The Holy Donut was recognized by Grub Street as one of the 101 Amazing American Doughnut Shops With Serious Street Cred.
Piccolo was included by Eater National on their list of the 25 Hottest Brunches Across the US.
Reviews of Hot Suppa & Bull Feeney’s
Drink Up and Get Happy have reviewed Bull Feeney’s.
While we were there our waiter was very helpful in answering any questions we had, recommending beers, and being attentive in general without hovering. We perused the whiskey menu, reported to be the largest collection offered in the area, but ultimately chose to stick with the brews that evening. We’ll save them for next time and with great service, great beers, and delicious bacon there will definitely be a next time!
The Golden Dish has reviewed Hot Suppa.
Or perhaps it’s an issue with Hot Suppa!’s kitchen, which could be doing better than it does. The food can be gutsy and at other times it misses. Yet none of this keeps the crowds away, lining up for weekend brunch or for lunch and dinner nearly every day of the week.
Black Dinah’s Portland Expansion
Maine a la Carte has published an update on Black Dinah’s expansion into Portland.
At this point, the Portland expansion does not include a retail store. (Black Dinah chocolates are already sold in Portland at LeRoux Kitchen and Browne Trading Co., both located on Commercial Street.)
“It would just be too much to do all at once,” Shaffer said. “The first thing is maintain quality and get production up, and start getting our name more out there.”
Under Construction: CBD in East Bayside
Urban Eye has posted an article about the new CBD in East Bayside.
An experimental lab for everything emergent in coffee science is percolating in East Bayside. When Coffee By Design’s new Portland cafe opens March 4th (mark it down coffee pilgrims) the 20 year-old company will finally live up to its name.
CBD’s new cafe is scheduled to open on March 4th at 6:30 am.
Phoenix Tequila Odyssey
The Portland Phoenix has published a pair of tequila related articles. The first is a tequila pub crawl,
To prove it, I gathered a crew together on a cold, unremarkable Tuesday in February and went on a Tequila Odyssey. I’d never been on an official bar crawl before, but I imagine this was just like that, except with two rules: 1) that the evening’s destinations correspond as closely as possible to the thirteen primary episodes of Odysseus’ journey in the sequel to Homer’s Iliad, and 2) that one full tequila drink must be consumed at each of those thirteen locations.
and the second is about how tequila and about tequila flights at Zapoteca.
To decide which style you like best, head to Zapoteca for a flight of tequila. Zapoteca boasts the largest collection of tequila and mezcals in Maine (close to 80), which are managed by Sergio Ramos, who has completed the “Award T” certification course from the Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico. A flight of tequila offers the three styles of tequila from one brand, giving you a chance to see how the flavors of the tequila change as it’s aged. The flights range in price from $15 to $80 and come with a palate-cleansing side of sangrita, a spicy slurry of fire-roasted tomatillos traditionally served alongside tequila to complement its acidity.
101 Best Restaurants
The Daily Meal has included Fore Street in their annual list of the 101 Best Restaurants in America.
Pair of New Food Blogs
I recently learned of a pair of new Portland food blogs:
- Perusing Portland – has been publishing since late November. It’s a multi-author site written by “four friends that have known each other since college”. So far they’ve published their impressions of Local 188, the East Ender, Salvage, and Nosh.
- Eating Portland Alive – just got started earlier this month. The blogger credits a college course for getting them to stop “looking at food merely as sustenance and more of an experience.”
Port Bean Moving
Port Bean will be temporarily closing at the end of March, and reopening at a new location before the start of Summer. There’s a strong possibility of it relocating nearby on Commercial but details are still be worked out with a property owner.
Review of 158 Pickett Street
Map & Menu has reviewed 158 Pickett Street Cafe.
There are more than enough options at 158 to satisfy any pizza enthusiast’s taste – like the standard cheese and sausage, or more creative flavors like the hot pink sauce, charred jalapenos, and cheese ‘Stinger’ – but regardless of your decision, everything we’ve heard and tasted has been fantastic.
Photo Credit: Map & Menu
2014 JBF Awards Semifinal Nominees
The semifinal list of nominees for this year’s James Beard Awards were released today. 7 Maine chefs and restaurants made the list:
- Fore Street and Primo for Outstanding Restaurant
- Rob Tod at Allagash for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional
- Cara Stadler at Tao Yuan for Rising Star
- Brian Hill from Francine Bistro, Ravin Nakjaroen at Long Grain, and Masa Miyake from Miyake for Best Chef Northeast
The final list of nominees will be released March 18th, and the winners will be announced on May 2, 2014 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.