Vegan Goes Mainstream

| Posted in General News

The Natural Foodie column in today’s Press Herald reports that as vegan diets are becoming more popular, Portland restaurants are responding to the need by adding more vegan options to their menus.

When the swanky Grace Restaurant opened almost two years ago in Portland, its menu was populated by meat and seafood-based entrees. But six months ago, the popular eatery did something unusual in Portland’s top-tier restaurant scene: It added a vegan entree to its regular menu.

“Why we have the dish started with demand,” general manager Kate Tozier said. “We saw more and more people requesting vegan.”

Immigrant Kitchens: Sudanese Small Potatoes

| Posted in Cooking

In the latest entry on Immigrant Kitchens Lindsay Sterling learns how to make Sudanese small potatoes from John Yanga (read the recipe and see the photos).

John Yanga’s love for small potatoes doesn’t come from some gourmet trend in glossy magazine. It’s just the way his favorite dish was done when he was growing up in a grass roofed, mud-hut in a village in Southern Sudan. The story of how he made it from there to here, cooking batatis all the way, really inspires me. If his life were a fable, the moral would be: the world is horrible and chaotic, yeah, but not too much so for you to bring some good.

Lindsay Sterling is teaching a cooking class on April 8 in Freeport. On the menu is Miso Soup and Oyakodon. For more information visit www.immigrantkitchens.com.

Opening Day Eats

| Posted in General News

Tomorrow is opening day at Hadlock Field and the Portland Daily Sun has published part 3 of their series on the food and food service staff at the Sea Dogs home stadium,

The Portland Sea Dogs are intensely proud of their local food and beer vendor relationships. The mutually beneficial support of Binga’s Winga’s (owner Alec Altman and former partner JD Way were aboard from day one when Binga’s started the on-going tradition of feeding both teams after home games), Greg Shane from Shane’s of Maine, former stand hawker Luke Livingston of Baxter Beer, Oakhurst Dairy, Pineland Farms, and others all add to the philosophy the team tries to embody.

Iacuessa states, “It’s vital to us to support the community and buy as locally as possible. It’s the right thing to do and we’re always looking for ways to tie in local vendors.”

Today’s Press Herald also includes a look at the food options at Hadlock Field,

Along with the usual steak-and-cheese sandwiches, pizza, fries, popcorn, fried dough and Sea Dogs Biscuits, you’ll find better-tasting burgers that are now made from Pineland Meats. Drivas said the staff was impressed by how much better the local meat was compared with the generic frozen patties they usually serve at Hadlock. (The Pineland burgers are actually processed in Massachusetts, then shipped back up to Maine.)

“We tried them and fell in love with them,” Drivas said.

Under Construction: Exchange Street Cafe

| Posted in Under Construction

Mainebiz has published a report on the Exchange Street Cafe, an Italian restaurant which  is under construction at 7 Exchange Street.

Richard Petrucci says he and his co-owners are investing a little more than $60,000 to refurbish the Exchange Street location, which is sandwiched between City Beverage and retail shop Toko Indo. They plan to open the restaurant sometime in April for lunch, dinner and late-night meals.

Chocolate Lovers Awards List

| Posted in Events

Monday’s Press Herald reports on the 25th Annual Chocolate Lovers Fling. The article includes a full list of award winners.

Then again, Kyle Pouliot, 26, of Scarborough confessed a hankering for the messy chocolate burrito from Federal Jack’s brew pub. High marks also went to “the raspberry thing” from Southern Maine Community College and the Oreo truffle from York County Community College.

Taco Smackdown

| Posted in Events

    3 of the judges conferring before making the final announcement.

A boisterous standing-room only crowd assembled at Nosh on Sunday for a Taco Smackdown between 12 Maine restaurants: 158 Pickett St Cafe, East Ender, El Camino, El Rayo, Havana South, Hugo’s, Novare Res, Rosemont Market, Taco Esco Bar, The Cheese Iron, Verbena, and Vignola.

158 Pickett St Cafe took home the trophy and bragging rights, with The Cheese Iron in 2nd place and Hugo’s in 3rd. As the winner, 158’s owner Josh Potocki got to select the the theme for May’s smackdown. Next month the crew will get together to see who can make the best fried chicken.

Starting in May, a limited number of tickets to the event will be available to the general public with proceeds donated to the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

This Week’s Events: Vrienden, 5-course Brunch, Food+Farm Preview

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — release day for Vrienden a collaboration between Allagash and New Belgium Brewing. Vrienden is brewed with dandelions and elderberry and described by Allagash as “tart, fruity, earthy”.

Wednesday — Grace will be comparing wines from the Rhone Valley and Paso Robles for the April edition of their wine club.

Thursday —Boston Beer Company will be featured at this week at The Great Lost Bear.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Irish Heritage Center.

Sunday — Wine Wise the Chadwick Bed & Breakfast are collaborating to offer a 5-course cooking class, brunch with wine education event.

Food+Farm — the 2011 Food+Farm is taking place April 14-17. It starts on Thursday with a dramatic reading of the the play Of Farms and Fables, continues on Friday with an appearance by Anna Lappé from the Small Planet Institute. On Saturday morning F+F moves out to Cape Elizabeth to “wake up” the Cultivating Community farm and that evening they’ll be a screening of The Greenhorns followed by a discussion with the director. Food+Farm wraps up on Sunday with a pair of workshops on urban farming at the Urban Farm Fermentory. Visit the SPACE Gallery website for more information and to buy tickets.

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.

Make sure you come by and watch the debacle as Doug from SoPO learns that like his ponytai his Ettouffe is old and long gone and while talk is cheap it takes money to buy land and he’s broke.