Mr. Tuna Now Open

| Posted in Openings

Mr. Tuna (instagram, facebook) held a soft opening Friday, and I’m happy to announce that beginning today they will be serving their excellent sushi hand rolls in their sleek new space in the Public Market House, 11 am – 7 pm, 7 days a week.

Owner Jordan Rubin launched the business in 2017 as a food cart on Commercial Street. Mr. Tuna joins a long list of Portland food businesses that have gotten their start as a mobile operation before making the leap to brick and mortar.

Prior to Mr. Tuna, Rubin had worked at Uni Sashimi Bar in Boston and Solo Italiano in Portland.

Under Construction: Austin Street

| Posted in Under Construction

The Portland Phoenix has published an update on the new Austin Street brewery under construction on Fox Street.

Now Austin Street is preparing to move production to a new space on Fox Street in East Bayside, and Austin is ready to get his hands dirty again. “We have 100 barrels’ worth of fermentation space right now, so we’re going to add in another 60 barrels, and also a 20-barrel lagering tank, which I’m really excited about,” he says.

Ela Market & Grill

| Posted in Under Construction

Mainebiz has published an in-depth article on the new business taking over the former Nina’s Variety space in Falmouth.

The market will offer everyday items like coffee, fresh produce, local meats, breads and pastries, beer from domestic and local breweries, soft drinks, dairy products, dry goods, seasonal retail items, and a typical variety of candy, chips, lottery tickets and tobacco. The grill will prepare grab-and-go and a-la-carte items. The menu will consist of breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches and wraps, freshly made salads, gyros and specialty Greek, Italian and American dishes in individual and family size portions.

Under Construction: The Garrison

| Posted in Under Construction

Chef Christian Hayes is building out a new 35-45 seat restaurant in Yarmouth called The Garrison (website, facebook, instagram) with an anticipated launch in Summer 2019. The space is on the water side of the mill building his company Dandelion Catering currently occupies. The project (being done by Barrett Made) will also result in a new catering kitchen for Dandelion.

Hayes, a Chopped Champion, shared he’s aiming for a atmosphere that is approachable, refined and thoughtful with a long bar and tables aligned with mill windows that look out over the water. The Garrison will offer a varied menu with a “slight lean towards seafood”.

This Week’s Events: All Those, Grower Champagne, Portuguese Wine, Bonny Doon, Cupcake Decorating

| Posted in Events

Monday – All Those Who Wander(website, facebook, instagram) is opening their coffee shop at the corner of inner Washington and Marion Streets.

Tuesday – Chef Paolo Laboa from Solo Italiano will be teaching a cooking class.

Wednesday – Eaux will be serving a Battery Steele breakfast beer dinner, Old Port Wine Merchants is holding a wine tasting, and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday – there will be a Mast Landing tap takeover at Bao Bao, The Great Lost Bear is showcasing the beer from Hidden Cove, Rosemont is holding a wine event focused on Grower Champagne, Chaval is holding a Portuguese wine dinner, and Woodford F&B is collaborating with Allagash on a benefit for The Locker Project.

Friday – there will be a 5-course wine dinner at Hugo’s with Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyards.

Saturday – the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Sunday – Two Fat Cats are teaching a kid’s Halloween Cupcake Decorating class.

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.

Reviews: Poké Pop, Izakaya Minato

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed the Portland location of Poké Pop.

Named for chef/owner Anusat “Pop” Limsitong, the restaurant is a confusion of fusion, with cross-cultural elements intended to enliven bowls of cubed protein, vegetables and rice. By and large, these tweaks are unnecessary and involve sickly sweet sauces that make Poké Pop’s signature dish a huge letdown. If you must order poké, stick to the tofu bowl and customize your order with a squirt of the soy-based shoyu umami sauce, the least sweet of the restaurant’s offerings. But if it’s sweetness you’re after, Poké Pop has you covered. Its bing soo shaved ice, which is really a Filipino halo halo parfait made with fruit ice cream, shaved milk ice and about a thousand other ingredients, is terrific, even though it takes 15 minutes to prepare each one.

Down East magazine has reviewed Izakaya Minato.

Every dish brings a fresh set of tastes and textures: smoky bacon-wrapped rice cakes, melt-off-the-bone Korean-style barbecue short ribs, spicy kimchi fried rice. The broiled black cod, marinated in sake lees, is nearly the consistency of butter. Fried tofu squares, with jalapeño, soy sauce, and bonito, addictively marry spicy and salty — I suspect I could snack on these all day.