Visiting Chef Alfie Mossadeg

| Posted in People

Portland Phoenix columnist Chris Papagni has written about the recent visit by chef Alfie Mossadeg to Portland for Tempo Dulu’s Singapore Sling dinner.

Raymond Brunyanszki and Oscar Verest, owners of Tempo Dulu and the Danforth Inn, are known for doing things in a big way. They believe that their Executive Chef Lawrence Klang, whose cuisine has been widely celebrated, can benefit greatly from exposure to great chefs from all over Southeast Asia. Flying Chef Alfie to Portland is the first of several chef visits planned for 2016. Each chef will work alongside Chef Lawrence, collaborating and creating a new and exciting menu. This big-picture thinking is what sets Brunyanki and Verest apart from the rest. It’s all about learning, questioning and improving. Chef Alfie has great respect and much gratitude for the two men who brought him to the United States.

Reviews: Portland Patisserie, The Works

| Posted in Reviews

Down East has reviewed Portland Patisserie,

The pastries, quiches, soups, and sandwiches at Portland Pâtisserie and Grand Café, in the Old Port, are well on their way to standing on their own, with authentic French underpinnings and just enough New World innovation to keep things interesting. This is thanks to 34-year-old pastry chef Catherine Côté-Eliot, enlisted by owners Steve and Michelle Corry (the duo behind classic Portland restaurants Petite Jacqueline and 555) to translate French patisserie conventions into innovative confections fit for Maine palates.

and the Press Herald has published a lunch review of The Works.

On a nasty late-fall noon hour with a hard rain falling, I dashed across Temple Street from One City Center to finally try what most of my co-workers know is one of the finest sandwich shops in Portland.

Under Construction: The Purple House

| Posted in Under Construction

The Forecaster has published an update on The Purple House, the cafe Krista Kern Desjarlais’ has under construction in North Yarmouth at the intersection of Routes 9 and 115.

Montreal-style bagels, one of the Purple House’s key offerings…Also anticipated for the menu will be naturally-fermented levain breads, baguettes, seeded breads, and a mishe, or larger loaf, she said. There will also be boulangerie-style pastries, thanks to the wood oven…Roman-style pizzas, vegetables, sandwiches with smoked fish or smoked meat, and other savory morsels are also among Desjarlais’s anticipated midday offerings.

Desjarlais hopes to open sometime in January or February.

Interview with Restaurant Critic James Schwartz

| Posted in People

The Press Herald has published an interview with James Schwartz on the advent of his 1-year anniversary as the restaurant critic for the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Q: If you could give advice to a restaurant about how to do things right, what would you say?
A: The first thing I would say is cleanliness makes a huge difference. Nothing turns off a diner more than a sticky table. Next, warm service is good. Warm, professional service is better. It’s very nice to have a waiter or waitress who is nice. But it’s better to have a waiter or waitress who is nice but knows what they are doing. The last thing for me would be, simple is always better. A beautifully prepared piece of sautéed fish or chicken is better in my opinion than a poorly prepared piece of fish that is exuberantly sauced. I think gilding the lily is unnecessary.

Erik Desjarlais, Weft & Warp (Updated)

| Posted in Profiles

Today’s Press Herald includes an article on former chef Erik Desjarlais and his business Weft & Warp where he makes knife rolls, aprons, and leather goods.

Most of his customers – as much as 80 percent – are in the restaurant industry, although he also counts serious home cooks as fans. Cooks, bartenders and front-of-house staff all over Portland use his gear, as do employees of such well-known restaurants as Toro in New York City and Atelier Crenn in San Francisco.

“We love his work,” said Ken Oringer, chef/co-owner of Toro in Boston and Manhattan. Toro’s New York service team wears custom Weft & Warp waist aprons. “We love to support any chef/artisans who take risks to follow their hearts.”

Desjarlais has a retail shop under development in Freeport called Intervale Mercantile Co. which he hopes to have open this Saturday.

Under Construction: Mast Landing Brewing Co.

| Posted in Under Construction, Beer

mastlandingThe American Journal has published an update on Mast Landing, the new brewery under construction at 920 Maine Street in Westbrook.

Dorsey, the president and CEO of the company, and business partner Neil Fredrick were already hard at work Tuesday, creating their first “pilot batch” brew in the company’s new 12,000-square-foot space at 920 Main St…When work is complete, Mast Landing Brewing will open a tasting room, another first for the city, but it will also have room to expand. The Westbrook Planning Board approved a special exception for the building on Nov. 17 to allow it to be used as a microbrewery. Dorsey estimates the tasting room would be ready in three weeks.

15th Portland Symphony Wine Dinner

| Posted in Events

PSO_Wine-Dinner_web_image_lg Every year the Portland Symphony holds a dinner focused on a different wine growing region from around the world. Chef’s from five Portland area restaurants collaborate to design the menu and prepare the meal.

The PSO has announced the line-up for the 15th Annual Wine Dinner. The dinner is taking place April 6, 2016 at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport. Tickets are now for sale online.

The 2016 dinner features wines from Spain imported by Vinos Libres and the participating chefs/restaurants are:

 

This Week’s Events: Rebuilding Fisheries, Fine Wine, Sinatra, Barrel-Aged Chocolate, Cookie Class, NYE

| Posted in Events

Monday — DiMillo’s is holding a GMRI seafood dinner., and the Maine Distillers Guild’s Pre-Launch Fundraiser is taking place at Liquid Riot.

Thursday — GMRI is giving a lecture on Rebuilding Fisheries in a Changing Environment.

Friday — Rosemont is holding their annual Fine Wine Showcase.

Saturday — Crooners & Cocktails is celebrating the Frank Sinatra’s birthday, La Crème Chocolat and New England Distilling is launching a rye-based barreled-aged chocolate, there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, and sparkling wine and chocolate tasting at Maine & Loire, and the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Sunday – Ri Ra is holding a 5k Brewer’s Holiday Dash, and Aurora Provisions is teaching a holiday cookie baking class.

New Year’s Eve – restaurants have started announcing NYE specials. I’ll be adding to and reposting the growing list each week over the coming month. Let me know if you know of one that’s missing.

  • Central Provisions – 14-course tasting menu, $220 per couple (including tax and gratuity) with optional pairings $55 per person.
  • Evo – 5-course dinner in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot, $75 per person with optional wine pairings.
  • Five Fifty-Five – 4-course, $85, with optional wine pairings.
  • Honey Paw/Eventide – passed apps and champagne toast, $53.74.
  • Isa – 3-course dinner, $45.
  • MK Kitchen – 4-course dinner, $75.
  • Petite Jacqueline – 3-course tasting  menu with champagne, $75.
  • Sur Lie – tasting menu, $75.
  • Tempo Dulu – 8-course dinner with cocktail and champagne toast, $195.
  • Vinland – 5-course dinner and sparkling wine toast, $108.

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.