Portland Old Port released the results of their Best of Portland readership poll last night. You can see the full list of winners and contestants on their website.
Fork Food Lab Looking for New Digs
Mainebiz reports that Fork Food Lab is looking for a new space.
After doubling Fork Food Lab’s membership, Seretta is searching for bigger space as he sets out to raise $150,000 from private donations to cover a loss. He’s looking for a building of 10,000 to 12,000 square feet and ideally on one floor that would be better suited to production.
“This is a neat building,” Seretta says, “but it’s not a manufacturing facility.” Having to walk up and down stairs is a hassle for the producers, on top of a shortage of production space, storage areas and parking spaces, and not even a loading dock.
Pat’s to Add Speakeasy
The Press Herald reports that the new owner of the Old Port Pat’s Pizza plans to add speakeasy to the Market Street pizzeria.
Mike Lizotte, who owns an interactive stock market-themed bar in Portland, has purchased Pat’s Pizza Old Port and plans to convert an upstairs function space into a speakeasy with a secret entrance.
Pat’s is scheduled to reopen September 20th and the speakeasy grand opening is planned for New Year’s Eve.
This Week’s Events: Labor Day, ChefsFeed, Burger Freak
Monday – It’s Labor Day.
Wednesday – the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Thursday – the first session of the sold out ChefsFeed collaboration dinners is taking place.
Friday – the second session of the sold out ChefsFeed collaboration dinners is taking place.
Saturday – Chef Kevin Gravito is launching his Burger Freak pop-up at Rose Foods, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday – the last session of the ChefsFeed collaboration dinners is taking place.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.
Review of N To Tail
Sweet Avieve’s Food Blog has published a review of N To Tail.
If you are seeking a fun and interactive meal, N to Tail is an opportunity not to be missed. Serving lunch and dinner from a fusion menu upstairs, you do have to wait until 5pm for the BBQ section to be open, however it is absolutely worth it!
Sticky Sweet Now Open
Sticky Sweet (instagram) opened the Cumberland Ave shop on Saturday. They’ll be back open at 119 Cumberland Ave serving their vegan ice cream on Thursday – Sunday, noon to 10 pm.
Review of Other Side Diner
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Other Side Diner.
At their new endeavor, Other Side Diner, which opened this April, the couple have adopted the same approach in building a menu of simple, high-quality lunch-and-breakfast dishes made from mostly local ingredients. Sandwiches are excellent — everything from egg salad layered with runny-yolked hard boiled eggs; a savory grilled chicken club made with juicy breast meat and thick-cut peameal bacon; to a shrimp salad BLT slathered with lemon-garlic mayo. It’s also hard to go wrong with breakfast dishes like Greek-yogurt enriched pancakes that stand up to drizzles of Maine maple syrup or spoonfuls of lowbush blueberry compote, or best of all: a spinach-and-cheese omelette executed nearly flawlessly and served with crisp-tender hash browns. All 35 of their seats deserve to be filled every day.
Owl and Whale Retail Shop
Owl & Whale (website, facebook, instagram) has leased space where they’re building out a retail shop and tasting room.
Chula Elotes
A new food cart called Chula Elotes (instagram) launched this week. They sell a menu of corn on the cobs that runs from plain with butter, salt and pepper to ones topped with brightly colored ingredients like the Chula and Takis Fuego.
The corn is from Fenderson Farm in Saco.
Congress Bar & Grill Changing Hands
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Restaurateurs, Jason Loring and Mike Fraser, are in the process of buying Congress Bar & Grill.
They plan to keep the restaurant’s casual feel and will be putting in place an approachable “tavern style” food that will be a departure from the menu at Nosh. They aspire to have a great bar with great food that balances value and quality serving lunch and dinner. Loring shared he’s dedicated to keeping the restaurant an affordable alternative place to eat in the city.
Loring and Fraser plan to close the restaurant for a couple months for some renovations to the space. It will re-open under the name CBG. The atmosphere they’re aiming for is “like your eccentric uncle’s basement bar”. The reconfigured CBG will open the space and make the bar more a focal point.
Loring is in the process of recruiting a chef for Congress Bar & Grill. If you’re interested in interviewing for the position, email jason@noshkitchenbar.com.
The restaurant at 617 Congress Street began life as Norm’s Bar & Grill and changed names to Congress Bar & Grill in 2011 when the ownership changed.