The Portland Phoenix has published the results of their 2012 readership poll. The Food & Drink section alone has 47 categories, everything from Brunch (Hot Suppa) to Wine List (Vignola).
For the second year in a row Mister Meatball has won the award for best Food Blog.
Vrai-lean-uh has posted some advice on what to look for when selecting a CSA.
The other point is that there are many types of farms and CSAs**, and which (or if) one works best for you depends on a number of things. When I was first choosing a CSA, I made a spreadsheet. I am the kind of person who encounters a situation with many options and variables and makes a spreadsheet. You could make a list? Or mentally compare? I just don’t want you to lay down $500 and be unhappy.
Here are some things to consider…
Today’s Portland Daily Sun reports on this season’s menu at Hadlock Field.
No ballpark favorites are being cut, but a few new options are available.
“We’re introducing a Healthy Food Line in our new Shipyard Grill, located down the third base side,” said Portland Sea Dogs General Manager Geoff Iacuessa. “We’ll be offering two different kinds of Italians, chicken and veggie wraps, and two different salads. Shane’s of Maine frozen yogurt will be at all concession stands, and as far as the healthy line goes, we’re happy to try it again.”
The Press Herald has published a review of Marcy’s,
My sunny-side up eggs were perfect, with nice big yolks. When I see “home fries” on the menu, I think of chunks of potatoes. But I got what I consider hash browns — thin, shredded potatoes. Maybe they were out of the chunky ones. I didn’t care, because these were some of the best hash browns I’ve ever had. No pre-made hash brown patties for Marcy’s. This was a big ole’ mess of shredded potatoes, nice and toasty, with just the right amount of crispness.
and a bar review of Blue.
On one wall, large chalkboards display the night’s menu, featured wines and beer listings. Blue has eight beers on tap and three more offered by the bottle. The average price is about $5. There were eight wines to choose from, ranging from $6 to $10, a couple of which you can buy by the bottle. If you’re looking for a liquor drink at Blue, though, you’re out of luck.
Today’s paper also includes a report on Duckfat cook Melissa Corey’s recent appearance on Chopped,
“I was the youngest contestant and the only female contestant, so it was sort of intimidating first walking in there,” Corey said in a phone interview from Chicago. “I don’t think any of the guys who were against me thought that I would be the one to pull it off in the end. I think I sort of surprised them.”
and the latest installment of the What Ales You column.
The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes a profile of Tandoor Bakery,
Bread is not the only thing Naser bakes at Tandoor Bread & Restaurant, his little bakery across the street from Baxter Woods.
Every day, he and his wife, Kanat Saad, and their helpers produce a good array of delicious Middle Eastern fare, from falafel and shawarma to baklava and other Arabic pastries.
and an article about the Urban Farm Farmentory’s new line of kombucha products.
The initial release of Urban Farm Fermentory Kombucha Culture offers three varieties: Wild blueberry, ginger and oak barrel, with more flavors to be added in coming months.
Also in today’s paper is a report on a recall of seafood produced by the Portland Shellfish Co.
4 Portland restaurants (Miyake, Hugo’s, Fore Street, Bresca) and 7 from Maine overall have made it on to the Opinionated About Dining list of the top 25 restaurants in New England.
Additionally, Paciarino is included in the Opinionated list of the top 25 bistros in the nation and Emilitsa made it on to the list of the top 25 Mediterranean restaurants.
The Forecaster has published an article about Tony’s Donut’s plans to open a location in South Portland.
Now, after operating out of its 9 Bolton St. location for more than 45 years, Tony’s Donuts is planning to pen a second bakery at 1059 Broadway in South Portland. Fournier expects the new shop to open in fall 2012.
The Golden Dish has posted an interview with the new owners of Hugo’s.
In 2009 and 2010, cooks Arlin Smith, Andrew Taylor, and Mike Wiley convened, one by one, in the kitchen of Hugo’s restaurant to work with award winning chef Rob Evans. Little did they know that within a few years they would take the reigns from their mentor and preside over one of Portland’s finest culinary institutions…
Wednesday — the Portland Phoenix is hosting the 2012 Best of Portland awards show, there will be a wine tasting at RSVP, Sebago is holding a Pilot Beer Night to showcase 4 of their experimental brews, and there will be a Rioja wine dinner at Caiola’s.
Thursday — The Great Lost Bear is featuring beer from Stone Brewing, and the Browne Trading is holding a wine tasting.
Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Irish Heritage Center, and Wine Wise is holding a French wine walk.
Sunday — the Food Coma TV’s season 2 premiere dinner (tickets available online) is being held at Nosh and the season 2 party is taking place at Space Gallery.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.
Emilitsa received 4½ stars from the review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.
My descriptions are not inflated — Emilitsa is just that good. On a cold, rainy spring night, I met my husband at Emilitsa to battle the gray weather and surround ourselves with color and flavor. Remember the scene in “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy’s house lands after the cyclone, and suddenly her world moves from grayscale to Technicolor? That is the Emilitsa dining experience.