Press Herald columnist Justin Ellis takes a look at what attracts younger workers to the restaurant industry,
The thing with restaurant work is that it stuck, and it suited a need for in-between work or, on-the-verge-of-making-new-plans work. It offers prime conditions for young workers.
”I see people of all ages,” she said. ”But I do see a lot of young people coming in.”
Today’s paper also includes a report on Sunday’s CSA Fair, “Think of it as speed dating for vegetables.”
The James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalist for this year’s awards competition. Portland has three entries on the list:
Several other Maine chefs are also semifinalist in the Best Chef North East category:
Final nominees for the 2010 awards will be announced March 22nd, and the winners will be announced on May 3, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.
Two members of the Portland food community are moving on to new horizons. Anna Maria Tocci who, together with Kim Anderson founded the North Star Music Cafe, is retiring from the business to pursue a career as a “breath work facilitator”. Also in transition is Jennifer Betancourt, founder of the Silvery Moon Creamery, who according to a post on Edible Obsessions, has “quietly walked away from the cheesevat that she manned for the past seven years”.
Both women have had a significant impact on the Portland food scene and I’m sure they’ll be missed.
Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes a report on the 16th Annual Chili & Chowder Challenge that took place over the weekend. According to the article, Fire & Ice, Fish & Chop House at the Marriott Hotel took home both the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice for Chill, Gilbert’s was the judge’s preference for chowder but the attendees preferred the chowder from Free Range Fish and Lobster. The article in the Sun focuses on the family back story behind Free Range’s lobster stew recipe.
Geoff Denley said his family had a hand in inventing the doughnut. More recently, the Denleys and business partner Joe Ray introduced a family recipe for a lobster stew that wowed crowds at the 16th annual Great Chili and Chowder Challenge in Portland.
Also in the Wednesday Sun is an article about the business challenges being faced by the owner of the Back Cove Deli on Ocean Ave.
Two weeks ago, Chris Dougherty’s financing fell through and the Back Cove deli owner was back at square one.
Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes a report on the 16th Annual Chili & Chowder Challenge that took place over the weekend. According to the article, Fire & Ice, Fish & Chop House at the Marriott Hotel took home both the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice for Chill, Gilbert’s was the judge’s preference for chowder but the attendees preferred the chowder from Free Range Fish and Lobster. The article in the Sun focuses on the family back story behind Free Range’s lobster stew recipe.
Geoff Denley said his family had a hand in inventing the doughnut. More recently, the Denleys and business partner Joe Ray introduced a family recipe for a lobster stew that wowed crowds at the 16th annual Great Chili and Chowder Challenge in Portland.
Also in the Wednesday Sun is an article about the business challenges being faced by the owner of the Back Cove Deli on Ocean Ave.
Two weeks ago, Chris Dougherty’s financing fell through and the Back Cove deli owner was back at square one.
Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun includes a report on the unprecedented outcome of the recent Cajun Cookin’ Challenge: a tie between Silly’s and Bayou Kitchen. The owners of the two establishments are pondering a second cook-off to determine the winner.
Silander said he wants to offer a challenge to Silly’s for a friendly cookoff to settle the matter.
“It’s a really busy month for me next month, but I’ll think about doing a callout and see if Silly’s wants to do something as far as a challenge goes. What I would try to do would be sell tickets, have say 25 or 30 people, five judges, maybe somebody from Louisiana … and all the proceeds would go to the Katrina Fund,” he said.
Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun includes a report on the unprecedented outcome of the recent Cajun Cookin’ Challenge: a tie between Silly’s and Bayou Kitchen. The owners of the two establishments are pondering a second cook-off to determine the winner.
Silander said he wants to offer a challenge to Silly’s for a friendly cookoff to settle the matter.
“It’s a really busy month for me next month, but I’ll think about doing a callout and see if Silly’s wants to do something as far as a challenge goes. What I would try to do would be sell tickets, have say 25 or 30 people, five judges, maybe somebody from Louisiana … and all the proceeds would go to the Katrina Fund,” he said.
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.
Wednesday’s Portland Daily Sun reports on the Wayside Soup Kitchen’s plans to “transition away from the traditional soup kitchen model and into a neighborhood-based meals programming“.
Today’s Press Herald promotes the positive health benefits of vegan chocolates. The article includes a list of local establishments where you can find dairy-free food of the gods.
Researchers say chocolate gives us a heart-healthy antioxidant boost, but only if we enjoy it without a side order of dairy. With Valentine’s Day on Sunday, the heart-shaped boxes will be flying off the shelves, but for those of us who want to cater to our loved ones’ tickers (and not just their sweet tooth), we’ll be seeking out chocolates made without milk.
Today’s paper also reports on the results of a study on worker pay in Maine’s restaurant industry.
Using a sampling base of 525 surveyed workers – 1.1 percent of the Maine restaurant work force – the study found that in 2008, 16.3 percent earned a living wage, defined as $17 or more an hour. The largest group – 59.7 percent – fell into the “low wages” category, defined as $8.46 to $16.99 an hour.
The study found that 20.9 percent of restaurant workers earned between $7.25 and $8.45 an hour – a rate that puts them below the poverty line – and 3 percent made less than the then-minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.