The Bollard: Maine Beer, The Holy Donut, Scarpa’s

| Posted in Reviews, Beer, Distilling & Cocktails

The July edition of The Bollard is now out. It includes:

  • A feature article on the latest wave of craft brewers to open in Maine: Maine Beer Company, Bull Jager, Rising Tide, Bunker Brewing, Baxter Brewing, and Oxbow.
  • A review of The Holy Donut (194 Park Ave)
  • A bar review of Scarpa’s (15 Exchange St)

The articles aren’t on The Bollard website yet, but they usually posts them up in the week following print publication. In the meantime you can find free print copies in just about every coffee shop and cafe in Portland.

Greek Heritage Festival

| Posted in Events

The Bangor Daily News has published a report on the Greek Heritage Festival.

The Greek Food Festival, now in its 30th year by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Pleasant Street, has become more than just the church’s biggest annual fundraiser. It’s a key component in keeping alive Greek cultural traditions, with roots dating back hundreds of years and thousands of miles, in Maine’s largest city.

Review of The Lobster Shack

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has published a review of The Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth.

For those of us who live in Greater Portland, Two Lights is like the neighborhood pound for lobster in the rough and all the fixings. It’s like getting away to someplace exotic and remote, yet it’s so accessible, with gorgeous scenery, very decent food, and I hope it stays that way for at least another 50 years.

Review of Nosh

| Posted in Reviews

USA Today has published a review of Nosh.

No matter what you choose you will probably like it because the food at Nosh is creative, carefully prepared and impeccably sourced, presenting a unique take on classic comfort foods in a neighborhood setting with a fun, family-friendly vibe and reasonable prices. Nosh also has an extensive list of craft beers, wines and specialty cocktails. It works equally well for lunch, dinner or late-night party spot, and presents a different side of Maine dining with no lobster whatsoever on the menu.

Review of Vignola/Cinque Terre

| Posted in Reviews

Sfphotocraft has published a review of Vignola/Cinque Terre.

The anti pasta was good.  It had shrimp, mussels, oysters and clams.  It was a nice bite of a taste of the taste of Maine, with some interesting sauces to spice up the bites.  I was a huge fan of the oysters, they were local and had a nice sweet taste to them.  It would be hard to screw up this plate as we were in Maine and seafood is everywhere.  My next course was the mushroom pizza. I loved the crisp, thin and crispy, but not overly so. The best part were the mushrooms…

Eventide Oyster Company Now Open

| Posted in Openings

Hugo’s new companion eatery, Eventide Oyster Company, is now open for business.

The oyster menu is the most extensive in the city with 9 varieties of Maine oysters and another 9 from away (see menu below). Winterpoints, my favorite Maine oysters, are on the menu except these are Winterpoint Selects, which at least for now, are exclusively available at Eventide. In addition to the raw bar, Eventide serves a range of raw and cooked appetizers, as well as a small set of entrees and desserts.

I had the pleasure of attending their open house for friends and family earlier this week, (see photos below) and aside from when I dropped and broke a wine glass, it all went very smoothly. I’m looking forward to a return trip very soon to start making my way through the rest of the oyster list. I wonder if there will be a “mug club” for anyone who tries them all?

Eventide is located immediately adjacent to Hugo’s on Middle Street in the space formerly occupied by Rabelais.

Bar Review of Flask & What Ales You Column

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

The Press Herald has published a bar review of Flask,

I met a friend out for a weekend-welcoming drink at Flask on a recent Friday. For both of us, it was our first time hitting up the lounge near Portland’s West End. Shortly after we walked in, I spotted the lineup of flasks on a ledge near the ceiling. Each one had a little funky flair to it, just like the bar.

and the What Ales You column in today’s paper challenges its readers to reach past their go-to brew for something new this 4th of July.

So, I am going to suggest you try something new — three established craft breweries that have been around for a decade or more, but which have just been introduced to store shelves in Maine. They are Lagunitas, from Petaluma, Calif.; Founders, from Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Green Flash, from San Diego, Calif.