A new Thai restaurant called Esaan (facebook, instagram) has recently opened on Forest Ave in the space formerly occupied by Joy’s Crepe Cafe.
Brewery Tasting Rooms
There’s a front page article in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram about the increasing vitality and contribution to the bottom line of brewery tasting rooms.
An explosion of microbreweries in Portland – and throughout Maine – is being fueled by a 2011 state law that allowed beer-makers to sell beer right at their breweries, in “samples” that can range from 4 to 16 ounces or more. The law gave birth to the modern craft brewery tasting room, an innovation that has pumped up revenues, expanded the market and attracted even more would-be brewers into the industry.
Under Construction: Tiqa Cafe
Tiqa has leased the Deering Oaks Castle where they plan to operate Tiqa Cafe, reports the Press Herald.
He said breakfast items would consist of bagels and pastries, with coffee by Coffee by Design. Lunches would be sandwiches and salads, and dinners would probably include an item from the restaurant menu along with salads and sandwiches.
Under Construction: Hero
Urban Eye has posted an update on Hero.
Hero, opening in early March at 30 City Center, is about to rock your downtown lunch game Portland. Don’t have a lunch game? You soon will.
“Portland is in need of a lunch spot that is consistently producing high quality food,” said co-owner Todd Bernard, who makes diners swoon at Empire on Congress Street with lobster dim sum delights.
Harvest on the Harbor Sold
The Press Herald reports the Harvest on the Harbor conference has been sold.
The buyers are Stefanie Manning and Gabrielle Garofalo, partners in Portland-based S&G LLC.
Manning is the vice president of marketing and circulation at MaineToday Media and Garofalo owns Gabrielle Garofalo Inc. Consulting & Creative Energy in New York City, where she has worked on the 2012 Billboard Music Awards and New York Magazine’s annual Taste of New York culinary event.
Under Construction: Rossobianco
The Press Herald reports that Vinland owner David Levi has decided to name the natural wine bar he has under construction at 3 Deering St Rossobianco. Levi plans to serve Northern Italian food at Rossobianco,
“My family on my dad’s side is northern Italian,” Levi said. “My family’s from Venice and Milan. I’ve spent a lot of time there, and it’s really the cuisine I grew up with. I’ve always had a very deep love for it…
Under Construction: Old Port Lobster Shack
The Forecaster has posted an update on the branch of the Old Port Lobster Shack under construction on Fore Street. It is the 4th location of a California firm owned by a Boston native and former Portland resident.
Russell Deutsch is ready for a homecoming, even if it is a bit later than expected.
“There is no rush, I want to do it right,” he said Monday about his delayed plans to open the Old Port Lobster Shack in late April at 425 Fore St.
It has been almost a year since city councilors approved a license for the restaurant, which would be the first on the East Coast for the California chain.
Peddleman’s @ Union
Winter Foraging
Food & Wine interviewed chefs David Levi at Vinland and Justin Walker at Earth about ingredients they forage throughout the winter in Maine.
Though his restaurant, Earth, is closed in the off-season, Walker gets inventive with wild Maine moss in winter. “We have a lot of reindeer moss growing on the Hidden Pond property,” he says. “It grows on ledgy areas. If it’s frozen you can reconstitute it in water, or you can burn it into an ash, which you can do a zillion things with. Or you can fry it. It’s very interesting fried,” he says. “But it’s just an addition—you don’t eat a pile of reindeer moss, unless you’re at Noma.”
Lamb Jam Boston
Chefs Nikos Regas from Emilitsa, Thomas Pisha-Duffly from The Honey Paw and Austin Miller from Mami are competing in the 2016 Lamb Jam in Boston on April 10th. They’ll be competing against 20 chefs from across New England.