Category: General News

The Portland Food Co-op has launched a campaign to recruit  1,000 new members. Recruiting new members is seen by the Co-op as an essential first step to eventually launching a retail store front. The Co-op has received a $330,000 loan from the Cooperative Fund of New England to help launch the new store.

Kate McCarty, author of The Blueberry Files, is working on a book about the Portland food scene entitled Portland Food: The Culinary Capital of Maine.

The book is published by The History Press and due out June of 2014. In 40,000 words, I’ll tell the history of the Portland food scene and highlight some of its interesting players. I’ve been interviewing farmers, fisherman, chefs… all of whom bring something different and interesting to our vibrant food scene.

Mike Roylos, owner of the Spartan Grill, was in today’s Press Herald in connection with his invention of the Buttler, a device to collect cigarette butts outside his restaurant in Monument Square.

Roylos’ invention, which he calls the Sidewalk Buttler, is a tubular container, painted to look like a mustachioed butler in a bow tie and bowler hat. It’s capped on both ends, strapped by metal to a utility pole, and has a circular hole where the butler’s mouth would be. Smokers deposit their spent cigarette butts there.

The Portland Daily Sun, Bangor Daily News, The Forecaster and Press Herald report that, at last night’s meeting, the City Council unanimously voted to revise the city’s food truck ordinance.

The amendments to the ordinances related to food trucks — which were passed unanimously — will allow trucks to be parked with 65 feet of each other but not an open restaurant; restructure the permitting process and fee; increase the size limits on trucks; and ease the time restrictions for trucks set up in metered parking spaces, giving them an extra two hours. [PDS]

Beer Babe has posted a piece explaining the impact the government shutdown will have on Maine brewers.

It’s not prohibition all over again, but there are some significant impacts to craft brewers ahead if the government shutdown that started today carries on for any length of time. Specifically, getting new breweries online and the release of new and seasonal beers are in jeopardy.

The impact will also extend to the small but growing craft distilling industry in Maine. New England Distilling commented on twitter that their whiskey label approval has just made it through but not all the distillers will probably have such good timing.

The voting has begun for Buy Local’s Indie Biz awards. Coffee by Design, DiMillo’s, Harbor Fish, Local Sprouts, Miyake, Portland & Rochester, the Portland Food Co-op, Rosemont, The Honey Exchange and Urban Farm Fermentory are all nominees.

Visit the Buy Local website to vote for your favorites in each of the 10 categories.

Today’s Press Herald reports on the impact of the Pirate’s departure from the Civic Center on local bars and restaurants.

At Binga’s Stadium, a sports bar directly across Free Street from the civic center, the return of the hockey team after the civic center’s $34 million renovation was seen as “the light at the end of the tunnel,” said its general manager.

For months, the bar has dealt with the noise and dirt of the renovation, as well as the closed streets and lost parking spaces, said Rob Kolodzej. But the Pirates always brought in many fans for pre- and post-game chicken wings and beer, he said.

Today’s paper also has a follow-up on restaurant inspector Michele Sturgeon’s resignation.

The Press Herald reports that restaurant inspector Michelle Sturgeon has resigned.

Sturgeon found herself in the center of controversy in September 2012 when she closed the popular Porthole Restaurant, Comedy Connection and Harbour’s Edge banquet hall because of a rat infestation. The restaurant, which underwent a major renovation, has since reopened under new ownership.