The Loft Burger House had their Grand Opening on Sunday at 865 Forest Ave. There menu has 30+ different burger options including #16 the Donut Burger which is made with a Tony’s glazed donut instead of a traditional bun.
Portland’s Restaurant History
For anyone interested in the history of Portland’s restaurant scene (that’s all of us, right?), Epicuranoid has published a very interesting history of Portland’s restaurants in the 70’s and 80’s.
Long before The Old Port renaissance, Portland had a hopping restaurant scene. There was a famous French restaurant named Marcel’s. Several good steak houses like John Martin’s Art Gallery (where Asylum is now) and many restaurants that did all kinds of seafood baked, broiled & fried. However, In the time before The Old Port boomed, the last great features of Portland’s restaurant landscape were Italian. I refer to it as the old Italian guard because much like Boston’s North End today, the Italian restaurants dominated. Only DiMillo’s was actually in the area we call The Old Port, but the city was littered with the likes of Verillo’s, The Sportsman’s Grill, The Roma, The Village Cafe, Maria’s and my old favorite, Giobbi’s.
If that’s wet your appetite for Portland food history, take a look at the restaurant timeline here on PFM.
Interview with Chef David Levi
The Dr. Lisa show on WLOB has aired an audio interview with chef David Levi about the new hyperlocavorion restaurant he’s planning in Portland (Vinland) and the origins of his interest in local and foraged foods.
Rise of Wild Beers
Allagash and their coolship beers are mentioned in an article on Gilt Taste about the new wave of interest in wild beer fermentation.
But one of the most sought-after beers in the room, an ale brewed in the Belgian lambic tradition called Resurgam, comes from Allagash Brewery in Portland, Maine. It is so rare it isn’t even announced with the others, instead moving quietly through the crowd, a whisper between friends.
Opening: Pocket Brunch
Josh Potocki from 158 Pickett Street Cafe let me know yesterday about a new project he and some friends are working on called Pocket Brunch. It’s a public underground traveling restaurant which specializes in multi-course Sunday brunches.
Two dates are scheduled so far:
- a 5-course brunch this Sunday (July 29) with guest chef Rocco Salvatore Talarico
- another 5-course brunch on September 2.
Tickets are available online via the website pocketbrunch.com. To add to the mystery the exact destination of each dinner is kept secret and is sent out to ticket holders in advance of each date.
Review of Fore Street
Diningsense has published a review of Fore Street.
The quail and the whole fish, as well as the warm service and our nice table, made this one of my favorite meals at Fore Street. The cuisine is not characterized by a dominant flavor profile so much as their oven-centric preparation method; this is not a problem, but our meal did reveal the limitations of a strict adherence to minimalist preparations. Most notably, the flavors of the dessert and the hake were more restrained than what one would find at a more experimental restaurant.
This Week’s Events: Latte Art Competition, Twilight Dinner, Rose Tasting & Walk, Farmers Markets
Tuesday — a discussion on setting up a Community Supported Fishery is taking place, and Bunker Brewing is having their 4th Growler Nite.
Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.
Thursday — Bard is hosting the July Latte Art Competition, Cultivating Community’s fourth Twilight Dinner of the summer is taking place at their farm in Cape Elizabeth (tickets available online), Browne Trading is holding a Rose wine tasting, there will be a wine tasting at the Bier Cellar (yes, really), and Sea Change Cooking is teaching a Mid-Summer Harvest cooking class.
Saturday — Wine Wise is leading a Rose wine walk in the Old Port, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.
Sunday — the first Pocket Brunch 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.
23rd Annual Open Farm Day
The 23rd Annual Open Farm Day takes places today at dozens of farms across the state and 13 here in Cumberland County. A list of all participating farms and the activities they’re hosting is available online (starts page 5).
Review of Carmen at the Danforth
Carmen at the Danforth received 4 stars from today’s review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Carmen at The Danforth offers marvelous Latin-inspired twists on familiar items while introducing ingredients seldom found on Maine menus. The restaurant’s intimate, elegant setting in a historic inn in Portland’s West End makes it hardly a spot you’d expect to find this delicious and fascinating cuisine. But that’s all part of the magic.
Also in today’s paper:
- Chef Krista Kern Desjarlais was interviewed for a frontpage article about the payday gender gap
- A report on this year’s Yarmouth Clam Festival
Under Construction: Outliers Eatery
Portland Magazine has published a report on Outliers Eatery, the restaurant under construction on York Street.
Though the chef still remains a mystery, Verrill has fresh ideas on the brain for Outliers Eatery, the name he’s chosen. “We’ll offer an ever-changing seasonal menu. We don’t have the exact details nailed down until I can sign the chef I want, but you can expect a few fish dishes, meat dishes, and several vegetarian options. We’ll also offer small plates for happy hour and only the best local ingredients.” And as far as the bar is concerned, “We’ll only be serving the finest small craft beers. I’ll work with the chef for beer and wine pairings. We’ll also have a very extensive and affordable wine list. I don’t want people to think they can only drink great wine for a special occasion.”
Those of you with good memories will recall that this former home of Popeye’s Ice House was slated to be another Tod Dana (owner of the El Rayo’s) restaurant called River House. Dana, however, sold the property earlier this year to Peter Verrill. Verrill’s name may be familiar because he was part of the team that launched Grace.