$1M for Maine Food Businessses

The Press Herald reports that Maine will be receiving more than $1M in federal funding to “address a lack of food processing infrastructure and an inefficient distribution network”.

Maine businesses and food projects will receive over $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including $500,000 designated for food processing and distribution in the Greater Portland area, according to U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree.

The biggest single grant is to the Greater Portland Council of Governments, which will receive $500,000 for its project “Scaling for Growth in the Portland Foodshed.”

Under Construction: Scratch Toast Bar

The Forecaster has published an update on the toast bar Scratch Baking has in development on Broadway.

The new venture on Broadway near the Ferry Village neighborhood will feature bagels, breads, and English muffins, toasted and topped with a variety of spreads, served with specialty coffees, teas, and juices.

Initially, the Toast Bar will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 7 a.m.-noon, “as we find our footing,” co-owner Sonja Swanberg said. “We’re letting it evolve and let it be what it wants to be.”

Shared Spaces

An article in today’s Press Herald reports on restaurants that sublease access to their space to second business during off hours.

The idea of restaurants sharing their kitchens has been coming to life all over the country in the past three to five years, and the trend has recently reached Maine. Portlanders may immediately think of the former Good Egg Cafe and Pepperclub, restaurants that were housed in the same Old Port space. But today’s arrangements are different. The Good Egg and Pepperclub were owned by one person, while these new arrangements are marriages of two or more businesses and take shape in myriad ways.

Under Construction: Gross Confection Bar

Chef Brant Dadaleares will be holding two dessert pop-ups to mark the close of his Kickstarter campaign for Gross Confection Bar. The pop-ups are scheduled for October 15th and 16th and tickets are $50.

Gross Confection Bar will be a dessert-focused restaurant and bar to be located in the heart of the Old Port district in Portland, Maine. Gross will provide a unique and consistent restaurant experience featuring an ever changing selection of high-quality artfully-plated desserts, cocktails, dessert wines, digestifs, and exceptional service. Gross will also provide a consistent selection of enrobed ganaches, fruit pates, bon-bon, entremets, late night savory snacks and desserts to go. Gross will create a new niche for a “just for dessert” destination experience in Portland.

This Week’s Events: Bolster Snow, Maine Juice, Purple House, Destination Dinners

Tuesday – a new West End restaurant called Bolster Snow & Co. is scheduled to open.

Wednesday – the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

ThursdayMaine Juice Company is scheduled to open their store at 129 Spring Street, The Purple House is scheduled to return from their summer break, Brews and Ewes is taking place at Rising Tide.

FridayRosemont is holding a wine tasting in the West End.

SaturdayChef Jeff Landry is holding a farm dinner at North Star Sheep Farm in Windham, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

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, please provide details as a comment to this post.

Reviews: Cheevitdee, Honey Paw, Little Giant, Ruski’s Little Bigs, Terlingua, Tipo

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed the Cheevitdee,

Chef/co-owner Jay Pranadsri uses riceberry to great effect in her ping ngob, a spicy, explosively herbal red salmon curry. Elsewhere, such as in the lackluster khao mun gai, it is not as successful…For the most part, dishes at Cheevitdee taste like they have been engineered to be wholesome first and foremost, usually at the expense of flavor or texture. Still, a rare few, like pla goong – delightfully spicy, tangy shrimp bites served in individual spoons – actually do make good on the restaurant’s promise that healthy restaurant dining is compatible with exceptional flavor.

The Bates Student has reviewed the The Honey Paw,

While at first glance this destination is a bit out of the price range of the standard college student (bring your parents!), The Honey Paw’s dining format makes it more affordable for a broad customer base. Like many Asian restaurants, servers at The Honey Paw suggest ordering a few plates and sharing them all with the table. This gives diners an opportunity to dive into multiple dishes and taste a greater range of flavors. While any one dish at The Honey Paw would be delicious on its own, sharing an array of dishes brings different flavors and textures to everybody’s plate.

Portland Magazine has reviewed the Little Giant,

Little Giant…has an appealing dinner menu for a neighborhood joint. Local bounty is showcased, and prices are reasonable. A ‘snack’ of Little Biscuits ($6) comes on a wooden board. Spectacularly flaky biscuits frame a smear of maple-whipped lardo topped with neon hot pepper jelly. You won’t leave a single crumb.

the West End News has reviewed the Ruski’s,

I liked the greasy egg rolls well-enough, though the sour cream on the side was boring. Portions here are generous, and I took home half my wrap, which tasted great the second time around, too.

the Press Herald has reviewed Little Bigs,

My favorite is the Thai red curry with chicken ($7.75), which is like eating an order of red curry from a good Thai restaurant in a pie crust. It’s filled mostly with huge chunks of white chicken meat, along with sliced carrots and bits of green beans, red peppers`and basil, all floating in a light red curry sauce, of course.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Terlingua, and

As Mrs. Portlandeater was downing her food, she inquired as to why we didn’t eat there more when it was so good. It’s a fair question. I think Terlingua is going to have to be moved up the list. I like their barbeque a lot, but the Latin American is also super tasty. It’s just really hard to go wrong with anything they serve. On my list of items to try? Brisket, chili, and the Mexican street corn.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed the Tipo,

A pair of ragùs offered different virtues. In one case dark mushrooms had been cooked to a delicious earthy tenderness. They mixed with creamy yolk on a square pillow of creamy and fluffy polenta. A pork raguhad a pleasantly slow-developing roasted pepper heat, that emerged as you chewed the tough little cavetelli made from rye flour.