Just a week after an open house to showcase their new dinner menu and bar, The French Press Eatery has announced on Facebook that they’re “closing the doors indefinitely due to circumstances beyond our control.” (via Edible Obsessions)
Review of Miyake
pArts has published a review of Miyake.
When I placed my order, Joe Ricchio – waitron extraordinaire – recommended instead the five course omakase tasting menu, adding “trust me.” I know Joe so trust was not an issue and I promptly changed my order. I’m glad I did (thanks, Joe!) At 50 bucks this is quite simply one of the best deals in town for fine dining – and it doesn’t get much finer than this – anywhere.
Mike's Now Open
Mike’s – “Home of the Rock N Roll Sandwich” opened for business this week. Mike’s is run by Mike Fink the owner of Guitar Grave which is right next door.
Mike’s Now Open
Mike’s – “Home of the Rock N Roll Sandwich” opened for business this week. Mike’s is run by Mike Fink the owner of Guitar Grave which is right next door.
Out on a Limb Apple CSA
John Bunker and crew are offering their rare apple CSA again this year. Rabelais will be the drop off point. $120 gets you 6 deliveries of 1/4 bushel each. See the Out on a Limb website for details on last year’s fruit.
Trader Joe's Commentary
Friday’s Portland Daily Sun includes an update on Trader Joe’s new store—the latest word is their aiming for a November 1 opening. The newspaper’s editor also looks at how Trader Joe’s fits with a Buy Local philosophy.
Heaven knows I’ll be there, no doubt fighting for a parking spot. But I’ll take some comfort in an interview we did a while back with Doug Fuss, the Bull Feeney’s operator who served on the city’s Task Force on Business Diversity … that’s the anti-chain gang.
I asked “does embracing “Trader’s” make us traitors to our buy-local, down-with-chains creed?
“The quick answer is ‘yes,'” responded Fuss, “but the longer answer is ‘no.'”
Trader Joe’s Commentary
Friday’s Portland Daily Sun includes an update on Trader Joe’s new store—the latest word is their aiming for a November 1 opening. The newspaper’s editor also looks at how Trader Joe’s fits with a Buy Local philosophy.
Heaven knows I’ll be there, no doubt fighting for a parking spot. But I’ll take some comfort in an interview we did a while back with Doug Fuss, the Bull Feeney’s operator who served on the city’s Task Force on Business Diversity … that’s the anti-chain gang.
I asked “does embracing “Trader’s” make us traitors to our buy-local, down-with-chains creed?
“The quick answer is ‘yes,'” responded Fuss, “but the longer answer is ‘no.'”
Food Writing Talent
Portland Phoenix restaurant critic Brian Duff recently met with some aspiring writers at the Telling Room’s Young Author camp.
I don’t know about them, but I learned some things. For example, if someone speaks past your snack time you can simply slump off your chair and lie listlessly on the floor and they will stop. I told them that the best way to write about food was to frame each review in some pseudo-profound malarkey that is both ridiculous and quite possibly true. They wanted to know if I had tried things they had tried. Mostly I had.
Wild Food Feast
Portland Cooks and friends assembled for an “unusual and sumptuous feast at 158 Pickett St Cafe in South Portland”. The meal made use of foraged ingredients like cattails, ramp flowers and milkweed pods.
Gordo's Lobster Cakes & Halloween Ale
Gordo’s Lobster Cakes received 3½ stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.
If you’re looking for a different way to eat lobster, this cake is lighter and less messy than other alternatives. It’s a good to-go food. I can see it becoming a novelty item for tourists. I’m not so sure how well locals will take to it.
The only other sandwich the cart sells is a lobster roll ($10), which I heartily enjoyed. It was held together with a little mayo, and contained some chopped celery and fresh basil. Carolyn Smith says she doesn’t measure the amount of lobster meat she puts in the roll, but she tries to be generous.
Also in Thursday’s paper is a What Ales You column on Gritty’s 2010 Halloween Ale.
“This is the 21st year of Halloween Ale, and we start on Friday the 13th,” Ed Stebbins, Gritty’s brew master, said last week. “We always brew the first batch on a full moon or Friday the 13th.”
Halloween Ale is an extra-special bitter with 6 percent alcohol, and Stebbins promises “no pumpkins were harmed in the brewing of this beer. I promised my mother I would never put spices or fruit in any of our beer.”