The Portland Phoenix has published an interview with El Rayo general manager Kate Poze.
LO: What do you tell your wait staff the secret is to excellent service?
KP: Always make eye contact, be attentive, accommodating and personal, know the menu. Control the chaos and be ahead of your tables, ask if they would like another drink before their glass is bone dry, mark their table, and don’t serve them soup without a spoon.
A camera crew from the Cooking Channel was onsite at The Well yesterday filming for a show called Extra Virgin. The epsiode which includes The Well is expected to air in January.
Update: On Wednesday the Extra Virgin camera crew was filming at Portland Lobster Company. The Press Herald has posted an article with further info, as does Eater Maine.
The Press Herald reports that a group of New England senators are advocating for September 25th to be designated National Lobster Day.
Central Provisions (30), Eventide (32) and Caiola’s (97) have made it on to the Opinionated About Dining Fresh List.
The FRESH List celebrates the 100 best American restaurants that feature; F – Farm-to-Table cuisine; R – Regional American Cuisine; E – Ethnic Cuisine; S – Sustainable Ingredients; served with American-style H – Hospitality.
The list is a response to readers who regularly ask for dining advice about where they can find reasonably priced restaurants that offer an interesting take on American regional and ethnic cooking. It’s the perfect list to use to help plan your summer vacations.
Distiller magazine has published a profile of Maine Craft Distilling (page 47).
Monday — Crooners & Cocktails is serving a 7-course Harvest Dinner at Rooted Earth Farm in Casco.
Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Thursday — there will be a sake and cheese tasting the Public Market House.
Friday — Rosemont on Brighton is holding a vermouth and bitters tasting.
Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday — MJ’s Wine Bar is celebrating their 2nd anniversary.
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.
The Press Herald has posted a set of reviews written by kids who participated in The Telling Room summer camp program.
Cassandra Albano and Andrew Miller wrote about The Honey Paw, and Ella Briman and Elinore Kosak wrote about Rosemont Market.
Fifteen students set out across Portland this month visiting art venues, a food market and a popular new restaurant to offer their critiques and hone their skills as writers and reviewers through a summer camp program with The Telling Room.
The Old Port Slice Bar opened earlier this week. The new pizza shop is located at 420 Fore Street in the space that had been the home of Joe’s NY Pizza before a fire damaged the building in 2013.
An article in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram looks out how a change in minimum wage could impact consumer tipping behavior.
Fears among waitstaff in Portland over the effects of a minimum wage hike may be misplaced. Consider the psychology of why people tip and it’s likely their generosity won’t change at all.
