This Week’s Events: Ag Show, Farmers’ Market Convention, Park Challenge, Sashimi Grading

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – it’s the first day of the 77th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta.

Thursday – the 10th annual Maine Farmers’ Market Convention is taking place in Augusta and the Industrial Park Challenge at The Great Lost Bear, and Mika Higurashi will be giving a talk at GMRI entitled “Making the Grade: Leading the Way for Sashimi-Grade Seafood“.

Friday – there will be a wine tasting at the East End Rosemont.

Saturday – the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place and there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen.

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: Esidore’s Bistro, Lazzari, Nonesuch River Brewing

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Esidore’s Bistro,

His eclectic, world-aware style of cooking borrows elements from several disparate cuisines – Mexican, Vietnamese, Japanese, just to name a few – while keeping everything he prepares gluten-free.

The Bollard has reviewed Lazzari, and

For a few hours each weekend, this new Congress Street eatery offers a short menu of outstanding wood-fired pies whose carefully chosen toppings bring “breakfast” and “pizza” together in sweet harmony.

the Press Herald has reviewed Nonesuch River Brewing.

I loved my burger, which was deceivingly simple. The bacon was charred to a crisp, as I like it, and the burger was cooked medium, as I requested. But what made it stand out was the sear that the chef achieved. The outer skin of the burger was slightly hard and charred, but the burger itself was pink and juicy. Those juices were full of smoky flavors, and they mingled with all the other elements to create a variety of flavors in each bite. The bun was grilled (or toasted) ever so slightly.

Under Construction: The Proper Cup

| Posted in Under Construction

A new coffee shop called The Proper Cup (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction at 500 Forest Ave in the space formerly occupied by Express Nail Supply. Proper Cup is located on Forest in between Rose Foods and Little Woodfords on the corner of Noyes Street.

Owners Rachel Kreie and Zachary Figoli are planning to open their “Quirky, professional and industrial themed cafe that sells high quality espresso drinks, drip coffee and tasty pastries from local vendors” in late January or early February.

Kreie and Figoli have both worked as baristas. They have a combined passion for creating a community oriented coffee shop for the people living and working the neighborhood.

Update: The Proper Cup will be serving coffee from Flight Coffee Company.

Bubba’s Sulky Lounge

| Posted in Profiles

Down East has published a feature about Bubba’s Sulky Lounge.

The “mayor of Portland Street,” as Bubba has been called, is a retired Marine, former high-school basketball star, and proud owner of 14 race horses (hence the bar’s name — a “sulky” being a two-wheeled, jockey-toting cart used in harness racing). Bubba’s tall and soft-spoken, a lifelong Portlander who doesn’t like talking about his age but is somewhere in the neighborhood of 80. He opened Bubba’s in 1961, rebuilt it after a fire in 1981, and put in the light-up dance floor sometime thereafter (no one quite remembers). He stops in daily, often adding this or that to the decor.