Allagash Brewing & Rob Tod

| Posted in Beer

Maine magazine has published a feature article about Allagash Brewing and its founder Rob Tod.

But, while walking back through the Allagash brewery past a door that reads: “Innovation: Continually pushing the limits of beer and ourselves,” I can’t help but feel that some magic has happened here that, if not found in the chili, must be hiding in that little sugar-hut-looking koelschip building built off the back of the brewery. There, shrouded in clouds of sweaty steam and fed by locally sourced and totally free yeast that comes through church-like stained glass windows near the ceiling, the brown, syrupy wort will be fermented and aged for another two years before being sold in little batches that usually sell out in a couple of days.

Interview with John Golden

| Posted in People

Eater Maine has published an interview with Press Herald blogger and restaurant critic John Golden.

How do you chose the restaurants for review?
I try to chose those that haven’t been written about in a long time. Obviously, there’s the new ones. I don’t write about them in a review until they’ve been around at least two months. I’ll do my first look on the blog, but you have to give them some time. Some of it is what I’m in the mood for. This past month, I’ve been doing inexpensive places. That’s been fun but I can’t wait to go to good restaurants again.

A Feast Of Best Dishes

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald recently polled a set of local chefs and random other food experts, including yours truly, about their favorite dishes from the last 12 months.

This year, once again, I’ve asked some local chefs, food writers and bloggers to weigh in and name a favorite restaurant dish they discovered in the state during the past 12 months. And judging by the number of exclamation points in their responses, they found some real gems.

The full list of recommendations was published in today’s paper. They range all over the board from fish chowder at Pizza Villa to the squid tappanyaki dish at Long Grain.

Jonah Fertig Leaves Local Sprouts

| Posted in People

The Portland Daily Sun reports that Local Sprouts co-founder Jonah Fertig is leaving the restaurant to help other organizations become cooperatives.

Jonah Fertig, who co-founded Local Sprouts seven years ago, is moving on from the food cooperative to plant new seeds. “I am leaving … to now help other people start cooperatives and community projects in the Maine food system,” he said on Facebook at the beginning of the month. “I’m sad to leave and excited to start a new journey in life.”

Bissell Brother Interview

| Posted in People, Profiles

The Bier Cellar has posted an interview with Peter Bissell.

Tell us about The Substance and where it came from. The name comes from an experience in the Nevada desert on a road trip we took in 2009. A story for another time, perhaps. The beer has been a work in progress for almost as long as we’ve been planning the brewery. It’s everything we love about beer – soft, bursting with flavor, crushable, and most importantly, possessing a flavor profile that’s distinct and unique.

The Bier Cellar has also announced that they’ll have Bissell Brothers beer The Substance for sale in cans starting on Wednesday.

Under Construction: Mittapheap, New Dana Street, Gourmaine

| Posted in Under Construction

Here are a pair of new items for the Under Construction List: