Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes an update on Mr. Sandwich and Mrs. Muffin in Bramhall Square.
Starting their third year, the restaurant is owned, managed and operated by Susan [Denyer] and her daughters, Brena and Kathleen. “We’ll be introducing an electric grill and new items including French toast since now we’ll be baking our own bread. Oh and ice cream, which is almost impossible to find in the West End. We’ll be serving sundaes and think it’ll go over well.”
The Reuters news service has produced a profile of Grace.
Every element of the design shows a keen eye for detail. Napkin rings are made from spare parts harvested from the original pipe organ. The dramatic architectural feature over the bar echoes two trefoil stained glass windows. Even the knives mimic tall, spear-shaped windows.
Chef Peter Sueltenfuss presides over the large open kitchen located in the church’s former altar. There, he produces an eclectic blend of modern American cooking that leans heavily on Maine seafood and locally-raised produce.
The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a feature article on the Maine Food Producers Alliance.
The alliance holds workshops that teach up-and-coming stovetop businesses all the practical things they need to know, from picking out the best packaging to the do’s and don’ts of approaching major retailers. The group includes businesses of all sizes, from Stonewall Kitchen – whose owners started out selling their products at local farmers markets – to smaller ventures such as the Perfect Peanut Brittle Co. in Saco.
For more information on the MFPA visit their website.
Instant Portland has posted a look at Fore Street’s 2 gelato shops: Gorgeous Gelato and Gelato Fiasco.
I suspect you’re expecting me to come down on one side or the other – to pick a shop as the top gelato shop in the city. I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going to encourage you to try them both and see which one you like the best. Like chocolate and vanilla, they are very different shops but each delicious in their own way. Fore Street is one of the most visible locations in the city, with heavy foot traffic, and I’m confident that both shops will do well…
Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes a profile of MB’s Sweets, a South Portland gluten-free bakery.
Mary Beth Goldman of MB’s Sweets is quietly, persistently and actively infiltrating area restaurants, retail outlets and coffee shops with products that are deceivingly healthier than their white flour and hydrogenated-frosted counterparts. All the rage, or not, Goldman says, “Gluten-free sweets don’t have to be dry, gross and recall a childhood memory of choking on a graham cracker. Most people associate gluten-free with crumbly, gritty and crunchy — but that just isn’t the case.”
In Portland, MB’s Sweets products are available at Morning in Paris Cafe on Exchange Street.
Earlier this week the Portland Daily Sun published a profile of Marcy’s Diner including details on the eatery’s change in ownership.
Back in March, the previous owners and motorcycle fanatics Murray and Joely Sparks put the word out that they were looking for someone to take over the diner. They had a 2-year-old son at home, and work days that could sometimes turn in to 24-hour-long marathons proved to be incompatible with the challenge of raising a little boy. They wanted to make sure the location, a diner since the early 1940s, would remain an eatery, and decided to find a new owner rather than close and risk the space being leased to other entities.
The Food & Dining section in today’s includes a feature article about Maine-based Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants.
The Suydams run their spice business out of their rural home, where they also raise heritage pigs, chickens and ducks. They prepare and package the spices in a commercial kitchen they’ve built in their basement, which has a six-burner gas stove, a huge mixer, large stainless sinks and other equipment. Colorful spices are everywhere, and when Rick is working on a curry blend, the fragrance wafts upstairs and fills the house.
In Portland you can buy Gryffon Ridge products at LeRoux Kitchen on Commercial Street.
The Maine Culinary Podcast has published an interview with staff from the Portland Food Co-op on Hampshire Street.
Welcome to Episode 11. In this episode we had an opportunity to learn about the Portland Food Co-op. Michelle Smith, sat down with us and explained a bit about how the group came to be and how the Co-op works. Michelle also told us all about the suppliers and vendors that make their product available to the group. Tim, working as Vendor Coordinator, also joined us to go a bit more in depth about the building the Co-op resides in and also how he got started working with the group.
Food, etc. has published a profile of The Honey Exchange.
Buying a jar of honey is like buying a bottle of wine, says Meghan Gaven, who owns the business with her husband, Phil. “Each has a different character. Lighter colored honeys tend to be more floral and minty,” she says. “The darker the honey, the stronger the flavor.”
The Portland Daily Sun has published a profile of the Bakery on the Hill and its owner Wolf Gonier.
When asked about the inevitable concerns that come with opening a new dining establishment, Gonier smiled and said, “We’re still feeling out our identity, but I am passionately proud of my cakes and pastries. I only use the very best chocolate, butter, cream and supplies. It may sound egotistical, but all I have to do is get the food in their mouths. I just need one chance. We love Portland and want to make everyone feel welcome.”
The Low Down: Head into Bakery on the Hill for freshly brewed coffee and a sample smattering of up to a dozen individually sized desserts, six to eight whole cakes, a dozen bars and/or cupcakes and seasonal offerings, all available daily.