Alan Pugsley, the Johnny Appleseed of Brewing

| Posted in People

Down East has published a profile of Alan Pugsley, co-owner and master brewer of Shipyard Brewing Co.

Among the beer cognoscenti, however, Pugsley’s reputation verges on the legendary. “My former partner called him the Johnny Appleseed of craft beer,” says Bob Johnson. Now an owner of South Portland’s Scratch Baking Co., Johnson co-founded Magic Hat Brewing in Burlington, Vermont, in 1993. “Brewing is an almost magical mix of hands-on physical labor, art, and science. When they all come together, at the end of the day, you’ve got this beautiful glass of beer — and Alan Pugsley is the one who brought that aesthetic to New England.”

Casa Novello & Munjoy Hill Mimosa

| Posted in General News, Reviews

Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes a look at Portland Dine Around’s 2-1 deal in the context of a review of Casa Novello in Westbrook,

Price: $16.99 is the high end of the spectrum for the most popular 2-4-1 entrée of Casa Chicken Marsala. Casa’s version is an enormous portion of fresh chicken breast, onions, mushrooms, and marsala wine, sautéed with cream and oil.  It is rich, and perhaps artery hardening, and well worth the extra 15 minutes on the tread mill (order it over penne so the sauce can get in the little ridges).

and a report on the Munjoy Hill Mimosa,

Beware, ye lovers of drink: The “Munjoy Hill Mimosa” gave me the smack-down. It’s a deceptive concoction, a vague mixture of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, and orange juice, mixed to taste.

Casa Novello & Munjoy Hill Mimosa

| Posted in General News, Reviews

Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes a look at Portland Dine Around’s 2-1 deal in the context of a review of Casa Novello in Westbrook,

Price: $16.99 is the high end of the spectrum for the most popular 2-4-1 entrée of Casa Chicken Marsala. Casa’s version is an enormous portion of fresh chicken breast, onions, mushrooms, and marsala wine, sautéed with cream and oil.  It is rich, and perhaps artery hardening, and well worth the extra 15 minutes on the tread mill (order it over penne so the sauce can get in the little ridges).

and a report on the Munjoy Hill Mimosa,

Beware, ye lovers of drink: The “Munjoy Hill Mimosa” gave me the smack-down. It’s a deceptive concoction, a vague mixture of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, and orange juice, mixed to taste.

Review of Nosh

| Posted in Reviews

Portland Magazine has published a review of Nosh Kitchen Bar.

The tantalizing plate also whetted our appetites with Piedmont-style salami, rich roast Porchetta, and a most robust pork lardo garnished with just the right herbs, extra virgin olive oil, pickled beets and onions, delicious apricot mustarda, and moderately hot red and green peppers. Superb, and only $10.

Farmers Market History

| Posted in History

The Portland Farmers Market has published an overview of its 242 year history.

In 1768, the town, voted to establish a public market in the lower part of the Town Hall. A town ordinance provided that all fresh meat could be offered for sale only at this market. The market served 136 families on the peninsula.

Provisions were carried into town in large leather saddlebags or paniers on horses backs and it was not until about 1815 that horse wagons were generally used.

I’ve added the Farmers Market, B&M, Schlotterbeck-Foss, Mister Bagel, Zeitman’s Grocery, and George’s Delicatessen to the Portland Food Timeline.