Saint Patrick’s Day Law

A Bill to allow bars to open at 6 am on Saint Patrick’s day has been signed into law by the Governor.

The action lifts the state’s ban on sales of alcohol between 6 and 9 a.m. on Sundays when St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday, as it does this year.

The St. Patrick’s Day bill, L.D. 216, won unanimous approval in committee and preliminary votes in the House and Senate before it became ensnared in a political standoff over LePages’s plan to repay Maine’s hospitals $484 million in overdue Medicaid reimbursements.

Shipyard to Pay $300k Water Bill

Both the Bangor Daily News and Press Herald are reporting that Shipyard will be paying $300,000 in back sewer and water fees.

“I’m glad it’s behind us,” Shipyard President Fred Forsley told the Bangor Daily News on Friday. “We’re happy with the result and we’ll move forward. It’s a large amount of money, but we’ll be able to push forward. Our hope is it won’t have that substantial of an impact given our growth and we’re hoping we won’t have to raise prices more.” [Bangor Daily News]

No Ice Cream at Fort Williams

The deadline came and went without any vendors applying to fill the ice cream vending spot in Fort Williams Park.

The town hopes to find another ice cream vendor to replace Gorgeous Gelato, whose owners decided not to return after last year, leaving a vacancy in the Ship Cove area of the park.

“We were hoping to get at least one, but we didn’t get anything,” Public Works Director Bob Malley said. “Not sure what the story is. It’s a decent location where it was moved to.”

Tandem x Fiasco

According to Maine a la Carte, Tandem Coffee will be operating a pop-up shop at the Gelato Fiasco on Fore Street.

Tandem’s owners, Will and Kathleen Pratt, will be setting up a Tandem Pop-up Shop in the gelato store at 425 Fore St. that will be open from 7 to 11 a.m. daily through the end of March. Will Pratt said they’ll be selling Tandem’s two single-origin coffees and all of their espresso drinks.

Taylor & Wiley Nominated for F&W’s People’s Best New Chef

Chefs Andrew Taylor and Michael Wiley at Eventide Oyster Co. are nominees in the Food & Wine People’s Best New Chef contest.

Why They’re Amazing Because their restaurant combines the best of old-school Maine oyster bars with updates like cleverly flavored sauces (kimchi ice) and fried oysters served in steamed buns, Korean style.

Show your support for the home town team by voting for them on the Food & Wine website.

If they win the competition they’ll be featured in the July issue of F & W. Eventide is holding an event this Wednesday to rally support for their nomination,

Friends and fans of Eventide are invited to rally in support of the chefs and enjoy some newly released brews at an “Allagash Rally” at Eventide on Wednesday, March 13, starting at 5 p.m. “We’d like to get the word out about the vote, enjoy some great beer and say thanks to all those who have been supportive of us”, Taylor says.

Coffee Containers, The Signature Event, and MSC Apporval

Today’s Press Herald explore the science and personal opinions on how styrofoam cups impact the flavor of coffee,

Coffee tastes better in a Styrofoam cup. Really?

Really, say some folks concerned about Portland’s proposed ban on Styrofoam containers. But is it a fact these folks can prove? Or is it all in their heads? The answer, according to a trio of scientists with lots of initials after their names, is yes — and yes.

Food writer Meredith Goad was has filed a report from the MRW Signature Event,

Matt and Jackie Schumacher of Yarmouth had fun trying the dessert, but said their favorite entry was the beignets from David’s Opus Ten. They weren’t the only ones raving about the beignets. The fried sweet treats, served with peppered strawberry, won the People’s Choice award for desserts for the evening. Chef Bo Byrne of David’s Opus Ten said he was “absolutely floored.”

and the Marrine Stewardship Council has certified the Maine lobster industry as sustainable.

The state’s lobster fishery got the international Marine Stewardship Council’s Sustainable Seafood Certification. That distinction, which recognizes ecologically sound practices from the harvest to the consumer, will help in the marketing and tracking of Maine lobster, according to the state Department of Marine Resources.

Saint Patrick’s Day Law

The Bangor Daily News interviewed Brian Boru co-owner Dan Steele about his request to the state to allow liquor sales starting at 6 am on this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day.

Dan Steele thought his request to lawmakers on Feb. 20 was a straightforward one: Pass legislation that would allow his Portland bar, Brian Boru, to open at 6 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day this year, when the holiday falls on a Sunday.

“This is a small-business issue in a tough economy,” said Steele, a co-owner of the Portland bar. “This is about my employees. This is about tax revenue. This is about jobs.”

TBC Comeback

The Breakfast Club crew has announced that they’re making a comeback. Read all about the changes since their last review 3½ years ago on the TBC site.

Yes, you read that correctly: The Portland Breakfast Club is officially back in action! The Usual and Wild Toast have recently moved back to Maine from the State-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, to find The Benny Girl anxiously awaiting their return with fork and tea infuser in hand.

Maine Made Sake & Food Pronunciation Guide

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a feature article on Blue Current, a sake brewery under development in Maine.

Ford and Sygowski plan to open a sake microbrewery this spring, right here in Maine.

The two friends already brew for their personal consumption in the garage at Ford’s home in Kittery Point. That’s where the commercial operation, called Blue Current Brewery, will begin once they have all their local, state and federal permits in hand. They hope to be open for business by April or May, and will eventually move the brewery out of Ford’s house.

The Press Herald sister site Maine Today has published a food word pronunciation guide in time for Maine Restaurant Week. I had the pleasure of being the official voice for the recordings.

Diners don’t generally mispronounce “chicken” or “BLT,” which means we’ve gotten along just fine at area pubs and sandwich shops. But our small city’s super-exploding food scene has some phonetic implications: We’re not quite sure how to pronounce this stuff.