The SALO Project will be serving a Filipino pop-up dinner this Sunday in Portland. Chef Yana Gilbuena is taking SALO on the road to prepare a pop-up in all 50 states. Tickets are $50 and the dinner is taking place in a private residence in the East End.
Vinland Ice Cream Service
Urban Eye has a report on the new Vinland backdoor ice cream service which is slated to start next week.
To coax the timid to his locavore lair, Levi is using the back door in his kitchen (accessible from Congress Square Park) to hawk cones and homemade popsicles in flavors like cranberry and blueberry yogurt all summer long.
Reviews: Hella Good, Blue Spoon, Congress Gar & Grill
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Congress Bar and Grill.
Congress Bar and Grill produced a very good meal. They’re not fancy and they keep it simple, but the food tastes great and is cooked perfectly. The service is good too. I’d recommend checking out this congress. They get my vote.
the Press Herald has published a review of the Hella Good food cart,
The fish taco included white fish, lightly breaded and warm and topped with a lime crema salsa, cabbage and cilantro. The pork was fall-apart tender, and the chicken was as well. The pork and the chicken were served with a verde salsa, along with onion, cilantro and other greens. All three were great.
and a bar review of Blue Spoon.
Blue Spoon has been part of the Munjoy Hill community for years. It’s a place people rely on for brunch, lunch, dinner and Wine Time, its signature happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Wine is served by the glass for $2.50 and small plates are available for munching. For an authentic Portland experience, climb the Hill and check out Blue Spoon.
Fishin’ Ships Launched
Fishin’ ShipsRestaurant Impossible: Uncle Andy’s
Maine a la Carte has information on how to be part of the Restaurant Impossible remake of Uncle Andy’s.
“Restaurant Impossible” airs on Wednesday nights and the episode featuring Uncle Andy’s will air sometime this summer. We can’t report on the transformation because that would spoil the TV surprise, but YOU can participate.
There are two ways to be involved: As a member of the volunteer crew or as a customer for the grand re-opening on Wednesday, June 11 at 7 p.m.
Timber
The Portland Daily Sun has reviewed Timber,
Timber could have served green eggs and ham and the experience would have been great. That is mainly because the of the aura of staff professionalism and the tableside visits from the owners, even when they got slammed and overwhelmed a bit on opening night. Whenever I go into a restaurant I can usually spot one or two servers who are the cream of the crop. The ones who make the operation seamless and make you question if they’re part-owners. Everyone at Timber behaved that way.
and the Bangor Daily News has published an article about Timber.
Noah and Dan Talmatch of The Northpoint opened their second restaurant last week called Timber Steakhouse and Rotisserie on Exchange Street. Offering certified Angus beef in diverse cuts served with sides of batter-fried smoked bacon and a bourbon, whisky, rye and scotch bible to consider, the bold brethren once again have hit upon a winning concept.
Coffee House Tour: CBD, Bard, Speckled Axe, Tandem
The Root has published a report from the coffee house tour I led this past weekend in collaboration with The Maine Brew Bus.
During the tour we visited Coffee by Design, Bard Coffee, Speckled Axe and Tandem Coffee Roasters. We learned about coffee importing and roasting, cross compared brewing methods, got trained on the cupping process, and as you might expect drank a vast amount of caffeine. If that all sounds fun to you then you’re in luck as we’re likely to schedule a repeat performance this Fall. Stay tuned.
Review of David’s
Haddockquest has reviewed David’s.
When the sandwich arrived, the first thing I noticed was the well-toasted bun. Finally, a well-toasted bun! This has been an issue in past Haddockquest excursions, and I have to say that David’s really nailed the vessel aspect of things here. After that, things started to go downhill. The small-ish portion of haddock suffered from a soggy, poorly-seasoned batter that lacked flavor and did nothing to stand up against the bun it was served on. It’s a shame, because the fish itself was clearly fresh and had a nice flakiness to it.
Portland & Rochester
Eat Maine has profiled the Portland & Rochester.
All in all the Portland Rochester has become an indispensable staple in West Bayside, offering a variety of different experiences to loyal patrons. The recent update with the menu only furthers the eclectic nature of a pub that should be on everyone’s radar this summer.
Pepperclub to Stay in Portland
The Forecaster reports the Pepperclub is planning to remain in Portland rather than move to Kennebunk.
With the help of real estate brokers and input from customers, Sawyer is now looking for a new home for the restaurant after its lease expires in September.
“We are not looking to move out of the greater Portland area,” [co-owner Melissa Sawyer] said.
Sawyer said the Good Egg Cafe, which reopened about seven years ago as the Pepperclub’s breakfast arm, will also continue to operate.