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.
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.
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.”
Zapoteca’s chef Shannon Bard will be appearing on the Food Network show Beat Bobby Flay, according to reports from Maine Today and the Urban Eye. The show will air March 6 at 10 pm.
Bard is also featured in an article on the Bon Appetit website in an article entitled “How to Cook Lobster Mexican-Style“.
Independent Restaurateur has published an interview with Peter Zinn, owner of Po’Boys & Pickles on Forest Ave.
Peter Zinn of Portland, Maine, never started out to own a restaurant, but these days, you’ll find him hard at work behind the counter of Po’ Boys & Pickles, his Louisiana-style sandwich shop.
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.
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.
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.
The Bangor Daily News has published an interview with chef Shannon Bard from Zapoteca.
The chef-owner at Zapoteca in Portland is starting the year off on a high note. She will cook at the James Beard House in New York City at the end of January, will compete on a new Food Network show in February and is working on a cookbook. In the fall, the Kennebunk resident plans to open her third restaurant — Spanish spot Toroso in Portland — with her husband, Tom Bard. Not bad for a woman who didn’t go pro until she turned 40.