Interview with Lee Farrington

| Posted in People

Portland Food Heads has published an interview with Lee Farrington. Farrington is in the process of opening a new restaurant called Figa that will focus on “globally inspired cuisine”.

…and offer small tastes, and then have a couple different sized portions along with thoses tastes. I really wanted people to try things that they would never necessarily try.  So we’ll have a board of things between $2 and $4—just weirdness—and hopefully people will spend $2 try things, and if they like it they can get a larger portion.

Review of 158 Pickett Street Cafe

| Posted in Reviews

158 Pickett St has received 4 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.

The day I went for breakfast, I had a giant bacon, egg and cheese sandwich ($6). The English muffin was sort of like a biscuit, and sort of like a cake – a little flaky, a little spongy, with lots of flavor. The cheddar cheese was sharp and oozing all over the place, and there was plenty of very thick, very crisp bacon – more like slabs than slices. Overall, it was a great and filling treat.

Interview with Exec Dir of Wayside Soup Kitchen

| Posted in People

Today’s newspaper includes a ShopTalk interview with Susan Violet, Executive Director of the Wayside Soup Kitchen.

Q: Sounds like extensive preparation for the soup kitchen.

A: Oh, well! People don’t always understand the full extent of Wayside’s work and the impact on all of Cumberland County. There’s a lot more going on here than managing a soup kitchen.

We’re also Wayside Food Rescue, which sources and distributes food, which might have gone to waste, throughout Cumberland County to food pantries, soup kitchens and a few social service agencies. We help with Milestone, for example, on India Street, and the Friendship House here in Portland.

Interview with Otto's Anthony Allen

| Posted in People

The Portland Phoenix has published an interview with Anthony Allen, owner of Otto Pizza.

People queued up along Congress Street during the First Friday Art Walk last week may have been in town for the art, but they were in line for the pizza. As one of the few late-night eateries downtown, Otto Pizza has caused a buzz in Portland during its four short months in business.

Gluten-Free Eats

| Posted in General News

The Natural Foodie column in today’s Press Herald takes a look at where to find gluten-free eats in the Portland area.

“When I first came back to Portland, I started cold calling restaurants asking if they’d be able to put something together for me,” said McDonnell.

The response varied considerably between eateries, with some offering a number of options and others asking, “What’s gluten-free?”

“Now people are really, really good about it,” McDonnell said. “Even compared to two years ago.”

French Night at the Merry Table

| Posted in Events

Meredith Goad visited The Merry Table to attend November’s French language night at the restaurant.

When I told my colleagues I was going to “French night,” it elicited the usual jokes about Pepe LePew and a lot of exaggerated French accents. That didn’t help my nerves, which were a bit rattled by the prospect of trying to have an actual conversation with someone with only three years of high school French to rely on.

Havana South

| Posted in Under Construction

Travels with Hilary has published some additional information on the Cuban restaurant going in on Wharf Street.

…Cassady [Pappas] is a long-timer with restaurateur Michael Boland, so it makes sense. Boland, by the way, has a very successful track record with the restaurants he’s opened in Bar Harbor. He’s a savvy businessman. If this version of Havana is anything similar to the original one, it should be a nice addition to Portland’s crowded restaurant scene.

This Week's Events

| Posted in Events

Monday—The Food Film Series is screening the animated movie Ratatouille tonight with Rob Evans as the featured chef. Also tonight are the weekly Piatto per Tutti cooking class and Foodie Trivia Contest.
Tuesday—A cooking class taking place at SMCC.
Wednesday—The Monument Square Farmers’ Market takes places in the morning. In the afternoon, wine tastings are taking place at both RSVP and Old Port Wine Merchants.
Saturday—The Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market takes places in the morning. In the afternoon Novella Carpenter, urban farmer and author Farm City, will be at Rabelais for a book signing; local farmers and members of Cultivating Community will be presenting on “the unique challenges of farming in this city.”
Sunday—Hugo’s is holding their 9th Annual Potato Dinner.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

Leasing, Moving, Building

| Posted in Under Construction

katahdin

  • Leasing – There’s a “Restaurant for Lease” sign on the exterior of Katahdin. When I checked last week they were still open for business. [According to info supplied in one of the comments on this post Katahdin is moving to 25 Forest Ave.]
  • Moving – According to a report from Portland Food Heads, Loco Pollo is moving to a new location—no details available yet on where they’re moving to.
  • Building – There’s construction taking place at 50-52 Wharf Street where Cake and The Iguana used to be but no word yet on what’s going to be moving in there. [The comment from Portland207 also indicates that the Wharf Street location is slated to be a Cuban restaurant, and a comment from TJ has uncovered that the new spot will be a sister restaurant to Havana in Bar Harbor.]