Reviews of Blue Burrito, Falmouth Sea Grill and The Cheese Iron

| Posted in Reviews

The Bollard has published a review of the Blue Burrito Cafe in Westbrook,

When you think of Mexican food, one of the last words that pops into your head is “Westbrook.” One trip to Blue Burrito Café will change that.

From Away has published a sandwich review of The Cheese Iron,

This is not your lunchbox’s ham and cheese. Smoky ham, taleggio, sweet chutney and basil, grilled on crusty baguette. This is the sandwich I have been wanting all year, maybe all my life.

The Golden Dish has published a review of the Falmouth Sea Grill which is sibling of the Old Port Sea Grill in Portland,

Connolly has definitely taken the menu to a higher culinary standard, a middle of the road goodness that’s easy to like.

Is it a menu or a dining experience meant to send you to the moon? No. And that’s OK. Not every meal needs to wow and dazzle. But in such a fun, convivial setting, you couldn’t ask for more.

Bar Review of Sebago

| Posted in Reviews

Portland Bar Guide has published a review of the new Sebago Brewing on Fore Street.

The beers serve as an embodiment of various places and experiences in Maine. The most popular with customers is the medium-bodied Frye’s Leap IPA ($4 for a pint; $5 for 22 ounces), but many staff members and beer connoisseurs (me included) prefer the malty Runabout Red. You need only look to the wall over the raised booths to see the painted labels of the year-round craft beers and five seasonal brews. If the smorgasbord of beer choices overwhelms you, you can always try the sampler ($5), which offers a selection of five 4-ounce glasses.

First Review of Fez

| Posted in Reviews

Audrey Ruth has published a review of Fez.

Despite its unassuming (to say the least) ambiance, and casually-dressed staff, and relative emptiness (the three of us were dining simultaneously with a couple, also on their first trip, though a few other parties trickled in as the nine o’clock hour ticked nearer), the food was unparalleled. As the first Moroccan place in Portland that I know of, there’s no bar to speak of, but Fez is setting it high for any successors.

Immigrant Kitchens: Afgani Lamb

| Posted in Uncategorized

In the latest entry on Immigrant Kitchens Lindsay Sterling learns how to make Afgani Lamb from Shamayel Kargar (read the recipe and see the photos).

Twenty-one years ago Shamayel Kargar and her husband had a hankering for some good lamb. What they had found at Shop ‘n Save was very different than what they were used to. Where they were from in Afghanistan, lamb came straight from the farm, and I mean straight. Since “sheep farm” wasn’t a category in the Greater Portland phone book, Shamayel asked her sister to watch the kids while she and her husband got in their car and headed away from town on Forest Ave. They figured they’d come to a pasture with some sheep on it eventually.

Farmers Market, Blueberries & Water

| Posted in General News, Farming

Today’s Press Herald includes a report on a new credit/debit card/food stamp option at the farmers market,

“It’s something that the farmers have been talking about for the past couple of years,” said Jaime Berhanu of Lalibela Farm in Bowdoinham. “There are probably already five or six of us who take food stamps, and just maybe two or three that do credit cards. It’s one of these things that’s been on the long-term goal list.”

a survey of blueberry-flavored products and list of Southern Maine locations for berry picking,

Blueberries are even more abundant this year, thanks to the loads of new products on grocery shelves that tout them as potent antioxidants. From blueberry juices to dried blueberries in cereals, there are more ways than ever to get your blueberry fix.

This year, I thought it would be fun to look at some ways you can drink your blueberries.

and an article about a Portland firm that provides an alternative to bottled water.

In place of waste-generating and chemical-leaching plastic bottles and jugs, Blue Reserve provides bottle-less water coolers that use a nine-stage, commercial-grade water filtration system.

Open Farm Day

| Posted in Events

The Press Herald has published a report on yesterday’s Maine Open Farm Day.

Open Farm Day is organized by the Department of Agriculture as an opportunity for people to visit local farms. With the “buy local” trend increasing, it is also a way for people to see where their food is coming from and meet the farmers. Throughout the day, more than 100 farms across the state opened their barn doors, offering demonstrations and farm-raised products for sale, as well as animals and crops to observe.

Fez

| Posted in Openings

A new restaurant named Fez has replaced Hamdi on Washington Ave. The signage says that they serve “Mediterranean Cuisine”. I haven’t seen the menu yet but a regular PFM reader tells me they serve Moroccan food.

This Week’s Events: Twilight Dinner, Latte Art Throwdown, Festival of Nations

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — Blue is holding their monthly wine and cheese tasting.

Wednesday — Elizabeth Fraser from Girl Gone Raw will be teaching a cooking class at Whole Foods, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — David Iovino from the Blue Spoon is the guest chef for this week’s Cultivating Community Twilight Dinner. Bard Coffee is hosting their monthly Latte Art Throwdown; in July 16 baristas entered the competition. The South Portland Farmers Market is taking place in the afternoon, as is a wine tasting at Browne Trading.

Saturday — the 9th Annual Festival of Nations is scheduled to take place on Saturday and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

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.