Under Construction: 2nd Scratch Baking

| Posted in Under Construction

Scratch Baking announced yesterday (instagram, facebook) that they’ll be opening a second location in the former Getty Gas station on Broadway.

The new bakery will provide Scratch with expanded production space for their highly sought after bagels as well as a Toast & Bagel Bar with seating. Scratch will continue to operate the bakery in Willard Square unchanged. They hope to open the new spot in mid-Summer.

The Press Herald caught up with [co-owner Sonja] Swandberg about the announcement to learn more about plans for the new location.

Swanberg said she couldn’t guarantee that the new location will make the bagel lines disappear, but having a bigger oven in the Getty space should at least shorten the waiting time for a fresh, hot Maine sea salt bagel. She estimated “very conservatively” that the bakery will be able to churn out 25 percent more bagels a day.

Best of Portland Readership Poll

| Posted in General News

The Portland Phoenix has selected the nominees and voting has begun for the 2016 Best of Portland readership poll.

There are 50+ Food and Drink categories ranging from bagels and barbecue to wine tastings and wings for you to  vote in plus categories for City Life, Arts & Entertainment, Shopping and Services.

Portland Food Map is a nominee for Best Food Blog/Column (along with 207 Foodie and Eat & Run) and for Best Blog (along with Active Beer Geek, Black Girl in Maine, Eating Portland Alive and Hot Trash Portland).

Interview with Ralph Hersom

| Posted in People

Portland Magazine has published an interview with Ralph Hersom, the former sommelier at Le Cirque and now Portland resident working for Hannaford managing the wines, beer and spirits products at their supermarkets.

Hannaford shoppers have benefited from the updated and more sophisticated food selections available there in recent years. Is your job to do the same for beverages?
Exactly. I’ve been hired by Hannaford to help improve upon the selection of wine, beer, and spirits they currently carry. I’m fortunate that past [decisions] have established a great foundation for me to build upon. I’ll use my fine-wine, craft beer, and specialty spirits background to bring some excitement to the center-store aisles, helping to elevate it to the next level.

I had the chance to meet Hersom last month at the Piccolo truffle dinner and am looking forward to seeing his selection make an impact on the Hannaford wine shelves.

Under Construction: Izakaya Minato

| Posted in Under Construction

The Golden Dish has posted a report on the Izakaya Minato pop-up dinner that took place earlier this week at Bao Bao.

The cured sardines were beautifully presented: the body of the sardine was fried and towered over the slices of cured fish in a fan of neat slices.  The deeply fried bones were like eating candy.  This was a great dish that I would hope to see often at the forthcoming restaurant.

Food x Art

| Posted in Events

A pair of events are taking place next week that team the restaurant industry and two leading art organizations:

  • 15th Annual Portland Symphony Wine Dinner
    Chefs from Fore Street, Evo, The Honey Paw, Union and the Haraseeket In are collaborating on a 5-course dinner featuring wines from Spain.Call (207) 773-6128 to reserve a seat.
  • Portland Stage Overnight for the Arts
    Featuring a 3-course dinner by Lolita and Maine & Loire, attend a production of  My Name is Asher Lev, special backstage tour, a talk by executive director Anita Stewart and an overnight stay at the Pomegranate Inn. Call (207) 774-0465 for tickets.

2 Perspectives on Minimum Wage Referendum

| Posted in General News

The Press Herald has provided space on their op/ed page for both Five Fifty-Five co-owner, Michelle Corry, and a server at the restaurant, Heather McIntosh, to share their perspectives on the referendum to increase the state’s minimum wage.

The paper also followed up yesterday to interview them others about the opposing views on the issue,

The debate over the tipped minimum wage has restaurant workers and their employers – in some restaurants, anyway – talking about more than plating sauces and table turnover, especially when they are at odds with one another. The initiative would gradually increase the minimum wage paid to tip earners from $3.75 to $5 per hour in 2017, then add a dollar a year until tipped employees make the same minimum wage as other workers. That means by 2024, they would be earning $12 an hour.

Crofter and Artisan Market Launching

| Posted in Events

The Bangor Daily News has posted a report on the weekly Sunday Crofter and Artisan Market set to open April 10th in East Bayside.

Scores of vendors from across Maine are lining up for the chance to peddle their wares in Portland’s emerging neighborhood of brewers, coffee roasters and artists. So far, the interest is statewide.

Goat milk caramels from Copper Tail Farm in Waldoboro, Herbal Revolution’s mineral and fire tonics, Dulse and Rugosa seaweed body care, Shepherds and Such Homestead beeswax and wool craft and Portland’s Liquid Riot Bottling Company are all on board.

Portland Cooking Channel Episode to Air

| Posted in Events

The Portland episode of the new Cooking Channel show Extra Virgin is airing Wednesday night, according a report from the Press Herald.

The series premiered March 2 with an episode about the Grand Canyon. In the Maine episode, titled “The Love Boat in Portland,” Mazar and Corcos take a weekend for themselves and have a romantic dinner aboard a houseboat. The show features seven recipes, including a lobster roll recipe provided by the Portland Lobster Co. and three recipes from The Well at Jordan’s Farm: seared cod with farro, lamb-ricotta meatballs, and wood-grilled pork with roasted new potatoes.

A video crew was in Portland last July recording the sessions that will appear in the show.

This Week’s Events: Izakaya Minato, MRA Gala, Beer Summit, Real Ones, A Maple Celebration, Chocolate Lovers’ Fling

| Posted in Events

2016-03-28_8-25-45Tuesday — Elaine Alden and Thomas Takashi Cooke are holding  a pop-up at Bao Bao for Izakaya Minato, and the Maine Restaurant Association awards banquet is taking place.

Wednesday — there will be an Italian wine tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants.

Friday — the New England Craft Beer Summit is taking place.

Saturday — The Thirsty Pig is hosting a release party for the Real Ones Bissell x Austin collaboration beer, ‘Gasharoo is taking place at Novare Res, and the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Sunday — Chefs Rob Evans, Josh Potocki, Nate Nadeau and Renee Lohrey are collaborating with Oxbow to hold A Maple Celebration, and the 30th annual Chocolate Lovers’ Fling 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.

Sip of Europe Now Open

| Posted in Openings

A new coffee shop opened this morning in the East End. Sip of Europe (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) is located at 229 Congress  Street next to Ramen Suzukiya.

The 9-seat shop is serving drip coffee, espresso-based drinks, tea, hot cocoa, chai, iced drinks, shakes and crepes. The coffee is sourced from Italian roastery Lavazza.

During this first week in operation owner Yulia Aleksandrovna is using a pay what you want pricing model.