Vinland Opening Friday

| Posted in Under Construction

The Bangor Daily News has published an article about Vinland, which is slated to open this Friday.

When David Levi set out to open his first restaurant, Vinland in Congress Square, he had the region’s native people — members of the Penobscot Indian Nation — in mind. What would the Penobscot eat? Mussels flavored with apple cider vinegar? Smoked duck? Poached cod in herbal broth?

Such delicacies grace the menu at his 39-seat bistro, slated to open Friday, Dec. 27. Levi, a New York City culinary artist with a master’s degree in poetry, is a different breed of restaurateur.

According to Vinland’s facebook page, you can make reservations for Friday’s soft opening by emailing info@vinland.me.

Under Construction: Scarborough El Rayo

| Posted in Under Construction

Maine a la Carte has published an update on the El Rayo’s plans to open a new restaurant in Scarborough.

Inside, the restaurant will have an open kitchen with 8 “theater” seats, a 10-stool bar and a mix of booths and other tables seating 84.

[El Rayo manager Norine] Kotts said the new El Rayo Tacqueria y Cantina is expected to open next summer.

For more information on Portland area restaurants under development see the PFM Under Construction List.

Portland on Imbibe Top 75 List

| Posted in Reviews

Portland is on the list of the 75 “people, places and flavors that will shape the way you drink in 2014” assembled by Imbibe magazine’s for their January issue. Here’s an abridged excerpt of what they had to say about Portland,

Long a favorite vacation destination for East Coasters, Portland’s forward-thinking food scene was an early adopter of the farm-to-table (and sea-to-table) ethos…New brewers keep popping up, from powerhouses like Rising Tide in East Bayside to the ultra-cool Bunker Brewing…Excellent coffees are not hard to come by, but some of the most interesting can be found at Speckled Ax…[and] Tandem Coffee offers all the trappings, including pour-over cups prepared by friendly baristas. Setting a new standard for Portland cocktails is the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, opened in September by Andrew Volk…True to its name, the bar has a distinct Nordic vibe defined by clean lines and a sparse coziness, and the menu is an ode to the beauty of cocktails, old and new.

The new issue of Imbibe should be appearing on newsstands in early January; the article is not yet online.

This Week’s Events: Christmas, Sparkling Wine Primer, New Year’s Eve List

| Posted in Events

Wednesday — Merry Christmas! A short list of Portland area restaurants are open on Christmas: C2 at the Westin, Empire Chinese Kitchen, Hi Bombay, Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, Novare Res (opens at 6pm), Sable Oaks Marriott in South Portland, the Sea Glass Restaurant in Cape Elizabeth, Twenty Milk Street, and Zen Chinese Bistro. (please email me at anestes@portlandfoodmap.com or post a comment below if I’m missing anyone.)

Thursday — Wine Wise is holding the 4th Annual Sparkling Wines & Champagnes Primer.

Saturday — Wine Wise is leading a Cabernet wine walk in the Old Port, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermenntory on Anderson Street.

New Year’s Eve List
Restaurants are beginning to announce their plans for New Year’s Eve. Here’s a list of ones I have details for so far. I’ll be expanding the list as more information becomes public. (Restaurant owners: please send details to anestes@portlandfoodmap.com or post a comment below.)

  • Back Bay Grill, 4-course dinner for $96 per person
  • BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe, 3-course dinner, $50 per person
  • Boone’s is throwing a party with a band, cocktail luges, ice sculptures and balloon drop. 5-course prixe fixe dinner is $85 per person with optional pairings available. More info.
  • David’s Opus Ten, 9-course dinner with wine pairings is $150 per person.
  • East Ender, 4-course dinner for $65 per person.
  • El Rayo, 4-course dinner for $38 per person.
  • Empire Chinese Kitchen, serving the standard menu.
  • Eventide, will be throwing a party, a $25 ticket will get you “$1 oysters and a steady supply of your favorite menu items for snacking (lobster rolls and oyster buns included)”
  • Five Fifty-Five, 5-course dinner in the restaurant for $100 per person
  • Gather, serving a special NYE’s menu
  • Gingko Blue will be open serving their new New Orleans-inspired menu.
  • Grace will be serving their regular dinner menu. A cover charge of $10 (which funds the Good Shepherd Food Bank) will get you into the late night party which comes with complementary champagne toast at midnight.
  • Hugo’s, 5-course dinner, $120 with optional wine pairings for $75
  • Hunt & Alpine Club, will be serving “special food and cocktail menus. Included will be options for multiple punches, bottled cocktails and Champagne”. They’ll be taking reservation up to 10pm and staying open until 2am.
  • Miyake, will be serving a special 5-course omakase in addition to their usual menu
  • Oscar’s New American, 4-course dinner for $75 per person with optional wine pairings for $45
  • Outliers Eatery, 7-course dinner
  • Pai Men Miyake will be “tapping a couple of special kegs and have an extensive specials selection in addition to the regular menu”
  • Petite Jacqueline, 3-course dinner for $65 per person, there are also optional wine and champagne pairings
  • Piccolo, 5-course dinner with a glass of sparkling wine, $85 per person
  • Schulte & Herr, will be open 5-9pm
  • Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea, 4-course menu, $85 per person with optional wine pairing for $30
  • Spread, will be open, details still TBD
  • The Frog & Turtle, 2 seatings (4:30-7:30, 8-12:30) at $40 and $65 per person
  • The Good Table, will be serving a special New Year’s Eve menu
  • The Salt Exchange, 4-course dinner, $65 per person
  • Twenty Milk Street
  • Vignola will be serving a speecial NYE menu, $55 per person
  • Vinland, 5-course tasting menu with a wild fermented sparkling wine for $75, optional wine pairing are available for $25. Email info@vinland.me for reservations.
  • Walter’s will be open serving their regular menu.
  • Zackery’s, room and dinner package starting at $119 plus tax
  • Zapoteca, 5-course preview of dinner the chef will serve at the James Beard House, $50 per person with optional wine/tequila pairings for $25.

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.

5 Stars for Petite Jacqueline

| Posted in Reviews

Petite Jacqueline has received 5 stars in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram review.

On a quiet evening earlier this month, the other diners at Petite Jacqueline may not have noticed the menu changes made by the restaurant’s newly hired chef, Paris-born Frederick Eliot. We knew the difference right away after one bite of our first course, a torchon of foie gras ($18), a preparation that set the stage for a remarkable meal to follow. There would also be many more extraordinary dinners on subsequent visits that were enjoyed immensely.

Richard Foss, 96

| Posted in People

Richard Foss passed away earlier this month at the age of 96. Foss worked for 63 years at Schlotterbeck & Foss, a Portland specialty foods company founded by his grandfather Charles Foss and Augustus Schlotterbeck in 1866.

Mr. Foss joined the family business in 1940 after graduating from Harvard University. He started in sales and worked his way up the ranks to become president of the company.

The company was co-founded by his grandfather Charles S. Foss in 1866 as a prescription apothecary shop. It later evolved into patented medicines and flavoring extracts, which Foss sold to dairy farmers to make ice cream. Over time, S&F developed specialty food items, such as sauces, marinades, salad dressings, and ice cream syrups and toppings.

Obscure Holiday Cocktail Party V

| Posted in Distilling & Cocktails

Last weekend the some members of the Portland food blogger crew got together to for the 5th annual Obscure Holiday Cocktail Party. As in past years, each of the 6 entries were custom paired with cheeses selected by Shannon Tallman, CPP.

My entry this year was the (mostly) locally sourced Want Knot:

1 oz. Maine Craft Distilling Alchemy Gin
1 1/3 oz. Cochi Americano Blanco
1 oz. White Grapefruit Juice
1 oz. Honey Syrup (1 part Japanese Knotwood Honey from The Honey Exchange, 2 parts water)
1/2 tsp. Beast Feast Maine Ghost Pepper Infused Maple Syrup (available at Vena’s Fizz House)
4 drops Coastal Root Cocktail Bitters
1 Orange Twist

Check out these articles from The Blueberry Files, Vrai-lean-uh, and Map & Menu for more recipes and details on the party.

Interview with Stephen Lanzalotta

| Posted in Uncategorized

Eater Maine has published the first part of an extensive interview with Stephen Lanzalotta.

The concept of Sicilian street food is a unique one in these parts. What should we expect to see?…We want to bring a fresh meeting place — not that that hasn’t been done, there are other places where people meet — but the idea is to take this ancient culture and make it viable in the 21st century. It’s like, Hey, this is a hip aspect of Sicilian culture — sharing a bite with someone else and lingering, or not. That’s the beauty of it. You can grab a bite here and go out, or linger and get several things and make a meal.

Update: Part 2 of the interview is now available on Eater.

First Looks at Top of the East & C2

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has posted his initial impressions from a visit to the new Top of the East lounge and C2 restaurant, both located in the new Westin.

I had an excellent cocktail made by Josh, who was formerly the gatekeeper at Spread’s active lounge area and is doing a great job here. I also enjoyed a plate of smoked swordfish belly that was absolutely delicious. It was served with pickled radish, a red-pepper coulis and saffron aioli—all perfectly done. The rest of the menu offerings is a compelling list of small plates like panko-crusted goat cheese and assorted panini perfect to accompany wine or cocktails.

Under Construction: Bar Lola Next

| Posted in Under Construction

90 Congress Street is slated to become the home of the new restaurant that Guy and Stella Hernandez currently have under development. Their business partner in this new business is part owner of 90 Congress.

Guy and Stella closed down Bar Lola in mid-November and since then have been working on their new venture. An earlier announcement made public their plans to move Hilltop Coffee to 100 Congress Street, so essentially the coffee shop and the restaurant are trading spaces while both stay on Munjoy Hill.