update:
- Mexico Lindo has closed up shop at their location on Forest Ave. There’s a sign up promoting a turnkey ready space for a someone looking to open a new restaurant.
- A new sandwich shop to be called Mr. Sandwich & Mrs. Muffin is under construction at 3 Deering Ave. That space was formerly occupied by Pazzano’s Coffee Shop and still has the orange facade from when Percy’s was their. In the more distant past it had been the home of Honey’s Place.
- Shima is planning to expand into the vacant space in their building on Fore Street. From what I can determine from the blueprints, the two spaces aren’t adjacent to one another but would be joined on the basement level where Shima’s kitchen is now.
- Local Sprouts supplied a draft menu as part of their liquor license application. You can take a look at it on page 34 of the agenda for the upcoming Portland City Council meeting.
First Review of Nosh Kitchen Bar
Appetite Portland has published a review of Nosh Kitchen Bar.
My duck confit sandwich featured shavings of braised duck leg, candied orange and cherries, fresh greens and cotija (a hard Mexican cow’s milk cheese) — all piled on a thick white bread grilled until brown and dripping with butter. Heavenly.
An Illustrated Best of Portland
PortlandTown has published photos of the contenders in the Neighborhood Store category from the 2010 Phoenix’s Best of Portland readership poll: Colucci’s, Fresh Approach, Micucci’s, Rosemont, and the West End Deli.
Photo Credit: Michael Barriault
Twins, Triplets and Quads
The recent launches of Boda and Sonny’s are reminders that a growing number of Portland area food business are tied together by some degree of common ownership. Some of the connections are readily apparent such as Harding Lee Smith’s three ‘Room’ restaurants which share a single website and others are little less visible.
Note: I’ve continued to keep this list up to date as the business landscape continue to evolve (March 2011).
Here are the budding food empires that I’m aware of:
- The Front Room, The Grill Room, The Corner Room and Boone’s
- Fore Street and Street & Co.
- Five Fifty-Five, Petite Jacqueline and Portland Patisserie
- Nosh and Slab
- Tempo Dulu and Natalie’s (Camden)
- Evo and the Chebeague Island Inn
- David’s, David’s 388 and David’s Opus Ten
- Hugo’s, Eventide Oyster Co. and The Honey Paw
- Bard Coffee and Wicked Joe Coffee
- Aurora Provisions and the Museum Cafe
- Green Elephant and Boda (and a Green Elephant in Portsmouth)
- Local 188, Sonny’s and Salvage BBQ
- Shay’s and the Crooked Mile Cafe
- Maine Beer and Beverage and Market House Coffee
- Pat’s Pizza and Grille 233 in Yarmouth
- Shipyard Brewing, Casco Bay Brewing, Sea Dog Brewing and The Inn on Peaks Island
- Lolita and Hilltop Coffee Shop
- Miyake and Pai Men Miyake
- Novare Res and Liquid Riot Bottling Co.
- Benkay and Kushiya Benkay
- Zen Chinese Bistro and Mediteranean Grill(Freeport)
- Blackbird Baking and Two Fat Cats
- Pom’s Thai Taste and its 3 sisters
- The North Point and Timber
- Bonfire, The Drink Exchange, Dusk and 51 Wharf
- There’s a family connection that links the owners of DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant,and Bruno’s
- And there are the many businesses with multiple locations that have the same name like Coffee by Design, Tandem Coffee and Rosemont Market
There are probably others, what am I missing?
Bar Review of Sonny's
The Press Herald has published a new Bar Guide write-up on Sonny’s.
With the same style of cooking as Local 188, but with that South American flavor, Sonny’s uses local sources, organic foods and humane meat choices. Chances are you have already heard raves about the yam fries ($4), but the acarage (it resembles a black bean and shrimp fritter, $10) also is a nice place to start. It’s cold outside, so try the pozole rojo (chicken stew) for $9 or the mariscada del noche, a portion large enough for two, filled with scallops, mussels and clams.
Bar Review of Sonny’s
The Press Herald has published a new Bar Guide write-up on Sonny’s.
With the same style of cooking as Local 188, but with that South American flavor, Sonny’s uses local sources, organic foods and humane meat choices. Chances are you have already heard raves about the yam fries ($4), but the acarage (it resembles a black bean and shrimp fritter, $10) also is a nice place to start. It’s cold outside, so try the pozole rojo (chicken stew) for $9 or the mariscada del noche, a portion large enough for two, filled with scallops, mussels and clams.
Review of Yosaku
Yosaku has received a B grade in a review that appeared in the new edition of the USM Free Press.
If you’re craving Japanese cuisine, or just looking for a new spot for a night out, be sure to check out Yosaku. Just make sure to go on a day you aren’t in a rush. The food is always great, but the service is 50/50.