The Munjoy Hill News stopped by 253 Congress Street to interview the owner of Bakery on the Hill.
“Phenomenal” and “rich” were just several of the adjectives customers used to describe the desserts for sale inside the newly opened “Bakery on the Hill”, 253 Congress Street. The Bakery opened last Friday at noon and was worth the wait.
A new Somali restaurant called Al Huda has opened in Morrill’s Corner next to Banadir Halal Market in the space formerly occupied by Shack’s Pub.
For the November edition of our collaborative O-Rama food writing project the challenge was to come up with a seasonal dish, perhaps one that one of our readers might want to cook for Thanksgiving. And to keep things interesting each of the recipes had to utilize as a key ingredient a Maine-made beverage.
There are certainly plenty of options to choose from, from the historic/iconic Moxie to one of Maine’s many beers as well as the state’s less well known ciders, meads and wines. As you’ll read in the individual pieces sourcing the right beverage became a bigger part of the task than anyone had imagined. Appetite Portland searched in vain for a bottle of Old Mean Tom and had to make due with her second choice. Vrai-lean-uh ended up cooking her dish 3 times with different ciders to get just the flavor she was looking for and Jillian at From Away ended up at Bootlegger’s Beverage Warehouse and Redemption to find what she was looking for.
The award for the oddest select by far goes to Edible Obsessions for using a Pumpkin Pie Soda from Maine Root. All of resulting recipes sound delicious and well worth trying out in your own kitchen. If you do end cooking up one of these dishes at home please write in and let us know how it went. Also, if you have an unusual Maine beverage recipe of your own, post it as a comment so everyone else can give it a try.
Appetite Portland – Evil Shenanigans’ Orange Chocolate Stout Cake
Music cranked, measuring cups clanked. I slipped into baking mode and relaxed. Zesting the orange made me particularly happy. Bright fruit tickled my nose as I danced around to Guster and began whisking. A lick of the batter had me hoping again. Bitter notes from the bourbony beer and the sassy citrus blended well. That extra kick of vanilla I was hoping for from Tom became beside the point.… read the full article
Edible Obsessions – Pumpkin Pie Soda Braised Beef
[Pumpkin Pie Soda from Maine Root] started appearing on shelves about a month ago and will probably be around for another few weeks. It’s definitely one of the odder drinks that I’ve had in my life. It’s an orangish hue, the only thing defining ‘Pumpkin’ thing about it (there’s no actual pumpkin in it, mind you, just ‘spices’) because the flavor is more akin to some bastardized Dr. Pepper bred with a root beer. Actually, describing it like that makes it sound more appealing than it really is. It’s just straight out weird to me.… read the full article
From Away – Lobster Fondue with Oyster River Reisling and Bartlett Estate Wild Blueberry Wine
Fondue is a food I can’t imagine hating. I suppose if you are lactose intolerant, detest the Swiss, and are a germaphobe – well, this is not for you. Please, leave. It’s kitschy! And European! And melty cheese and wine, inarguably two of the best things on earth.… read the full article
Vrai-lean-uh – Norman Chicken with Kennebec Cider
This recipe requires very little hands-on work. You brown the chicken, then basically abandon it for half an hour, then come back to make a really simple sauce from the cooking liquid. Chicken thighs are cheap, flavorful, and relatively hard to mess up (they don’t dry out like chicken breasts do), and the finished dish is rich and hearty. It would be nice with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts.
… read the full article
Mainely Eating has published a review of Schulte & Herr.
All of us eagerly samples each other’s plates, and it was hard to say which dish came out on top. The beef roast was so tender it fell apart, and the potato dumplings were soft and delicious. The Belgian waffle was crisp with a soft center, everything a perfect waffle should be. The sauerkraut and Bratwurst was amazing slathered in mustard. We all had to hold back from demolishing my daughter’s scrumptious plate of meat and cheeses.
As usual a number of Portland area restaurants plan on serving a Thanksgiving dinner. Here are the ones I know about so far. I’ll update the list as more info comes in:
For those of you hosting your own meal at home be sure to checkout:
Community Dinners:
Wine and Beer Buying Advice:
Turkey Buying and other Advice:
Is there a local restaurant, market, bakery, or Thanksgiving event that’s missing? Post a comment with the info and I’ll add them to the list.
Monday — As part of the continuing Maine Beer Week events, Novare Res is showcasing Urban Farm Fermentory cider.
Tuesday — Novare Res is showcasing Sebago Brewing, and Local Sprouts is hosting a local food networking breakfast.
Wednesday — Novare Res is showcasing Marshall Wharf Brewing, Girl Gone Raw is teaching a raw food cooking class, the Old Port Wine Merchants is holding a wine tasting, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.
Thursday — As part of the last night of Maine Beer Week, the Great Lost Bear is converting over all but one of their taps to Maine made beer, Novare Res is showcasing Maine Meadworks, and Vignola is holding the 6th Annual Allagash Beer Dinner. Additionally, there will be wine tastings at Aurora Provisions and Browne Trading, a vegan/macrobiotic cooking class is taking place and Havana South is holding their monthly wine night.
Friday — Rosemont on Brighton will hold a Thanksgiving wine tasting.
Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.
Sunday — Petite Jacqueline is holding a wine dinner to celebrate this year’s release of Beaujolais Nouveau.
Viva Lebowski — fans of White Russians and the movie The Big Lebowski should check out this year’s Viva Lebowski festival. The event is taking place December 3rd at Bayside Bowl. There will be bowling, a screening of the movie and a Lebowski costume contest. All ticket sales will benefit the Maine Heart Association.
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.
Sharon Kitchens from Delicious Musings is arranging a bakery pop-up shop early next year (February 4, 10 am – 2 pm at Akari on Middle St) to raise money for the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Both professional and home bakers are welcome to contribute to the effort. East End Cupcakes has already volunteered, if you’d like to join in, contact Sharon at kitchens.sharon@gmail.com.
The Front Room received 3 stars from a review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.
The Front Room, one of three Portland “Rooms” that chef Lee Harding Smith opened in Portland (The Grill Room and The Corner Room being the others), has garnered avid followers and good press. On a Tuesday night, plenty of people were lining up for supper.
My experience did not measure up to the hoopla.
I’d like to see some of the centerpieces we had — that juicy chicken, tender beef and silky smooth potatoes, for instance — get to show off their innate flavors. Let herbs, burgundy, garlic and such outshine the salt in the well-conceived items. A little hovering and tasting was in order.
Eat Here. Go There. has published reviews of The Grill Room,
Despite the pizza mishap, there is no way I won’t be eating here again, there are too many other wonderful menu items to keep me from coming back, but I am going to go with this brief closing sentiment. Go for the grilled items, blow off anything else (or risk extreme dissatisfaction). In short—burger, amazing. Pizza, lousy.
and El Rayo.
All in all, it was a good start to a fun night. While not my favorite place to get burritos, tacos or enchiladas in Portland I don’t think that it’s terrible. I can’t put my finger on exactly what is lacking there for me, but if a friend wanted to go have a causal dinner there again, I would certainly go. I would not, however, get the enchiladas ever again. The quality of the pork was good, so it gives me hope if I decide to go back sometime and try a pork dish another time around. I just don’t think I’ll be knocking down their door anytime soon though. I apologize profusely to Bitzy and other El Rayo frequenters, but it’s just not my jar of salsa kids.
The Bakery on the Hill plans to open for business today at noon. The bakery is located in the foothills of the East End just a couple doors down from Figa.