According to this month’s Travel+Leisure, small is the new big. “If any trend has defined the recent trajectory of travel…it is the cult of the very small.” Portland’s East End restaurant, Bar Lola, made the short list of restaurants in the Guide to Small Places that accompanied the article.
Dinner at Paciarino
Paciarino is appearing before the City Council on Monday to apply for a liquor license with outdoor seating. Provided all goes well they hope to start serving dinner on Friday May 8.
Farmers' Market Season
The Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market opened for the season today with an abbreviated set of vendors. I picked up some flowers and a jar of Tom’s Honey. There has been some talk of adding an additional market on Monday in Monument Square to the existing Wednesday/Saturday rotation to provide an outlet for farmer’s currently on the wait list for a space.
April’s Stats
The 10 businesses looked up most often during the month of April were:
- The Farmer’s Table (2)
- Paciarino (1)
- Miyake (20)
- Bresca (3)
- Grassroots Organic Cafe (-)
- Emilitsa (4)
- Evangeline (7)
- Blue Spoon (12)
- Local 188 (17)
- Bard Coffee Roasters (-)
The numbers in parentheses indicates their rank last month.
Bar Installation at Grace
Tivi Design has posted photos of the new bar they’ve built and installed at Grace. The circular bar has a canopy of glass that echoes the window design of the historic Chestnut Street Church. Grace is still under construction, they plan on opening for business this summer. Eric Simeon is coming on board as their Executive Chef.
Burrito Bar Review
PeRx-U-Up Cafe
PeRx-U-Up Cafe received 4 stars from the Eat & Run column in today’s Portland Press Herald.
The cafe is not a big place – just a couple of small tables, some counter seating and, now that the weather has improved, some outdoor tables. The bottom line: The food is fresh, good and reasonably priced.
Sunday Brunch
This week’s Portland Phoenix provides guidance for cooking up your own Eggs Benedict at home for those times when “it might have been better for your constitution (and reputation) to stay home in your bathrobe.” If you still want to venture out check the Sunday Brunch List for your options.
There are several terrific places where this brunch might go down in Greater Portland, but they are all likely to share one ingredient: a line stretching out the door. Your arrival in last night’s party clothes and disheveled hair barely elicits a nod from your equally hung-over companions, already there staking out a place on the waiting list.
Port City Life
The new print issue of Port City Life includes a profile of Paciarino along with co-owner Fabiana DeSavino’s tiramasu recipe, a look at local food distribution networks, and an article about Local Sprouts, Portland’s community supported kitchen.
Kelp Noodles
The Boston Globe has a report on kelp noodles, “seaweed in long, green strips cut to the rough dimensions of linguine” produced here in Portland by Ocean Approved. The noodles are available at Browne Trading, Harbor Fish Market and Whole Foods.
Like pasta noodles, kelp is a submissive plate-mate, wrapping neatly around the tender mussels on a fork and bending nicely to their sweet, meaty flavor. Hot, simple food has a tendency to make you smile after a few hours on a cold ocean, and we slip into port a happy crew. The ocean provides – noodles and all.