Year: 2007

December 2007 Blog Posts

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The process of converting all the past blog posts into the new system will take some time. I will chip away at it as time allows. In the meantime you can read the posts from December 2007:

December 31
Rabelais Books is hosting an event with David Wondrich, an “internationally-recognized authority on cocktails and their history” and author of IMBIBE!, this Friday from 5-7 pm. Blogger Accidental Vegetables has posted comments about her recent visits to Thanh Thanh 2 (“I continue to be favorably impressed”), Empire Dine and Dance(“I really wanted to like Empire”), and Pom’s Thai Taste (“Overall our experience at Pom’s was outstanding”). Portland Magazine has published a new review of Green Elephant.
December 30 PM
Artist Stephen Quirk has begun a project photographing local kitchens. Photos of Zu Bakery, West End Deli, and Bresca are available so far.
December 30 AM
Gauchos Churrascaria opened for business this week at 100 Commercial St, former location of Oolong. MaineToday.com has a new review by Nancy English of Ribollita. Alison LePage, author of the Local Foodie locavore blog, will be a guest on WMPG’s (FM 90.9) show Big Talk on Thursday January 3, at 7:30 pm.
December 27
The Phoenix‘s Brian Duff has published his food predictions for 2008. The Maine Switch has a new review of Bull Feeney’s, as well as tips on buying Champagne and dealing with New Year’s Day hangovers.
December 25
According to The Bollard, the new owner of the Chestnut Street Church plans on turning the historic building into a restaurant.
December 23
According to a recent post on the eGullet Forums, Gauchos Churrascaria, a Brazillian steakhouse, will be opening for business on December 27.
December 22
Type A Diversions has published reviews of Tandoorand of Fore Street.
December 21
Passage to India had its grand opening this week. They are in the spot formerly occupied by Soffrito on Wharf Street.
December 20 PM
Empire Dine and Dance is the focus of an article from The Forecaster on the changes taking place on Congress Street.
December 20 AM
Siam Orchid, a “Thai takeout place” located in One City Center’s food court, was reviewed in the Go section on MaineToday.com.
December 19 PM
Empire Dine and Dance and Bintliff’s American Cafewere reviewed in this week’s issue of The Maine Switch. The Portland Phoenix has a new article from Brian Duff on the growth and diversity of online information sources focused on the Portland restaurant scene. Along with Portland Food Map, Duff mentions Portland Psst!, Type A Diversions, From Way Away, Accidental Vegetables, and The Breakfast Club.
December 19 AM
Blogger From Way Away has filed another report on his quest to sample all locally available poutine. You may recall, his first stop back in October was Duckfat; he gave them an overall scrore of 3.66. This monthhe reported on a visit to The Frog and Turtle which got an overall score of 1.8 for it’s interpretation of the classic fries and gravy dish.
December 17
Binga’s Wingas has closed its Portland St. location. A sign on the door explains, “Due to repeated vandalism, this location will only be open for parties and private functions.”
December 16
Nancy English gave Whole Foods Trattoria 2 out of a possible 5 stars in the review published today on MaineToday.com. English writes, “With the enormous range of food steps away, I imagined the corner of Portland’s Whole Foods Market that serves hot meals would be worth trying out. For the most part, I was wrong.” The Bollard is reporting that the owner of Digger’s and Liquid Blue has lost his appeal for an entertainment license and that the decision may spell the the end for the two local bars.
December 14
Today’s Press Herald reports that Freeport has given Gritty’s the go ahead to build a 24 foot tall silo to store barley malt. The silo will hold up to 50,000 pounds of grain.
December 13
There’s a new review of the Flask Lounge in the Go Magazine section of MaineToday.com. Also in today’s paper is a Community Voices article by Chichun Tsou about the role of rice in East Asian cultures. The Portland Phoenix has an article by Lindsay Sterling on her experience cooking with West Ender Sally Ng.
December 11
Fog Cutter Coffee had its first day in the old Maine Roasters location at 529 Warren Ave yesterday. To celebrate their new location coffee was free to everyone who stopped by. Nancy English has published a new installment of her holiday shopping series on Chow Maine. The three articles so far have covered caviar, holiday breads, and, my favorite, chocolate.
December 10
The Breakfast Club has published a new review. Benny Girl, Wild Toast and the rest of the Breakfast Club crew visited Ruski’s on Danforth St. They gave it an overall rating of a B.
December 8
Fog Cutter Coffee plans on opening their new location on Warren Ave Monday morning.
December 7 PM
Empire Dine and Dance opened their doors to the public today. They’re running a cash bar and a limited menu at the moment. Credit card processing and a full menu are expected to come online next week. A group called Sacarrapa Boys is going on stage tonight at 9pm. On an unrelated topic, Downtown Lounge has opened back up.
December 7 AM
Today’s Press Herald has a detailed article about Freaky Bean and its purchase of Maine Roasters. The article mentions that Freaky Bean plans on opening additional locations next year in South Portland and Scarborough. It goes on to say that the Maine Roasters location on Warren Ave has been closed and is being sold to Fog Cutter Coffee “which owns drive-through operations in Cumberland and South Portland.” According to Fog Cutter, their new location will be open by the end of the year.
December 6
The Maine Switch has published a review of Casa Novello, an Italian restaurant located in Westbrook. The Portland Phoenix has an in-depth article on the ongoing development of the Portland Food Co-op. There’s a new review on MaineToday.com of Leonardo’s Pizza.
December 5
On November 30 Freaky Bean Coffee entered into an agreement to purchase Maine Roasters Coffee. The acquisitions spreads their reach northward into Falmouth and Yarmouth. Freaky Bean VP, Andrew Kessler tells me that they anticipate a slow transition as they take the time to learn more about the neighborhoods and their new customers . . . The Bollard is reporting that a restaurant called Chef et al will be moving into the former Venue Bar & Grill location on Forest Ave, and that Granny’s Burritos has unexpectedly closed . . . Portland Psst!is reporting that the owner of The Front Room will be opening a new restaurant called The Grill Roomat the former location of Natasha’s. Also according to Psst!, Pom’s Thai Taste opened today which pushes the official count of Thai restaurants in the city to 11. Quite day for restaurant news in Portland.
December 3
The Downtown Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations. Chris2fer has been added to the list of local food bloggers. The latest print edition of The Bollard includes recommendations on family friendly restaurants. Among those that the author recommends are O’Natural’s, Flatbread, Three Dollar Deweys and Mekhong Thai. Also in The Bollard is an article on forgotten cocktails by John Meyers, the bartender at Local 188. You can pick up your free copy of The Bollard at Coffee by Design and many other local locations. Blogger Type A Diversions has posted a review of Duckfat; a recent visit changed her previously negative impressions of the Middle St sandwich shop.
December 2
Nancy English gave Bonobo 4 fours stars in the review published today on MaineToday.com. English sums up her impressions of the West End pizzeria by writing “The craftsmanship here assures you of an exceptional thin-crust pizza; ask which are the lighter ‘new generation’ pies if you like more of the crunch.” Also in today’s paper is an article on the closing of the Village Cafe.
December 1
The top 10 restaurants viewed most often on Portland Food Map for the month of November are:

  1. Bresca
  2. The Frog and Turtle
  3. Back Bay Grill
  4. Caiola’s
  5. Five Fifty-Five
  6. Dogfish
  7. Green Elephant
  8. Blue Spoon
  9. Local 188
  10. Ribollita

Bresca has remained in the top spot for the past 3 months running while the other nine slots have been somewhat fluid.

November 2007 Blog Posts

| Posted in Uncategorized

The process of converting all the past blog posts into the new system will take some time. I will chip away at it as time allows. In the meantime you can read the posts from November 2007 here.

November 30
This week’s issue of The Forecaster has an article on the imminent closing of the Village Cafe, a mainstay of the Portland restaurant industry for 71 years. Natasha’s closed up shop for the last time earlier this week. As mentioned in last week’s issue of The Forecaster, this will now provide owner Natasha Durham the freedom to focus exclusively on her Commercial St restaurant Mims Brasserie.
November 29
This week’s issue of The Maine Switch features reviews of the Flask Lounge and Terra Cotta Pasta. MaineToday.com has another review of Uncle Billy’s Resto-Bar; they must really like Uncle Billy’s because that’s the second review they’ve done this year on the Congress St barbeque restaurant.
November 28
Brian Duff from The Portland Phoenix has done a round-up review of the newest pizzerias in town—Bonobo, Siano’s, and Leonardo’s. The article also reports that Haggarty’s has been experimentin with making Indian pizzas which they plan on adding to their menu in 2008.
Portland Food Search
There’s now another way to use this site to find the information you want. In addition to the Map View, List View and street maps, there’s now Portland Food Search. Portland Food Search is a customized search engine that simultaneously searches more than 200 local food orriented websites. You can access this new search service by clicking on the new Food Search tab at the top of the page.
November 25
Food Factory Miyake picked up another positive review today. Nancy English gave the Spring St sushi restaurant 4 fours stars in her review published today on MaineToday.com. Eric Desjarlais has written on his blog about the progress he’s making in opening Evangeline, his new State St restaurant. Portland Pie Company has completed their move from Fore St to 51 York St.
November 24
The new Forest Ave location for Mexico Lindo is now open for business.
November 23
Erin from Type A Diversions has published a new review of Street & Co., the Wharf St seafood restaurant.
November 22
This week’s The Maine Switch includes a review of Bruno’s Tavern, as well as articles on the Good Eats Boutique, and Maine Brewing Supply. The review of Bruno’s takes another place off list of restaurants without a review.
November 20 PM
Lindsay Sterling from the Portland Phoenix has written a reivew on Bogusha’s Polish Restaurant and Deli.
November 20 AM
The Bollard has published a review of Al-Amin Halaal Market which is located on Saint John St. “The food is worth the effort”, writes Zachary Barowitz, author of the review. Izzy’s Cheesecakes has been added to the site. The Portland Press Herald has an article today about the Maine shrimp season which will run this year from December 1 through the end of April.
November 19
The front page of today’s Portland Press Herald features an interview with Makara Meng, the owner of Mitpheap Asian Market on Washington Ave. The article tells the story of Meng’s surviving the Khmer Rouge regime and her imigration to America in 1984. Also in today’s paper is an article about Backyard Farms, a commercial tomato growing operation in Madison, ME. Backyard Farm’s tomatoes are called the Backyard Beauties and are available at Hannaford.
November 18
Thanks to a review by Erin at Type A Diversions, Sala Thai is off the list of restaurants without a review.
November 15 PM
Today, The Forecaster published a rundown of recent and upcoming changes in the Portland restaurant line up. The article includes a note that Crab Louie will be undergoing a name and menu change, and that sadly Natasha’s will be closing down for good.
November 15 AM
Karen Beaudoin from The Maine Switch has written a reivew of La Familia. With Thanksgiving just a week away there have been a trio of articles published recently by Chow Maine, The Maine Switch and Maine Today with advice for shopping and/or cooking for the holiday.
November 13
Flask, a sports bar located on Spring St next to Katahdin, has opened for business. A new food delivery service called 2 Dine In has been added to the site. To use their service it looks like you just place an order with them online and they’ll pick up the meal and bring it to your door. Passage to India, a new Indian restaurant that will be located on Wharf St, has been added to the Under Contruction list.
November 10
The Good Eats Boutique, a bakery/candy store on Stevens Ave, had their grand opening today. Additionally, blogger Type A Diversions published a review of Ribollita. In her words, “I highly recommend putting Ribollita on your “must try” list. Romantic, cozy and intimate, they serve excellent Tuscan comfort food at a fair price.”
November 8
Avery Yale Kamila from The Maine Switch has reviewed Siano’s. It’s the the first review published on the new Stevens Ave pizzeria. That leaves just 82 places in Portland without a review. There’s also a new review of The Frog and Turtle by Brian Duff at the Portland Phoenix.
November 5
Benny Girl and the rest of the Breakfast Club crew have published a new review—this week they visited Francisco’s Blue House Cafe. Vivian’s Drive-In and Maine Brewing Supply have been added to the site.
November 4
Local 188 has been written up in the November issue of Portland Magazine. Blogger From Way Away has weighed in on Bonobo. Nancy English has written a review of Brian Boru that appeared in today’s newspaper. The review of Brian Boru takes the list of restaurants and bars without a review down to 83.
November 3
Blogger Type A Diversions has written up a review of the North Star Music Cafe.
November 1
Avery Yale Kamila from The Maine Switch has reviewed the Green Elephant. It’s the the first review published of Portland’s newest vegetarian restaurant. That leaves just 84 places in Portland without a review. There’s also a new review of La Familia by Brian Duff at the Portland Phoenix. In today’s Press Herald there’s an interesting interview with Peter Haggarty. Peter is the owner of Haggarty’s, a “Brit-Indi” takeout restaurant on Forest Ave.

October 2007 Blog Posts

| Posted in Uncategorized

The process of converting all the past blog posts into the new system will take some time. I will chip away at it as time allows. In the meantime you can read the posts from October 2007 here.

October 31
Nancy English has published her monthly calendar of wine tastings that are taking place in Maine during the coming month. The schedule includes many events right here in the Portland area as well as some more further afield.
October 29
Portland Food Map was the subject of an article by Justin Ellis in today’s Portland Press Herald.
October 28
A new sports bar called Flask is planning to open on Spring adjacent to Katahdin.
October 27
Fat Baxter’s had it’s grand opening today. The small East End market was crowded with customers when I stopped by to pick up some lunch (a prosciutto and apple sandwich and a bottle of peach lambec).
October 24
Today’s issue of The Maine Switch has a new review of the Dogfish Cafe and an article about Fat Baxter’s which “is scheduled to officially open on Saturday”. The weekly newspaper also has a very interesting article about the cultivation and consumption of oysters including a long list of local restaurants that serve the tasty shelfish. For those of you interested in going to the Green Elephant, you can take a look at the lunch and dinner menus posted on their new website.
October 23
There’s a new review of Viet Bankok Cuisine by local blogger Accidental Vegetables.
October 21
Mims Brasserie garnered 3½ stars from N.L. English in a review published today on MaineToday.com. There’s also a new review of Miyake by local blogger Type A Diversions.
October 20
Siano’s, a brick oven pizzeria, has opened up on Stevens Ave next to Pat’s Meat Market. Fat Baxter’s, the highly anticipated East End market, are now predicting that they will open next weekend.
October 18
A new ethnic market called International Market has opened up on Vannah Ave in the location formerly occupied by Portland Spice Co.
October 17
The Green Elephant, an Asian inspired ‘vegetarian bistro’, has opened up on Congress St across from the State Theater building. The Breakfast Club has come back from a long Summer break with a critical review of Becky’s Diner, and Brian Duff has written a critical review of Local 188 in the latest issue of The Portland Phoenix.
October 13
A Brazilian steak house is planning to open at 100 Commercial St—the former location of Oolong and Portland’s Restaurant and Bar. The restuarant will be called Gauchos Churrascaria. The reviews that I’ve read on their existing location in Manchester, NH have mostly been positive.
October 12
The blogger at Type A Diversions is asking for her readers to vote on what restaurant she does her next review of. So far there’s been one vote for King of the Roll. Two new restaurants-in-the-making have been added to the growing list of new start-ups, Star East Cafe and Mexico Lindo. Goodfellas, a bar on Warren Ave, has also been added to the site.
October 11
Todd Richard has covered Fresh Approach in the latest article in the The Portland Phoenix‘s Twenty$pot column. Also, Avery Yale Kamila from The Maine Switch has reported on the purpose and plans of the Portland Food Co-op.
October 9
Take a look at the newest section of the PFM website. This new area is home to a growing number of street maps that show where the restaurants, bakeries, markets and other food businesses listed on the site are located. About half of the maps have been created already, covering 23 categories from Bakeries to Wings. The remainder are being worked on and will launch over the next couple weeks. The street maps are intended as a supplement to the links to reviews and other commentary already on the site. The new maps are set-up in a way that is easy to bookmark and link to so you can share them with others. If you have any comments on the new feature, please email me at anestes@portlandfoodmap.com.
October 8
Cultivating Community, a local non-profit that makes sustainable farming a core part of its mission, has been added to the site. There’s a new review of Yosaku from Type A Diversions that’s critical of recent changes at the restaurant. Also, a new halal market, Al-Mustaqim Halal Market, has opened up in the West End, located next to Binga’s Wingas on Congress. That makes at least four halal markets in Portland; they add to the depth and variety of the ethnic food scene in the city.
October 7
The From Way Away blog commented on an over population of Thai restaurants in Portland (9 soon to be 10). Here are a few other numbers: Italian restaurants (13), Chinese restaurants (8), sushi restaurants (9), variety stores (22), pizza (12). What do you think? Too many, not enough, just right?
October 4
MaineToday.com reviewed the Bar of Chocolate Cafe. It’s the the first review published of this small Wharf St bar/cafe/desert destination. Also, the Blue Spoon was reviewed in The Maine Switch.
October 2
Leonardo’s Pizza has opened a store on Forest Ave within a block or two of two other pizzerias, Stavros Pizzeria and Deli, and Pizza Joint. There’s no place to sit down inside, just a small counter for ordering. They primarily run a pizza delivery service although you can call in an order and pick it up yourself.
October 1
A new review of Bonobo has been published in the October issue of Portland Magazine. The author refers to the new space as “whimsical” and decries “Bonobo Bellissimo!” about the pizzeria’s signature pie.

September 2007 Blog Posts

| Posted in Uncategorized

The process of converting all the past blog posts into the new system will take some time. I will chip away at it as time allows. In the meantime you can read the posts from September 2007 here.

September 30 PM
A vegetarian restaurant called Green Elephant is opening in the Congress Street location formerly occupied by Portland Hunan. I got a glimpse inside and it looks nearly ready. I’ve heard that Green Elephant and Bangkok Thai are owned by the same people so we may be in for some Asian inspired vegetarian fare. Emilitsa, the Greek restaurant that was first reported on by Portland Psst! in April, is almost ready and they hope to open in late October. The Portland Forecaster had reported that Fat Baxster’s would open this weekend but it looks like they still have a little more left to do. Based on the state of construction I can see through the window, my guess is that they still have another week or two to go.
September 30 AM
Two Portland businesses that cater to those of us with a sweet tooth have been added to the site. Katie Made is a bakery that sells made to order cakes and pies, and Dean’s Sweets is a chocolatier that makes 17 different flavors of truffles including Tequilla Lime and Cayenne Pepper. Maps have created for the Indian, Ice Cream, Candy, Gelato, Tea, Wings, and Pizza sections of the site. Now you can easily find the business that’s closest to you.
September 27
The Maine Switch called Morrison’s Maine Course “hot and hearty” in a review published today. Additionally, MaineToday.com reviewed Shokudo Teriyaki. It’s the first review of the new Japanese restaurant located on Saint John Street. The review of Shokudo takes one more place off the list of unreviewed venues, there’s now just 82 left to go.
September 26
Erik Desjarlais’ new restaurant is to be called Evangeline and will be located at 190 State St. If that address sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s the former location of Uffa. And as Uffa fans know, Uffa changed it’s name to The Frog & Turtle and moved to Westbrook into the former location of Chicky’s Fine Diner. The musical chairs of Portland restaurant locations. See the Under Construction page for more information on all new food related businesses starting up in Portland.
September 23
David’s 388 in South Portland has garnered another positive review. N.L. English from the MaineToday.com gives it 3½ stars.
September 21
The Portland Forecaster has published a mixed review of Bresca. It also has published an interview with the owner of Fat Baxster’s East End Market indicating that the new Munjoy Hill store plans to open next weekend. Also Siano’s, the brickoven pizzeria on Stevens Ave, is planning to open October 1. See the Under Construction page for a full list for new food business that are starting up in Portland.
September 20
The Bollard has published a review of Kathy and Dave’s Cafe. The Maine Switch has published new restarant reviews for The Frog & Turtle and King of the Roll. They also had some kind words to say about PortlandFoodMap.com in their Web of the Week column. Thank you TMS!
Category Maps
A new feature is starting to take shape, and I’d like to get your feedback on it. You may have noticed that over the past few days, I’ve started creating maps that show the location of all the entries in a particular category. For example, there’s a map that shows the location of all the Italian restaurants. So far, I’ve created category maps for the bakeries, burrito shops, coffee houses, and the Italian, sushi, tapas, Thai, and vietnamese restaurants. To see them just click on one of the links listed above and then click on the “find the locations nearest you . . .” link. I’d like to know what you, as a visitor to the site, think of this idea. If you have any thoughts on it, just email me with your feedback.
September 16
The Frog & Turtle, the Westbrook-located new incarnation of Uffa has opened its doors.
September 15
There are new entries on the site for the Epicurean Auction Benefit and the Stephen Cooks blog. Also, the Press Herald has published the first review of Morrison’s Maine Course so Morrison’s is now off the Unreviewed list. A sign in the window of the old Portland Spice Co. location announcing that a new business called International Market is planning to set up shop there.
September 13
The Maine Switch has published a new restaurant review for Caiola’s, as well as an interview with Toni Fiore who is the host Delicious TV. Delicious TV is a vegetarian cooking show that airs on PBS and is produced here in Portland.
September 10
Viet Bangkok Cuisine was graced with it’s very first review and so has now been removed from the Never Been Reviewed list. MaineToday.com has launched two new food blogs, Enjoy Your Meal and Yankee Fare. These take the place of Food for Thought. I’ve also added several overlooked food businesses to the map: Portland Lobster Pound, Allagash Brewing Co., and D.L. Geary Brewing Co.
September 7
Several new additions have been made to the site: Shack’s Pub, Shokudo Teriyaki, Calder’s Clam Shack, Doughty’s Island Market, and Kaah Express. Two of them (Shack’s and Shokudo) are also on the never been reviewed list—which can now be found linked from the List View page. There are two new restaurant reviews, one for Espo’s Trattoria and one that discusses Black Tie and Micucci’s.
September 6
The Bollard is reporting that a liquor license for a new “restaurant and live music venue” at the corner of Congress St and Forest Ave has been approved. It’s going to be called Empire Dine & Dance. The Under Construction list has been updated to reflect the news.
September 4
Eric Dejarlais has taken the first step in re-opening Bandol by signing a lease. With new restaurants popping up all the time, you need a score card to keep track of them. With that in mind, I’ve created a list of new food businesses that are under construction that I’ll update as new information becomes available.
September 3
Thanks to Portland Psst!, Kim’s Sandwich Cafe has received its first review. Many Portland restaurants, coffee shops, bars, etc. have never been reviewed even once, while others get visited and written up repeatedly. Here’s a full list of all that are still waiting for their first review. My hope is that local food writers will take up the challenge and use this list to guide the editorial choices in the near future. Other updates: Marya Baron’s blog Accidental Vegetables has been added to the map, and my effort to make sure every entry lists good contact information and a link to their company website is nearly complete.

August 2007 Blog Posts

| Posted in Uncategorized

The process of converting all the past blog posts into the new system will take some time. I will chip away at it as time allows. In the meantime you can read the posts from August 2007 here.

August 31
Maple’s Organics have opened a second location. They’re located on Middle street in the same building as Anthony’s Italian Kitchen and Videoport.
August 30
There’s a new review for Food Factory Miyake, Portland’s newest sushi house. Also, several eateries located on Peaks have been added to the map: Jones Landing, Peaks Cafe, Peaks Island House and The Inn on Peaks Island. They join other island-based restaurants, Cockeyed Gull and Diamond’s Edge.
August 26
Uffa! served their last meal today, and with regret I’ve removed them from the map. They’re scheduled to open their new venture The Frog and the Turtle, a gastro-pub in Westbrook sometime in mid-September. Kim’s Sandwich Cafe was added to the map.
August 23
Morrison’s Maine Course, a chowder house, has opened its doors on Temple street. A new review for Bibo’s Madd Apple Cafe was added. Several additional entries were added to the Non-edibles>>Publications section.
August 22
New reviews for Andy’s Old Port Pub, Ribollita, Vignola and Maria’s Ristorante were added.
August 19
New reviews for K. Horton Specialty Foods, Bonobo,and Local 188 were added, and there was yet another new review for Bresca. All sections and subsections now link to the items they contain. Address, phone number, and a link to Google Maps are in place most places listed on the map.
August 14
New reviews for Bresca and the Commercial Street Pub were added, as was a new entry to the Non-Edibles>>Blogs section for the Rabelais Books Blog.
August 12
Chaba Thai Cuisine II added; several new reviews were added; comments and rankings of entries for La Familia and Daily Thymes.
August 7
After many months of research and construction, the site is officially launched!