Interview with Claire Stretch

Tuesday’s Portland Daily Sun included an interview with Claire Stretch, bartender at The Back Bay Grill,

What’s Underrated: Bubbly, like champagne, Prosecco, brut. Maine is number 50 in sales of bubbly, at the very bottom. Fresh squeezed juice isn’t used enough either.

and article that gathered opinions from diners restaurateurs and restaurant workers on this year’s Maine Restaurant Week.

Martha Bryon, co-owner of The Salt Exchange, has been very pleased so far. “It’s absolutely amazing. About half of the people who come in are for restaurant week and they’ve been very enthusiastic about making reservations. The experience has been beautiful, particularly coming off of a very hard winter. “

USM Goes Local

Coffee by Design won out over the competition in a coffee taste test by a “roughly two-to-one” margin among USM students.

Wicked Joe came in second and Pura Vida was last. “The overwhelming choice of our customers was Coffee By Design,” he said. “It was very clear people didn’t like Pura Vida.”

Additionally, the USM food service vendor has switched from Hood to Oakhurst.

USM’s food service provider, Aramark, decided to switch milk to Oakhurst Dairy in their effort to be more environmentally conscious. Retail locations on the Portland and Gorham campuses already sell Oakhurst Dairy products. The change USM will see is in Gorham’s residential dining hall.

Review of Bresca

The Blueberry Files has published a review of Bresca.

I hope between my careful consideration and these photos, you understand why Bresca is a sure thing for a nice dinner out in Portland. The food is spot on, the prices are reasonable, the wine list extensive, and the desserts excellent. You’ll feel special eating here, but comfortable enough that you can make friends with your neighboring tables and drink a lot of wine.