First Reviews of Empire Chinese Kitchen

| Posted in Reviews

Both The Blueberry Files and The Golden Dish have published reviews of Empire Chinese Cuisine based on their opening day first impressions.

Even so, there were a few small things that Empire could work on, but I trust that they will improve. Overall, my impression of the food was very positive and combined with the location, the atmosphere, and the great bar (and bartender, obvi), I’m sure Empire will make many people very happy.[TBF]

The menu is very concise but full of enough options. Parlaying its stance as a dining establishment serving Chinese soul food — comforting and delicious — what has emerged is a new neighborhood haunt that Portlanders have long wanted and can now embrace  without hesitation. [TGD]

 

Maine Brew Bus & Dave Geary Interview

| Posted in Beer, People

This week’s edition of The Forecaster includes a double article about the Maine Brew Bus,

The tour visits three of Maine’s leading breweries: Allagash Brewing Co. off Riverside Street, where the visit begins with a tour and ends with a tasting; then to Maine Beer Co. in Freeport for a beer sampler and snack, and finally to Rising Tide Brewing Co. in East Bayside, for a final tasting.

and containing an interview with Dave Geary.

Geary, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, said the brewing scene has changed dramatically in the years since he began building his brewery in 1984.

“There we no real road maps, how-to guides,” he said. “All of our equipment is custom made. These days you can buy it off the shelf, turn-key operation, if you’ve got enough money.

Apples/John Bunker/Apple CSA

| Posted in People, Farming

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about this year’s apple season, the apple CSA and John Bunker,

For five years now, Bunker and his wife, Cammy, and crew have run an “Out on a Limb” heritage apple CSA, with two drop-off locations in Portland. I just joined and can’t wait for this week’s first pickup of the 10 to 12 pounds of apples. Last year, the CSA distributed dozens of rare and beloved Maine varieties, including deep purple (plum-like) Black Oxfords and dense Blue Pearmains, aromatic Garden Royals and Idareds, Cox’s Orange Pippins and Northern Spys. Willow Pond Farm in Sabattus is known for these late season Northern Spys, crisp yet juicy, and equally good eaten fresh or baked into pie.

For more on the apple CSA see this post from The Blueberry Files about the first week’s distribution.

Empire Chinese Kitchen Now Open

| Posted in Openings

Empire Chinese Kitchen (website, facebook) has now opened at 575 Congress Street. The venue has been completely recast by owners Theresa Chan and Todd Bernard as a Chinese dim sum restaurant—harkening back to the building’s early 20th century past as a Chinese restaurant. Despite the rain, the restaurant was packed when The Blueberry Files and I stopped by for dinner.

According to the Press Herald,

The menu, a press release sent out today says, will feature “truly authentic Chinese cuisine and Dim Sum. The menu of traditional and modern ‘Chinese soul food’ will feature local meats, seafoods, and seasonal produce. The kitchen will be headed by a Dim Sum Master Chef with 40 years’ experience creating specialty dumplings in world class kitchens around the world.”

For more details see today’s article about Empire from the Bangor Daily News.

Historical tidbit: Maine’s first Chinese restaurant was opened on Custom House Wharf by Ar Tee Lam in 1880.

Changes to Portland’s Food Truck Regulations

| Posted in General News

The Portland Daily Sun has published an article about proposed changes to Portland’s food truck regulations.

The amendments to the ordinances related to food trucks — which were passed unanimously — will allow trucks to be parked with 65 feet of each other but not an open restaurant; restructure the permitting process and fee; increase the size limits on trucks; and ease the time restrictions for trucks to set up in metered parking spaces, giving them an extra two hours.

The changes are moving forward for a vote by the City Council.

Portland Brunch Spots

| Posted in General News

MaineToday has published an article highlighting 28 of the brunch destinations in Portland.

Brunch: It’s what we do in Portland on weekends. Whether we jump up ready to start the day with exercise, or drag our sorry selves out of bed — possibly regretting (ahem) beverage choices made the night before — chances are we’ll be sitting down to a plate of eggs or pancakes sometime before noon…

Bunker & the Apple CSA

| Posted in People

It’s apple season, yesterday marked the start of the Out on a Limb apple CSA and so it’s perfect timing for The Root to post an article about Maine apple expert John Bunker.

Super Chilly Farm in Palermo, Maine is the home of John Bunker and Cammy Watts, and the base of operations for the “Out on a Limb” CSA program. A self-taught preservation pomologist, John has been tracking down heirloom apples and pears, particularly those originating in Maine, for decades. His 2007 publication Not Far From the Tree: A Brief History of the Apples and the Orchards of Palermo, Maine chronicles his fruit exploring adventures.

Portland Beer Week Preview

| Posted in Beer

Foodie Journey has posted a preview of this year’s Portland Beer Week.

“We’ve extended the ‘week’ to 10 days,” said Allison Stevens, proprietor, The Thirsty Pig and one of the organizers of Portland Beer Week. “Last year we had many out-of-state visitors who could only attend events on the weekend. So this year we decided to have Portland Beer Week cover two weekends.

The 2013 Portland Beer Week is scheduled to take place November 1-10.

An Insiders Perspective on Tips

| Posted in General News

Today’s Portland Daily Sun provides a professional server’s perspective on tipping.

Countless factors come into play when guesstimating the amount of tips a server skates away with at the end of any given shift. The variables fluctuate in degree of importance and frequency from place to place, and even in the most rigid of corporate settings they may not always be consistent. Who actually punches out with how much green in hand is one thing that makes the restaurant business so confounding. It’s an ongoing, inconclusive topic and makes for lively conversation when two or more servers gather in a social setting.