Maine Beer Tours is running an Indiegogo campaign to crowd source funds needed to replace their tour bus. So far they’ve raised $2,524 of a $4,500 goal and have 2 days left in the campaign.
Category: General News
Hunt & Alpine: Bon Appetit & Dinner Party Download
Hunt & Alpine Club bartender/owner Andrew Volk was quoted in article in Bon Appetit about the advantages of batch prepared libations.
Additionally, Volk was interviewed by Dinner Party Download for a humorous piece about the government’s mid-century Hurricane Modification Program as part of their ongoing and “rarely imitated history lesson with booze” series.
Update on the Fire
Today’s Press Herald includes an update on the Fore Street fire that has impacted Joe’s NY Pizza, Street & Co, Dancing Elephant, Mark’s Place, Old Port Candy and East End Cupcake.
Some of the businesses directly affected by Thursday’s fire on Fore Street in the Old Port may not reopen for several weeks, depending on how long it takes to bring the building up to code.
Fire on Fore Street: Street & Co, Dancing Elephant, Joe’s NY Pizza, Mark’s Place (Updated)
There was a 3-alarm fire on Fore Street early this morning. According to a report from the Press Herald,
[Fire Chief] LaMoria said at least five businesses in the building at 420 Fore St., which faces both Fore and Wharf streets, were severely impacted, including Street & Co., the Dancing Elephant II and Joe’s New York Pizza.
He said the businesses could be closed for several days if not weeks.
For additional information see this piece from WMTW.
UPDATE: Here’s some clarification and further detail from The Forecaster,
The blaze damaged businesses including the Dancing Elephant II Indian restaurant, Joe’s New York Slice Bar, and Mark’s Place, LaMoria said. There were also reports of damage to Street & Co. The apartments above the businesses were not damaged by the fire, but were damaged by smoke and water.
The Munjoy Hill News has also posted a report on the fire.
Development Could Affect El Rayo
Both the Press Herald and the Bangor Daily News have published a report on a proposal that would lead to the redevelopment of the corner of York and High Streets, the current location of El Rayo.
The J.B. Brown official said fans of the popular Mexican eatery currently at the site should not worry.
“I could see something like an urban grocer on the ground floor and residential units on the top three floors,” Veroneau said. “Our intention is to have El Rayo be part of any development of that site.”
Otto Pizza Box Design Contest
Otto Pizza is running a pizza box design contest. The student who provides the winning entry will see there design on Otto’s boxes throughout New England and their school will receive $1,000 donation to support art education.
Changes to Portland’s Food Truck Regulations
The Portland Daily Sun has published an article about proposed changes to Portland’s food truck regulations.
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 to set up in metered parking spaces, giving them an extra two hours.
The changes are moving forward for a vote by the City Council.
Portland Brunch Spots
MaineToday has published an article highlighting 28 of the brunch destinations in Portland.
Brunch: It’s what we do in Portland on weekends. Whether we jump up ready to start the day with exercise, or drag our sorry selves out of bed — possibly regretting (ahem) beverage choices made the night before — chances are we’ll be sitting down to a plate of eggs or pancakes sometime before noon…
An Insiders Perspective on Tips
Today’s Portland Daily Sun provides a professional server’s perspective on tipping.
Countless factors come into play when guesstimating the amount of tips a server skates away with at the end of any given shift. The variables fluctuate in degree of importance and frequency from place to place, and even in the most rigid of corporate settings they may not always be consistent. Who actually punches out with how much green in hand is one thing that makes the restaurant business so confounding. It’s an ongoing, inconclusive topic and makes for lively conversation when two or more servers gather in a social setting.
Historical Menus & Food Trucks
Today’s Press Herald includes an interesting article about the Maine Historical Society’s collection of old menus,
Remember The Roma Cafe, known for ages as “Portland’s most romantic restaurant” and the place you had to take your date on Valentine’s, or else suffer the consequences?
There are also menus for Hu Shang on Exchange Street and the Victory Deli in Monument Square (where Foley’s Bakery is now), both former frequent lunch spots for Press Herald reporters. At the end of the day, when we wanted a cocktail, we went down to Cotton Street Cantina. (On the menu, it’s called Cotton Street Tropical Grill and Bar.)
and passing reference to recommended changes to the food truck regulations (at the very end of the article) made by the Health and Human Services Committee.
The changes would allow food trucks to cluster in certain zones by eliminating a rule that trucks be at least 65 feet from each other. And operators would have to pay only $30 for a permit to operate on private property, rather than $105.