The Portland Phoenix has reviewed the prix fixe option at Blue Spoon.
Our salad offered an even more generous helping of mushrooms — in this case an interesting variety from the mushroom-masters at Oyster Creek, where they combine foraging and cultivation. The best was the earthy-sweet hedgehog mushroom, shaped like an ugly fist. The subtle bitter of baby arugula would have worked better with the earthy fungi if the vinaigrette dressing had been a bit less sweet.
Pazzano’s Coffee Shop opened for business last night in Bramhall Square. Hopefully they can bring a little life to that corner that was hit by a fire that knocked out Binga’s Wingas and Al-Mustaqim Halal.
One Longfellow Square in association with Rabelais Books and the Maine Institute of Food and Drink is launching a Food Film series. The movie series will kick off on March 8 with a showing of Big Night and food provided by Paciarino. There will be a new showing the first Sunday of each month with a theme appropriate restaurant partnering with each one. The upcoming schedule consists of:
March 8 – Big Night with food from Paciarino
April 5 – Diner with food from Miss Portland Diner
May 3 – Tampopo with food from Food Factory Miyake
June 7 – Babette’s Feast with food from Evangeline
This week’s edition of The Maine Switch includes an article on the Maine Food and Drink Ambassadors program recently launched by Margo Mallar.
When Margo Mallar volunteered at last fall’s Harvest on the Harbor festival, she realized Maine is filled with enthusiastic food lovers, but few have formal culinary training. So she’s decided to do something about it. The result is a brand new program called the Maine Food and Drink Ambassadors, which kicks off at the beginning of March with a series of classes exploring Maine-made cheeses.
Portland in a Snap has a report on a number of new eateries that are under construction in the Old Port: Bard Coffee Roasters, Luna Rossa, Wasabi, The Corner Room and The Farmer’s Table.
The Portland Bar Guide has reviewed Shay’s.
Being a happy hour hot spot, Shays boasts $5 martinis everyday, all day. Choices include cosmos, Bourbon Lemonade Martini and a questionable choice- the Bleu Martini. That’s right folks, it’s a vodka martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives and the waitress told me people love it. (What is wrong with you people?)
The Boston Globe has reviewed Marcy’s.
Earlier, when Michaelene put a hot triple stack of blueberry buttermilk pancakes in front of my husband, he took a bite, handed me a forkful and announced, “When blueberry pancakes were invented, this is what they had in mind.” My beef stew arrives in a “cup” the size of a big cereal bowl. The stew is rich and meaty. Michaelene insists on grilling my peanut-butter-and-chocolate-chip muffin. More calories? Who cares? Lunch for two is less than $14.
The menu options for the venues participating in RestaurantWeekME are now available online. For most of the restaurants you’ll have a choice of 3 options each for appetizer, main course and dessert. All the restaurants have chosen a price point of $20.09, $30.09 or $40.09 per person. There are also a number of special events scheduled for RestaurantWeekME.
Both Piatto per Tutti and Black Tie Bistro are teaching cooking classes this week on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. The biweekly Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place in Monument Square on Wednesday. Wednesday evening the Portland City Council will debate an ordinance to allow raising domesticated chickens within the city. Also Wednesday night The Great Lost Bear is holding a tasting with Maine Mead Works and Old Port Wine Merchants is co-hosting a Greek wine tasting with Emilitsa. Leavitt & Sons is holding a wine tasting on Thursday. On Sunday, the Blue Spoon is offering a Winter Sunday Supper. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
A number of Portland restaurants are now offering specials, giving diners stressed by the bad economy another reason to keep eating out. Here’s a list of the ones I’ve heard about so far:
And in early March 20+ Portland restaurants are participating in RestaurantWeekME. March 1-10 they’ll all be offering prix fixe menus for $20.09, $30.09 or $40.09.