Category: General News

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a detailed look at the dueling cocktail events happening on February 28: The Signature Event and the 2nd Annual Bartender’s Bash,

The confusion even trickles down to the bartenders themselves. Both events have John Myers.

John Myers from Fish Bones American Grill in Lewiston will be at the Cold River Bartenders Bash.

Another John Myers, a popular bartender at the Grill Room who lost last year’s top prize by just a whisker, will be at the Signature Event. (Did he jump ship this year since he won’t be at the Bartenders Bash? Or did he stay loyal by sticking with the Maine Restaurant Week event? It’s like a Zen koan, isn’t it?)

and the story of one woman’s efforts to make consumers aware of partially-hydrogenated oils in packaged foods.

The story told how a woman was going to her local grocery store and turning around products that contained trans fat so the nutrition label, rather than the product logo, was showing. [Erin] Judge was struck by the simplicity of the action, and began doing it in Maine.

Today’s Press Herald includes an article about a newly formed coalition to fight food insecurity,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that 195,000 Mainers — nearly 15 percent of the state’s households — struggled with food insecurity in the period from 2007 to 2009. “Food insecurity” is defined as having difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for one’s family.

and a new Maine at Work article, this time reporter Ray Routhier spends the day making sandwiches at Amato’s,

How much ham? How much cheese? Which vegetables?

I was relieved when sandwich maker Brenda Billings showed me the little flip cards that list all of the ingredients of Amato’s sandwiches — and pizzas — along with the amount of each item.

Mainebiz reports on a joycott—the opposite of a boycott—taking place at the Public Market House next month.

The joycott works by encouraging locals to patronize a single business on a single day, and in return, the business pledges to reinvest a percentage of that day’s profits into environmental upgrades. After approaching several markets, Sullivan says the Public Market pledged the highest amount—51%.

The family, friends and colleagues of Chef Bob Smith have set-up the Chef Bob Smith Fund for Education in Farming and the Culinary Arts to “honor the memory of his skill as a cook, his generosity of spirit, and his contribution to Portland’s food community.”

Organizers have announced that the money will be used to provide grants to individuals who want to further their knowledge of food and farming, and the grants will be “awarded at the discretion of Cultivating Community’s Board of Directors.”

Here are the details on making a donation:

Send a check made out to ‘Cultivating Community’ to the address below, and be sure to indicate “Chef Bob Fund” in the memo line. You can also donate directly via the Cultivating Community website, www.cultivatingcommunity.org, and click “Donate Now”, and write “Chef Bob Fund” in the in honor of section.

For more information, please contact Craig Lapine at 207-761-GROW.

Cultivating Community
P.O. Box 3792
Portland, Maine 04104-3792

The discount pricing of Maine Restaurant Week is still a couple months away but there are some pricing specials out there now for anyone who blew their restaurant budget over the holidays:

• Bar Lola – a 5-course prix-fixe menu, Wednesday-Saturday, $39.
• Boda – late night menus items are half off on Sundays from 9:30 – 1 am
• Browne Trading has declared January Cheese Month and is offering a 10% discount off all cheese in their store.
• El Rayo – $1 oysters, Monday nights.
• Five Fifty-Five – $1.55 oysters & drink specials, Thursdays nights at the bar.
• Grace – happy hour from 5-6:30 Tuesday through Saturday, featuring bar food and drink specials including $15 bottles of wine
• Hugo’s – the 6-course blind tasting menu, normally $85 per person, is $42.50 on Tuesday through Thursday from now until March 31.
• Pom’s Thai Taste – $1 sushi, Monday & Tuesday.
• Ri-Ra – half priced burgers on Wednesday nights.
• The Great Lost Bear – Monday and Tuesday nights are Short Beer Nights when you can get a 23 ounce draft for $4.25. You can find a full list of happy hour specials on Portland Taps.
• The Salt Exchange – 3-course prix fixe for $30.
• There have been a number of discount offers for Portland area restaurants in the past few weeks on Dealitious and Groupon (but not this morning). Living Social has an offer today for Local 188 a $50 certificate half off for $25. Another local coupon site, The Maine Deal now is offering $10 gift certificates to Gorgeous Gelato for $5.

What’s missing from the list? Post a comment and share what you know.

Slow Food Portland have announced the First Annual Young Food Writer’s Contest. The competition is open to “any student enrolled in public or private school, or being home schooled, in Cumberland County.”

To enter the competition students need to “write a short essay about food, which can be fiction or non-fiction, and written on the chosen theme.” For 2011 Slow Food has chosen “The Taste of Maine” for the theme. The winners will receive share in the CSA of their choice.

Deadline for entry is February 11, 2011. For all the details on the competition visit the Slow Food Portland website.

According to a report from the Portland Daily Sun, two lettuce bikini-clad PETA supporters were in the Old Port yesterday to promote veganism,

For the noon hour yesterday, the “Lettuce Ladies” — Tracy Patton and Hayden Hamilton, dressed in green bikinis with flaps that resembled pieces of lettuce — handed out vegetarian/vegan starter kits.

The Maine Restaurant Association has named Steve Corry the 2011 Chef of the Year, and the owners of Gritty’s, Ed Stebbins and Rchard Pfeffer, the 2011 Restaurateurs of the Year. The Bennett Family, owners of Oakhurst Dairy, were named Allied Member of the Year.

The awards will be presented at the MRA banquet this March in Portland.

The Portland Daily Sun has report on the liquor license hearing for Rockin’ Ricky’s Tavern that took place earlier this week,

If the ideal of urban commercial districts is diversity, then Portland Street between the Post Office and the Preble Street Resource Center is a work of planning genius. Along with Rockin’ Ricky’s and other bars, you have two of Portland’s culinary landmarks: Bintliff’s American Cafe and The [Back Bay Grill]. There are church-focused service centers, independent businesses and a union hall on the corner.

For additional reporting see the Forecaster.