The USM Free Press has published an article about Arcadia National Bar.
On a Monday night the place was packed with people all of whom said that they grew up playing with games Arcadia offered. According to Matt Grassi, a 24 year old Portland local, Arcadia is unlike any bar in Portland and it was inevitable for a place like it to spring up in town. For Grassi, the unique atmosphere lends itself to two things: a good variety of games and a bar free from awkward social expectations.
The Bangor Daily News has profiled The Farm Stand, a new butcher shop and local foods market that opened last month in South Portland.
Transmitting such intimate knowledge of the food people purchase and consume is one motivation driving The Farm Stand, a month-old store that operates like a year-round farmers market with walls. The joint venture between Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth and Farmers’ Gate Market in Wales aims to make buying locally raised and grown food easier for shoppers while helping farmers and food producers in the state find a year-round marketplace for their goods.
Today’s Press Herald provides an inside look at the process Coffee by Design went through to reimagine their roastery when moving to their new 20,000+ square foot facility in East Bayside.
The process started with evaluating – at a microscopic level – the way they were currently working. Each employee was given a log and for two weeks was asked to record examples of waste they observed. When they regrouped to share findings, they had amassed 95 examples of waste, ranging from the time they spent packaging coffee orders to how many times a product crossed the same production space.
“It was mind-boggling,” Hardman said.
The Angela Adams blog Sea Fantasy has published a set of photos of Blue Spoon.
We always try to find great neighborhood restaurants when we travel. This probably comes from us having the luxury of living in a neighborhood with excellent eateries. Blue Spoon, Lolita and The Front Room are all at the top of Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine and are all worth a trip for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Blue Spoon has been one of our long time favorites for years. The owners and staff are incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and very talented. It’s the perfect place to go with friends or on your own for a delicious meal in a cozy environment, surrounded by neighbors.…
Eat Maine has posted a profile of Blue Spoon.
When Iovino opened the doors in 2004, he envisioned a neighborhood meeting place, which is exactly what Blue Spoon has become, especially during its wildly popular version of happy hour, simply called “wine time.” The bistro burger, made with lean ground steak in a Burgundy reduction and topped with caramelized onions, garners an almost cult-like following throughout the city.
The Angela Adams blog, Sea Fantasy, has posted a photo essay of Lolita.
The August issue of Maine includes a profile of Jay Villani,
Villani’s decision to return to the kitchen at Local 188 comes after an extended absence, a time he spent opening and maintaining the operations of his other two successful Portland outposts, Sonny’s and Salvage BBQ. Though nearing 50 (which, as he tells me, is like “300 in chef years”) he has grown as a cook, learning new methods and old tricks, and discovering a new appreciation for the art of plating dishes. He has also grown wiser, learning one of the most important lessons in the restaurant world: how to delegate responsibility when necessary.
Barbecue Rankings was recently in town and paid a visit to Salvage.
I greatly enjoyed my visit. These guys are doing things right and Salvage BBQ comes with my stamp of approval.
The Angela Adams blog has published a very nice set of photos of Standard Baking Company.
Standard Baking Company is one of the gems of Portland, Maine. The European style bakery transports you to the old country with it’s rustic interior and beautifully handcrafted baked goods. The breads are the best around, sticky buns are unrivaled and molasses cookies are addicting. I love walking in and watching big trays of fresh dough going into the ovens— or even better, coming out and onto the shelves for our consumption. In warmer months, I recommend going early, grabbing a coffee and sitting outside next to their beautiful planters, enjoying a tasty pastry fresh out of the oven while you watch the waterfront hustle and bustle.
Eat Maine has profiled Caiola’s.
Much of Caiola’s success can be attributed to Harmon, who approaches cooking with an almost fanatical devotion. She is constantly applying new technique from a myriad of different cultures. She goes to extraordinary lengths to thoroughly understand every element of a dish and immerses herself not only in preparation but also the history of a recipe to a point where I am reminded of well-known American cookbook author Paula Wolfert. This is evident in Harmon’s scallop and lobster rossejat with toasted vermicelli and basil crema, a classic that takes roots in Catalonia and pays homage to Rome.
The Boston Globe has written a brief piece about The Holy Donut.
The Holy Donut makes from scratch and hand cuts, shapes, and glazes roughly 3,500 doughnuts a day in about 24 different flavors. The ones we tried were undisputed winners, including their two most popular sellers – a zesty lemon that pops with fresh citrus, and the dark chocolate sea salt, which is glazed hot from the fryer and practically melts in your mouth.