Portland Daily Sun columnist has highlighted some of the special challenges of waiting tables during the holiday season,
We’re serving large groups at holiday dinners where people drink too much, offend coworkers, tell inappropriate personal stories a bit too loudly, and inevitably eat and drink too much. The parties have just started and I know this will be a season with many tidbits to share.
The Press Herald interviewed chefs Steve Corry at Five Fifty-Five and Eric Flynn at the Harraseeket about the Thanksgiving dinners they’ll be serving at their restaurants.
On this Thanksgiving Eve, be thankful you’re not Eric Flynn, the head chef at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, who will be cooking for a record 900 people today.
That’s equivalent to the entire population of Ogunquit.
The Forecaster has taken a look at the evolving food community in Eat Bayside.
Tucked beneath Munjoy Hill, the industrial area around Fox and Anderson streets is home to two breweries, a coffee roaster and a producer of cider and kombucha (fermented tea). More artisan food-makers may be on the way, with a distillery, a bakery and a cheese shop all moving into the area.
The Portland Food Co-op has published a funny promotional video called Rock, Paper, Scissors—Portland Food Co-op featuring former Bard barista Justin McEdward and wife Jenny McEdward.
Earlier this week the Boston Globe published an article about food tourism which featured Maine Foodie Tours.
Maine Foodie Tours was created by Pamela Laskey after Portland was named “America’s foodiest small town” by Bon Appetit magazine four years ago. Clients can sample the city’s robust locavore culture by foot, bicycle, or trolley, and she recently added tours of Kennebunkport.
Her top demographic are clients 50 to 70 years old. Laskey said her older, more experienced travelers in particular appreciate being able to talk directly to the purveyors — the lobsterman, cheese monger, and brewer.
According to a report from the Munjoy Hill News, Katie Made Bakery is “preparing to move her growing business to a much larger space on Congress Street” in 2013.
The Congress Street location will permit [Katie Made] to expand their menu to include soups and salads. (They already make delilcious sandwiches at the Cumberland Avenue location.) The new location will include display space for cakes, pies and other baked goods not currently possible because of space limitations. Seating for about nine will be available as well.
Dispatch magazine has published their list of the 5 best spots in Portland for solo dining,
…I think there’s something totally underrated about alone time. I especially like eating alone and my buds here at Dispatch agree. In fact, my twitter identity is the @thelonelymower because I often “mow” (meaning to eat quickly/aggressively) alone. Thus, we bring you a list of five great spots to go and have a meal in the company of yourself in Portland.
and an interview with Sonny’s bartender Jon Clemons.
So, what’s your favorite thing about bartending?
Making drinks and watching people—teaching people about cocktails. I love it when people sit in front of me and ask, “What’s that? Why you doing that? What’s that for?” I love turning people on to cocktails that don’t like cocktails. Like some dude sitting in front of me watching me make cocktails and he’s drinking a beer and ten fifteen minutes into it he’s asking me a million questions then all the sudden he’s drinking cocktails. That’s what I like.
This month’s edition of The Bollard includes a Portland breakfast FAQ,
“I just want a regular breakfast at a regular diner. Is that OK with you, Mr. Fancy Brunch Guy?”
Go to Steve and Renee’s (500 Washington Ave., Portland). You won’t find a better basic breakfast. The prices are low, and there is no friendlier service anywhere, period. And that’s a fact.
a bar review of Silly’s with a Twist,
In keeping with the more-is-more philosophy at Silly’s, the drink menu is four pages long. A fair amount of real estate is devoted to shakes, which can be made with ice cream and milk from cows, rice or soy. They also serve shakes with booze, like the Ragin’ Ruby (made with ruby port), Twist & Stout (contains Guinness) and the more traditional Mudslide. I tried the Sherry Baby ($7.50), which is made with Sandeman Amontillado. The fruits of the medium-dry Spanish sherry came through nicely and complemented the ice cream well.
Today’s Press Herald includes a report on the The Maine Brew Bus,
In addition to the new Pour Tour, he offers beer-only tours of breweries and brew pubs York County and Portland. He began the business because he sensed a money-making opportunity in shuttling people around from brewery to brewery for samples and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the brewing process.
For more info visit www.themainebrewbus.com.
Joe Ricchio has posted the pilot episode of his new effort, The Food Coma Show. In this initial episode Joe and four friends get together for a meal at Bresca.