Chubby Werewolf has published a review of The Dogfish Cafe.
So how did the burger stack up? Overall, pretty well. I found it to be a teensy bit overcooked (I ordered mine cooked medium), but not to the point of being dry. The beef had a nice consistency, though I felt that—in terms of the flavor—it struggled to stand out amidst all of the toppings.
According to a report from Maine Things Considered, the Maine House voted 107-34 to approve a compromise that would designate the whoopie Pie as the Maine State Treat and blueberry pie as the Maine State Dessert.
What started out as a fairly benign piece of legislation designating the whoopie pie as the state dessert, has whipped up an interstate dispute between Maine and Pennsylvania, and served up a dollop of national publicity. Although the bill has since been amended in committee to change the whoopie pie’s title to “state treat,” rather than state dessert, lawmakers representing the interests of the blueberry industry took to the floor of the House today in an effort to carve out their own share of the pie.
Wicked Whoopies will be at the Maine Mall this Saturday to assemble what they hope will be the World’s Biggest Whoopie Pie (take note Pennsylvania). They’ll be selling off slices of the 750-800 lb behemoth for $1 a slice and using the proceeds to send whoopie pies to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. (via Maine magazine)
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Pai Men Miyake.
But at his new spot he has embraced mayonnaise, infused with a variety of spices, which pops up all over the menu — on the pork buns, under salt cod fritters, with fried flounder. The mustardy version served with the fritters also had a sharp capery bite. It was terrific with the light, moist, almost gooey balls of fried salt cod. With the flounder a sweeter mayo, and a greasier fry, obscured some interesting flavors of mushroom sauce and garnish.
The Golden Dish has published a review of Street & Company.
My main course of oven baked whole branzino, which was filleted at the table, was served over a cilantro sauce that was at once provocative yet fresh. Branzino, a European sea bass, is a wonderful delicate fish and the restaurant cooked it perfectly.
An article in the Food & Dining section of today’s Press Herald looks past the pancake at cocktail and other drink ideas that incorporate maple syrup,
We usually run stories on how the season is going and share ideas for what you can do with all that springtime sweetness besides pour it over pancakes and ice cream. This year, inspired by a maple latte from Arabica, I decided to take a look at maple drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
and the Natural Foodie column exams how Maine’s growing network of small farms creates a better food system for the state.
According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine is home to 8,100 farms, and more than 90 percent of them are classified as small operations. Maine is also ahead of the curve in the organic farming movement, with the number of certified farms doubling between 2006 and 2008, the latest years for which the USDA’s figures are available.
Jason Oliver Nixon, author of Delta’s Jet Set blog, was in Maine for a visit this weekend,
We kicked off the weekend at a spirited brunch with L.L.Bean’s superstar public relations guru Mary Rose MacKinnon and her husband, James, at Portland’s Local 188. (Try the Caribbean-style hash with a potent Bloody Mary). Then we hit P-town’s cobblestone byways: Don’t miss Rogues Gallery and Portland Dry Goods for exceptional menswear. I am crazy about the kitchenware and gourmet delicacies at LeRoux Kitchen and Browne Trading Company.
Vin et Grub has published a review of Hugo’s.
Our 4th course, was beautiful and intricate. Referred to as the Suckling Pig Three Ways, we were presented with a large plate, with a piece of compressed shoulder, homemade thai sausage, and pig foot atop a long wonton noodle. A curry froth, curried peanuts, and sweet potato medallions rendered this the most impressive dish of the evening. The noodle (i love them) was soft and satiating and delicate. The curry froth was light and pure, and it added an enriching effect on all of the proteins on the plate…
A pair of updates for the Under Construction List:
From Away has published a review of Joe’s New York Pizza.
Though the pizza being slung out the door at Joe’s certainly can’t compare to what you’d find at Flatbread or Otto’s, it’s simply not trying to compete on that level. This isn’t organic arugula and free-range chicken served on a gluten-free crust; it’s hard-working, cheap, fast, workaday pizza, for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money or time to go from “empty-stomach” to “stomach full of pizza.” In that regard, we find Joe’s New York Pizza to be a solid choice for a midday slice.
The James Beard Foundation announced the final list of nominees for this years awards at an event in the other Portland today. Krista Kern Desjarlais, chef/owner Bresca is a nominee in the Best Chef Northeast category (see page 8). She’s up against 5 other chefs from Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
The winners of the 2011 JBF awards will be announced on May9 in New York City.
Update: the Press Herald interviewed Desjarlais this afternoon for an article about the nomination,
“I don’t even know what to say yet, I guess,” Desjarlais commented by phone on her way to Boothbay. “I don’t know, it’s awesome. It’s a great group of people to be nominated with. There’s not a whole lot of women that got nominated throughout the country, so I feel like that’s great, too.”