Governor Mills has unveiled her phased approach to re-opening the Maine economy. On point for the food community are stages 2 and 3:
I’m counting down the days—all 33 of them—until I can go to a Portland restaurant for a meal. In the meantime some takeout and a haircut (barbers and salons get the green light in stage 1) will fill the gap.
The list of final nominees for this year’s James Beard Foundation awards had been set to be released March 25th but the announcement was delayed due to the pandemic. Now the Beard Foundation now plans to release the nominee list on Monday on May 4th at 4 pm.
To refresh your memory, here’s a link to the 2020 list of JBF award semifinalists from Maine which was published in February.
State regulations regarding bars and restaurant selling food and drinks to go have been revised to allow for takeout cocktails effective immediately.
To participate in the new program establishments have to comply with some new guidelines which include:
The Press Herald has reviewed Elsmere BBQ.
I was happy to see that the online menu still had all of my family’s favorites. I had the pit-smoked brisket sandwich with pickled onions on a bun for $13. Plus, I got coleslaw on the sandwich for just 50 cents and a side of mac and cheese for $1 more. My wife got the Elsmere Tornado sandwich with brisket, pulled pork, sausage and cole slaw on pretzel bun for $13, and my daughter Dinah got the pulled pork sandwich for $11. All came with barbecue sauce on the side.
The Press Herald is hosting an online live event with Ilma Lopez of Chaval and Piccolo, Mary Allen Lindemann of Coffee by Design, and Mike Alfiero of Harbor Fish Market to “talk about what they are doing now to retain as much revenue as possible while keeping employees and customers safe.”
Making It Work: The Food Business Blows Up is scheduled to take place Wednesday April 29th at 1pm. Register online to attend.
Saturday’s Press Herald reported on the impact the pandemic is having on craft beer sales.
With bars, restaurants and taprooms closed, Mainers are making sure they have plenty of liquor while they stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But the shift is coming at a cost to craft breweries.
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The summer edition of the Portland Farmers’ Market in Deering Oaks opened Saturday. Founded in 1768, the market has been in continuous operation for 252 years.
The layout this year has been modified to increase social distance but the basic concept remains the same. It’s good to see such a foundational element of the Portland food scene continuing on unabated.
Maine restaurants are now allowed to sell draft beer to go, as part of a Growlers To Go order.
Growlers to go must be accompanied by a food order and be tapped from kegs restaurants already had on hand.
Today’s Press Herald reports on the impact the pandemic is having on Maine farmers and how they’re adapting.
In any given year, farming is a notoriously risky business: It’s too dry or it’s too wet. A nasty pest wipes out the tomatoes; a late freeze kills the apple blossoms; a fast, ferocious gale destroys the strawberry crop. Or the federally set price of milk doesn’t cover the cost for dairy farmers to produce it.
And then there is the coronavirus pandemic.
