Portland in a Snap has published a brief profile of Otto Pizza.
Roma & Bramhall
According to an article in this week’s Portland Phoenix, one of Portland’s oldest restaurants, the Roma Cafe, quietly closed its doors a few months ago and its downstairs neighbor, the Bramhall Pub, has recently closed as well. The Phoenix writes of the Bramhall that “there’s talk it may reopen after renovations“.
Grace Opening in July
Grace has announced that they have “ALL licenses in hand!” and are ready to open the “first week in July, however, we will be closed July 4,5 & 6 on purpose with a reopen date of July 7th”.
Veranda Thai Review
The Maine Switch has published a review of Veranda Thai.
Whether you’re eating in or taking out, the food at Veranda Thai is definitely worth a trip off the peninsula. But just for kicks, grab yourself a table. You’re bound to get a chuckle from the people a couple tables over.
The Salt Exchange
The Maine Switch has published a profile of The Salt Exchange.
Instead she characterizes the food as new New England cuisine. This mean such offerings as Pemaquid oysters under lemon celeriac cream & hazelnut ($7/$12), Wolfe’s Neck Farm steak & tellagio on sourdough with sweet and sour onion & spicy roast tomato mayonnaise ($10), spiced Maine coast cioppino with Casco Bay fish, shellfish & grilled sourdough crostini ($12) and pea risotto with butter poached clams & fresh morel mushrooms ($9).
Maine Foodie Tours
Maine Foodie Tours has been added to the food map. They’re now offering two walking tours daily, the Old Port Culinary Tour and the Just Desserts Tour.
Cold River Vodka
Cold River Vodka made an appearance today in the Washington Post blog All We Can Eat.
Unlike Karlsson’s, Cold River is batch-distilled in a copper pot still. In the glass, it’s got a little sweeter taste than Karlsson’s, but it has an equally clean finish. Tasting Karlsson’s and Cold River side by side, you can understand that the idea of a potato vodka having “terroir” is actually not that far-fetched. In the right hands, a potato grown in northernmost Maine is going to make a different vodka from one grown on the southeastern coast of Sweden.
Interview with Caiola's
The Portland Phoenix has published an interview with Abby Harmon and Lisa Vaccaro, the owners of Caiola’s.
And as the owners of Caiola’s continue to expand their menu, they also plan to expand their space. Vaccaro said in October they will begin construction on a private dining room, which will partially expand into the outdoor patio area and will seat about 30 people, more than doubling the capacity of their current private dining room. The expansion, they hope, will provide space for more neighbors to join.
The Weekend
There are a number of events scheduled this weekend competing for your time and attention. The Greek Heritage Festival is taking place Thursday through Saturday on Pleasant Street. LobsterFest on the Maine State Pier and StrawberryFest in Cape Elizabeth are both taking place on Saturday. On Sunday Rabelais is holding a sidewalk book sale ($1, $3 and $5 books) while over on Forest Ave The Great Lost Bear is celebrating their 30th Annibearsary.
Rain Rain Go Away
There’s a front page article in today’s Press Herald on how all this rain is impacting Maine farmers.
Last June, Ralph Turner harvested 6,000 peony stems at his Laughing Stock Farm in Freeport. This year, thanks to gray mold, he’ll be lucky to harvest half that number.
Tomato plants are turning black at Broadturn Farm in Scarborough.
Carrots and string beans have failed to sprout at Little River Flower Farm in Buxton.