Reviews: Eventide, Sichuan Kitchen, Yosaku

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram have reviewed Eventide Oyster Company,

Likewise, when it comes to cooked seafood, Eventide manages to find a way to preserve essential flavors. The stuffed mahogany clams ($7) offer a good example, with chopped, deepwater Gulf of Maine quahog meat that shines through against a backdrop of bacon, butter, parsley and paprika, and a breadcrumb-crunchy texture that reminded me of Thanksgiving stuffing. It’s true in the Maine lobster stew ($14), where even through a gauzy screen of aromatic ginger, green chilies and lemongrass, fresh lobster always remains the focus of the hearty, chive oil-dotted bowl, rich with coconut milk and substantial chunks of maitake mushroom.

The Golden Dish and Eatcentric Me have reviewed Sichuan Kitchen,

On my third visit with a friend, we ordered those fabulous pork dumplings again and the pork buns, the latter being a tad dry.  We tried the eggplant salad (I like Empire’s better) and pork in sweet bean paste.  That was a good meal with brighter moments than previous visits. [TGD]

and Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Yosaku.

Yosaku is a good place to go whether you want sushi or are looking more for tempura or noodles. Their food is artfully prepared by chefs who clearly know what they are doing. The presentation is first class and the product always tasty.

First Review of Sichuan Kitchen

| Posted in Reviews

Eatcentric Me has reviewed Sichuan Kitchen.

I will be returning over and over again for the dan dan noodles, but I am also thrilled about getting some of the other dishes again as well as trying others! Thank you, Sichuan Kitchen. You’ve filled a hole in the food culture scene of Portland, and you did it without sacrificing the flavors, integrity, and taste that makes Sichuan food so tantalizing. 

Sichuan Kitchen is located at 612 Congress Street opposite the State Theatre building. Here’s a link to their menu.

Under Construction: Good Fire Brewing

| Posted in Under Construction, Beer

A new brewery called Good Fire Brewing (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) is under construction in East Bayside, reports the Press Herald.

Cardente Real Estate announced Wednesday that it’s leased a nearly 4,000-square-foot space at 219 Anderson St. to Goodfire Brewing LLC for a brewery and 39-seat tasting room. The brewery, located just behind U-Haul on Marginal Way, is expected to open in June.

Diesel to Dining Room & Fettle Vegan

| Posted in General News

Today’s Press Herald includes a feature story about Maine food trucks that are making the transition into a traditional restaurant or adding a brick and mortar venue to their business plans.

So it was a no-brainer that when he and his wife, Jenna Friedman, decided to open a food truck in Portland, they settled on serving Middle Eastern food. CN Shawarma, which advertised its food as “Arabian BBQ on wheels” when it debuted in June 2014, proved so popular that the developers building the new apartment complex at the corner of Anderson and Fox streets in East Bayside approached the couple and asked if they would be interested in opening a restaurant in the building.

The Food & Dining section also reports on Maine native Amber St. Peter who has a career as a vegan food writer from her home base in LA..

Fettle Vegan is now known for both, as well as being on-trend in terms of both ingredients (think jackfruit, cauliflower and chickpeas) and dishes (fig + almond chia oat pudding; San Pedro style fish-less market tray; and shredded kale and Brussels sprouts salad).

All-Star Bake Sale

| Posted in Events

Bakers and pastry chefs from more than 15 restaurants and bakeries are collaborating on bake sale. The list of participating establishments includes Ten Ten Pié, Aurora Provisions, Fore Street, The Purple House, Central Provisions, Caiola’s/Piccolo, Bao Bao and many more.

The $40 boxes of baked goods will be on sale on Friday at Aurora Provisions, Little Giant and East End Cupcakes. The initiative is a fundraiser for Maine Planned Parenthood.

Food Trucks Add Brick and Mortar

| Posted in Under Construction

The Bangor Daily News has published a report on the growing number of mobile food operators that have expanded to include a brick and mortar establishment or traded in their truck as they grew into a traditional restaurant.

As more and more of Maine’s food trucks morph into bricks-and-mortar eateries, their owners offer a variety of reasons that shifting from four wheels to four walls suddenly makes sense: The “right space” became available, tight quarters came to feel too stifling, the initial venture was successful enough to bankroll a bigger, more traditional restaurant.

The most recent development was Bite Into Maine’s decision to open a location on in Scarborough. Bite Into Maine will join fellow mobile food vendors Mami, Small Axe/East Ender, Love Kupcakes/Baristas+Bites, Hella Good Tacos, Mainely Burgers, Urban Sugar and CN Shawarma/Baharat in converting to or adding a brick and mortar capacity.