This Week’s Events: MCIPA, Leslie Oster at Twilight, Supperpie, Backyard Locavore Day

| Posted in Events

Monday — Bunker is holding a release party for M.C.I.P.A. a new beer named in memory of one of the Beastie Boys.

Wednesday — Black Tie will be holding a farm dinner in New Gloucester, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Leslie Oster from Aurora Provisions will be the guest chef at this week’s Twilight Dinner at Turkey Hill Farm, the second of the Supperpie dinner series will take place, there will be a wine tasting at the Public Market House and The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beer from Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project.

Saturday — it’s the opening of the 88th Annual Saint Peter’s Bazaar,  home gardeners around Cumberland County are participating in Backyard Locavore Day and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market 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.

Reviews of MJ’s Wine Bar and Hot Suppa

| Posted in Reviews

Wine Maniacs has published a review of MJ’s Wine Bar,

You start with a tasty French rose by Jean Luc Colombo ($5.00 a glass) for happy hour and finish about an hour or so later with a rare late harvest Viognier from Spain at $9.00 a glass. In between you have a real wine bar experience complete with well selected cheese, tunes on a turntable (Neal Young works well) and a well selected group of wines.

and The 207 Foodie has published a review of Hot Suppa.

Hot Suppa! is a great place to go for your dining desires, especially if you like dishes that have a little extra Southern flavor! Lunch or Dinner, they will serve you a meal that is sure to impress. But don’t take my word for it..try it out for yourself!

Under Construction: Menu for Piccolo

| Posted in Under Construction

The City Council will be voting on Monday to approve the liquor license application for Piccolo. Piccolo will be featuring the cuisine of Calabria and Abruzzi. It will be located at 111 Middle Street in the former home of Bresca.

A draft menu (page 53) and floor plan (page 50) are included in materials provided to the city. Appetizers include options such as a salad of charred chilled calamari, watermelon, bitter greens dressed with olive oil. Meat, seafood and vegetarian entree options will be available such as slow baked sea bass with summer peas, roasted onions and pancetta.

Chefs Damian Sansonetti and wife Ilma Lopez will be running the establishment. Sansonetti is a co-owner of Blue Rooster Food Company and the former executive chef at Bar Boulud in NYC. Until quite recently Lopez was the pastry chef at Grace.

They’re hoping to launch Piccolo sometime in September, serving dinner Tuesday – Sunday, 5-10:30pm.

Review of Spread

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has posted a review of Spread. The kitchen at Spread is now under the direction of Frenchman Frederic Eliot.

With Frederic Eliot at the helm Spread deserves recognition once again for its fine cuisine.  The restaurant is busy at times but it should be packed with lines of diners waiting outside to experience its novel menu.  We have a Frenchman in our midst, the only one here, and the next time I must try Eliot’s torchon of foie gras because who else but a French chef can do it justice?

Improving the Food Truck Regulations

| Posted in General News

Maine a la Carte reports that city manager Mark Rees is taking a look at how to improve the ordinance and rules governing food trucks in the Portland.

Among the options being considered are rule changes that would allow clustering of food trucks in the city, and an end to a controversial fee the trucks were being asked to pay when they park on private property. These proposed changes are just “a starting point for discussion,” Reese wrote.

For additional information, see this article in The Forecaster.

Review of Dinner at Artemisia Cafe

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Artemisia.

The first sign was off the menu actually: a complimentary amuse-bouche of a smoky creamy seafood soup — perfect on a rainy evening, with big pieces of fish piled into the tiny bowl. The menu features more “small bites” that offer intriguing flavors for just four or five dollars, from a Hawaiian style poke to a Lebanese muhummara spread. We tried a grilled peach with pancetta and pea shoots. The grill had brought out the sour and tart flavors in the fruit, but there was still enough sweetness to work well with the crispy strips of salty pancetta. A balsamic drizzle emphasized the sour saltiness of the dish.

Pugsley Sells Stake in Company

| Posted in Beer, People

According to a report in today’s Press Herald, Shipyard co-founder and head brewer is selling his stake in the brewery.

Pugsley remains master brewer at Shipyard, but on a consulting basis. He goes into the brewery about two days a week, he said, while also working as a consultant for other breweries through his Pugsley Brewing Projects International.

He has also made arrangements with Shipyard’s co-founder, Fred Forsley, to sell back his 20 percent ownership in the company.

Reviews: East Ender & Mainely Burgers

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has published a bar review of the East Ender,

With a well-stocked bar on each floor, daily drink and food deals, this establishment has expertly found a way to keep up with the competition.

and a review of Mainely Burgers.

With food trucks blossoming around Portland this summer, it’s fun to see how each one tries to stand out. The focus of the Mainely Burgers truck is on innovative gourmet burger toppings, high-quality ground beef and outstanding buns.