Interview with Rivalries’ Lance Meader

| Posted in People

The Portland Phoenix has published an interview with Lance Meader, owner of Rivalries.

LO: Why did you decide to open a sports bar?
LM: I come from a sports background and a sports family. My dad’s been a college basketball coach for 40 years, and was a college baseball coach for 20 years. I was an athlete in college and I originally had a business partner who I bought out six or seven years ago — Jeff Libby — who was a former professional hockey player. We grew up together and were both living in Portland at the time … we were in our 20s at the time and going out and there wasn’t really a (sports) place to go. We just thought that no one else is going to do it, we might as well do it.

Under Construction: Fore River Brewing

| Posted in Under Construction, Beer

Fore River Brewing(twitter, facebook, instagram) received license approval from the South Portland city council Monday evening.

Co-owner John LeGassey tells me they have a few last tasks to complete to make the brewery operational and hope to start brewing their first official batch two weeks from now. If all goes according to plan, they will open to the public sometime in December.

Review of Central Provisions

| Posted in Reviews

Tiny Urban Kitchen reviewed Central Provisions.

The food is excellent.

I love the fact that the dishes are inspired by ideas from so many different cultures – everything from the Mediterranean eggplant hummus and the French foie gras and bone marrow dishes to the Korean BBQ steak and the togarashi spiced green beans. I especially love it because Chef executes these crazy combinations so well.

Though the lines are crazy long*, it’s totally worth it.

Latte Art Competition

| Posted in Events

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an article on last week’s barista latte art competition.

The designs are ephemeral: Their shape and definition starts to fade after a couple of minutes. But latte art is taken seriously enough that, in 2006, the Specialty Coffee Associations of Europe and America founded the World Latte Art Championship. (Next year, it will be held in Shanghai.) The U.S. Latte Art Championship followed in 2014.

Maine’s Latte Art Throwdown, which assesses only free pours, doesn’t take itself quite so seriously, but it’s still packed with talented local latte artists who are looking to improve their work.

Bard Coffee manager Brittany Feltovic won the final round. The next latte art throwdown will take place at Elements in Biddeford in February.

25 Best Dive Bars: Bubba’s

| Posted in Reviews

Bubba’s Sulky Lounge is on The Daily Mail list of the 25 Best Dive Bars in America.

Established and owned by “Bubba” for 47 years, Bubba’s Sulky Lounge has become one of the most popular spots in Portland. Maine=born alt-folksinger Patty Griffin even wrote a song about the place (“Please pass the bottle on…”) This colorful bar is full of antiques that are hanging from the ceilings, sitting on the bar, and bolted to the walls, which were sought out and collected by Bubba himself. Offering a full bar, “80s Night w/ DJ Jon” on Fridays, and an “Everything Dance Party” on Saturdays, Bubbas is sure to offer a night you’ll never forget.

Draft Top 25: Mockingfish & Beer II

| Posted in Beer, Uncategorized

draftmaptop25Two Maine beers are on Draft magazine’s list of the Top 25 Beers of the Year:

  • Mockingfish from Rising Tide “The tequila barrel’s earthy, agave character zips in at the finish to punctuate the tart lightly lemony sip. Unlike other tequila barrel-aged beers we’ve tasted, the spirit doesn’t contribute any alcohol prickle here, allowing the gose’s wispy salinity to bubble in the center of the sip like a breeze of ocean are.”
  • Beer II from Maine Beer Co. “The session IPA can be just as wonderfully flavorful as its high-octane cousin, and Beer II is proof. The flavorful turns of juicy grapefruit, fresh pine, grass, sweet tangerine and fennel are stunningly complex: just a touch of bready malt holds it together before a quick whip of bitterness pulls it to a pleasant conclusion.”

Rising Tide plans to have a new batch of the tequila barrel-aged available next year.

Roustabout Now Open

| Posted in Openings

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Roustabout(twitter, instagram, facebook, website) is now open. Last night’s menu includes dishes such as Pasta Fagioli, Seafood Salad with octopus, chickpeas chilies and bitter greens, Bolognese with garganelli, fonduta and basil, Roast Chicken Fra Diavolo, Skate Piccata and Eggplant Parmesan.

The 75-seat restaurant and bar is located at 59 Washington Ave near Oxbow, Tu Casa and Terlingua and immediately next to Maine & Loire.

This Week’s Events: Beer, Beer, Beer, Beer, Beer, Pie, Thanksgiving

| Posted in Events

static1.squarespace.comMonday — Portland Beer Week kicked off yesterday. There’s a plethora of beer tastings, tap takeovers, lunches, dinners and lectures taking place over. The next 6 days. Checkout the PBW website for a full list of events.

Tuesday — 11 professional/amateur beer collaborations will be on tap at Salvage.

Wednesday — Bao Bao is hosting a Bissell Brothers beer dinner, Novare Res is holding an Oxbow bottle tasting, and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday — The Maine Center For Creativity is holding a talk on the Art and Science of Brewing, and there will be a wine and cheese tasting at the Public Market House.

Friday — Master Brewer/Co-Founder Jean François Gravel from Brassserie Dieu du Ceil will be Novare.

Saturday — the 2015 edition of Where the Wild Biers are is taking place at Novare and the 22nd Annual Maine Brewers Festival is taking place at the Portland Expo, Rising Tide is holding the bottle release for Hesperus, there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Sunday – Slab is hosting a Hangover Brunch, and Aurora Provisions is teaching a pie baking class.

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away. I’m assembling a list of Thanksgiving dinners and local resources for home cooks and related events. Here’s what’s surfaced so far:

  • Brian Boru, Thanksgiving buffet, $23.99 (children under 12 are half priced), noon – 5:30
  • C-Squared, 3-course, $65 per person, 11 – 8.
  • Eve’s at the Garden is serving a buffet, $55 per person, ages 6-12 $24.95 and children under 6 are free.
  • Five Fifty-Five, 4-course dinner for $80 per person, there’s also a 3-course children’s dinner for $35 per person, 1-8.
  • Harraseeket Inn is serving their Thanksgiving Grand Buffet.
  • Saltwater Grille is serving a Thanksgiving buffet, $49.99 per person, $14.99 for children.
  • Sea Glass is serving their Thanksgiving Grand Buffet, $60 per adult, children 5-12 are $22, kids under 5 are free, 12-8.
  • Timber, 4-course dinner, $35 per person, vegetarian options available, 1-8.
  • Twenty Milk Street is serving a Thanksgiving dinner.
  • Zackery’s is serving a Thanksgiving buffet, $27 per adult, $22 for seniors, children under 10 pay their age.
  • Turkeys are available from Rosemont Market, the Other Side Delicatessen, The Farm Stand, Wolfe’s Neck Farm, Serendipity Acres Farm, Alewive’s Brook Farm and Frith Farm.
  • Prepared Side Dishes can be sourced from Aurora Provisions, the Other Side Delicatessen and Rosemont Market.
  • While making your own dinner plans, please consider making a donation to the Good Shepherd Food Bank to help them fight hunger in Maine.

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.