Ice Cream, Hip Chicks and Red Wine

Today’s Press Herald reports on a new gelato shop that’s due in September, interviews MDI Ice Cream about their new business in Portland and reports on the “Obama Bump” they’ve received since the First Family ate there.

Even President Obama couldn’t resist a coconut cone from Mount Desert Island Ice Cream in Bar Harbor during his visit to Maine last weekend. The sight of the leader of the free world enjoying his afternoon treat sent sales of coconut ice cream soaring at MDI’s Bar Harbor and Portland stores, according to owner Linda Parker. More wholesale orders came rolling in as well.

An interview with macrobiotic author and former Maine resident Jessica Porter,

A former Mainer, Porter lived in Portland when she wrote “The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics.” The fun book — which mixes humorous advice and explanations with recipes — was published in 2004 and reigns as Amazon’s top seller in the macrobiotic category.

Porter returns to Portland next week to conduct a macrobiotic cooking class a week from today, followed by a lecture the following Friday, “Is the Macrobiotic Diet Vegan?” Both will take place at the Five Seasons Cooking School on Munjoy Hill.

and Joe Appel recommends a trio of red wines that are right for Summer.

Guy and Stella Hernandez of Bar Lola Profiled in Find Eat Drink

Bar Lola and it’s owners Guy and Stella Hernandez are featured in a profile on Find Eat Drink penned by their former sous chef Erik Desjarlais.

In a risky career change, Guy and Stella Hernandez traded their pencils, straightedges and successful lives as architects for sauté pans, pork belly and martini shakers. They own and selflessly operate Bar Lola, a popular dinner spot on Munjoy Hill (or “The Hill” as locals call it) in Portland Maine. They have generated a very loyal following amongst locals and food tourists with Guy’s relentlessly organic and simple approach to straight-up tasty food, and Stella’s keen sense of…well…just basically making you feel welcome.

Michelle & Steve Corry on Fox

Michelle & Steve Corry appeared on Fox’s Good Morning Maine show Wednesday morning to talk about their restaurant Five Fifty-Five and a new cookbook, Fresh from Maine that the restaurant is appearing in (along with Bar Lola, Caiola’s Cinque Terre, Fore Street, Hugo’s, Old Port Sea Grill, etc) . Fresh from Maine is authored by Michael Sanders and illustrated by Portland photographer Russell French.

Michelle & Steve Corry on Fox

Michelle & Steve Corry appeared on Fox’s Good Morning Maine show Wednesday morning to talk about their restaurant Five Fifty-Five and a new cookbook, Fresh from Maine that the restaurant is appearing in (along with Bar Lola, Caiola’s Cinque Terre, Fore Street, Hugo’s, Old Port Sea Grill, etc) . Fresh from Maine is authored by Michael Sanders and illustrated by Portland photographer Russell French.

Havana South Three Ways

There’s some new material on Havana South, the Wharf Street restaurant that opened earlier this week:

  • PortlandTown has published photos of several dishes (Moqueca, Rack of Lamb, Chile Rubbed Yellow Fin, etc) that are now on the menu. (There’s also a few images of Mura, Shima’s new bar/bistro space)
  • The July issue of Maine magazine includes an article penned by Samantha Hoyt Lindgren about owners Deidre Swords and Michael Boland and the restaurant’s chef Jason Casey. (The new issue also provides advice on where to grab a bite on Peaks, Chebeague and the other islands in Casco Bay, and a guide to the best in Maine ice cream.) The July issue isn’t online yet but you can usually find a free copy at Bard Coffee.
  • Maine Ahead magazine has published an interview with chef Jason Casey and his recipe for Moqueca.

Interview with Dennis Yesse

Today’s Press Herald has published a ShopTalk interview with Dennis Yesse, owner of BagelGuy. Yesse supplies bagels to a number of local cafes including PeRx-U-Up Cafe and the Portland Square Cafe.

Q: What are the qualities of the perfect bagel?
A: Sort of a crispness to it, to the outside. A heaviness to it. You need some type of heft to it, some weight. It’s not an airy product. And it’s got sort of a malty flavor because there is malt in it.

Girl Gone Raw Interview

Wednesday’s Portland Daily Sun included an interview with artist Elizabeth Fraser about her raw food preparation program Girl Gone Raw.

Q: Portland’s a pretty progressive food town. Where does going raw fit in?
A: “There’s a huge food revolution across the country. People want to eat better and get rid of processed foods in their diets. With the emphasis on obesity in out kids, the time is right and people are ready to change what hasn’t been working for them. Here in Portland, I hope to share this great thing through my classes, community outreach and by talking to people like you!!”

Frasier & Gaier plus Food+Farm

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a profile of Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, winners of the 2010 Best Chef Northeast James Beard Award,

“I’m definitely really happy that they won,” said Melissa Kelly, chef/owner of Primo in Rockland and the 1999 winner of Best Chef in the Northeast. “I always nominate them. I think they deserve it. They really are icons in the business.”

and an overview of the Food+Farm program being put on this week by Space Gallery.

Now entering its third year, the popular film festival and local food celebration kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday. It will showcase four feature-length documentaries, screen four Maine-produced shorts and offer a chance to get your hands dirty on an urban farm. But don’t expect to see films that rehash the big-picture problems with our industrial food system.

Frasier & Gaier plus Food+Farm

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a profile of Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, winners of the 2010 Best Chef Northeast James Beard Award,

“I’m definitely really happy that they won,” said Melissa Kelly, chef/owner of Primo in Rockland and the 1999 winner of Best Chef in the Northeast. “I always nominate them. I think they deserve it. They really are icons in the business.”

and an overview of the Food+Farm program being put on this week by Space Gallery.

Now entering its third year, the popular film festival and local food celebration kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday. It will showcase four feature-length documentaries, screen four Maine-produced shorts and offer a chance to get your hands dirty on an urban farm. But don’t expect to see films that rehash the big-picture problems with our industrial food system.