Holiday Eating Survival Guide

| Posted in General News

An article in today’s Portland Daily Sun advises readers on “How to relish the season without adding holiday pounds“.

You wake up puffy and your tongue feels like a giant saltine. After 12 rounds with the snooze button, you flop to the ground and wheeze out a few guilty sit-ups and a push up before the sugar shakes start in earnest. You inhale the festive pastries (they’re for my roommate!) that ended up in your purse after the office party. You vaguely recall a meticulous wrapping job involving one-ply napkins and toothpicks so why is there a frosted explosion at the bottom of your sparkly bag?

Review of Pai Men Miyake

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine magazine blog has published a review of Pai Men Miyake.

It would appear that Pai Men has finally found its identity, and now lives in harmony with Miyake on Fore Street. Each restaurant offers an entirely different experience, and if it’s been awhile since you’ve dined at Pai Men, I urge you to see these changes for yourself. It is also worth noting that the kitchen now remains open until midnight Monday through Saturday, and nothing is better after a long restaurant shift than noodles and meat on a stick.

Review of Cobblestones

| Posted in Reviews

Edible Obsessions has posted a review of Cobblestones.

Perfectly peppered and tender Pastrami was definitely the star, cut thick and piled generously on the rye. And, c’mon, who in their right mind DOESN’T like Marbled Rye? If that’s you, then you’re no friend of mine. The onions were a bit of a throw away for me, though they did add a nice sweetness against the biting whole grain mustard.

This Week’s Events: Sparking Wine Dinner, UFF Workshops, Winter Farmers Market

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — award winning sommelier Scott Tyree and Bar Lola are collaborating on a Sparkling Wine Dinner, and the Urban Farm Fermentory is running a mushroom growing workshop.

Wednesday — a wine tasting is taking place at Old Port Wine Merchants.

Thursday — the Urban Farm Fermentory is teaching a kombucha brewing class, the Great Lost Bear weekly showcase is featuring beer from Bray’s Brew Pub, and there will be a wine and cheese tasting at the Public Market House.

Friday — a wine tasting is taking place Rosemont on Brighton.

Saturday — a second wine tasting is taking place at Rosemont Market and it’s the first Winter Farmers Market of the season.

Sunday — the maiden voyage of The Corner Room’s new Sunday Brunch service.

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.

Review of Bresca

| Posted in Reviews

Vin et Grub has posted a review of last month’s Rocky IV Estonian wine dinner at Bresca.

A decadent softened quails egg topped with American caviar was a nice and cool way to start off the evening.  Despite the cold serving temperature and it’s slight conflict with the texture of the quail’s egg, I was more than pleased with the dish as a whole.  The caviar added the right amount of saltiness and the potato countered that flavor with it’s smokey flavor.  The creamed ruby chard was the highlight of the dish in my opinion- beautifully soft, slightly warmed, and borderline ambrosial, I couldn’t have imagined a better way to prepare chard.

Drinking Culture

| Posted in Distilling & Cocktails

An article in Sunday’s Boston Globe reports on “Maine’s new drinking culture”. John Myers, Hugo’s, Blue Spoon and the Urban Farm Fermentory are all mentioned. (via Edible Obsessions)

John Myers, a traditional saloonist and cocktail historian, tends bar at The Grill Room, a steakhouse with a wood-burning grill in the center of the Old Port here. Myers, looking like a Wild West gunslinger with his wool vest and bushy beard, stands in the lamplight – a sommelier of cocktails ready to shake or stir.

Review of Saeng Thai House

| Posted in Reviews

Saeng Thai House received 4 stars from a review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.

Saeng Thai House is an easily overlooked Portland treasure. The employees are friendly and knowledgeable, and their attention to the smallest details is impressive. Enjoy the food either in the cozy dining room or at home on your couch. If you are craving good-value, fresh-tasting Thai cuisine, start at Saeng Thai House. (And make sure to try the noodles. Barry White is optional.)