Review of Mom’s Cafe & Farmers Impacted by Unusual Weather

| Posted in Reviews, Farming

The Press Herald has published a review of Mom’s Cafe.

There’s a lot of secret little places around Portland that hungry office workers know about but are hidden from the general public. The cafe in city hall used to be one of those places, but it’s now gotten enough ink that it can no longer be considered a secret.

Mom’s Cafe is another one of those places.

Also in today’s paper is an article about how this year’s highly variable weather is impacting Maine farmers.

It started in March with temperatures that soared into the 70s and 80s, dipped to freezing levels in April and was followed by heavy rain in May and June.

The National Weather Service in Gray recorded 11.03 inches of rain in June, almost 7 inches above average.

Summer Picnic & Organic Corn

| Posted in Cooking, Farming

The Food and Dining section in today’s paper includes a caution about the introduction of genetically modified sweet corn in Maine and guidance on where to locate organic/non-GMO sweet corn.

This summer marks the first time that Monsanto’s Bt sweet corn has been approved for planting in Maine. Unlike genetically modified field corn, which farmers in Maine and across the country have been growing for years as livestock feed, sweet corn is intended for human consumption.

The Food and Dining section also includes advice and recipes from local chefs and food purveyors in putting together your Summer picnic basket.

First Review of Eventide Oyster Company

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has published a review of Eventide Oyster Co.

For entrees we had the roasted seaweed-wrapped branzino and the grilled Nova Scotia swordfish belly. These were two of the best seafood entrees I’ve had in Portland. Whole fish is a pain to dissect but I lifted the central bone off easily and the fish was incredibly moist. The accompanying wheat berry salad, broccoli rabe and lemon confit added essential elements of flavor.

Comparative Review of Gorgeous Gelato and Gelato Fiasco

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a comparative review of Gorgeous Gelato and Gelato Fiasco.

These life-cycle complexities emerge in the taste and texture of the gelato itself. The essence comes down to this: Gorgeous Gelato offers a creamier, more mouth-coating gelato, while Fiasco offers something slightly denser and more flavor-intense. The reason is simple: Gorgeous uses some cream in its mix, and Fiasco relies on whole milk alone.

This Week’s Events: Food Trucks at the City Council, Ice Cream Fest, Twilight Dinner, Bier Cellar

| Posted in Events

Monday — the full City Council will review the proposed food truck regulations (page 78). This is the first review, a final vote will take place at the City Council meeting on July 16.

Tuesday — the owner of MDI Ice Cream will be on the TV show The View, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place on Tuesday to avoid conflict with the 4th of July holiday on Wednesday.

Wednesday — the Great American Ice Cream Fest all-you-can-eat ice cream event will be happening on the Eastern Prom.

Thursday — Cultivating Community’s first Twilight Dinner of the summer is taking place at their farm in Cape Elizabeth (tickets available online).

Friday — there will be a wine tasting at West End Deli and a bourbon tasting at The Salt Exchange.

Saturday — the Bier Cellar is holding their Grand Opening, there will be wine tastings at Rosemont on Brighton and LeRoux Kitchen, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Bastille Day Feast — Devenish Wines and Cultivating Community with the help of chefs Brad Messier, David Levi, and Philippe Donald are putting together this 4-course menu built around a pig roast to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14. The cost is $48 per person. You can buy tickets online at Brown Paper Tickets.

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.

The Bollard: Maine Beer, The Holy Donut, Scarpa’s

| Posted in Reviews, Beer, Distilling & Cocktails

The July edition of The Bollard is now out. It includes:

  • A feature article on the latest wave of craft brewers to open in Maine: Maine Beer Company, Bull Jager, Rising Tide, Bunker Brewing, Baxter Brewing, and Oxbow.
  • A review of The Holy Donut (194 Park Ave)
  • A bar review of Scarpa’s (15 Exchange St)

The articles aren’t on The Bollard website yet, but they usually posts them up in the week following print publication. In the meantime you can find free print copies in just about every coffee shop and cafe in Portland.

Greek Heritage Festival

| Posted in Events

The Bangor Daily News has published a report on the Greek Heritage Festival.

The Greek Food Festival, now in its 30th year by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Pleasant Street, has become more than just the church’s biggest annual fundraiser. It’s a key component in keeping alive Greek cultural traditions, with roots dating back hundreds of years and thousands of miles, in Maine’s largest city.