Food Coma TV

| Posted in People

Well known Maine food blogger Joe Ricchio is launching Food Coma TV, a video extension of his popular blog Portland Food Coma. Funding for the venture is being crowdsourced and so far has gathered pledges totaling $5,397 which is just $1,100 shy of the goal. You can see a brief video of Joe talking about the project and make a pledge for Food Coma TV page on Kickstarter.com.

For more information listen to the interview by Joe and his producer Alex Steed on the Maine Culinary Podcast, read about FC TV in the Bangor Daily News, or watch an interview with the pair on the Fox morning show.

4 Stars for Zapoteca

| Posted in Reviews

Zapoteca received 4 stars from today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.

At Zapoteca, you’ll find fabulous cocktails, varied appetizers from chipotle pork tacos to mussels with a Mexican twist, and substantial and delicious entrees that bring gourmet flair to south-of-the-border cuisine. The restaurant boasts excellent service in a chic and thematic atmosphere that’s uncluttered and comfortable.

Cheap Eats in Portland & Wild Blueberries

| Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized, Farming

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.

 

Portland Brew Festival

| Posted in Beer

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.

Review of the Cafe at Pat’s

| Posted in Reviews

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.