Bon Appetit Best New Restaurants: Central Provisions, Palace Diner

| Posted in General News

Two Maine restaurants, Central Provisions and Palace Diner in Biddeford, are among the 50 restaurants across the country selected by Bon Appetit as final nominees for their annual Best New Restaurant competition.

Last year, thousands of restaurants opened across America—and after visiting a surprisingly large percentage of them, the Foodist, Andrew Knowlton, has selected 50 as his favorites. (For the full slideshow glory, click here.) They range from oyster bars and diners to a Mekong-Mississippi mashup and a Texas-style brasserie, but the one thing they have in common is this: flat-out, ambitious deliciousness. Which of these 50 nominees will make the Hot 10 list of the absolute best? Check back August 19 to find out.

Maine Bakeries Using Locally Grown Grain

| Posted in General News

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald features a story on how Maine bakers like Standard are increasingly using locally grown grain into their products.

At Standard Baking, the staff makes breads with local wheat, including a round miche loaf made with 100 percent Maine flour. Standard also sells a scone made with local buckwheat. On the drawing board is a Danish that will contain some Maine wheat, enough to add back some of the nutrition taken out of conventional white flour. Ultimately, Pray would like to switch to Maine-milled flour in 80 percent of her pastries.

Review of East Ender

| Posted in Reviews

Eating Portland Alive has reviewed East Ender.

I chose two ‘du jour’ items from the board, a poptart and donut.  The poptart was a savory one, which I think is a killer idea. The lamb meat could have used a touch more seasoning as it had a lot of dough (which was a perfect consistency) to compete with. The double-stacked donuts were extremely tasty, though when I cut through some parts it was a bit custard-like and not as fluffy. Any textural issues were completely overshadowed by the amazing combination of the blood orange &  blueberry topping.

Under Construction: Tiqa

| Posted in Under Construction

Deen Haleem and wife Carol Mitchell have leased the 7,000 square foot restaurant space in the new Marriott Courtyard Hotel where they plan on launching a new pan-Mediterranean restaurant named Tiqa on  Commercial Street. In addition to a pair of dining rooms (one more formal than the other), Tiqa will also include a a chef’s counter, a 60 seat lounge and a private dining area.

Breaking with Portland’s current trend of small plate restaurants, the owners are planning a more traditional apps and entrees style menu. The menu will overtime tap into the full range of flavors and culinary traditions from North Africa, the Near East, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. Both lunch and dinner will be served at Tiqa.

Deen Haleem has had a career in the financial services industry but tells me that several years ago he helped launch a pair of restaurants in southern California and has always wanted to return to the industry to run his own place. While not from the restaurant, Deen assures me is fully aware of the challenges of launching a restaurant in Portland but is excited to make a go of it.

Deen and Carol hope to open Tiqa early next year.

Blue Rooster Chef Series: Eventide Dog

| Posted in Reviews

Chubby Werewolf has reviewed the Eventide Dog at Blue Rooster.

That said, the reason you absolutely must try the Eventide dog is the impossibly soft, delightfully chewy bun, which is the same one used in Eventide’s lobster rolls. (I seriously want to buy this stuff in 50 pound bags and take a nap in it.) The ratio of bun-to-meat was perfect, and the textural contrast of the spongy bun against the grilled hot dog made this thing a joy to eat…

This Week’s Events: Pocket Cruise, Green Crab Lecture, Farmers’ Markets

| Posted in Events

Wednesday — the August edition of Pocket Cruise and the Monument Square Farmers Market are taking place.

Thursday — GMRI is hosting a lecture entitled Maine’s Green Crab Explosion, the Public Market House is holding a cider and kombucha tasting and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beer from Sixpoint Brewing.

Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

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.

Gather Gardener Barter Program

| Posted in Farming

This week’s Source reports on the home gardener barter established by Gather in Yarmouth.

Stephanie Ladd turned her green beans and peas into French toast last weekend.

This was not an act of magical gardening. Ladd is one of the home gardeners taking advantage of a garden-barter program at Gather restaurant in Yarmouth. Owner Matt Chappell put out the word in late July that he was looking to trade restaurant credit for produce, and Ladd heard about it from a friend.

Telling Room Project: Vena’s Fizz House

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a set of food, music and art reviews produced by students taking a summer workshop with The Telling Room. Four student reviews of Vena’s Fizz House by Sierra Aponte Clark, Elinor Hilton, Cori Green and Otto Wolyniec were included in the Phoenix article.

Two weeks ago, the organization hosted Review Camp, a week-long forum where greater Portland students (aged 10-14) learned to write critically about arts and cultural activities in the area, training their sights on a music video by indie-pop singer-songwriter Sara Hallie Richardson, the newish soda parlor Vena’s Fizz House in the Old Port, and art shows at SPACE Gallery and the Portland Museum of Art.

Reviews: Grace, Maria’s

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Grace,

Dining in a former church is a one-of-a-kind experience that can only be had at a handful of establishments across the country, Grace being a notable example. While the restored 1850s historical landmark is stunning and awe-inspiring, the menu holds its own with local and exotic ingredients, steaks, seafood, whimsical touches and a nice selection of cheeses and sweetbreads, as well as cleverly named cocktails. It’s also a great space for events and weddings.

and The Golden Dish has reviewed Maria’s Ristorante.

In the final analysis, is Maria’s just a memento of the past?  No, it’s more than that – a primeval forest that Portlanders are not ready to give up, a dining shibboleth that still struts along without the help of a striving chef or plates of vertical food and foam.  Instead go for the rivers of saltimbocca and scaloppini and other comfy relics from a kitchen that we secretly adore.