Category: General News

The Press Herald reports that a driver crashed into Bruno’s on Thursday.

A motorist’s efforts to avoid being hit by a train on Allen Avenue ended with her SUV crashing into Bruno’s Restaurant and Tavern on Thursday.

Two Maine restaurants, Central Provisions and Palace Diner in Biddeford, are among the 50 restaurants across the country selected by Bon Appetit as final nominees for their annual Best New Restaurant competition.

Last year, thousands of restaurants opened across America—and after visiting a surprisingly large percentage of them, the Foodist, Andrew Knowlton, has selected 50 as his favorites. (For the full slideshow glory, click here.) They range from oyster bars and diners to a Mekong-Mississippi mashup and a Texas-style brasserie, but the one thing they have in common is this: flat-out, ambitious deliciousness. Which of these 50 nominees will make the Hot 10 list of the absolute best? Check back August 19 to find out.

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald features a story on how Maine bakers like Standard are increasingly using locally grown grain into their products.

At Standard Baking, the staff makes breads with local wheat, including a round miche loaf made with 100 percent Maine flour. Standard also sells a scone made with local buckwheat. On the drawing board is a Danish that will contain some Maine wheat, enough to add back some of the nutrition taken out of conventional white flour. Ultimately, Pray would like to switch to Maine-milled flour in 80 percent of her pastries.

The Press Herald reports that Ed and Molly Foley have sold their bakery to longtime friend and colleague Andrea Swanson.

So instead of dropping their aprons and walking away, the Foleys are doing their best to reassure customers that nothing will change at Foley’s Bakery. Swanson is an old friend who worked with Ed Foley 20 years ago at the legendary Port Bakehouse on Saint John Street, and she knows all of his recipes “inside and out.”

The Foley’s had founded their bakery in the late 90’s and sold it once before in 2002 to spend time with their children.

Dana Cowin, Editor of Food & Wine, was is in Portland Friday and Saturday, posting photos and commentary on Instagram of the places she visited. She stopped by:

• Vena’s Fizz House (photo)
• Slab (photo 1, photo 2)
• Empire (photo)
• Vinland (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3)
• The Holy Donut (photo)

See this post for information on where she visited in 2012.

An article in the Wall Street Journal about the Westin Harborview Hotel in Portland reports that strong food/drink sales at the Top of the East and other part of the hotel for a big role in its financial success.

New Castle President Gerry Chase is projecting revenue this year from the bar at $1.2 million, which would be more than double what it was before the renovation. April brought sales of $130,000, compared with previous years when that month had revenue of $15,000 or less, he says.

The bar’s success is one reason the hotel’s food-and-beverage revenue accounts for nearly half the property’s overall revenue, Mr. Chase says.

The latest issue of Portland Magazine includes an article on Portland’s food trucks and carts.

Mentioned in the article are: Mark’s, Little Jamaica, Taco Trio, Small Axe, Urban Sugar, CN Shawarma, El Corazon, Wicked Good, Fishin’ Ships, Mainely Meatballs, Love Cupcakes.

The Huffington Post has interviewed Valerie Sandes, co-owner of the Urban Sugar food truck,

How did you choose donuts? How did you decide what donuts to make?
I grew up on these little bite-sized donuts at the race tracks (motorsport tracks in SoCal) my dad brought me to every weekend for his 1/4 midget racing addiction. They were just the traditional sugar donuts but I was instantly hooked from the first melt in my mouth bite. I was a donut lover from that point on, cakes, yeasties, round or square I don’t care…I love ’em all! I decided to go with the cake variety for the truck because that is what made the most sense logistically with the self imposed space restriction of the vehicle.

 

In the wake of the high profile bankruptcy of the Crumb cupcake chain in NYC, the Press Herald takes a look at the risks and opportunities associated with running a business focused on a single product type.

“I quit my job, opened a jerky store and people told me I was out of my mind,” DiBenedetto recalled in a phone interview from his business in North Conway, N.H.

But his North Conway House of Jerky store did so well that, five weeks ago, he and some business partners opened a new shop on Exchange Street called the Old Port House of Jerky.

The Bangor Daily News reports that an appeal hearing date has been set for Sangillo’s.

The owner of Sangillo’s Tavern will get a chance to argue why he shouldn’t lose his liquor license in an appeal hearing scheduled Sept. 11 in Council Chambers at City Hall.

The bar at 18 Hampshire St. lost its license after a 5-4 city council vote April 7. It has remained open while owner Dana Sangillo appealed the decision to the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations.

Weft & Warp (website, twitter, instagram) has kicked-off a campaign on the Foodie Crowd Funding site. Owner Erik Desjarlais is hoping to raise $17,000 to help expand his business.

I’m launching this campaign to push the business forward. I work efficiently enough with the tools I have, but it is not enough to keep up with the orders. I’m looking to move out of my tiny 8×10 workshop (I’m not kidding- I have stacks of leather and fabric climbing up the walls, and my kitchen is now my main workspace) in to a larger space in the area, and create a few jobs.

To learn more or to contribute to the campaign visit the Weft & Warp page.