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.
Paciarino Review
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Paciarino.
Portions at Paciarino are large and filling, and the wine is reasonable. The place is rustic and it has heart. It seemed more like the magical Italy I imagined than the off-putting Milan I discovered. Confirming this impression, the dessert menu offered a “boccondivino,” literally “magical mouthful,” that was a sort of tiramisu made with a version of those crunchy almond cookies I remembered. Crunching them in the dim light of a candle’s flame, I regressed to childhood. They are a perfect way to celebrate your hosts’ escape from Milan.
Maine Foodie Tours in Food & Dining
A front page article on Maine Foodie Tours is in the new Food & Dining section of today’s Press Herald.
This two-hour walking tour was launched in June and developed by Pamela Laskey, owner of a new company, Maine Foodie Tours. The Old Port Culinary Tour takes visitors to local merchants who make and sell artisanal foods.
There’s plenty of sampling to be had, and guides share a bit about the city’s history and its thriving restaurant scene along the way.
The newly redone Food & Dining section (formerly Food & Health) now includes the Taste & Tell reviews that had been in the Sunday paper, a restaurant dining guide and a promise from editor Rod Harmon that this is just the start. “But don’t think that just because we’ve made a few changes to the Food section we’re going to rest on our laurels. We’re constantly on the loookout for new ideas to help make this section better.”
Elsewhere in the paper was an article about Wolfe Neck Farm “losing it’s famed beef cattle“.
The company that is currently raising beef cattle there, Pineland Farms Natural Meats, plans to remove the livestock by September, its president confirmed Tuesday. Erick Jensen said the operation was no longer economical, in part because of the measures that would be needed to keep manure from washing away and contaminating nearby clam flats.
Portland Lobster Co. Review
The Portland Lobster Co. received 3 stars from the weekly Taste & Tell column in today’s Press Herald.
Exceptionally good french fries, sweet fried Maine shrimp and tender fried scallops later showed off the skills of the fast-moving kitchen. If only the food had been hotter and the clams fatter, the fried seafood would have stood out from the crowd.