Under Construction: Otto Pizza

Mainebiz has published a report on the new location of Otto Pizza under construction at the old North Star in the East end.

The new Otto Pizza at 225 Congress St. will have a bar and a sit-down dining room with 95 to 100 seats. Allen says they’ll hire up to eight additional staff. They already have a crew of 17 employees at the other Otto location.

The menu will also expand, slightly, with a salad and a dessert, and they’ll serve beer and wine. “It’s a little more of a grown-up place,” Allen says. “There’s more elbow room.”

Trader Joe's vs Whole Foods vs Local Markets

A new post from Food for Thought has looks the local food options available at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and independent stores like Rosemont and Harbor Fish.

Ultimately locally good food abound at neighborhood markets.  At Rosemont today I saw that they carry the dairy products from Bisson’s, which I’ve mentioned here many times.  They’re the old line Topsham butcher shop whose grass fed beef comes from their own cows grazing across the road and the dairy products from the herd.  Try Bisson’s raw-cream butter and the thickest raw heavy cream now sold at Rosemont.  Other local goodies at Rosemont include Serendipity Farms pastured chickens and ducks, and throughout the winter they’ll be carrying local spinach and chard.

Trader Joe’s vs Whole Foods vs Local Markets

A new post from Food for Thought has looks the local food options available at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and independent stores like Rosemont and Harbor Fish.

Ultimately locally good food abound at neighborhood markets.  At Rosemont today I saw that they carry the dairy products from Bisson’s, which I’ve mentioned here many times.  They’re the old line Topsham butcher shop whose grass fed beef comes from their own cows grazing across the road and the dairy products from the herd.  Try Bisson’s raw-cream butter and the thickest raw heavy cream now sold at Rosemont.  Other local goodies at Rosemont include Serendipity Farms pastured chickens and ducks, and throughout the winter they’ll be carrying local spinach and chard.

Thai-o-rama: Sengchai Thai

For the last round of our survey/review of Thai restaurants in Portland we visited Sengchai Thai which is located on Forest Ave in the same building as Haknuman Meanchey and just down the road from Mekhong Thai.
Appetite Portlandread the full review

I left feeling cozy and satisfied, but I think that was mostly due to the company and the odd, bubbly service. The food was pretty good. Servicable Thai.

Edible Obsessions repeated her approach from round 1 with a visual presentation of her eating notes – see the full review
From Awayread the full review

As for us, we were underwhelmed, as much as we didn’t want to be. When our delightful, aforementioned waitress brought a free round of steamy, yummy curry puffs, we were heartened. Alas, it all went downhill from there.

The Blueberry Filesread the full review

Larb Gai is described as ‘ground chicken tossed with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, fresh lime juice, red onions, mint and Thai spices and sauce.’ And it was delicious. I ordered two stars, which was just the right amount of spice. There was crunchy toasted rice, great lemongrass flavor, and lots of fresh mint. The flavors melded together so nicely, and it was saucy, not dry. And while the menu said it would come on a bed of lettuce, my dish instead came with

Where is Jenner’s Mindread the full review

so as you can tell, this was yet another mediocre thai meal. if you are in the area and you are really craving thai, by all means stop into sengchai thai and you will get a predictable meal of thai standards. but by no means go out of your way to dine at this restaurant.

The Maine Sunday Telegram published the one prior review of Sengchai Thai and in 2004 the reviewer wrote,”It was as if we had found the Thai version of an old-fashioned, trustworthy diner where the food was remarkably inexpensive but generously served and delicious.” You can see their menu online at sengchaithai.synthasite.com.
The group plans on putting together a retrospective look back at the last year of eating Thai with some overall recommendations on where to eat Thai in Portland. Watch for it next week.

Meat at Work, Red Crab, John Martin

Today’s Press Herald includes a feature story about the red crab fishery,

He owns the majority of the handful of permits allowed to catch deep-sea red crab — a fishery valued at $2.4 million to $4.2 million a year between 2004 and 2008, according to the New England Fishery Management Council. Williams owns the dominant share of the crab fishing fleet and has just opened his own deep-sea red crab processing plant.

a Maine at Work article where reporter Ray Routhier learns to butcher meat at Fresh Approach,

We started the morning cutting some New York strip steaks, which would sell for $9.99 a pound. McCourt put the hunk of meat on the cutting table and handed me a knife — it looked more like a machete to me. It was about 2 feet long, with a curved blade.

and an obituary of John P. Martin,

Martin is probably best known in the Portland area for his restaurants, such as the Merry Manor in South Portland and the Art Gallery in downtown Portland, which operated for many years.

This Week's Events: Mead, Wine, Cider, Immgrant Eats, Chowder Competition

Tuesday — there will be a mead workshop at the Urban Farm Fermentory.
Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place, there will be mead tasting at Down East Beverage and a wine tasting event at co-hosted by Browne Trading and Havana South, and the weekly Wine Wise class will focus on wines for Thanksgiving.
Thursday — there will be a Thanksgiving wine tastinngs at Browne Trading and Aurora Provisions, and Patty Howells Cooking is teaching a cooking class on Autumn stocks and soups. PortlandTaps.com is holding their Third Thursday event at Novare Res.
Friday — there will be an Italian wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton.
Saturday — Rabelais is hosting a book signing at Quimby Colony with Jane Ziegelman, author of 97 Orchard, An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement and Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States, the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place, and wine tastings are taking place at Scarborough Wine Outlet and Kitchen & Cork. Novare is having a Harvest Cider event all day on Saturday with “12 ciders and cysers from the UK, US, France and Spain and 2 live cider pressings.”
Sunday — Siano’s is hosting the 1st Annual Fall Chowder Competition and the 20/20 wine charity event will feature 20 wines for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving — to see all the Thanksgiving related events, resources and dining options in one place, visit the PFM Thanksgiving Resource Guide. It’s been updated it with a lot of new material since last week.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

This Week’s Events: Mead, Wine, Cider, Immgrant Eats, Chowder Competition

Tuesday — there will be a mead workshop at the Urban Farm Fermentory.

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place, there will be mead tasting at Down East Beverage and a wine tasting event at co-hosted by Browne Trading and Havana South, and the weekly Wine Wise class will focus on wines for Thanksgiving.

Thursday — there will be a Thanksgiving wine tastinngs at Browne Trading and Aurora Provisions, and Patty Howells Cooking is teaching a cooking class on Autumn stocks and soups. PortlandTaps.com is holding their Third Thursday event at Novare Res.

Friday — there will be an Italian wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton.

Saturday — Rabelais is hosting a book signing at Quimby Colony with Jane Ziegelman, author of 97 Orchard, An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement and Andrew Coe, author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States, the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place, and wine tastings are taking place at Scarborough Wine Outlet and Kitchen & Cork. Novare is having a Harvest Cider event all day on Saturday with “12 ciders and cysers from the UK, US, France and Spain and 2 live cider pressings.”

Sunday — Siano’s is hosting the 1st Annual Fall Chowder Competition and the 20/20 wine charity event will feature 20 wines for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving — to see all the Thanksgiving related events, resources and dining options in one place, visit the PFM Thanksgiving Resource Guide. It’s been updated it with a lot of new material since last week.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.