Eighteen Twenty Wines is planning to move from their current location to the adjacent space at 219 Anderson Street which is currently occupied by Blue Lobster Wine.
Pierogi Pop-up
Rose Foods is teaming up with the staff from Ripka to hold a Pierogi Pop-up on Sunday, 10 am to 2 pm.
Maine Chefs on Reality TV
The Press Herald talked with chefs Rob Evans, Matt Ginn, Austin Miller, Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, Rachel LeGloahec, Zachary Pratt, and Shanna O’Hea about their experiences appearing on reality cooking shows like Chopped.
Contestants described a typical day filming “Chopped” in New York City. All the chefs appearing on the same episode meet at a fast food joint around 5:30 a.m. for a day that won’t end until 9 p.m. They are ushered into an unmarked building, where they must give up their cell phones. Ginn says that for “Chopped Champions,” pockets were checked for hidden recipes and smuggled kitchen equipment. Chefs say they were not even allowed to go to the bathroom alone.
Under Construction: Monte’s Fine Foods
Mainebiz has published an update on Monte’s Fine Foods which is slated to open on Washington Ave in May.
The plan morphed into a retail operation selling local and imported food products, mostly Mediterranean. Plus, they’ll have in-store dining featuring Roman-style pizza made on the premises. There are several types of Roman pizza, he said. In this case, they’ll make Roman “pinsa,” a rustic multi-grain flatbread that’s crispy and light, he explained. Toppings will feature the local and imported ingredients sold in the store.
Pat’s Meat Market
Discover Maine magazine has published an article on the history of Pat’s Meat Market.
This Week’s Events: Italian Cooking Class, Winter Market, NYE List
Thursday – The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beer from Baxter Brewing.
Friday – Marco D’Angelo is teaching an Italian cooking class, and there will be a wine tasting at the West End Rosemont.
Saturday – the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday – Two Fat Cats is leading a holiday cookie decorating class, Samuel’s is holding a fundraiser for Toys-for-Tots, and Bow Street Beverage is holding their monthly wine seminar.
New Year’s Eve – restaurants have begun announcing their NYE dinner options:
- Blue Spoon – 4-course dinner with champagne toast, optionan wine pairing $60 per person.
- Central Provisions – 7-course dinner with pairings, $150 per person. Two seatings at 6 pm and 10 pm.
- Falmouth Country Club – chef Nick Verdisco is serving a New Year’s Eve dinner, $80 per person.
- Five Fifty-Five – 4-course dinner for $90 per person, 7-course for $125 per person.
- Grace – 4-course dinner with bubbles for $85 per person.
- Isa – 3-course dinner for $65 per person.
- Lolita – 6-course dinner for $110 per person (tax and tip included).
- North 43 Bistro – 4-course dinner.
- Petite Jacqueline – 3-course dinner for $55 per person, 5-course dinner for $75 per person.
- Piccolo – 5-course dinner for $85 per person.
- Sur Lie – serving both their standard and a special NYE menu.
- Terlingua – 5-course dinner and champagne toast for $85 per person.
- The Honey Paw – is serving a dim sum menu all night.
- Tiqa – 3-course dinner with champagne for $55 per person with seatings at 5, 7, and 9:30.
- Vinland – 5-course dinner for $95 with optional pairings for $55; two seatings at 6 and 8:30.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.
Under Construction: Luke’s Lobster
Today’s Press Herald reports on a 175-seat Luke’s Lobster planned for Portland Pier.
The restaurant at 60 Portland Pier will be the seafood chain’s largest by far, with 175 indoor seats and a patio that seats 25, according to company founder Luke Holden, a native of Cape Elizabeth. The typical Luke’s location seats about 25 patrons.
Holden hopes to have the restaurant open at the start of Summer.
Reviews: Pizzarino, Cong tu Bot, Isa, Mami
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Pizzarino,
Pizzarino, the sister business of Portland’s Paciarino, aims to do just a few dishes and do them well. It succeeds with its wholemeal-crust pizzas, especially when they’re topped with prosciutto or a quadruple-whammy of imported Italian cheeses…But elsewhere, Pizzarino cuts too many corners with its heavy reliance on pre-bought, packaged ingredients imported largely from Italy. There are sticky, under-flavored gnocchi; rubbery mushrooms and metallic-tasting black olives; and most egregious, an entire range of refrigerated and frozen desserts that come ready-to-serve – no added work required. There’s room on the Portland dining scene for a great Milanese restaurant. Here’s hoping Pizzarino ditches the ready-made food and puts in the work to become just that.
the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Mami
Whether or not co-owners Austin Miller and Hana Tamaki realized they would fill a mostly unexplored niche in the Portland dining scene back when their first okonomiyaki came off the truck in 2015 is unclear. Stop into their brick-and-mortar to warm up for a bit on a snowy winter evening, though, and you’ll be hard-pressed to argue that they haven’t.
The Bollard has reviewed Cong Tu Bot, and
On cold, prematurely dark evenings, I suggest the Cà Ri Chay ($16). It’s a velvety coconut curry with subtle spice and long, wide rice noodles perfect for slurping, topped with a few marinated and caramelized mushrooms. Next, cut the richness with the Goi Cai Bap ($8), a salad of cabbage, carrot and onion, soaking in a sweet, vinegary dressing and topped with crunchy fried onions, finely diced bird’s eye chilies, and a tangle of cilantro. Careful with that salad, though. Those little red chilies pack a punch (a bird’s eye chili is ranked about twenty times hotter than a jalapeno on the Scoville heat scale).
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Isa.
Isa has a number of qualities that make it special. They’re incredibly consistent with the food and drink, the menu has plenty on it for all tastes, and the warm, casual atmosphere is brilliantly comfortable. You can be sure when you go, you’ll find a good meal, but most of the time it will be much better than that, often even great. Head to Isa if you haven’t been and definitely consider making it one of your regular stops, because it’s really that good.
45 Years at Mellen Street Market
The Bollard has published a feature article on the Mellen Street Market and the Nappi family which has owned the establishment since 1973.
Tony’s younger brother, Joseph Jr. (Joey), soon joined them, “and the three of us worked together for all these years,” Tony said. (Joe Sr. passed away in 2012.) “It worked out great. We never argued, because my dad was always right!” He laughed. “So we didn’t argue with him. … He went into the Marine Corps at 17, so he’d been around the block. Eighth-grade education. He made it — just hard work, hard work, hard work, hard work. Put the hours in.”
Under Construction: Maiz Columbian Street Food
Maiz (website, facebook, instagram) owners Martha Leonard and Niky Walter have leased 621 Forest Ave where they plan to open a second location in 2019.
Maiz opened their original location in the Public Market House July 2, 2017 where they serve a menu of arepas and other Latin American street food.