Under Construction: BRGR Bar

| Posted in Under Construction

Urban Eye has posted an update on the BRGR Bar which is slated to open on Brown Street in the former Margarita’s space later this summer.

A Portsmouth restaurateur closed on the first floor of the shuttered Margaritas in downtown Portland Wednesday. The grassfed-adult-milkshake-themed BRGR Bar is expected to open on Brown Street in late August. “We are excited by the location and getting to know Portland better,” said Carolyn Gregory, director of operations.

For more information on BRGR Bar see their instagram account, website, and facebook page.

Dispatch: Cheap Eats, Prison Food

| Posted in General News

The May issue Dispatch asks whether it’s still possible to eat cheaply in Portland

But can it still be done? Sure, but you’ve got to dig deeper, pick your spots. We gathered 10 options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner where you can still get a delicious, super-filling meal on the cheap. (And tossed in five happy hours for good snacking measure.) Yeah, it’s always possible to grab a slice or cave for some goopy fast-food bomb, but there are better, more authentically Portland options out there. Dive in.

and pays a visit to the Cumberland County Jail.

I show up at the Cumberland County Jail at 4 a.m. on what is most certainly the darkest, coldest January morning of the year — registering at -8 degrees. I’m here to meet Richard St. Onge, manager of food services, as his shift begins.

Unlike the vast majority of correctional facilities in the US, the kitchen here hasn’t farmed out inmate meals to a large company like Aramark. It still maintains its own independent program, and I wanted to find out more about what that mammoth task must be like.

Sisters Gourmet Deli

| Posted in Profiles

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about Sisters Gourmet Deli.

She called to inquire anyway, and decided to try to make it work. “It was a good decision. We have the best location for a sandwich shop,” she said.

The Sisters’ menu features several mouth-watering sandwiches, all made four ways. You can get your sandwich on house-baked herb bread (with rosemary, garlic, Italian, and seasoning); have it on a wrap; on gluten-free bread (also baked every morning); or as a salad.

Under Construction: Izakaya Minato

| Posted in Under Construction

Elaine Alden and Thomas Takashi Cooke have leased 54 Washington Ave, the space next to Terlingua, where they plan to open Izakaya Minato (instagram). Minato is the Japanese word for “port”.

The couple moved to Portland late last year from San Francisco where Cooke had been the head chef at Tsunami, a sushi restaurant. They recently completed a 3-month stay in Japan where he staged at an Izakaya restaurant in Tokyo called Tsumamina.

Alden and Cooke are aiming to create “a fun, casual place to go gather with friends for drinks and food” for dinner, and may also serve lunch.

Izakaya Minato will be joining to a number of new restaurants and other food businesses on Washington Ave including that have opened in the last couple of year: Oxbow Brewing, Terlingua, Hardshore Distilling (under construction), Drifter’s Wife, Maine & Loire, Flying Fox Juice Bar (under construction), and Roustabout.

This Week’s Events: Working It, Mast Landing, Bunker Beer Dinner

| Posted in Events

imageWednesday — there will  be a wine tasting at the Old Port Wine Merchants, and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday — The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beer from Mast Landing.

Friday — Black Tie is holding a Bunker Brewing beer dinner, and Oxbow is holding L’Hommage, a “celebration of European farmhouse ales”.

Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market.

Sunday — Oxbow is host Working It, a live storytelling event that will feature Greg Mitchell from Palace Diner, Maisie DeGoosh from Bard Coffee and other presenters from the restaurant industry, and products from a number of local vendors will be on sale at the weekly Crofters & Artisan Market.

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: Scales, Sisters Gourmet Deli, The Front Room, David’s 388

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has published a bar review of Scales,

Open since early March, Scales is the long-awaited 140-seat restaurant created by Portland chef Sam Hayward and veteran restaurateur Dana Street. Located on the Wharf right next to the Casco Bay Lines ferry terminal, Scales is a relaxed but elegant fish house with a raw bar, hot and cold dishes, sea-inspired cocktails, a great beer selection and a hardy wine list created by Michael Burke.

and a review of Sisters Gourmet Deli.

We tried two sandwiches, the Ambrosia and the Two Little Pigs, both heated up in a panini press. The Ambrosia was filled with chicken, cucumber, roasted red peppers, feta, sun-dried tomato, hummus and spinach. I thought this one could probably lose the sun-dried tomato, which felt like it was one ingredient too far, but otherwise the flavors were good. The chicken was tender, and I especially liked the hummus, which lent some creaminess to what was otherwise a sandwich with a lot of crunch.

The Golden Dish has reviewed The Front Room,

Overall it was a fine, wholesome dinner, fairly priced at about $50 all in and I’d definitely return for its well-made home-style cooking–especially the meatloaf wrapped in bacon that’s still on the menu as well as other stick-to-the-ribs fare.  Next time I might also indulge in dessert and dig in to the kitchen ‘s  super brownie topped with ice cream and hot fudge.

and Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed David’s 388.

Outside of the meal pacing, I really enjoyed David’s 388. I felt the menu itself was well thought out and the food was very solid from start to finish. My heavy starter paved the way for a more subtle, but exceptionally tasty entree that had some great flavor pairings wrapped up into a single dish. My wife’s food was also nice, and though she opted for lighter fare, it was a fanciful duo of snack and soup that saturated the palate with happiness. The meal ran up a tab of about $65 prior to tip. It obviously would have been a little more if she had ordered an entree, but still would have been very reasonable.