The Kennebec Journal has published a review of Zapoteca.
We were nonplussed by the lengthy bar menu, until Kelsey helped us select a couple of outstanding Magaritas…Ours went extremely well with our appetizers. All I can say about the Guacamole is holy mole! I would have bought a gallon to go. The chefs sent out two delicious tacos that are not on the dinner menu. And our Tres Sopes, a “tasting of three golden masa bites” for just $9, could easily be a meal.
Dispatch has published an interview with bartender Kaite Welch.
Bartending how long: Since she was tall enough to stand on a box and pour beer, professionally one year
Where to find her: Slainte
Why she’s cool: She’s a five foot tall bad-ass who is sweet on the outside but knows when to lay down the law (in a nice way)!
Speckled Ax owner Matt Bolinder has authored an article entitle Tending the Firebox for Roast Magazine.
“But why roast with wood?” I’m frequently asked…the drum roasters being used by many roasters today do not look or operate very differently from those used in production 150 years ago. Indeed, many of us prefer old machinery. Quality drum roasters with a century of service on them are not liabilities, but precious commodities. So while roasting with wood may not be “simple,” in a field with a larger than normal percentage of professional Luddites, preferring pour-over to push-button drip and manual paddles to super automatics, roasting with wood in the 21st century is not as anachronistic as it might seem.
Today’s Press Herald includes a bar review of the Bar of Chocolate Cafe,
The Bar of Chocolate may easily be the Old Port’s best-kept secret. Tucked between the Oasis and Amigos, this bar is unlike any other I’ve been to in Maine.
Patrons walk in off the cobblestone street to find comfy chairs, a few tables and a small L-shaped bar with stools. To the right of the bar is a nicely lit dessert case filled with delectable treats for some late-night snacking.
and a What Ales You column about Geary’s Summer Ale and a plan to sell the beer in cans.
In a related topic, Geary said that later this summer, the company will be selling the Summer Ale in cans in a partnership with Wachusett Brewing Co. in Westminster, Mass., near Fitchburg.
“Wachusett has the canning equipment,” Geary said. “What is good about this is that we will brew the beer here, doing everything but the packaging. Then a 200-barrel tank truck shows up and will take it directly to Wachusett’s.”
This week’s edition of the Portland Phoenix has an article about growing garlic and the plant diseases that afflict the crop in Maine.
As a garlic connoisseur, you should learn your varieties. Commercial growers favor softneck garlic (Silverskins and Artichokes), which stores better, lends itself to braids, and yields more concentrated — albeit smaller and harder to peel — cloves. Home gardeners and small farmers often plant hardneck (Porcelain, Rocambole, and Purple Stripe) varieties for their marketable scapes and large, meaty cloves. Nate Drummond of Six River Farm in Bowdoinham grows mostly Music and German Extra Hardy garlic, juicy, white-skinned Porcelain breeds.
The Forecaster has published an article about the community of farms in Cape Elizabeth.
She said despite having so many farms, the owners don’t really compete for customers. Instead, the farmers often collaborate and help out where they’re needed in each other’s operations, which is part of the reason they’re able to be successful.
After 27 years in operation, The Wine Bar is going out of business. Erica Archer at Wine Wise has all the details plus reminiscences of her experience with this longtime Wharf Street establishment.
My heart was heavy today when I got a call from Janet Barry, co-owner of the Wine Bar, it was news I never wanted to hear, this Saturday night, March 30, 2013, The Wine Bar and Cafe will be closing its doors after 27 years. Please join me there this Saturday night for their “help drink us dry” last hoorah!
Dispatch has published a reviewlette of Blue Rooster.
Tater tot poutine. Boom. Mind freak. Golden ‘tots smothered in gravy and cheese curds, with a little black pepper for flavor. I died. You’re gonna die guys. It’s so good.
Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie LAdd has assembled her list of the Top Ten Restaurant On-The-Job No-No’s for restaurant workers.
1) I am velcroed to my cell phone. It’s common sense that cell phones should be prohibited during service but mine is typically tucked away in my back pocket, apron or in hand when I’m running into the bathroom.
Map & Menu and Delicious Musings have both posted reports from Hush Hush #4, the well-curated cocktail and food event run by Andrew and Briana Volk from Portland Hunt & Alpine Club (website, facebook, twitter). This month’s Hush Hush featured drinks made with the Diep 9 Genever (see their photos) line of spirits and some very interesting food by chef David Levi of Vinland.
Implying “normal” when a Hush, Hush event is anything but is almost an affront, but you need to believe me when I say that Andrew Volk is redefining the norm when it comes to the way he approaches his craft cocktails and the impeccable taste that Portland Hunt & Alpine is exhibiting in its selection of chefs and spirits for these events. [Map & Menu]
Photo Credit: Map & Menu