There’s a lot going on this week. The weekly Food and Drink Trivia Contest is at Bull Feeney’s tonight. Brooklyn Brewery will be at Novare Res on Tuesday where the bar will have nearly 20 Brooklyn beers on tap. Also on Tuesday the next Wine Flight 5k Training run is taking place. Both The Salt Exchange and Jones Landing are holding wine events on Wednesday. There are wine tastings this week at Browne Trading and Black Tie Bistro on Thursday, Rosemont on Friday, and Kitcheen and Cork on Saturday. The next Cultivating Community Twilight Dinner is scheduled for Thursday at Turkey Hill Farm in Cape Elizabeth. Farmers’ Markets are being held in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. Saturday afternoon the 7th Annual Festival of Nations will be in Deering Oaks Park. To wrap up the weekend Bibo’s Madd Apple Cafe is holding a Portuguese Wine Dinner on Sunday. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
Interviews at the Farmers’ Market
Portland Food Heads has posted an interesting piece on how the wet Summer weather has been impacting local farmers. It includes video interviews done at this morning’s Farmers’ Market with Fishbowl Farm, Freedom Farm and Rippling Water Organic Farm.
Evangeline Tasting Menu Review
Type A Diversions writes about her thoughts on a 10-course tasting menu in this review of Evangeline.
Erik will soon combine efforts with his talented wife, Krista with the launch of 12 Seats. After our Tasting Menu, I can only imagine the level of delight the collaboration will bring their 12 lucky guests. If you cannot wait until the first dinner on October 25th (almost sold out), Evangeline offers the Tasting Menu with 24 hours notice. I recommend going on a quiet night, as we did, such as a Tuesday or Wednesday, for a relaxed evening of well executed French inspired cuisine.
Walter's Moving
Walter’s has put in motion a plan that will have the long-time Old Port restaurant moving off Exchange Street and to near the intersection of Union and Fore Streets. If all goes as planned, September 26 will be their last day on Exchange and they will open in the new location in mid-October.
Steve Harris
The Bollard has published an article on the passing and contributions of Steve Harris, the proprietor of both Ruski’s and Rosie’s:
Steve and his wonderful wife, Rose — who survives him, as do a son, a daughter, and a large extended family — owned and operated Ruski’s in the West End from 1985 until 2005, when they passed it on to Josh Whaley, a regular who they knew would keep its spirit alive (he has). Rosie’s recently celebrated its 20th anniversary as the only neighborhood pub in the Old Port, and it continues under Rose’s guidance with the help of a staff who, for all intents and purposes, are part of the Harris family.
Kon Review from Portland Food Coma
Portland Food Coma has published a review of Kon Asian Bistro.
Halfway through all of this Dietz decides to officially send me spiraling into an abyss of drunken insanity by ordering a scorpion bowl. This enormous bowl of liquor tasted like exactly that, sucked through a foot long straw. Dietz also declared that we needed to drink the puddle of Bacardi 151 used to set the drink on fire – which didn’t help my cause either. I tried to convince him to snort it, but to no avail.
Salt Exchange Review
Portland Food Heads has published a review of The Salt Exchange.
I am not looking to paint a nightmarish picture of The Salt Exchange; there is clearly a lot of talent in the kitchen and the owners seem to have their hearts in the right places. What I’m trying to say is that there are two problems that will keep me from coming back until they are remedied. One is the service, as no one should ever have to wait an hour for their first, 3-bite course to arrive…The second issue is portion size. I am no stranger to “small plates,” “tapas” or whatever the hell you want to call them. The Salt Exchange just happens to take this concept a little too far…
Luna Rossa Update
Portland in a Snap has published an update on the yet-to-be-opened Luna Rossa.
Executive Chef Antonio Bruno, an Italian native, says the plan is to offer seating for a whopping 220+, including a full bar and lounge space. The bar, located on the mezzanine, has Las Vegas-style dueling pianos, which should offer a high-energy Thur-Sat entertainment option.
Red Tide at Record Levels
Red tide blooms in Maine are at record high levels. They are at 50-60 times the limit at which the state closes clam flats, according to an article in today’s Press Herald.
“With this (red tide), even a small number of clams would get people very sick and might actually be fatal if harvested from certain locations,” Anderson [a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts] said.
Tomalley, the green substance in lobsters, also is considered unsafe to eat because of red tide. Lobster meat and meat from scallops and from fish are not affected by the toxin.
Cheap Beer
Now that I’ve got your attention let me tell you about a new website called Portland Taps. Portland Taps is a guide to beer and bars in Portland. What makes the site notable is that they’ve gathered together into one location the price lists for beer taps at bars all across the city. If your goal is to drink the absolute cheapest beer in the city, you can quickly learn that for for $1.50 you can get Genessee Cream Ale at Mathews, a PBR at Shack’s, or a Busch at Ernie’s or The Frosty Pint. If you just want to see the full beer menu at the venues they list you can do that too. The site can also help you find the bars where a particular brew is available.