Dobra in Korea/Japan

| Posted in People

dobratrip

Dobra Tea owners Ray Marcotte and Ellen Kanner are on a research trip to Korea and Japan. You can follow their travels online at dobrateame.tumblr.com. According to a press release,

[They are] seeking to strengthen tea culture in Portland by traveling to meet their tea producers and farmers in Asia and bring their knowledge back home to share. The tea plant – Camelia sinensis – is the focus of this journey. There are six classes of tea including green, white, yellow, oolong, black and pu-er, but the focus of this year’s journey is Korean and Japanese green.

Interview with Nathaniel Meiklejohn

| Posted in Under Construction, People

Eater Maine has published an interview with Nathaniel Meiklejohn on his upcoming cocktail bar, The Jewel Box (website, kickstarter).

What are you hoping to bring to the crowded Portland bar scene that we’re missing, or that hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet?
There are millions of mixed drink recipes out there and thousands more [created] every day. There are forever new distilleries, hundreds of new mixing products, and constantly evolving techniques for making drinks. What we are going to do is honor the ever-changing landscape of mixed drinks by changing our drink menu every week. We will base the week’s menu on a theme, an ingredient we love, our current mixing fixations, and/or seasonal ingredients.

The Jewel Box will be located at 644 Congress Street. Meiklejohn hopes to have it open by the end of June.

Reviews: Fore Street & Mi Sen

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Mi Sen,

Asian noodle soup has unrivaled capacity to efficiently deliver richness, complexity of flavor, variety of texture, and satisfying infusions of umami. At Mi Sen they deliver it in deep white bowls of a dignified size. The best was the num sai — a chicken broth soup, which we ordered with flat rice noodles. The broth had a light, bright quality, and the fat little wontons were not too heavy. Ground chicken clung to the tender noodles, while green beans, sprouts, and crispy wonton added some crunch.

and The Golden Dish has reviewed Fore Street.

While the greater world of fine dining gets more complex, where chefs are like mad scientists reinventing a universal culinaryscape, Portland’s inimitable Fore Street restaurant works within a scope it created years ago and refines it daily.

Under Construction: Danforth Inn

| Posted in General News

New owners of the Danforth plan eventually open a restaurant in the Inn, according to reports from the Press Herald and Bangor Daily News.

“I think the restaurant and how it looks needs a different concept. It will be fine dining like Natalie’s. It will also be relaxed fine dining like Natalie’s,” he said. “But we are looking at different cuisine and concepts and talking to different chefs right now to come up with something Portland would like to have, embrace and would also fit our brand and what our guests are expecting from us.” [PPH]

Blue Rooster Guest Chef Series

| Posted in Events

blueroosterBlue Rooster is gearing up for a summer long series with some of the most talented chefs in the city. Each week starting on Fridays BRFC will feature a new over the top hot dog special designed by that week’s guest chef.

I’m looking forward to some pretty amazing things to show up on a bun as the chefs try to out do one another throughout the series.

Here’s the full line-up:

  • May 30 – Cara Stadler, Tao Yuan
  • June 6 – Ricky Penatzer, Portland Hunt & Alpine Club
  • June 13 – Fred Eliot, Petite Jacqueline
  • June 20 – Steve Corry, Five Fifty-Five
  • June 27 – Matt Brown, Good Shepherd Food Truck
  • July 4 – David Levi, Vinland
  • July 11 – Erik Desjarlais, Weft and Warp
  • July 18 – Jason Loring, Nosh
  • July 25 – Mike Wiley, Eventide/Hugo’s
  • August 1 – Joe Ricchio, Food Coma
  • August 8 – Andrew Taylor, Eventide/Hugo’s
  • August 15 – Cheryl Lewis, El Rayo
  • August 23 – Rob Evans, Duckfat

Watch the Blue Rooster facebook page for complete details throughout the summer. I’ll be posting photos of my favorites on the PFM Instagram account.

Elsmere, Silly’s, Food Trucks

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

The Press Herald has published a review of Silly’s,

And you’ll never see a more funky array of everything from Mardi Gras beads to retro light fixtures, oddball artwork and even a lamp straight out of “A Christmas Story.” Long live Silly’s!

and a bar review of Elsmere.

Elsmere is not just a BBQ joint, it’s a neighborhood restaurant that’s keen on giving back to the community and sticking around for generations. Owners Adam Powers and Jeremy Rush work the line every night, are eager to be part of the South Portland family of restaurants and take a lot of pride in their product. The bar scene is cozy and pleasingly boisterous. Patrons come to watch the game, drink beer, but most of all, chow down on excellent BBQ. There will likely be a 30-minute wait on weekend nights.

Today’s paper also includes the latest installment of the What Ales You beer column and a food truck guide.

Cantina Closing Update (Updated)

| Posted in Closings

The Bangor Daily News has published an update on the recent closing of El Rayo Cantina.

The Cantina, a bar counterpart to the more casual El Rayo Taqueria, opened in January 2012 on York Street. In the summertime, a sleek fire pit and Airstream trailer bar lent the spot a California vibe.

It closed after two-and-a-half years to make way for a future parking garage, said Dana. El Rayo Taqueria, which is seeking new peninsula space, will eventually meet the same fate.

Update: For additional reporting see the article posted by the Press Herald.