Appetite Portland, a new food blog, has been added to the PFM directory. The author’s was inspired by the recent national press coverage of Portland to start up the site and to “document the delights of this city’s restaurants and food stores”.
Review of 158 Pickett St Cafe
Portland Food Heads has published a review of the 158 Pickett St Cafe.
The cooks and staff are having fun, enjoying the art of cooking and and the satisfaction they provide their patrons as music blasts in waves from the kitchen. The customers are having fun, catching up on conversation, nurturing their creativity and indulging in cholesterol-heavy goodness. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot in 158 and not had fun, simply because the place embodies everything I enjoy about a good dining experience: Great food, comfortable surroundings and a passionate kitchen. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Binga's Stadium Grand Opening Today
Binga’s Stadium Smokehouse and Sports Bar is holding their Grand Opening today. The new venue is a “joint venture between the owners of Binga’s Wingas and The Stadium”.
Fore Play & Fit to Eat Reviews
The Press Herald has published reviews of Fit to Eat
The bread was chewy and flavorful, but not hard. The bacon was crisp, thick and extremely tasty. The hummus and avocado lent a creaminess that seemed healthier than mayonnaise, and more interesting.
and Fore Play.
This isn’t rocket science. Fore Play is that most trustworthy of establishments, the local watering hole that sports a trove of distractions. It’s a sports staple of the Portland experience. As I go through my checklist of what makes a bar awesome, Fore Play gets a mark in every box, right down to the entirely fryolated menu.
Today’s paper also includes an interview with the President of Lakonia Greek Products and an article on Maine-based food businesses that are selling gluten-free products.
Review of the Lost Coin Cafe
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of the Lost Coin Cafe.
The head waiter, James, is 11 years old. He handled formal service deftly even as he sporadically entertained a rambunctious five-year-old. He explains the prix fixe, takes your drink order (Pepsi, diet, root beer, or orange), and gives you a choice of soup.
Review of Samuel’s
Portland Bar Guide has published a review of Samuel’s Bar and Grill.
As the bartender took over and our waitress headed out from a double shift, we appreciated the service that met our demands. This is the type of place where people really do come in to see people they know and if you are a stranger, no one really cares. Go ahead, saddle up to the bar or grab a table and make yourself at home.
Portland Pig Roasts
This week’s Food & Dining section features an article on pig roasts. David Mallari, Portland’s Pig Kahuna, was interviewed for the story.
Mallari credits the sluggish economy for the extra work. People are looking for less expensive, more informal alternatives to higher-end catering, which can run $65 to $100 per person compared with an average of $20 to $25 for a pig roast.
Plus, the pig is the star – you might even say the life – of the party.
NY Times on Linda Bean's Plans for Maine Lobster
The New York Times has taken a look at Linda Bean’s fast growing, and sometimes controversial, role in the Maine lobster industry.
Her goal, she said, is to save Maine’s most iconic industry by ending its dependence on Canadian processors and, under her Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine label, to mass market Maine lobster the way Perdue does chicken.
Maine Coastal Vineyards
Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes an interview with Steve Melchiskey from Maine Coastal Vineyards in Falmouth.
Whether or not global warming turns Maine into a wine center, as a 2006 National Science Foundation report suggested, the short season and mild summers make for a climate that is inhospitable to classic wine grapes. St. Pepin, St. Croix, LaCrescent, Leon Millot, Marechal Foch, Ravat 51, Sabrevois and Aurore are the cold-adapted grapes that Melchiskey has found success with. Hundreds of gallons of test blends have been dumped over the years but there has been enough bottled success that their grape harvest festival attracts 125 volunteers.
and an article on the Wayside Soup Kitchen and Food Rescue.
A decade into its mission to feed the hungry and distributing more than a million pounds of food annually, Portland’s Wayside Food Rescue is reaching beyond the traditional food kitchen format by cultivating garden plots and establishing new neighborhood outlets.
No Children Allowed
Chow Maine has a report on Maine’s new wine tasting law and the impact of the provision that tastings “be conducted in a manner that precludes the possibility of children viewing the tasting” is having on wine shops.
Now that the law is in effect, it’s clear that the shop owners’ concerns were justified. Tastings have been canceled, shop owners remain confused about what they have to do to comply with the new law, and getting approval for tastings from the liquor enforcement bureau has frequently proven to be difficult.