Gogi

The Portland Daily Sun interviewed Ian Farnsworth for an article about his new restaurant Gogi.

Late-night diners can find a new fusion fix at Gogi, a Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant holding its grand opening today at 653 Congress St.

For owner Ian Farnsworth, who also owns Slainte Wine Bar and Lounge on Preble Street, the later the hours, the better for the Arts District’s newest entry in a varied dining experience.

Vegan Goes Mainstream

The Natural Foodie column in today’s Press Herald reports that as vegan diets are becoming more popular, Portland restaurants are responding to the need by adding more vegan options to their menus.

When the swanky Grace Restaurant opened almost two years ago in Portland, its menu was populated by meat and seafood-based entrees. But six months ago, the popular eatery did something unusual in Portland’s top-tier restaurant scene: It added a vegan entree to its regular menu.

“Why we have the dish started with demand,” general manager Kate Tozier said. “We saw more and more people requesting vegan.”

Opening Day Eats

Tomorrow is opening day at Hadlock Field and the Portland Daily Sun has published part 3 of their series on the food and food service staff at the Sea Dogs home stadium,

The Portland Sea Dogs are intensely proud of their local food and beer vendor relationships. The mutually beneficial support of Binga’s Winga’s (owner Alec Altman and former partner JD Way were aboard from day one when Binga’s started the on-going tradition of feeding both teams after home games), Greg Shane from Shane’s of Maine, former stand hawker Luke Livingston of Baxter Beer, Oakhurst Dairy, Pineland Farms, and others all add to the philosophy the team tries to embody.

Iacuessa states, “It’s vital to us to support the community and buy as locally as possible. It’s the right thing to do and we’re always looking for ways to tie in local vendors.”

Today’s Press Herald also includes a look at the food options at Hadlock Field,

Along with the usual steak-and-cheese sandwiches, pizza, fries, popcorn, fried dough and Sea Dogs Biscuits, you’ll find better-tasting burgers that are now made from Pineland Meats. Drivas said the staff was impressed by how much better the local meat was compared with the generic frozen patties they usually serve at Hadlock. (The Pineland burgers are actually processed in Massachusetts, then shipped back up to Maine.)

“We tried them and fell in love with them,” Drivas said.

Sectors, 18/21, Liquor at a Profit

Senator Olympia Snow penned a Maine Voices article for today’s Press Herald about progress in the management of Maine fisheries.

When the New England Fisheries Management Council charted a new course in 2009 that gave fishermen more tools to better manage their stocks, I looked no further than Maine’s own industry for critical input in the development and evaluation of national fisheries policies going forward. Two years later, I am pleased to report that preliminary data is promising.

and the Portland Daily Sun wrote about two alcohol related proposals before the Maine Legislature.

One proposal, LD 901, would bar individuals under the age of 21 from being in Class A lounges licensed to sell alcohol, even if alcohol is not being served during an all-ages event. Another, LD 902, would require establishments to sell liquor at a profit — targeting events like 25 cent beer nights which some say encourage irresponsible drinking habits.

Asian Round-up

Live Work Portland has pulled together an overview of some of the upcoming and recent changes to the Asian food scene in Portland.

There’s always a lot going on in the restaurant scene in Portland, but this spring a few news items combined with some developments since the fall all add up to a significant upgrade in our Asian food infrastructure. When people from away think about Maine, Asian food is not what first comes to mind, yet Portland has a considerable South East Asian population and a sizable Korean community as well.

In addition, I’d add that Shanghai Tokyo opened on Congress Street in February and that two additional Asian restaurants are under construction: China Taste on Washington Ave and Top Thai on Saint John Street.

Whoopie Pie Compromise and World’s Biggest W Pie Construction

According to a report from Maine Things Considered, the Maine House voted 107-34 to approve a compromise that would designate the whoopie Pie as the Maine State Treat and blueberry pie as the Maine State Dessert.

What started out as a fairly benign piece of legislation designating the whoopie pie as the state dessert, has whipped up an interstate dispute between Maine and Pennsylvania, and served up a dollop of national publicity. Although the bill has since been amended in committee to change the whoopie pie’s title to “state treat,” rather than state dessert, lawmakers representing the interests of the blueberry industry took to the floor of the House today in an effort to carve out their own share of the pie.

Wicked Whoopies will be at the Maine Mall this Saturday to assemble what they hope will be the World’s Biggest Whoopie Pie (take note Pennsylvania). They’ll be selling off slices of the 750-800 lb behemoth for $1 a slice and using the proceeds to send whoopie pies to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. (via Maine magazine)

Jet Set Maine

Jason Oliver Nixon, author of Delta’s Jet Set blog, was in Maine for a visit this weekend,

We kicked off the weekend at a spirited brunch with L.L.Bean’s superstar public relations guru Mary Rose MacKinnon and her husband, James, at Portland’s Local 188. (Try the Caribbean-style hash with a potent Bloody Mary). Then we hit P-town’s cobblestone byways: Don’t miss Rogues Gallery and Portland Dry Goods for exceptional menswear. I am crazy about the kitchenware and gourmet delicacies at LeRoux Kitchen and Browne Trading Company.

JBF Awards: Krista Kern Desjarlais is Finalist

The James Beard Foundation announced the final list of nominees for this years awards at an event in the other Portland today. Krista Kern Desjarlais, chef/owner Bresca is a nominee in the Best Chef Northeast category (see page 8). She’s up against 5 other chefs from Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The winners of the 2011 JBF awards will be announced on May9 in New York City.

Update: the Press Herald interviewed Desjarlais this afternoon for an article about the nomination,

“I don’t even know what to say yet, I guess,” Desjarlais commented by phone on her way to Boothbay. “I don’t know, it’s awesome. It’s a great group of people to be nominated with. There’s not a whole lot of women that got nominated throughout the country, so I feel like that’s great, too.”

Maine at Work: Sugarhouse

For the new installment of Maine at Work, Press Herald reporter Ray Routhier writes about working at a sugarhouse in Newfield, Maine.

As Debra fired up a large oil-powered evaporator (the boiler, in common sugarhouse parlance), her husband began to explain all its parts and how it works in much more detail than I can relate. Basically, the giant stainless-steel contraption had sap flowing first into a preheating area, then into a “flue pan” area, then into the finishing area before it is ready for packaging.

Maine Maple Sunday is taking place this coming weekend. It’s a chance to visit a sugarhouse in your area and see how they turn maple sap into maple syrup.