First Weekend Farmers Market

| Posted in Events

Instant Portland has posted a set of images captured last weekend at the first Saturday farmers market of the season.

So, it’s possible that I might have gushed mentioned that the first Saturday Farmer’s Market in Deering Oaks took place last Saturday, which to me is as much a hallmark of the start of summer as baseball opening day or the first robin of spring. The thing I love most about the market is how it inspires me: on Saturday I bought whole-wheat flour (grown and milled in Maine), super-fresh Mozzarella, a leek, some scallions, and some green eggs, and was inspired to make leek and bacon pizza (including using the mozzarella) and it was every bit as good as it sounds. I wonder what I’ll be inspired to make next weekend?

For additional reporting see The Golden Dish.

SoPo Farmer’s Market

| Posted in General News

The Press Herald has published an update on aspirations to move the South Portland farmers market to Hinckley Drive.

On Monday night, the City Council could end a long and contentious discussion about the future of the market.

The council is expected to vote on a plan to move the market to a spot on Hinckley Drive, adjacent to Mill Creek Park, and close part of the street from 2 to 8 p.m. every Thursday, said City Manager James Gailey. Vendors hope the move will give them more visibility and attract more customers and vendors.

Stavros Pizzeria, Slainte, Allagash Cookbook, City Food Council

| Posted in General News, Reviews, Beer

Today’s Press Herald includes a review of Stavros Pizzeria,

I quickly fell in love with the Greek pizza, a veggie pie topped with feta cheese, Greek olives, fresh tomatoes, spinach, a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and the restaurant’s own “special sauce.”

a bar review of Slainte,

So when I opened the drink menu at Slainte Wine Bar & Lounge in Portland and saw offerings like Oatmeal Cookie, Crocodile and Monument Square, I knew this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill place.

an article about an upcoming cook book collaboration between Allagash and chef James Simkins,

James Simpkins, who spent some time in Portland as a chef with the now defunct Quimby Colony, worked last week in Rye, N.H., creating recipes to go with different beers from the Portland brewer.

“I thought and (Allagash founder) Rob Tod thought that we should not cook with the beer that much,” Simpkins said in a telephone interview. “There are only a handful of recipes out of the 50 in the book that use beer in the recipe.

and a report on plans to create a food policy committee.

The city is rolling in accolades for its foodie culture, but residents often feel left out of food policy discussions.

To help correct this problem, Mayor Michael Brennan is spearheading an effort to give residents and business owners a formal voice in food policy. By June, Brennan intends to present a proposal for the formation of a food policy committee that will address all food-related issues in the city.

San Francisco of the East

| Posted in General News

The Chicago Tribune has published a travel article about Portland.

Portland’s long, salty docks still teem with stacks of lobster traps, the hulking ships that catch the nation’s seafood, and businesses boasting, “Fishing Maine waters for over 100 years.” They’re open and free for your perusal and offer classic no-frills dining spots such as J’s Oyster, which serves fish straight out of the ocean and appears to have been redecorated approximately never during its 36-year existence.

Immigrant Kitchens: South Sudanese Lamb and Collards

| Posted in Cooking

In the latest entry on Immigrant Kitchens Lindsay Sterling learns how to make South Sudanese Lamb and Collards from Nyatiem Lual (read the recipe and see the photos).

My road to collard green enlightenment opened up, of all places, at the checkout at T.J.Maxx. The cashier’s beauty was captivating. She was at least six feet tall, her skin the color of black-brown mascara, and her smile a shade of light unachievable by dental work. She was twenty-four and extremely nice. After my inquiring about the origins of her accent (South Sudan), and introducing my project (Immigrant Kitchens), she offered to teach me how to cook her favorite dish from home. A couple days later, I got a text. Nyatiem Lual: “Hey would you like to have a goat meat?” I felt like I’d just won a trip to Africa.

Reviews of Caiola’s & Plush West End

| Posted in Reviews

Map & Menu has published a brunch review of Caiola’s,

It’s hard to beat a dinner at Caiola’s, in Portland’s West End, but for this morning meal junkie, the Sunday brunch just might do the trick. While a meal and live music on the back patio might be a great way to spend a warm summer evening, nothing wakes you up and warms you up on a drizzly, Maine spring morning quite like a plate of the Warm Lost Bread (more about that in a minute) or any other item on the menu for that matter.

and The Bollard has published a bar review of Plush West End.

The first cocktail I tried was the Prickly Pear Margarita, a deep red concoction with a Herradura Silver Tequila base and granulated sugar around the rim. It also contains Cointreau, prickly pear puree and a squeeze of fresh lime. The drink started thin, with the tequila riding the roof of my mouth and only the sugar to balance the agave. But as I pushed through, the Cointreau began to emerge, and by the last sip the lime found its place. Though all the flavors eventually arrived, the drink seemed too heavy on the tequila. A lighter pour would have helped the other flavors shine.

Cinco de Mayo, Slow Money, Oregonian Wines, Almanac of Eats

| Posted in Events, People, Profiles, Wine

Today Food & Dining section in the Press Herald includes articles on Saturday’s Cinco de Mayo & Deby Day celebrations,

If it seems as if Cinco de Mayo has been growing in popularity in Portland, hold onto your sombreros. This year, the Mexican holiday falls on a Saturday – and on the same day as the Kentucky Derby, offering local restaurants and bars a winning trifecta when it comes to attracting margarita- and mint julep-loving revelers.

about the Slow Money network,

The Slow Money Maine network has been in existence for only two years, but it’s already helped connect farmers and food producers with more than $2.7 million in capital.

about Maine’s special connection with Oregonian wines,

Clark and Laramy (who by 2010 had joined Clark on the west coast) started bringing bottles back to Maine on visits to share with friends. The friends loved the wines.

The partners started ORWA Wine Brokerage, which establishes relationships with the wineries. Devenish Wines, the Maine distributor, purchases the wines in Oregon and ships them directly to Maine to distribute here.

and about Maine food blogger, Steff Deschenes, who writes daily about national food holidays.

Steff Deschenes has already eaten her way through tempting food holidays such as National Waffle Day (March 26), National Potato Chip Day (March 14) and National “Have a Brownie” Day (Feb. 10). She chronicles these celebratory meals on her Almanac of Eats blog.

More on Portland Food Truck

| Posted in General News

The Forecaster has published a report on food trucks in Portland,

Task force members and participants like Sutton also agreed that food trucks are no more guaranteed to be successful than traditional restaurants, and that the city has a stake in the continued health of the dining industry and Portland’s reputation as a foodie city.

as has Mainebiz.

Preliminary recommendations would allow food trucks to operate in any part of the city from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. with the exception of residential zones. Prior to 10 p.m., food trucks would be allowed only on private property in certain parts of the city. They’d also have to be 65 feet from established restaurants, or 100 feet outside the downtown area. Trucks would be allowed in certain city parks including Deering and Compass as long as they apply with the city.

The recommendations also encourage a “cluster” model where food trucks would gather in one location, setting up something of a food court in private lots around the city.

Launch of Union Bagel Co.

| Posted in General News

Maine a la Carte has posted a report on today’s launch of Union Bagel Company.

Crispy on the outside and chewy inside, the bagels garnered positive reviews in the foodie corner of the newsroom.

The bagels are being produced in the Community Kitchen at the Public Market House by a team that includes Nina Murray, Dave Tozeski, Paul Farrell and Abby Williams. They worked all last night until 6 a.m. producing 20 dozen bagels for distribution today. The team raised the money needed to start the venture with a Kickstarter campaign.