Permaculture Interview

| Posted in Farming

The Tuesday Portland Daily Sun includes an interview with Lisa Fernandes about her approach to permaculture.

Me: Are you trying to get off the grid completely?
Fernandes: It’s not our goal to be homesteaders in the city. I don’t think that doing things completely independently is an attractive or reasonable goal. But we do want to be able to withstand the energy challenges in this volatile economy. We plan to grow old here and want a place that will take care of us more than we’ll take care of it. We want it sustainable so that when we’re older there’s no digging or tilling.

Fernandes’s garden is a stop on the Backyard Locavore Tour taking place on August 14.

Top 10 Under $10, Beer Edition

| Posted in Reviews

Inspired by Broke 207’s list of cheap eats under $10, Brews & Books has put together a list of the best craft beers available for less than $8 a six pack.

After reading the list, I says to myself … “there should really be a list like this for beer!” A list of beer that doesn’t suck, and beer that isn’t super-expensive. Obviously, cost is relative (lots of people would call anything over five dollars for a six-pack outrageous), but I’m going to say that less than eight dollars for a bunch of really good beer is on the cheap end of the spectrum.

Whoopie Pies & Honey

| Posted in General News

According to today’s Press Herald, the Clock Tower Cafe at City Hall is rethinking its menu to offer more healthy options.

Despite their popularity, items such as sugar-sweetened drinks and whoopie pies will disappear, Gardner said. Dishes like macaroni and cheese and taco salad may be reinvented using low-fat and whole-grain ingredients and be served in smaller, more appropriate portions. The nutritional values of different foods will be highlighted and healthier options will be featured.

Also in today’s paper is a report on the great season Maine beekeepers are having this year.

Tony Jadczak, the state’s bee inspector, said Maine’s average honeybee hive yields about 32 to 35 pounds of harvestable honey annually. This year, he expects beekeepers could average 100 to 200 pounds, depending on their locations. He said the beekeepers are practically chortling with glee when they give him reports.

Whoopie Pies & Honey

| Posted in General News

According to today’s Press Herald, the Clock Tower Cafe at City Hall is rethinking its menu to offer more healthy options.

Despite their popularity, items such as sugar-sweetened drinks and whoopie pies will disappear, Gardner said. Dishes like macaroni and cheese and taco salad may be reinvented using low-fat and whole-grain ingredients and be served in smaller, more appropriate portions. The nutritional values of different foods will be highlighted and healthier options will be featured.

Also in today’s paper is a report on the great season Maine beekeepers are having this year.

Tony Jadczak, the state’s bee inspector, said Maine’s average honeybee hive yields about 32 to 35 pounds of harvestable honey annually. This year, he expects beekeepers could average 100 to 200 pounds, depending on their locations. He said the beekeepers are practically chortling with glee when they give him reports.

Maine Barbecue

| Posted in Reviews

Portland Food Coma has posted a survey of Maine barbecue. He visits a few Portland area options like Skinny Cart BBQ, Buck’s, Hot Suppa and Beale Street as well as some further afield.

Most people will tell you that there’s no such thing as good barbecue in Maine, and to get the real deal, one must head south. I will premise this post by saying that I’ve never been to the south, but the one thing I will do before I die is a true barbecue pilgrimage to all of the major capitals. This was my warm up.

This Week's Events

| Posted in Events

Wednesday — Wine Revolution, Grace’s wine club is meeting to taste 5 wines from Albarino, a Wine Wise class is taking place at The Wine Bar, and Downeast Beverage is hosting a wine tasting.
Thursday — the next Cultivating Community Twilight Dinner is being held at their farm in Cape Elizabeth, and Maine Beer Company owners/brewers Dan and Dave Kleban will be at The Great Lost Bear for a brewery showcase of Zoe and Spring Peeper Ale.
Friday — Wine Wise is teaching a class at DiMillo’s, and there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli. First Friday Art Walk is this week and restaurants will be very busy on Friday, be sure to make your reservations early.
Saturday — LeRoux Kitchen is holding a wine tasting.
Farmer’s Markets — the traditional series of Farmer’s Markets are taking place Monday (Monument Square), Wednesday (Monument Square) and Saturday (Deering Oaks Park). Cultivating Community is running their new series of markets Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at various locations around the city.
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.

This Week’s Events

| Posted in Events

Wednesday — Wine Revolution, Grace’s wine club is meeting to taste 5 wines from Albarino, a Wine Wise class is taking place at The Wine Bar, and Downeast Beverage is hosting a wine tasting.

Thursday — the next Cultivating Community Twilight Dinner is being held at their farm in Cape Elizabeth, and Maine Beer Company owners/brewers Dan and Dave Kleban will be at The Great Lost Bear for a brewery showcase of Zoe and Spring Peeper Ale.

Friday — Wine Wise is teaching a class at DiMillo’s, and there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli. First Friday Art Walk is this week and restaurants will be very busy on Friday, be sure to make your reservations early.

Saturday — LeRoux Kitchen is holding a wine tasting.

Farmer’s Markets — the traditional series of Farmer’s Markets are taking place Monday (Monument Square), Wednesday (Monument Square) and Saturday (Deering Oaks Park). Cultivating Community is running their new series of markets Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at various locations around the city.

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.

Under Construction: Canelli's

| Posted in Under Construction

Canelli’s is a new Italian restaurant that’s under construction at 7 Exchange St (photo). As part of their liquor license application, they’ve submitted a draft menu (see page 51) and floor plan (see page 50). The cover letter (see page 37) from the owners states that they ran a 150 seat Italian restaurant in Medfield, MA for 8 years. “Our plan is to offer good Italian food, a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere, reasonable and affordable prices, and become the spot where the people in the area want to come.”