The Press Herald reports that the employees at Coffee by Design are seeking to form a union.
Baristas at Coffee By Design’s three coffeehouses in Portland announced Tuesday that they will try to form a union.
The baristas say that 89% of the retail workforce in Portland signed cards authorizing Local 327 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America to seek voluntary recognition of a union.
Thistle & Grouse (instagram), the new restaurant that’s under construction on Cotton Street, is scheduled to open by the end of November. T&G has applied for their liquor license which provides a look at their draft menu and additional information.
Thistle & Grouse will be a gastropub with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. The bar program is slated to feature “a craft selection of gins and scotches, as well as a full selection of liquor, local beers, hand-crafted cocktails and wines.”
The space will have a large central bar and open kitchen with interior design inspired by the owner’s recent travel to Scotland. The two story dining room will have a combined capacity of 108 seats.
The 7-page menu (click on images below to see full size images) includes oysters and other raw bar options, cheese, charcuterie and sea-cuterie boards, small plates, mains and dessert. The Cornmeal Waffle (with crispy shiitakes, smoked corn butter, fermented pear, bonito) from the small plate menu sounds especially interesting as does the Heritage Pork Meatloaf (lemon grass, ginger and soy, tempura delicata squash, coconut sticky rice, nam chim chaeo glaze) from the main course section.
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The restaurant is being launched by Kimberly Kraus and chef Bobby Will. Will has worked at restaurants run by well known chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Ken Oringer, and Jamie Bissonette. He was the executive chef at Saltaire Oyster Bar in Port Chester when the New York Times gave it a rating of Excellent in 2015. Also on the team are Julia Mcinnis who will be the general manager and bar manager Corey Schallek. All four worked together at Kraus’ and Will’s former restaurant Salt and Steel in Bar Harbor.
Wednesday – La Gallera is holding a Puerto Rican pop-up featuring shrimp soup with mofongo, and Ten Mothers will be holding a hot dog pop-up at Lambs.
Friday – Evo is serving a dinner at the Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
Friday/Saturday –Wild Haven will be popping-up at Magnus on Water.
Saturday – Orchard Ridge Farm in Gorham is holding their 3rd Annual Pig Roast, and Waxwing Bakery will be holding a pop-up at Bumbleroot Farm in Windham.
Weekend – the Maine Fermentation Fair is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm.
October 25 – South Portland restaurants Judy Gibson and Lambs will be collaborating on a Burger Night.
October 25-28 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place.
October 26 – Bar Futo is hosting Roundtable, an event and dinner that “brings together chefs, organizers and neighbors for actionable discussion about social justice, mutual aid and sustainability.”
October 28 – Chefs Tracy Chang from Pagu, Ilma Lopez from the Ugly Duckling and Matt Ginn from Evo are collaboration on a dinner at the Ugly Ducking–sign-up for a Farmers’ Market Tour with the chefs and return in the evening for the dinner. The 18th Annual Veg Fest is taking place.
October 29 – The Cheese Shop is kicking off their cheese classroom series with a Cheese 101 class.
October 30 – Ore Nell’s North in Biddeford is holding a 5-course beer dinner.
November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
November 9 – Judy Gibson is serving a 4-course wine dinner featuring wines from Lauren Bonnois.
Thanksgiving – Restaurants, market and other food purveyors are just starting to share details on the Thanksgiving options. Will be adding them to this list as the information is made public. Drop us a line if you know of a Thanksgiving-themed offering not yet on the list.
November 30 – deadline for the public and industry professionals to submit recommendations to the James Beard Foundation to consideration for the 2024 Awards program.
December 7 – Secret Supper is holding a (sold out) holiday dinner in the Portland area.
June 26 – Secret Supper (instagram) is holding a dinner in the Portland area.
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The Prentice Hospitality Group has announced their purchase of The Good Table (website, facebook, instagram) in Cape Elizabeth. Prentice is planning some light renovations of the building and then to reopen The Good Table early next year. The press release from Prentice shared this about their approach,
As the new steward of this cherished local establishment, PHG aims to thoughtfully preserve the traditions and warmth that have made The Good Table a beloved gathering place for so many patrons over the past 38 years. “We’re honored to carry on the legacy of this exceptional neighborhood treasure,” said Casey Prentice, CEO of Prentice Hospitality Group. “The Good Table aligns perfectly with our commitment to delicious food, community-focused hospitality, and showcasing local ingredients. Our goal is to nurture the spirit of The Good Table for the next 30 years.”
Tony and Lisa Kostopoulos opened The Good Table in 1986 and their niece Jessica Kostopoulos became a partner and the Good Table’s chef in 2018. Lisa Kostopoulos shared in the press release,
“We have had the time of our lives here at The Good Table. The decision to sell didn’t come easily, knowing that PHG will honor our legacy and build upon it made the transition so much easier. We are thrilled that local folks will be serving our beautiful friends and neighbors for years to come. They are inheriting the best customers anyone could ever hope for. All good things to come for Matt, Casey and the rest of the crew. We can’t wait to come and sit at your table.”
The Prentice Hospitality Group operates, Evo Kitchen + Bar, the Chebeague Island Inn, Twelve and the 58 Culinary catering business.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a feature article on the fast growing Maine cider industry.
McGrath sees Maine’s robust food and beverage scene as a major force behind the state’s growing cider market. “Like in Oregon and Washington, part of it is there is an existing culture that celebrates apples. Maine just has a really rich cider culture,” he said. “The craft beer and local food scenes have created an atmosphere where consumers are excited to try the local cider.”
To learn more about Maine cider producers visit the Guide to Maine Ciders, and for information on Cider Club Portland read this article.
Today’s paper also includes a review of Station 118 in Thomaston.
Beef brisket is among Station 118’s stronger suits, especially pulled brisket seasoned with wonderful homemade pickled onions and a generous glug of chipotle-bourbon barbecue sauce (orders of magnitude better than all the other sauces at Station 118). Bundled into three overstuffed brioche-bun sliders ($22) and plated up with appealingly well-done fries, this plate is a must-order.
Papi beverage director LyAnna Sanabria is featured in a Wine Enthusiast article entitled 8 Hispanic Drinks Pros Making an Impact on the Spirits and Cocktail Scenes.
Looking back at her own journey toward defining a sense of identity after settling in Maine, “I realized that I had always been hosting Puerto Ricans, people of color and the queer community through flavor and hospitality. I was the representation I was looking for and I could represent through the menu, flavors and the bar space as a whole.”
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Here are some recent food and dining highlights from around the state:
The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs has announced the first cohort of businesses participating in their FoodTech Maine business accelerator program.
FoodTech Maine connects and fosters collaboration among early-stage and mid-sized companies, that are innovating and developing AgriFood industry services or products, to commercialize and scale their businesses and grow this industry in Maine. The program provides resources, expertise, and networking opportunities to enable participating companies to thrive and contribute to Maine’s robust FoodTech ecosystem.
This first set of participants include a very interesting set of companies:
Banded Brewing has announced that they’ll be closing their Bayside taproom. Their last day in operation on Hanover Street will be this Saturday.
We’ve made this decision with Banded’s sustainability and growth at the forefront. We believe that closing our Portland space will allow our team to better use our resources to support our home taproom and kitchen in Biddeford, and our production brewing operations. Biddeford has always been our home, and we’re excited to continue to elevate our taproom experience by providing the best beer, food, vibes, and service that we can.
