Maine Ahead has published a profile of Coffee by Design.
CBD sells coffee, foods, and merchandise, much of it sourced locally and in Maine, at its stores and online. They sell a range of products wholesale customers need to run their businesses—equipment, foods, syrups and bases—along with consulting services, including training, equipment service, and the kind of relationship that helps wholesale clients succeed. Wholesale makes up about 60% of revenues, with a goal of 80%.
MPBN radio reported on a bill before the legislature that would impact whether the server or employer is entitled to the money from the service charge.
If you’ve ever thrown a wedding banquet, a 50th birthday bash, any kind of prearranged function, you’ll see that a bill comes with an automatic service charge of 15 or 20 percent. Who should get the money? The employer or the servers? That debate has been the source of at least two lawsuits in Maine, and is now a question being raised in the state Legislature.
For additional coverage of this story see the Huffington Post and the Portland Daily Sun.
Bob Harkins of Maine Distilleries and Joe Ricchio appeared on the Fox morning show yesterday to talk about the Cold River Bartender’s Bash.
Mainebiz reports that Siano’s Old Port location has closed and is making way for Zapoteca, a new Mexican restaurant that, according to the article, “will be competing with upper-level Portland restaurants such as Havana South, Fore Street and Street and Co.”
Shannon Bard trained at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, Texas, which specializes in Latin American cooking, and will be the restaurant’s head chef. Possible entrees include Red Snapper Veracruz with a tomato, green olive, cilantro and lemon sauce; carne asada with an anchovy-chili sauce; and stuffed, baked jalapenos. The restaurant’s salsa and mole sauce will be homemade, and the bar will serve 70 to 80 tequilas and fresh-squeezed juices, Tom [Bard] says.
Shanghai Tokyo is having their Grand Opening today. As the name suggests the restaurant serves a mix of Chinese and Japanese food. The restaurant is located at 511 Congress Street. Soju was the last restaurant in that space, prior to that it was the home of Thai Che Buffet.
Portland Bar Guide has published a review of the East Ender.
Their bottled beer selection, however, is where they shine and their little beer garden is obviously growing. I experienced my first ever Black IPA based on their recommendation, an Otter Creek Alpine Black ($3.50). Normally not a dark beer drinker, I was thoroughly impressed with their suggestion. Which is nothing compared to the biting but not hoppy Unearthly IPA ($10), a favorite amongst the owners and their regular clientele. For those desperate for the yummy richness of a microbrew flavor without the gluten, they offer St. Peter’s ($9, my personal favorite sorghum based beer). In total, they offer anywhere from 30-40 different bottled beers.
Tranchemontagne’s, Andre and Jame’s Tranchemontagne’s new restaurant in Westbrook, opened on Tuesday. The new eatery replaces the brother’s prior venture at that address, The French Press Eatery. You can see a copy of their menu on their Facebook page (login required).
The Urban General Store on Congress Street has gone out of business. The store was owned by Norm Jabar who also operates Norm’s Bar & Grill and the Downtown Lounge. Norm’s East End Grill on Middle Street closed last Fall.
The former Maple’s Organics gelato shop on Middle Street and the tattoo studio that had been adjacent to it are being renovated. The combined space is slated as the future home of Dobra Tea. The company started out in Burlington, VT and they now tea houses in Madison, WI and Ashville, NC.
They plan on opening for business on March 31st. If you a tea drinker and looking for a job be sure to check out the job posting.
The Portland foodie blogosphere is awash with Valentine’s Day recommendations today. Part of that is intentional as the O-rama blogging crew takes a slight detour from burgers to coordinate on the topic of V-Day first date recommendations. Vrai-lean-uh and Stephen Cooks also exercised a fine tuned sense of editorial timing and posted their own Valentine’s Day thoughts today so I’ve included them in the summary below.
Appetite Portland – a set of recommendations compiled by AP and her husband for a night out with 6 celebrity dates.
James Franco – to Novare Res Bier Cafe, then Sonny’s
With roles as diverse as Sean Penn’s lover in Milk, the partier in Pineapple Express, and the outdoor adventurer/survivalist in 127 Hours, sexy Franco can’t be pigeon-holed. And, as a PhD candidate, he attends poetry classes at Yale. What’s hotter than that? I’d get him a little tipsy with a few 10% beers at Novare, then spice up the evening with Sonny’s Latin-inspired entrees. We’d keep the night sizzling by sipping pepper-infused tequila at Sonny’s bar .… read the full article
Chris2fer – Chris and his partner went to The Salt Exchange for an early Valentine’s Day dinner.
I started with Crab Cakes (spicy!), moved on to Sweet Potato Soup (the highlight of the meal), had Poached Pear Salad for the first time (goat cheesy!) and finished with the Stuffed Chicken (a leg (boo)). George had Potato Croquettes (eh), Brocoli and Scallop soup (awesome!) and the “Local And Sustainable Daily Fish Preparation” (fine).…read the full article
Edible Obsessions –a retelling of how she first met “the missus” and a strong recommendation for Miyake as a Valentine’s Day destination.
My brain kept going back to Miyake. I could actually picture us having our first date there. I could see us sitting at the bar, because you MUST sit at the bar, sharing a bottle of sake and enjoying ourselves immensely. There is a nice intimacy to being at that bar, sitting next to–instead of across from–the person you’re on a date with. You have the honor of watching Chef Miyake behind the bar, hands and blade moving so effortlessly and delicately, as he prepares your meal. It’s conversation. It’s beautiful.…read the full article
From Away – Jillian shares how she and Malcolm first met, and recommends Caiola’s for a first date night.
The first night we went, there was a carousing group of fifty-something couples drinking copious amounts of red wine and getting boisterous. Immediately, we felt at ease. It’s like a gathering of family or a sprawling dinner party, where you can be private at a table for two, but not feel alone or stranded in a sea of stuffy white tablecloths and unpronounceable wine. I would arrive early for a first date and order a martini, and try and appear mysterious. This illusion would instantly be shattered the moment I stumbled over my high heels en route to the bathroom, but at first glad glance I might be alluring. In this familial atmosphere, one would feel at ease with the attractive person you met over a bottle of Tide at the neighborhood laundromat (is it pathetic or adorable that my imagination in this realm is as developed as a Hollywood romcom’s hackneyed meet-cute?)…read the full article
Stephen Cooks – tips for planning a romantic dinner for two at home complete with a set of 9 recipes to choose from.
I like to do a meal that’s thoughtfully planned, lovingly prepared and served on a picture-perfect table. For me this this is so much more personal and meaningful a celebration than a restaurant meal, especially since so many of us have good restaurant meals on a fairly frequent basis.…read the full article
The Blueberry Files – recommends Local 188 for a first date on Valentine’s Day for the casual atmosphere, good food and reasonable price point.
And that one little word, “first,” changed everything. I would NOT recommend taking your first date to an expensive, romantic restaurant! First dates should be more casual. Plus, on a first date, you’ll be nervous. And when I’m nervous, I tend to drink really fast. So, don’t risk becoming “that guy” by being all drunk and loud in a tiny restaurant!…read the full article
Vrai-lean-uh – recommends going to Pai Men Miyake and saving the “real Miyake” for a second date.
I think the new Miyake would be a good option, with the following caveat: think really carefully about whether you want to order a noodle soup on a first date. Slurping noodles together could be a bonding experience: hey, we both splattered broth on our shirts! It could also be incredibly uncomfortable. If you think the noodle slurping will be uncomfortable, or that you might not be able to pull it off with the required aplomb or good humor, by all means, suggest that the two of you share a bunch of the small plates, which I think are better than the ramen anyway.…read the full article
Where is Jenner’s Mind – recommends Benkay as the spot that she and Seth head to when they want a romantic dinner for two.
the thing that really makes this a romantic dinner for two is the price. all this for $70! and for those of you out there who do go out to dinner for valentine’s day, you can get it all for $60! go to benkay’s website and print out the coupon and get $10 off from february 8th to 14th. normally benkay is one of those great restaurants that always has a table open, but for valentine’s day you will likely need reservations. other spots we find to be romantical are salt exchange and bar of chocolate. …read the full article
My own Valentine’s Day first date advice would be to do a multi-destination meal. Eating your way across several restaurants let’s you assemble a really varied and outstanding dining experience, tapping into the very best that each spot has to offer. The walks between one restaurant and the next would give you and your date a chance to talk and get to know each other better. I’d start off with the Winter Point oysters at Old Port Sea Grill, head on over to Fore Street for the mussels, then up Munjoy Hill for a couple small plates at Bar Lola and finish up the night at Bresca for the 3-course dessert options they have planned for Valentine’s day.
Post a comment and tell us your Valentine’s Day first date recommendations.