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.

 

Backyard Locavore Tour

| Posted in Events

The Food and Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a preview of the Backyard Locavore Tour taking place this weekend.

This Saturday, participants in the fourth annual Backyard Locavore Tour will have a chance to explore [Jerry] Lord’s homestead and the food-producing backyards of 12 other homeowners in Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, North Yarmouth, Portland and Windham. The event is sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and tickets for the self-guided tour cost $10 in advance and $15 the day of the event. Hundreds of people buy tickets to the tour each year.

Food Network Magazine & Saveur

| Posted in General News

An article in the new issue of Food Network Magazine lists Duckfat’s Duck Confit Pannini as one of the 50  best sandwiches in the nation. Press Herald food writer Meredith Goad nominated the sandwich for consideration.

Saveur has published an article about their recent visit to Portland and their stay at the Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth. (via Meredith Goad)

Considering the location, it didn’t shock me that the seafood dishes were first-rate—the appetizer of butter-poached lobster and gnocchi was simultaneously creamy and pillowy light, and the crab cake–avocado Benedict has now become one of those Platonic breakfast dishes against which I will judge others—but it was the chef’s way with meat that was a pleasant surprise.

CBD Solar Panels

| Posted in General News

According to a report from Maine a la Carte, Coffee by Designs is up for a $5,000 People & Planet Award from Green America for their solar panels.

This is where Coffee by Design had Revision Solar install 44 solar panels. These panels generate roughly half of the roastery’s electricity needs and offset 18,000 pounds of carbon dioxide that would have been produced if the electricity came over the grid from plants that burn fossil fuels.

For additional reporting see MaineBiz.

Interview with Michael Sanders

| Posted in People

The Boston Globe has published an interview with Maine food writer Michael Sanders about the 2nd edition of his book, Fresh from Maine.

In the second edition of “Fresh From Maine: Recipes and Stories From the State’s Best Chefs,” released in June, the author adds 10 restaurants, primarily from inland and northern regions. Along with providing new recipes, the chefs who are profiled discuss the challenges and benefits of cooking in Vacationland.

Under Construction: Tandem Coffee Roasters

| Posted in Under Construction

Sprudge, the leading blog in the specialty coffee world, has published an article about Tandem Coffee Roasters.

Sorry, we had to get that out of our system, but for reals people! The “other Portland” is home to a brand new specialty coffee operation called Tandem Coffee Roasters, a labor of love brought to the world by three former Blue Bottle employees: husband and wife team of Will and Kathleen Pratt, and their sole employee, Vien Dobui, who reached out to Sprudge with pics and info (Editors Note: When your only employee takes the time to reach out to relevant media, you have likely Hired The Right Person).

I heard from Kathleen Pratt yesterday and she confirms that, pending successful completion of inspections, they’re on target to open in a couple weeks. My caffeine addiction has me currently bouncing back and forth between Bard in the AM and Speckled Ax in the PM. I look forward to the challenge of fitting a third destination inTo the line-up.

Out on a Limb Apple CSA

| Posted in Farming

For the fourth year running, apple expert extraordinaire John Bunker, is offering shares in Out on a Limb, a rare apple CSA. Shareholders will receive 5 deliveries of apples every other week starting in September of approximately a quarter bushel each. The CSA will “be offering a wide assortment of endangered, historical and just plain unusual eating and cooking apples, including some that we’ve never offered before.”

Shares are $125. This year Out on a Limb is expanding beyond just Portland to offer pick-up spots in Waterville, Freedom, Belfast and Mount Desert Island. For more information and details on how to sign-up, read the CSA’s FAQ.

Longfin Squid

| Posted in Fisheries

Working Waterfront has published an article about the emerging squid fishery and market in Maine.

Culinary trends can be tricky to predict with the recent trend to sample both exotic and local foods—sometimes on the same plate. The roster of locally available foods is well known, and here in Maine one can expect rather hearty fare; potatoes, lobster, apples and kale are among the offerings, but lately there’s been a newcomer by way of Port Clyde Fresh Catch (PCFC). Though once considered the province of the adventurous gastronomic, squid have found a place among the palate of Maine eaters, and PCFC can barely keep up with demand.

Five-Year Anniversary for Portland Food Map

| Posted in PFM

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of the launch of Portland Food Map.

I think it’s fair to say that had you told me then that I was headed down the path to running a daily news site for the Portland food community that would be read by thousands of people I would have thought you were crazy. But that’s exactly what’s happened and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out, and as long as there continues to be an interest and an audience for PFM, I expect I’ll still be at it when 2017 rolls around.

I owe a a big thanks to all of you for showing such support for the site over the years, and to the restaurant and food community for building such a fascinating industry for me to obsessively focus my attention on.