Fox Family Potato Chips

| Posted in General News

Bon Appetit columnist Andrew Knowlton has gone public with his “chip tryst” with Fox Family Potato Chips which are made here in Maine.

My latest crush is Fox Farms, the hand-sliced chips made in Mapleton, Maine. The Fox family have been potato farmers since the 1800s, but only recently put these beauties on the market. They’re not too thick but not too thin, they’re cooked to a nice amber brown, and they come in longish strips. During the summer I go to Maine as much as the bosses will allow and each time I return with a few bags.

I even introduced them to my parents. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to chip commitment.

I know I’ve seen the chips for sale but haven’t found a bag at some of the likely spots. Does anyone know where an aspiring tryster can pick up a bag here in the Portland?

Three Sons Eviction

| Posted in General News

According to an article in today’s Portland Daily Sun, Three Sons lost the appeal on their eviction.

Despite an emergency appeal to a federal bankruptcy judge, Three Sons Fishing can no longer stay at its Commercial Street location.
Stuart Norton, owner of Three Sons Fishing, hoped that an appeal to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court would stave off his business’s eviction from the Maine Wharf, though Judge James Haines ruled that Great Maine Wharf, LLC., had the legal backing to take possession of the building and require the seafood market to remove its belongings. Haines said it was “crystal clear” that the lease was with a limited liability company and not Norton.

Kamasouptra in the Maine Mall

| Posted in Under Construction

According to a report from Maine a la Carte, Kamasouptra is in the process of opening a new location in the Maine Mall.

On or around Sept. 1, Kamasouptra intends to officially open in the Maine Mall food court in the location previously occupied by Taco Bell. With a robust roster of national retailers and chain restaurants, the Maine Mall’s list of Maine-based food purveyors will grow to two, including Amato’s, once Kamasouptra opens.

What’s in a Name & Coffee Shop Humor

| Posted in General News

The Opinion section in today’s Press Herald includes a defense of the Acadian Redfish,

Words can lend a person a presence they don’t have by themselves. The same goes for how we describe our food. Broccoli is just broccoli, until we describe it as organic, sustainable or local. Then it becomes superior, and more desirable.

Or, in this example of redfish being described as bait fish, it becomes less desirable.

and A Slanted View column on Portland’s coffee shops.

I decided to investigate. At every downtown coffee shop, I would order, drink, and rate one (1) small cup of black coffee. I would measure each establishment’s VSOP (Vibe, Sincerity, Organic Purity).

I would note which Famous Maine Personage (FMP) each shop most personifies, as well as Other Outstanding Oddities (OOO).

I did it all yesterday morning between 8 and 10.

Serious Eats: Fast Food Lobster Rolls

| Posted in Reviews

Malcolm Bedell over at From Away has penned a story for Serious Eats entitled “Fast-Food Lobster Rolls: Can They Be Any Good?”

In the 1990s, McDonald’s captured attention with their “McLobster,” a fast-food version of a Maine lobster roll that was only available in select markets in New England and Canada. My recollection of the sandwich was that it wasn’t half bad, and a bargain at just $7.99. But it’s been MIA in recent years in coastal Maine (anyone seen it?).

So which other chains are serving up mass-market lobster rolls? And are they anywhere close to the version served at our favorite roadside Maine seafood shacks?

In addition to the main article and it’s recommendations, see this slide show for detailed commentary for each of the 8 rolls Malcolm considered.

For more on Malcolm and wife Jillian focus on Maine food watch this video on Visit Maine.

Three Sons, Lobster Protests & Restaurant Lobster Pricing

| Posted in General News, Fisheries

Today’s Press Herald includes an investigation into why restaurant pricing of lobster dishes hasn’t dropped as fast or as low as the price paid to lobstermen,

By the time that bright-red lobster lands in front of a customer in a Maine restaurant, those low dock prices of $2 or $2.50 a pound are more like a distant murmur than the issue that’s causing all that shouting by lobstermen up in Canada, who are worried that their livelihood is threatened by the cheap Maine lobster flowing to processing plants north of the border.

the latest in the ongoing controversy in Canada over the processing of Maine lobster,

The judge granted an injunction that orders protesters not to block entrances to lobster processing plants for the next 10 days. The order says no more than six people can protest at a time, and they must stay at least 200 feet from the plants.

Canadian lobstermen protested the delivery of Maine lobsters to Canadian processors last week by blocking access to the facilities. They said Canadians could not compete with the low price of the imported product.

and an article about the eviction of Three Sons Lobster from their digs on Commercial Street.

The owner of Three Sons Lobster and Fish on Commercial Street was evicted Thursday, but he’s hoping a last-minute bankruptcy filing will allow him to reopen at the same location.

Spring Day Creamery Visit

| Posted in Profiles

Vrai-lean-uh has published a report of her visit to Spring Day Creamery.

[Owner] Sarah [Spring] makes both cow and goat milk cheeses, pasteurized and non-pasteurized, and gets her milk from a few different nearby Maine dairies. She produces mostly traditional French cheeses, with some forays and experiments. What struck me the most about her, and I think part of why I enjoyed our visit so much, was her palpable passion and enthusiasm and curiosity for the craft. You don’t make these cheeses accidentally: they are fussy and demanding and particular.

Reviews: Brunch at Blue Spoon, East End Cupcakes, J’s Oyster Bar

| Posted in Reviews

The Blueberry Files has published a review of East End Cupcakes,

So I’ve come around and now enjoy stopping into the shop to marvel over the beautiful display of cupcakes, picking out my favorite one (most definitely the vanilla with coconut cream cheese frosting), and having a bite-sized sweet treat to satisfy my small sweet tooth.

Map & Menu has published a brunch review of Blue Spoon,

It’s no secret that the East End’s Blue Spoon restaurant is one of Meredith and my absolute favorites in Portland – I’m pretty sure that it was the first place we covered on Map & Menu – and I don’t try to hide the fact that brunch is probably my favorite meal of the day, so by mixing the two, you’re pretty much guaranteeing a recipe for Map & Menu success.

and Happy Mouth has published a review of J’s Oyster Bar.

I however seem to have developed an aversion to any meat paired with bacon. I love bacon. I love crab. I did not like the flavour combination. I believe though that the fault lies with me. The garlic bread was however, amazing. BEST EVER. A white hot dog bun split, spread with garlic butter and chives, then toasted on the flat top. Chewy, steamy, garlicky. Cheese on garlic bread only complicates things.

Reviews of Three Dollar Deweys & Local Buzz

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has published reviews of Three Dollar Deweys,

Dubbed Portland’s original alehouse, it’s a casual place to gather with friends for a pint, enjoy a game or watch the passers-by on Commercial Street.

and of Local Buzz in Cape Elizabeth.

The Local Buzz opened its doors in 2010, and I’ve been sporadically hanging out there ever since. Cape Elizabeth was lacking a spot like this — one where you can chill out with your book alone; get caught up with friends over some local brews; hop on their wi-fi and actually get work done with a mug of coffee and a bagel; or meet friends for lunch or dinner. It also hosts live music performances and even tarot card readings.

Portland Maine Chef’s Table

| Posted in Openings

Portland, Maine Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes From Casco Bay, a new book by  Margaret Hathaway & Karl Schatz is now available. The book includes profiles and recipes from 48 Portland restaurants. Everyone from Artemesia and Aurora Provisions through to Vinalnnd and Zapoteca (see entire list) are included in the book.

Hathaway and Schatz are the owners of Ten Apple Farm in Gray, Maine. Their first book The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese, tells the story of how these folks from NYC ended up owning a farm in Maine.