Miss Portland Diner

| Posted in Profiles

Today’s Press Herald featured a front page story on the Miss Portland Diner.

In the three years since Tom Manning rescued and reopened the Miss Portland Diner, he has come to appreciate the many challenges of running a restaurant.

A change in the weather, good or bad, can draw a crowd to the old Worcester Lunch Car on Marginal Way or leave his staff with plenty of time to fill salt and pepper shakers. A spike in gas prices can drive up supply costs and make it tough to keep meatloaf and hash browns affordable.

Interview with John Myers on Esquire.com

| Posted in People

Bartender and cocktail historian, John Myers, was interviewed by Esquire magazine’s the Eat Like a Man blog.

My family owned a saloon outside of Chicago, like, the day after Prohibition, and they held it until about 1986. I just fell in love with watching the bartenders work. Even at ten years old, I said, “You know, that could not be a bad way to get through life.”

Maine Mag: Zapoteca, Coffee Roasters & Eating Guide to SoPo, Cape and Scarborough

| Posted in General News

The October issue of Maine magazine includes:

  • an article about Zapoteca, “Although there are as many opinions as there are styles when it comes to outstanding Mexican cuisine, anyone would agree that Zapoteca’s creative menu and superlative tequila selection are a long overdue addition to Portland’s ever-growing dining scene.””
  • profiles of three Maine coffee roasters: 44 North, Rooster Brother, and Matt’s
  • an eating guide to South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough: The Cheese Iron, Aroma, 158, etc.

The articles aren’t online yet so you’ll need to find a paper copy at your local newsstand.

Interview with Whoopsies

| Posted in People

From Away has posted an interview with Marcia Wiggins, founder of Whoopsies! Gourmet Whoopie Pies.

Where/when did you first encounter a Whoopie pie?
I’ve always enjoyed baking whoopie pies as long as I can remember. When we moved to Maine, we discovered DiMillo’s Restaurant in Portland and I used to bring 2-3 dozen whoopie pies with us when we would go out to eat. The staff at DiMillo’s always raved about them.  My daughter, Berkeley, who has an entrepreneurial spirit, urged me to start a whoopie pie company with her.

Review of Cafe at Pat’s

| Posted in Reviews

Joe Ricchio has penned a review of the Cafe at Pat’s for the Maine magazine blog.

It is important to keep in mind that, as of this visit, the Cafe at Pat’s had only been open for about two weeks. Nothing about my experience even remotely suggested this to be the case, as each aspect was seamless and well executed. I look forward to joining the many regulars here for more ambience- and wine-induced ramblings throughout the fall and the long winter that follows.

Wine & Meatball Tasting

| Posted in Wine

Mister Meatball has posted a report on the meatball and wine tasting he organized with James Beard Award-nominated sommelier Scott Tyree.

The sommelier, who had barely touched his own frosty beverage, quickly displayed a far more complex understanding of our mission. I became hip to this when he brought out a crisp pad of paper, a pen and a pair of what I would describe as handsome yet rather stern-looking reading glasses. This must have rattled me more than I was aware because as our waitress delivered my newly opened beer I instructed her to please go ahead and bring me another at her earliest convenience.