Under Construction: Three Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille

| Posted in Under Construction

According to a report from the Munjoy Hill News, Three Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille is under construction at 111 Cumberland Ave in the space formerly occupied by Buffalo Wings-N-Things.

East Enders will soon have another restaurant option from which to select according to Nikole and Bill Holler, owners of the soon-to-be Three Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille.  The location is at the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Washington Street – the site of the former Buffalo Wings restaurant.  That’s where mhn.com met them early this afternoon.

Baum+Whiteman Food Trends

| Posted in General News

Grace’s Whole Beast Feast is cited as an example of high-end “bundled” meals in Baum+Whiteman’s predictions for food trends in 2013.

Grace Restaurant in Portland, Maine, has a “whole beast” lamb dinner for six to eight people at $65 a head, including harissa-spiked lamb tartare, cured lamb “bresaola,” rigatoni with smoked lamb shoulder, and leg of lamb stuffed with pine nuts and corn. Like many such feasts, it requires 72 hours’ notice.

Frosty’s Donuts Profile

| Posted in Profiles

The Portland Daily Sun has published an article about the new Frosty’s Donuts located in South Portland.

The selection isn’t huge nor is the dining room large. The drink menu is simple and straightforward and has no call for a seasoned barista to steam or spoon elaborately prepared hot beverages. The precision branding clings to the past on all signage and marketing materials, with a feel-good retro font proudly pointing out that Frosty’s Donuts has been providing Maine with famous, hand-cut donuts since 1965. Since then, the path that led to the recent opening of the third Frosty’s Donuts just over the bridge in South Portland is made up of the stuff we Mainer’s love.

Cousins Maine Lobster

| Posted in Profiles

Mainebiz has published a report on Cousins Maine Lobster, a West Coast lobster food truck run by Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac who hail from Cape Elizabeth. The cousins recently appeared on the ABC venture capital TV show Shark Tank and were successful in getting financed by Barbara Corcoran.

To that end, the duo appeared last week on the ABC reality show “Shark Tank,” where entrepreneurs pitch their business and seek capital from a board of seasoned and well-heeled investors, including the likes of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran.

Tselikis and Lomac’s long-term plans include a food truck in Portland.

With strong roots in Portland, Tselikis says he and Lomac have talked about expanding back to their home turf, but not in the near future.

“It’s a saturated market, which is why we didn’t start here, so it’s not on the 2013 schedule, but you’ve got to be where you came from eventually,” says Tselikis.

 

Harvest on the Harbor

| Posted in Events

Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes an overview of some of the key activities taking place at Harvest on the Harbor this week.

I am happily anticipating Harvest on the Harbor this week, Oct. 24-27, a celebration of food with sweeping views of Casco Bay and an array of food and wine events and tasting opportunities. I am especially eager for Top of the Crop on Thursday, Oct. 25, when four outstanding Maine chefs will vie for Maine’s Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant. The fab four were selected based on their farm-to-table philosophy, relationship with local farms, and how well their restaurant menus reflect the farm-to-table movement year-round — not an easy task. The event will host a diverse international crowd with attendees from 48 states and the Netherlands, UK and Canada.

Review of Bard Coffee

| Posted in Reviews

Serious Eats has published a review of Bard Coffee.

The baristas on staff were more than happy to geek out with me about brewing styles (“We live for this stuff, this is what we do.”), and are committed, enthusiastic professionals. Bard proudly hosts monthly latte-art competitions to benefit Coffee Kids, and is one of a few small-but-mighty coffee companies encouraging improvements in the local bean scene by leaps and bounds. Despite (or perhaps because of?) its cafe being directly across the street from a Starbucks, Bard has become a community staple in Portland’s historic district—a testament to the coffee as well as to the people behind it.

This Week’s Events: Taste Memory Launch, Harvest on the Harbor, Latte Art Competition, Milbrandt Vineyards Dinner

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — Bar Lola is holding a wine dinner featuring Milbrandt Vineyards, and Devenish Wines is holding an wine tasting at LFK focused on organic wines from France.

Wednesday — a launch party for David Buchanan’s book Taste, Memory is taking place at SPACE, it’s the first day of Harvest on the Harbor, both Rosemont and Old Port Wine Merchants are having wine tastings, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — the monthly Latte Art Competition is taking place at Bard Coffee and both the Public Market House and Aurora Provisions are holding wine tastings.

Friday — the annual Caviar Dinner is taking place at the Portland Harbor Hotel, Coffee by Design is running tours of their roastery on Washington Ave, there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton, and both BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe and Vignola/Cinque Terre are holding wine dinners.

Saturday — 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.

Review of Kushiya Benkay

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Kushiya Benkay.

For a softly lit date night that’s a bit different, a wee-hours snack or a protein-lover’s lunch that won’t break the bank, Kushiya Benkay’s menu is tough to beat. Built on the reputation and strength of Portland sushi standard bearer Benkay, this newest niche endeavor is a terrific addition to the local dining roster.

 

Washington Post: Many Flavors of Portland

| Posted in Reviews

Washington Post editor Joe Yonan has written about a visit to Portland eating and drinking at  Micucci’s, Urban Farm Fermentory, Eventide and Bresca.

Maybe there’s something in the sea air that gets to you, that fills you with Maine pride. I’ve heard more than one Mainer say with confidence that Portland’s food scene is better than Boston’s, for instance, and I’ve always (politely) scoffed. But I’ve been in the state for the better part of a year, and I’m starting to see their point. If nothing else, I think of it this way: If little Portland were plunked down in the middle of Boston, it would be a food lover’s destination. And I’d head there for dinner — or lunch, or pre-dinner oysters, or mid-morning pastries, or a macchiato — anytime.

Yonan has been spending a year in Maine and is occasionally blogging about on his website.

Ezra Pond Cake: 8 Delicious Things

| Posted in Reviews

Rebecca Crump from Ezra Pound Cake has posted a list of her 8 favorite things to eat in Maine.

We toured farms and bakeries, talked to chefs and seafood industry experts, and I had some of the best meals of my life. (Thanks, Sharon!) So, if someone asks you to come to Maine, say yes, kiss them on the mouth, and dig into some of these delicious things:

Rebecca was in Maine this Summer as part of a food blogger tour arranged by Delicious Musings.