Category: General News

The latest issue of Portland magazine bemoans the lack of a French-Canadian restaurant in the city.

Everyone knows poutine, the retro pile-up of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. The hearty Canadian treat has rocketed into the wider foodie-sphere and can be found all around Portland, including in a few fancy iterations like the East Ender’s lobster poutine and Duckfat’s silken version with local cheese curds and duck gravy. But where is the rest of traditional Franco-American or Acadian cuisine?

Several Portland area chefs have been included in the 2013 edition of Best Chefs America: Chad Conley (Gather), Steve Corry (555), Krista Kern Desjarlais (Bresca), Rob Evans (Duckfat), Christopher Geer (Vignola Cinque Terre), Mitchell Gerrow (East Ender), Matt Ginn (555), Sam Hayward (Fore Street), Ian Hayward (Petite Jacqueline), Jason Kennedy (Black Tie), Larry Matthews (Back Bay Grill), Masa Miyake (Miyake), Lee Skawinski(Vignola Cinque Terre), Harding Lee Smith (The Rooms), Peter Sultenfuss (Grace), Andrew Taylor (Hugo’s), David Turin (David’s), Mike Wiley (Hugo’s), Jason Williams (The Well).

Chris Gould was included in the Boston section for his work at Uni. There are also chefs from elsewhere in Maine on the list.

According to the publisher, the list of chefs in the book are “compiled by a comprehensive process of interviewing chefs across the country. Chefs are nominated for participation by fellow chefs, other culinary professionals, and food enthusiasts.”

This is the first year they’ve issued the list. If you see a name missing (and there certainly are many just in the Portland area) that you think belongs in the 2014 edition, you can nominate them on the BCA website.

The Press Herald has published an article about the high level of need for assistance facing food pantries and soup kitchens across the state.

“They’re seeing more families, more children and more seniors coming through their doors. The face of hunger today is much different than before the recession in 2008,” said Clara McConnell Whitney, communications and advocacy manager for Good Shepherd Food-Bank, which last year supplied 13 million pounds of food to food pantries and soup kitchens in Maine.

You can make a donation to the Good Shepherd Food Bank online. The organization distributes food aid to organizations across Maine.

Spartan Grill owner Mike Rolyos has a proposal in to the Historic Preservation Board to update the store front of his Monument Square cafe. The new store front would consist of a glass-paneled overhead door that in warm weather would open up the entire space on to the square.

Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie LAdd has assembled her list of the Top Ten Restaurant On-The-Job No-No’s for restaurant workers.

1) I am velcroed to my cell phone. It’s common sense that cell phones should be prohibited during service but mine is typically tucked away in my back pocket, apron or in hand when I’m running into the bathroom.

The Bangor Daily News has published a report on the specialty coffee industry in Maine.

Matt’s Wood Roasted Organic Coffee opened in Pownal in 2007, as did Brunswick’s Wicked Joe. Swift River Coffee Roasters opened in Raymond in 2009. Green Tree Coffee and Tea in Lincolnville, 44 North in Deer Isle, and Savage and Sons Gourmet Coffee in Bangor all opened in 2010. Crooked Porch Coffee in Bar Harbor and Tandem Coffee Roasters in Portland both opened last year. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Joe Ricchio has posted the second episode of the Food Coma Show. The episode was filmed at Nosh and features Joel Beauchamp, comedian Ray Harrington, restaurateur/chef Barbara Lynch, and musician Sonya Tomlinson.

Voting in the Down East Readership Poll has now begun. There are categories for Maine’s Best Burger, Candy Shop, Chef, Cocktail, Coffee Shop, Ice Cream, Lobster Roll, Local Beer, Maine Cheese, Maine Chocolate, Pizza, Romantic Restaurant, Seafood Market, Wine Shop, Winery.

The Bangor Daily News reports that despite competition Allen’s Coffee Brandy remains the top seller in Maine.

The makers of Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy need not worry about the liquor losing its perennial status as the most popular in the state anytime soon, however. It still outsold its nearest competitor by more than a 3-to-1 margin in terms of bottles sold and, with overall revenues of more than $11 million, its sales were more than $8 million higher than the second-highest earning brand.

The list of nominees for this year’s James Beard Awards were released today. Melissa Kelly at Primo was nominated in the Best Chef Northeast category.

For additional details on Kelly and her nomination see this report in the Press Herald.

This year’s awards ceremony takes place May 3 & 6 in New York City.

For reference, here are links to announcements on the nominations from 2012, 2011 and 2010.