Chef Bard at the Beard House

| Posted in Events

Chef Shannon Bard is scheduled to serve a dinner at the James Beard House in January, according to a report from, Maine a la Carte.

“I’m planning on doing a Mexico meets Maine (theme),” she said. “I want to feature a lot of Maine products in it.”

Tom Bard will be in charge of the wine pairings. Tequila sommelier Sergio Ramos, who is the managing partner in the couple’s two restaurants, will create a tequila cocktail to start off the meal, and one of the courses will feature a tequila pairing as well.

“It’s a great honor to do it,” Bard said. “To even get invited is fantastic. I never thought that would ever happen. I’m very excited.”

For more information see this press release and this article by the Bangor Daily News.

Bar Review of Port of Call

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has published a bar review of the Port of Call.

The Port of Call Lounge at Holiday Inn by the Bay might not be the coolest place to hang out for a drink, but that’s just it – why does every bar need to be the next best thing? Sometimes the irony of a kitschy bar is all the cool you need. Brace yourself for somewhat of a dull atmosphere but with fine service and solid drink options.

Under Construction: Fiore Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars

| Posted in Under Construction

Fiore Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars will be opening a store in Freeport later this month, according to a report from Maine a la Carte.

Fiore Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars will open its third store and tasting room Nov. 21 in Freeport, giving southern Maine cooks easy access to its unfiltered olive oils infused with flavors like blood orange, chipotle, Baklouti green chili and Persian lime.

Interview of Maine Pie Line

| Posted in People, Profiles

mpl_logoThe Press Herald has published an interview with Briana Warner about her new bakery/pie CSA, Maine Pie Line (website, facebook).

Warner, 30, grew up in Pennsylvania and studied international relations and economics at Yale and George Washington University. She first started baking pies when she was dating her husband, Matt, and found out how much he loves them. But she didn’t get really serious about them until the State Department posted her to Guinea, a tiny west African country south of Senegal and north of Sierra Leone, as an economic and political officer. There was a lot of political turmoil at the time – the embassy had to be evacuated while Warner was there – and she used pie as a cultural bridge.

Today”s paper also includes an article about a Maine sweet potato farm and a list of local bakeries where you can order pie for your Thanksgiving table.

Frith Turkey Farm

| Posted in Farming

The Bangor Daily News has published an article about Frith Farm in Scarborough.

Since July, Daniel Mays has nurtured 100 feathered friends on his organic farm in Scarborough. From tiny hatches to bright-eyed birds that “cluck and pop and make all sorts of noises,” when they are happy, his broad-breasted bronze beauties are in demand as Thanksgiving nears.

“Every year we’ve doubled the number of turkeys we raise and we still sell out before November,” Mays said of his pasture-raised birds that forage in the open and feed on grass and organic grain. “It’s hard to keep up.”

New England Distilling Tour

| Posted in Distilling & Cocktails

ned_logooPeter Peter Portland Eater has posted a report on his recent experience touring New England Distilling.

I enjoyed learning about the grains, molasses, and yeast that contribute to the culmination of great spirits, but after staring at the beautiful barrels of unbottled booze, I was definitely ready to try the products. New England Distilling has two products currently – Ingenium Dry Gin and Eight Bells Rum – with an as-of-yet-unnamed rye whiskey on the way this month. We proceeded to the front counter ready to try a couple sips of the rum and gin but were told we could also try the new rye before it came out in stores.

Commenting on Comment Card

| Posted in General News

In today’s Portland Daily Sun, columnist Natalie Ladd confesses to her short criminal career and shares her perspective on restaurant comment cards.

There are many things fundamentally wrong with the concept of comment cards in a restaurant. They arrive with your tab, neatly tucked into a black book we call a “check minder,” which is hand delivered (and most likely collected) by the server you’re supposed to be evaluating.