Gelato Street

| Posted in Profiles

Instant Portland has posted a look at Fore Street’s 2 gelato shops: Gorgeous Gelato and Gelato Fiasco.

I suspect you’re expecting me to come down on one side or the other – to pick a shop as the top gelato shop in the city. I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going to encourage you to try them both and see which one you like the best. Like chocolate and vanilla, they are very different shops but each delicious in their own way.  Fore Street is one of the most visible locations in the city, with heavy foot traffic, and I’m confident that both shops will do well…

2 New Reviews of El Rayo Cantina

| Posted in Reviews

The resident food bloggers at Down East and Maine magazine have coincidentally both published reviews of El Rayo Cantina today. Joe Ricchio writes for Maine that,

Though I rarely encounter deviled eggs that I don’t like, the Cantina’s version are pickled with hibiscus, giving them a brilliant magenta coloring and providing a nice amount of tangy acidity to compliment the rich, creamy yolks. These would pair up brilliantly with a glass of mellow Anejo tequila such as Don Julio 1942.

and reflecting on the same dish John Golden writes in his blog The Golden Dish,

I also loved the deviled eggs, colored from its pickling process in hibiscus. The lighting is low in the room, and the egg whites looked brownish, but in bright light one would have seen that it had red hues.

Bull Jagger Baltic Porter

| Posted in Beer

This week’s What Ales You column reports on Bull Jagger’s upcoming release of their 2nd beer, a Baltic Porter.

The Baltic Porter, which I tasted before it was carbonated, is an intense beer, with quite a bit of sweetness and notes of chocolate, coffee and toffee, and had just a bit of bite at the back of the palate from the rye. I liked it a lot, and expect it will be even better once it is bottled and carbonated.

Reviews of Mesa Verde, The Thirst Pig and The Salt Exchange

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has published a bar review of Mesa Verde,

Located in Portland’s arts district, Mesa Verde would be easy to miss while walking down Congress Street because it blends into the block of buildings. But it’s the ideal place to swing by for happy hour or before a show at the State Theatre.

The Portland Phoenix has published a review contrasting sausage and beer options available The Thirsty Pig and Novare Res,

Overall the Thirsty Pig gets recession-era beer and sausage right. It’s a space for those truly in need of escape from life’s unpleasant realities. Novare Res, opened in pre-recession 2008, has a different feel.

and Breaking Bread with Joe & Kate has reviewed lunch at The Salt Exchange.

To sum it up: We loved our Valentine’s Day lunch date, the meal, the service and the overall experience we had at The Salt Exchange once again!  …And on Valentine’s Day, isn’t it all about the love?

Pot Pies & Jean Ann Pollard

| Posted in General News, Cooking

Today’s Press Herald includes a survey of local vendors who sell pot pies,

The convenience of picking up a pot pie on the way home from work and popping it into the oven has become so irresistible that many places are selling them year round. For parents, chicken and vegetables in a light gravy beats bringing home Big Macs any day.

and an article about the relaunch of The New Maine Cooking by Jean Ann Pollard.

Almost an exact copy of the original, the re-released “The New Maine Cooking” lacks the flashiness of today’s cookbooks but is filled with wholesome recipes made from real ingredients that are as relevant today as they were in 1987.

This Week’s Events: Valentine’s Day, Bunker Brewing, Miyake Wine Dinner

| Posted in Events

Valentine’s Day — it’s one of the busiest restaurant days of the year. There are ample options to choose from in the list below or you can try one of the suggestions assembled by Portland-area bloggers last week.

  • Bar Lola, $45, 5-course dinner with optional wine pairings
  • BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe, $40 3-course dinner
  • Bresca, 5-course Paris 2066 Dinner, $65 per person, $100 per person with wine pairings
  • Cinque Terre, 5-course on February 13 and 14, $59.95
  • East Ender, 3-courses $40 with the option of wine pairings for $18
  • El Rayo Cantina, is putting together a special Valentine’s Day menu
  • Five Fifty-Five, your choice of $75 or $100 5-course meals in the restaurant or a 3-course $55 dinner in the lounge
  • Gelato Fiasco, Valentine-themed red, pink, white, and chocolate flavors
  • Geno’s Rock Club will be the venue for the Local Muscle Valentine’s Day Film Festival
  • Novare Res, Sweet Marguerites chocolates paired with beer from the Novare Res menu, February 10-14
  • Petite Jacqueline, $65 4-course dinner with optional wine pairings
  • Sea Glass, 4-course dinner $62
  • Sea Grass Bistro, 4-course $65
  • Sebago Brewing, is offering a special Valentine’s Day menu
  • Sonny’s is hosting the launch party for Bunker Brewing
  • The Inn on Peaks Island, 3-course dinner, $55 includes a champagne toast
  • The Frog & Turtle, $45 3-course
  • The Salt Exchange has posted their Valentine’s Day menu
  • Vignola, 4-course, $39.95
  • Wine Wise, Wine & Chocolate Pairings, $35
  • Zackery’s, serving a special Valentine’s Day menu
  • Zapoteca, $40 with optional pairings for $20, served February 10-14

Wednesday — a lecture entitled “What’s Eating Maine: An Excursion into the Local Food System” is taking place at USM.

Thursday — the Brighton Ave Rosemont is hosting Cortijo Winery for a wine tasting.

Saturday — the the Winter Farmers Market is being held.

Sunday — Miyake is holding a 9-course wine dinner, and Ratatouille is on the schedule for movie night at Petite Jacqueline.

James Beard Awards — the James Beard Foundation is scheduled to release the list of semi-finalists for this year’s JBF Awards on February 21. The final list of nominees will be out March 19 and the winners will be announced May 4.

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.

4½ Stars for Silly’s with a Twist

| Posted in Reviews

Silly’s with a Twist has received 4½ stars from the review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.

From its roots as a walk-up counter wrap joint to its current incarnation as maybe the most unique casual dining experience in Greater Portland — most lately with an expansion into the building next door — the Kelleys have created something to be proud of. And it goes the other way too — we are proud of them.