The Bollard has published a review of The Wine Bar in its guise as an afternoon summertime taco bar.
Comfy and cool, sophisticated yet unpretentious, The Wine Bar has been a refuge from the bachelorette madness of Wharf Street for many years. Earlier this summer, the nocturnal lounge began opening most weekdays for cheap lunch, providing refuge from the factory-burger madness of Five Guys. Tuesday through Friday afternoons, The Wine Bar effectively becomes The Taco Bar.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Petite Jacqueline.
A salad with cod and hake was terrific. The smokiness of the fish infused the whole dish and gave it a slightly Scandinavian feel. The light dressing added a dash of tarragon without overwhelming the greens. A dish of soft braised leeks eschewed the usual hint of mustard for a dash of oil and dusting of red French peppers that reminded us of paprika.
Miyake’s beautiful new location on Fore Street opened tonight. The new Miyake is located in between the Portland Harbor Hotel and Paciarino. This venue replaces the sushi bar that Masa Miyake has operated on Spring Street since 2007.
Today’s Natural Foodie column in the Press Herald reports on the kids at one Portland daycare facility that are eating their veggies and liking it.
Five-year-old Nunga Zangada recently tried gazpacho for the first time. “I liked it a lot,” she said. “And I ate the fruits and I liked the salad.”
She’s not the only one enjoying the new foods.
According to articles in this week’s Forecaster and last week’s edition of MaineBiz, the owner of Canal Plaza is proposing to build a new restaurant venue in the center of the plaza.
“There is a huge demand for high-quality restaurants downtown,” [owner Tim Soley] said. “Any use that is active at night and alive would be great there.”
Soley said several restaurateurs have contacted him informally about possibly using the space. But no decisions will be made until the zoning and permitting are in place, he said.
Both articles include a conceptual drawing of the new building placed within the plaza.
A regular PFM reader forwarded the Mainebiz article with a question I’m going to pass on to all of you: If it were up to you, what (type of) restaurant would you most like to see move into this proposed space?
The Golden Dish has published a review of Zapoteca.
For the enchiladas we had the pork, which is roasted in the oven and made with caramelized onions and a mild tomato habanera sauce. It was gorgeously flavorful as were the chicken enchilada with a richly ethereal mole poblano sauce and a stuffed poblano chile with mushrooms, and very assertive herb flavors.
Appetite Portland has published a review of Petite Jacqueline.
Granted, it’s no Au Pied du Cochon (Montreal) or Au Vieux Comptior (Paris) – two places embroiled in my brain and heart (not to mention my thighs) for all-time top French dishes (guinea hen liver mousse and sweet breads with morels, asparagus and a river of cream – respectively).
But, I’m just delighted to have a solid French bistro in Portland. One that makes a tasty Nicoise Salad, an appealing Steak Frites and a lovely Fluke Meuniere.
For the July edition of our collaborative food writing project the group is publishing a celebration of Maine native strawberries. Strawberries are still widely available in Portland at the Farmers Market and other locations like Rosemont. If one of the wonderful recipes below isn’t to your liking then take CW‘s advice and pick up a strawberry pie from Blackbird Baking, or just eat them raw with a little heavy cream (my dessert tonight) or give the smoothies they’re making at the Farmers Market a try. Regardless of AP has to say, don’t let the season pass you by.
Appetite Portland – Anti-Strawberry “Preference”
I grew up with a strawberry-loving mom. She would just shake her head and say, “well, more for me then” while popping a plump red berry in her mouth. It’s not that I hate strawberries. To quote my never-admit-to-not-liking-anything, farm-raised Dad, “I just really don’t prefer them.”… read the full article
Chubby Werewolf – Review of Memere’s Strawberry Pie
The generously sized strawberry pie—like so many of the desserts I’ve tried from the Blackbird Baking Company of Maine—is a unique and memorable experience. For starters, it is just stunning to look at. Deep red berries sit in stark contrast to the ring of golden crust that encases them. The top of the pie is dotted with huge, whole strawberries, their tiny seeds visible through the thick red glaze, reminding you that you are, in fact, about to eat a dish made with fresh, flavorful ingredients.… read the full review
Edible Obsessions – Spring Panna Cotta w/Strawberry Balsamic Jam
In the land known for blueberries, for me, it is the strawberry that has come to represent summer in Maine. I think this is due to the fact that their appearance at the Farmers Markets signals the true beginning of the local produce season. The single hue of greens is finally broken by the brilliant pop of red berries at nearly every stall.… read the full article
From Away – Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs
The use of wooden barbecue skewers isn’t limited to cooking sad little dried-out chunks of beef and pepper; they can also be used to make simple, delicious grilled desserts. And you don’t even have to pre-soak the wooden skewers, because they are on the grill for such a short amount of time. Our grilled “Strawberry Shortcake” kebabs completely change the character of the classic Summertime dish.… read the full article
Vrai-lean-uh – Memories of (not)Picking Strawberries
So when A. suggest that this month’s O-Rama posts be focused on strawberries I had the wherewithal to reject my gut inclination to go picking strawberries. In theory, I want to pick strawberries. In real life, I want to do leisure activities that do not require me to labor in unrelenting sun, stooped to the ground with sunscreen dripping into my eyes for extended periods of time. Instead, I did what people who want to pick strawberries in theory but not in practice these days do. I went to the farmer’s market.… read the full article | hulling strawberries
And Portland fashion/food blogger also couldn’t resist the pull of Maine strawberries in prime season and has also posted a piece about going strawberry picking at Maxwell’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth.
Be sure to check Vrai-lean-uh’s blog later when she’ll be publishing the results of an interview with David Buchanan about his work at Origins Fruit to bring back the Marshall Strawberry.
Rabelais has teamed up with Gilt Taste and Daniel Boulud to offer a unique collection of 17 rare culinary books selected by Boulud. Each volume has a bookplate signed by Daniel Boulud. 10 of the volumes have already sold so you’ll need to move fast if there’s one that’s especially caught your eye.
This sale is the first of a series that Rabelais and Gilt Taste will be doing with prominent chefs.
The White Cap Grille is now open for business. The new restaurant is at 164 Middle Street, the space formerly occupied by Sebago Brewing.