The Golden Dish has published an overview of the Maine Restaurant Week dinner at the The Salt Exchange.
The three courses offered were a good sampling of the stylish American bistro fare that the restaurant does so well. The prix fixe presented such dishes as a novel take on shrimp cocktail, to a classic frisee salad with poached egg, to such satisfying main courses as braised short ribs; lobster in a luscious cream sauce and roast pork loin.
Map & Menu has published a review of Bar Lola.
The four years we’ve lived here is a long time to wait for a meal as delicious as ours, but slowly but surely we’re covering each of the best places in Portland, and Bar Lola definitely ranks towards to the top of that list. I can’t wait for our return visit.
Photo Credit: Map & Menu
The Breakfast Club has published a review of Sonny’s.
The meal was really good, piping hot (the whole thing is baked in the oven), and had a pretty perfect ratio of components. The potatoes could’ve been cooked a little more (maybe a tad of crispiness?) and the eggs a little less, but all-in-all, this meal was delicious. I especially appreciated the garnish of lightly-pickled purple cabbage on top. A lovely pop of color, and tasty to boot. I would definitely order it again.
Union Bagel Company (website, Facebook) has leased the old Katie Made space at 147 Cumberland Ave and is in the process of renovating it to serve as their bagel bakery. They hope to open sometime in April.
Co-owner Paul Farrell tells me that in addition to their bakery, 147 Cumberland will also have a small and simple retail operation where you’ll be able to get coffee, juice and, of course, bagels and cream cheese to go.
Eat Maine has published an interview with Ned Wight and Tim Fisher from New England Distilling.
“I love smelling it in the glass,” he says. “One of my favorite things about drinking spirits is the empty glass. I keep coming back to the glass and sniff it and see what’s happening in there. It changes a lot, it keeps on going—even after the liquid is out, it keeps on going.”
The Breakfast Club crew has announced that they’re making a comeback. Read all about the changes since their last review 3½ years ago on the TBC site.
Yes, you read that correctly: The Portland Breakfast Club is officially back in action! The Usual and Wild Toast have recently moved back to Maine from the State-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, to find The Benny Girl anxiously awaiting their return with fork and tea infuser in hand.
Monday — Maine Restaurant Week continues this week through to Sunday. As part of MRW, a number of area bars are participating in the Double Cross Vodka cocktail competition. The folks at El Rayo Cantina tell me they’ll be donating $1 to United Way for every cocktail they serve.
Tuesday — Slow Food Portland is holding a potluck dinner.
Wednesday — the 12th Annual Portland Symphony Wine Dinner and Auction is taking place. Chefs from the Haraseeket, Fore Street, Petite Jacqueline, Inn by the Sea and Grace and each designing and preparing a course of the meal. A few seats are still available.
Thursday — Layne Witherell, author of Wine Maniacs: Life in the Wine Biz will be at Longfellow for a book signing, the Bier Cellar is holding a tasting of saison/farmhouse ales, and the Great Lost Bear will be featuring beers from Founders Brewing.
Friday — there will be a wine tasting Rosemont.
Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.
Sunday — Maine Restaurant Week’s Signature Event, a cocktail and dessert competition, is taking place.
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.
The Golden Dish has published a survey of locally made English muffins.
English muffins are a big deal in Portland. Locally made by some of our best bakers they have a near-cult following—a purist’s artisanal pecking order, if you will, of perfection.
Food Coma has published a review of the February Pocket Brunch.
While most guests arrive at the house of RosenChamp on time, ready to devour platters of crunchy praline bacon, bruleéd grapefruit, and sticky bananas foster bostocks, I am busy being late, fighting my way out of Massachusetts after a rather substantial snowstorm that involved an actual “driving ban.”
Chef David Levi has leased 593 Congress Street for his new “100% local food, zero waste, fine dining restaurant” Vinland (website, Facebook).
593 is located just across the street from the Portland Art Museum and around the corner from the new Westin Hotel. The space has been completely renovated; it had been the long time home of The Kitchen.
Levi has worked at Noma in Denmark, at Faviken in Sweeden. He gave some insight into his approach to cooking when interviewed by the Boston Globe for their article on The New New England Cuisine,
“I want to use what grows in this bioregion,” says Levi. “If I can’t use lemon, I need to replace that acidic element. Obviously I could use vinegar, but the flavor is so strong, so maybe rhubarb, or green fruit, or whey.” To that end, in his Portland kitchen Levi prepares an example: soup made by pureeing farmers’ market turnips with his own homemade yogurt and garnishing the bowls with lightly fermented carrots and fresh herbs and flowers from his small garden plot.
Levi hopes to open Vinland this summer.