Category: People

Bissell Brother Interview

| Posted in People, Profiles

The Bier Cellar has posted an interview with Peter Bissell.

Tell us about The Substance and where it came from. The name comes from an experience in the Nevada desert on a road trip we took in 2009. A story for another time, perhaps. The beer has been a work in progress for almost as long as we’ve been planning the brewery. It’s everything we love about beer – soft, bursting with flavor, crushable, and most importantly, possessing a flavor profile that’s distinct and unique.

The Bier Cellar has also announced that they’ll have Bissell Brothers beer The Substance for sale in cans starting on Wednesday.

Coffee Series, Part 2

| Posted in People

The Root has posted part 2 of an ongoing series on specialty coffee in Maine. This send installment is a continuation of an interview with Matt Bolinder, owner of Speckled Ax.

In the Root’s newest series on coffee, we will be looking at some of the craftsmen who make up Maine’s rapidly evolving specialty coffee industry. Their coffee is the antithesis of the water-soluble instant coffee you will find in grocery stores or the over-roasted cup from the corner Starbucks.

PPH Food Editor

| Posted in People

The Press Herald has published an article about their new food editor, Peggy Grodinsky, who will be launching a new Sunday section in addition to overseeing all food coverage.

The section, called Source: Eating and Living Sustainably in Maine, will launch in April and will appear each Sunday in all of the daily papers published by MaineToday Media, which include the Kennebec Journal in Augusta and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville. The section will offer comprehensive coverage of Maine’s flourishing farm-to-table movement, from farmers markets and foragers to locavore restaurants and edible lavender growers; it will also examine broader issues of living sustainably, from energy conservation to organic gardening.

 

Little Bigs Interview

| Posted in People

Eat Maine has published an interview with Pamela and James Plunkett, owners of Little Bigs.

“First, I want the thing to taste like the thing and not just like sugar, as in: lemon is tart and chocolate is chocolate. I think my years as a bread baker have served me in understanding that doughnuts do not have to taste like sweet air. By using a pre-ferment and by taking care of the dough, one can create a doughnut that has all the characteristics of great bread: structure, crust color, and creamy interior. It’s all about paying attention to what the dough wants.”

New Press Herald Food Editor: Peggy Grodinsky

| Posted in People

Peggy Grodinsky (LinkedIn, Google) has been hired by Maine Today Media to serve as the new food editor for the Press Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram and Maine Today. From what I’ve heard, today is Grodinsky’s first official day on the job.

Grodinsky was the Executive Editor of the Cook’s Country Magazine (a publication from Cook’s Illustrated/America’s Test Kitchen), prior to that she served as the Food Editor at the Houston Chronicle and Editor of the James Beard Foundation. She’s also taught food writing at the Harvard University extension program and at New York University. Check out her LinkedIn profile for more detail on her resume.

Among other responsibilities the new food editor will be working to launch a new farm-to-table section that will appear weekly in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Under Construction: Interview with Chef Cara Stadler

| Posted in Under Construction, People

Booze, Fish & Coffee has posted an interview with Tao’s chef/owner Cara Stadler. Among other topics, they discuss Stadler’s plans to launch a Chinese dumpling shop in Portland later this year (late night hours, full bar, likely launching in late spring/early summer). Stadler also provides a rundown of some of her favorite eating destinations in Portland.

Interview with Ohno Cafe’s Chris Beth

| Posted in People

I Love Portland Maine has published an interview with Chris Beth, owner of Ohno Cafe.

What inspires your menu, and do you have any personal favorites from over the years?
Chris:  Again, I am lucky to have inherited an amazing menu.  But the old saying is true: “if it ain’t broke, dont fix it.” In five years we have only added 2 menu items., and none of the other menu items have been removed.  Ohno has very loyal customers and it seems as though every person has a sandwich they can identify with.  So, the weekly specials is what gives us a change to get creative and make something different.  Most of those are born by what we feel like eating that week or items that have been really successful in the past.  The #1 is as close as what we have to a “signature sandwich.”  My personal favorite is pretty simple #4 which consists of salmon which is super fresh and smoked right here in town at Browne Trading.