Reviews of Micucci and Bonobo, Portland Beer Week

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

Today’s Press Herald includes a review of Micucci’s,

I’m already a regular customer of Micucci’s, especially the bakery/cafe part, where Stephen Lanzalotta’s Sicilian slab pizza is doled out to a long line of salivating customers jockeying for position. Lanzalotta’s pizza makes all the pleasure centers in your brain light up like a pinball machine until you want to cry for your mama.

as well as a bar review of Bonobo,

The pizza is the real star of this bar, with a thin crust and creative toppings to satisfy adventurous taste buds. The pies measure about 13 inches and come with a promise that no nitrates, hormones or antibiotics were used in the meats.

and a report from last week’s Portland Beer Week.

Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

| Posted in Cooking

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald gathers some new ideas on Thanksgiving dessert from the pastry chefs at Grace and the Sea Glass (with recipes) as well as from local cheese expert Shannon Tallman.

Whether it’s served right after the big dinner or a couple of hours later, a great dessert after everyone’s come out of their turkey coma is an essential part of the Thanksgiving Day meal.

Here are three ideas for the Thanksgiving table that go beyond the traditional choices and will impress your guests.

 

2012 Thanksgiving Resource Guide

| Posted in Events

As usual a number of Portland area restaurants plan on serving a Thanksgiving dinner. Here are the ones I know about so far. I’ll update the list as more info comes in:

 

For those of you hosting your own meal at home:

 

Community Dinners:

  • The Wayside Food Programs is serving a free Thanksgiving community dinner to an estimated 400+ people. They have enough volunteer for Thanksgiving day but are still in need of help to prep on the day before, and with donations of food. Call (207) 775-4939 for more information.

 

Wine and Beer Buying Advice:

Inspiration:

Is there a local restaurant, market, bakery, or Thanksgiving event that’s missing? Post a comment with the info and I’ll add them to the list.

Brunch Review of Petite Jacqueline

| Posted in Reviews

Following up on their lunch review from earlier this Fall, Map & Menu has published a brunch review of Petite Jacqueline.

…Meredith ordered a Croque Madam (a gourmet ham and cheese, with ham, gruyere, mornay, and fried egg) to follow – it was fantastic, as I think I stole at least half of it right off her plate. I decided to try the Hachage Agneau (braise lamb hash with two poached eggs, homefries, hollandaise, and toast), and couldn’t have been happier than my selection.

Photo Credit: Map & Menu

This Week’s Events: González Byass, Merriam & Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Dinners

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — the González Byass wine dinner is taking place at Bar Lola.

Wednesday — Wine Wise is teaching a class on Thanksgiving wine pairing, The Salt Exchange is holding a Merriam Vineyards wine dinner, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Petite Jacqueline is holding a Beaujolais Nouveau wine dinner, The Great Lost Bear is featuring a set of Sam Adams Rarities, and a wine and cheese tasting is taking place at the Public Market House.

Friday — there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont Market on Brighton.

Saturday — there will be wine tastings at Browne Trading and at Rosemont, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — Big Night is the featured film at Petite Jacqueline’s movie night.

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.

Pocket Brunch: Bienvenue

| Posted in Events, Pocket Brunch

The November edition of Pocket Brunch took place this afternoon at a industrial building in South Portland near the oil tank yards.

The theme was French Canadian cuisine:

  • Soup – yellow split pea, heritage pork, and spiced hog cracklin
  • Salad – a poutine of country fries, goose gravy, cheese curds and cranberry ketchup
  • Egg – cretons, hen egg, juniper matsutake salt, super sexe bagel and sausage full of secrets
  • Meat – arctic char pie with puff pastry and a seaweed salad
  • Dessert – maple/black velvet sugar pie and Allen’s coffee brandy ployes cake
  • Entertainment – the backside of the drink menus were bingo cards and the crowd joined in rounds of bingo between courses

Josh Potocki and Joel Beauchamp were joined in the kitchen by Rocco Salvatore Talarico and guest chef Nate Nadeau. Tandem served the coffee and Nan’l Meikeljohn created a set of custom cocktails for the event.

For more photos check out the extensive set of image posted by David Zwickerhill.

Planning is already underway for the December Pocket Brunch. Sign-up on the PB site for their mailing list to be alerted when tickets go on sale.

All About Cheese

| Posted in Cooking

Delicious Musings has published an interview with cheese expert Shannon Tallman about planning a cheese plate, storing, cheese, cheese equipment and cheese books, and her current favorite cheeses.

Cheeses for an intimate holiday dinner cheese plate? **And, would you serve before or after dinner?
You could go either way with whether to serve before or after. I like to have something to snack on if I’m going to spend the afternoon in the kitchen cooking, so putting out a cheese plate for yourself and guests to nosh is never a bad idea. It’s also something that you don’t really have to worry about–like has it gotten cold or too warm.? do you have to refill it?–while you’re off doing other things. One of the loose rules of cheese plating is to work in odd numbers (but no more than 7) as it stands out to the eye on a plate. I tend to work in 3′s to keep the plate focused and to make it easy on myself, but I will occasionally plate up 5 if there are cheeses that I’m really excited about and can’t wait to share.

Shannon is one of the guest speakers from Portland participating in the Winter Food Series at the Captain Fairfield Inn in Kennebunkport.