Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a report on the Portland Brew Festival.
They were among more than 500 people who filled the Portland Co. Complex for the first of three brew festival sessions this weekend. Situated on the waterfront, the old foundry seemed to be the perfect venue for the festival that continues from noon to 3:30 p.m. today.
This Week’s edition of the Portland Phoenix includes a guide to cheap eats in Portland for the newspaper’s annual student guide,
We know you’re dirt poor. Those textbooks are outrageously expensive and you’re forced to divvy out your remaining dollars on cheap beer and illegal substances. We’ve all been there. However, we wanted to remind you that there are places you can afford to eat in Portland that won’t bankrupt you (any more than those student loans will when you graduate). We even helped you with the math and organized it by how many dollars you have in your pocket. So, give up your tray and check out these places.
and a feature article about Maine’s wild blueberry industry.
Whether scooped by hand-held rakes or gathered mechanically by tractors, Maine’s blueberry crop is expected to be down a bit from the recent annual average of 83 million pounds. All told, Maine accounts for nearly all of America’s wild blueberry production, and is second to Michigan (which grows cultivated varieties) in terms of overall blueberry production in America. The US grows more blueberries than any other country in the world; Canada ranks second.
Chef Cheryl Lewis from El Rayo recently appeared on WCSH to demonstrate how to make her Baby Arugula and Watermelon Salad.
A German restaurant called Schulte & Herr is now open for business at 349 Cumberland Ave serving breakfast and lunch. Try the traditional German breakfast plate of cheeses, prepared meats, fruit, bread, jam and cornichons.
The 10 eateries looked up most often in August on Portland Food Map were:
The numbers in parentheses indicates their rank last month
The Press Herald has published an interview with Mark Sprague, the organizer of this weekend’s Portland Brew Festival.
Sprague is putting his own stamp on the festival. First, the brews will be coming from all over New England, not just Maine. Second, the brews will include cider, mead and even kombucha, a kind of fizzy fermented tea, in addition to beer. Third, attendees will be able to watch people brew beer and make cider. And fourth, Sprague is not planning to bring in live bands as entertainment.
Taco Escobarr is now open for business at 548 Congress Street. The new taqueria is run by Jason Loring, Matt Moran and Tom Barr, co-owners of Nosh Kitchen Bar.
Chubby Werewolf has published a review of the newly reopened Cafe at Pat’s.
As for me, I hit the proverbial jackpot with my entree. Despite feeling a bit guilty about ordering mostly seafood at a restaurant with strong ties to red meat, I opted for something called the “Portuguese Shrimp Saute.” Somewhat evocative of a cioppino stew, the dish featured several large shrimp over a generous helping of fettucini, and accompanied by sweet Italian sausage, Mahogany clams, Jonah crab claws, mussels, lemon, garlic, tomato and saffron. (As with Ilsa’s scallop dish, it came with asparagus, that day’s vegetable offering.) It is a lot of ingredients, but they all worked together in unison to produce the perfect meal: one that is balanced and flavorful enough to be eaten on a breezy summer evening, and yet hearty enough to be savored on some cold night in mid-November.
The Appel on Wine column in today’s Press Herald examines state regulations that are impeding the Maine wine industry,
As Ned Swain, owner of the Maine distributor Devenish Wines, put it, “Allow shops to sample people on wine. If they’re in good standing (and) not selling alcohol to minors, having a sample bottle open wouldn’t harm anyone. It would make it a lot easier for shops to sell new, unusual, unknown wines.” (I’ll add: The state liquor authority could conduct undercover monitoring of a one- or two-ounce maximum per customer, to prevent an increase in public inebriation.)
The Golden Dish has published a review of Nosh.