BA: Best Bagels of 2017

| Posted in Reviews

Bon Appétit has declared the Montreal-style bagels from The Purple House the Best Bagels We Ate in 2017.

I planned my entire trip around being able to make as many visits as possible to The Purple House. (I managed three.) There, I found hearty, rustic sandwiches and striking pastries like gooseberry-studded financiers. But the most important thing I found was the bagel that had been missing from my life: crackly and deeply flavorful in the Montreal style, yet homey and comforting in what I’ll call the Jewish-American deli style.

Richard McNeill, 76

| Posted in People

Richard McNeill, founder of Carburs, has passed away at the age of 76 reports the Cazenovia Republican.

Widely known in Portland as owner of Carburs Restaurant and the Down East Feast five decker sandwich that revolutionized the Old Port cuisine scene from 1976-1998. Rich also received an honorary diploma from the students of Cazenovia College for his involvement and support. Rich loved to cook and bake for his friends and family, making beer bread and buttermilk brownies. He regularly traveled to Pittsburgh to keep in touch with his sisters, Kitty and Linda, and the large family that resides there. Rich was known for his compassion and gentleness towards others and a simple outlook on life. His clever humor and notable sayings always kept those around him smiling and comfortable.

Carburs was a mainstay of the Portland dining scene in the last quarter of the 20th Century. The 20+ page menu offered dozens of sandwiches with names like the The Connecticut Yankee (React-or glow in the dark) and the Smith & Wesson (Oil’s well that ends well). It was located in Portland at 123 Middle Street, and in Burlington Vt, Hadley MA and Plattsburgh NY.

According to the obituary, “A memorial service and interring of remains will be held in summer 2018 at St.Eiboh’s Cove, Raymond, Maine.”

Tuscan Table Opens Wednesday

| Posted in Openings

Tuscan Table (facebook, instagram) has announced plans to open their new restaurant in South Portland on Wednesday. Former Cinque Terre/Vignola chef Lee Skawinski will be headlining a new Italian restaurant.

Tuscan Table will be located at 390 Gorham Road next to Books-A-Million at the Mall. The 165-seat restaurant is part of the same restaurant group as the Royal River Grill House and Tuscan Bistro.

Krista Kern Desjarlais

| Posted in People

Chef Krista Kern Desjarlais was profiled in the latest issue of Plate magazine.

You have such an eclectic selection of baked goods. Roman-style pizza, Montreal bagels, French pastries like kouign-amann and mille-feuille. How did you curate your selection?
My choices were based on years of baking on my own and enjoying traditional Baking in French and Italian styles. I staged at Le Circque under Jacques Torres, which was amazing. I spent time in Rome; my grandfather lived there for 30 years and passed away there. I was hired to be the pastry chef for Guy Savoy in Las Vegas and went to Paris to transcribe the pastry program for them. I met other pastry chefs like Pierre Herme and worked in their pastry kitchens, so I got to see how all of their stuff was made.

This Week’s Events: Fore River Dinner, Sidework, Hugo’s Holiday Dinner, Swain Anniversary Dinner, 7 Fishes, New Year’s Eve

| Posted in Events

Monday – Sur Lie is holding a Fore River Brewing beer dinner.

Tuesday – The Honey Paw is hosting Sidework, a craft fair featuring work by restaurant industry professionals.

Wednesday – Hugo’s is holding a 5-course holiday wine dinner.

Thursday – a 5-course wine dinner to celebrate Ned Swain’s 15 years in the wine business is taking place at Vinland.

Saturday – the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Sunday – Piccolo will be serving a traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner.

New Year’s Eve – Restaurants are starting to announce their NYE plans. Here’s the ones I’ve heard of so far. I’ll be expanding the list over the next couple weeks as more information comes in:

  • Baharat – pre fixe and regular menu.
  • Bolster Snow – 3-course dinner, $65 per person.
  • Boone’s – 4-course dinner, $95 per person, 9 – 2am they’ll be a NYE gala for $40 per person, $125 if you combine both options. The events are a benefit for Full Plates Full Potential.
  • Central Provisions – 5-course dinner with optional pairings, $150 per person.
  • Chaval – serving regular menu plus specials.
  • East Ender – serving regular menu.
  • Evo – 4- and 7-course menus.
  • Five Fifty-Five – 5-course dinner, $100 per person.
  • Grace – will be open serving their regular menu.
  • Hunt & Alpine – champagne cocktail and special menu.
  • Little Giant – will be serving their regular menu with some NYE specials.
  • Lolita – a 5-course dinner with optional wine pairings, $110 per person (tip included).
  • Petite Jacqueline – 3- and 5-course dinner, $45/$65 per person.
  • Piccolo – 10-course dinner, $115 per person.
  • Sonny’s – their last night in operation before starting the renovations for the launch Black Cow.
  • Terlingua – 4-course tasting menu in addition to their regular menu.
  • Tipo – 4-course dinner, $75 per person with optional wine pairings ($35).
  • Tiqa – 3-course dinner for $55 per person.
  • Vinland – 5-course dinner for $121.60 (tax and tip included) plus optional pairings.
  • Woodford F&B – will be serving their regular menu with some NYE special until 10pm, the rest of the evening is a menu of fried chicken, oysters, caviar and champagne.

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.

Yordprom Coffee

| Posted in People, Profiles

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about Yordprom Coffee and its owner Tom Yordprom.

Many of Tom’s customers know that he’ll have their regular orders waiting for them by the time they step up to the counter. They’ve been coming to the same place everyday for years because they feel like a part of a community. Tom created that community and he knows that without him, that community wouldn’t exist.

The article reports that Yordprom Coffee will be expanding to Biddeford and may also launch a coffee truck.

Reviews: Noble BBQ, Blyth and Burrows, Sun Bakery & Restaurant

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Noble Barbecue,

The culinary freedom Noble allows itself creates the space for a menu where a terrific, Texas-style smoked brisket can live happily alongside a New York pastrami or a wacky, yet completely addictive smoked spaghetti squash sandwich. A few dishes, like under-seasoned cubed pork and overcooked fries, need a tweak or two, but they are the exception, not the rule at Noble. Most, like macaroni and cheese prepared to order, are inventive and well-executed – way beyond the quality of anything you’d have any right to expect from a BBQ sandwich shop in Maine, of all places.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Blyth and Burrows, and

Blyth and Burrows turned my expectations upside down. I expected little and got everything. The drinks were solid, the food even better and the atmosphere as good as any around. The establishment is comfortable, looks really sharp, and feels like a place one could happily hang out in for hours. My two hopes are that next time I go I’ll spend some time in The Broken Dram downstairs and that at some point my wife will stop telling me how great her bao was.

the Press Herald has reviewed Sun Bakery & Restaurant.

For an entree, I tried the chicken lemongrass with rice ($8.50), which came with well-cooked (not clumpy) white rice, chunks of white meat chicken and a ton of vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, celery, onion, green beans, and both green and red peppers. The vegetables were perfect — cooked through, but they still had a little bite to them. The lemongrass flavor was very subtle, and at times I found myself wanting more, something to elevate it above a simple stir-fry.