Will Bonsall, Maine Seed Saver

| Posted in Farming

There’s an interesting article in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram about Maine farmer Will Bonsall, a leader in the seed saver movement.

The expectation is that Bonsall, 64, will always have at least 700 varieties of potatoes tucked away for posterity, and that every year he will faithfully grow them out, harvest them, share some with other avid growers across the country and put a sampling of each variety back in the cellar in anticipation of the next crop. But a philosophical and political rift with the Iowa-based Seed Savers Exchange, the national seed saving group that helped fund his curating career, has put Bonsall’s potatoes, some deeply obscure and ancient, in jeopardy.

4 Star Review of The Salt Exchange

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed The Salt Exchange.

This stylish downtown bistro offers very compelling fare done in the haute American style of contemporary classics. At lunch the varied menu offers such dishes as a fish taco, chicken club, and excellent char-grilled burger among the standouts. The dinner menu offers a very good dining experience with such fine preparations as pan-roasted salmon with bacon-lobster mashed potatoes; a butternut squash risotto with cranberries, braised chard and pickled shallots and plum-glazed duck breast. A must have with cocktails is the chef’s black pepper and truffle potato chips…

Coffee Series, Part 2

| Posted in People

The Root has posted part 2 of an ongoing series on specialty coffee in Maine. This send installment is a continuation of an interview with Matt Bolinder, owner of Speckled Ax.

In the Root’s newest series on coffee, we will be looking at some of the craftsmen who make up Maine’s rapidly evolving specialty coffee industry. Their coffee is the antithesis of the water-soluble instant coffee you will find in grocery stores or the over-roasted cup from the corner Starbucks.

Tortilleria Pachanga Launched

| Posted in Openings

The Bagor Daily News has a report on the launch of Tortilleria Pachanga.

Her company, Tortilleria Pachanga, is newborn, just weeks old. Using organic, Maine-grown corn, which she mills on the premises with her own grinding stones, Rowe is one of a mere handful of tortilla makers in the Northeast.

“I want to make a really great, fresh tortilla with corn that’s grown from as close as possible,” said the former Spanish teacher, who lives on Munjoy Hill.

That means working with local farmers and selling hours-old tortillas to restaurants, food trucks and specialty markets in Greater Portland.

Under Construction: Lolita

| Posted in Under Construction

Lolita (facebook) will be the name of the new restaurant that Guy and Stella Hernandez along with business partner Neil Reiter have under construction at 90 Congress Street. Lolita will serve “American cuisine with a Mediterranean flare” in a completely renovated 28-seat space which includes a custom designed zinc bar for 10.

lolita2Check out the Lolita facebook page for more information and to stay up to date on the latest developments as they make progress towards an opening date in May.

Lolita’s website is at www.lolita-portland.com.

Coffee Series: Matt Bolinder

| Posted in General News

The Root has posted the first installment of a series of articles on coffee. The first two articles are based on an interview with Matt Bolinder, owner of Speckled Ax.

In the Root’s newest series on coffee, we will be looking at some of the craftsmen who make up Maine’s rapidly evolving specialty coffee industry. Their coffee is the antithesis of the water-soluble instant coffee you will find in grocery stores or the over-roasted cup from the corner Starbucks.

I have the pleasure of working with Sharon Kitchens, author of The Root, on this series.

Reviews of Vinland and Hunt & Alpine

| Posted in Reviews

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Vinland,

Do I recommend going to Vinland? Absolutely. It’s much closer than Finland which is what spell check tells me to call it, and it’s certainly more delicious. For what it’s worth, it might have also been the healthiest meal I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Now that’s extreme! While it isn’t inexpensive, I might still put it in “slightly more often than special occasion” status. Next time though, I’m definitely asking about the tasting menu. We saw people partaking in that monstrosity of awesomeness and the dessert looked like a mushroom forest. It was a work of art on a plate. More on that after I try it.

and Drink Up and Get Happy has reviewed the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club.

We really enjoyed our time at the Hunt and Alpine. While the prices are on the higher end for happy hour, the drinks are of excellent quality, often using what are considered top shelf ingredients. They are also very reasonable compared to other cocktail prices in Portland. Great service paired with a comfortable atmosphere, they are very affordable indeed! It’s a great place to visit with friends, take family, or even a date. It’s become a hot spot in Portland so if you do go, and we recommend you do, either get there early or plan to be patient. Trust us, it’s worth it!

ABV Policy Reversed

| Posted in Beer

If My Coaster Could Talk reports that state authorities have reversed their policy of enforcing the 1937 law that prevents the display of a beer’s alcohol by volume.

The back pedaling started on Tuesday when the Operations Director of the Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery announced that under an updated enforcement policy bars, pubs and tasting rooms could begin displaying ABVs (alcohol by volume) in menus and on signage at the bar or in the tasting room. The information is allowed to be displayed as long as it’s not embellished. Basically the information can be displayed as it always was as basic information about the product for sale.

PPH Food Editor

| Posted in People

The Press Herald has published an article about their new food editor, Peggy Grodinsky, who will be launching a new Sunday section in addition to overseeing all food coverage.

The section, called Source: Eating and Living Sustainably in Maine, will launch in April and will appear each Sunday in all of the daily papers published by MaineToday Media, which include the Kennebec Journal in Augusta and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville. The section will offer comprehensive coverage of Maine’s flourishing farm-to-table movement, from farmers markets and foragers to locavore restaurants and edible lavender growers; it will also examine broader issues of living sustainably, from energy conservation to organic gardening.

 

Review of Hugo’s

| Posted in Reviews

The Blueberry Files has reviewed Hugo’s.

You can tell the food takes center stage at Hugo’s. This time of year, there’s room for you to sit the bar for just drinks, if you just want to sample their creative cocktails. Courses can also be ordered a la carte at $22 each. But if you can afford it (and our bill was $290 with tax and tip), Hugo’s is well worth the splurge. Everything was delicious, reimagined yet approachable.