Pocket Brunch: Kings & Commoners

| Posted in Events, Pocket Brunch

The lucky few who managed to snag  ticket (they sold out in less than 2 hours) for the December edition of Pocket Brunch assembled this afternoon for a Games of Thrones-themed meal prepared by Josh Potocki, Joel Beauchamp and guest chefs Joe Ricchio and Nolan Stewart.

  • Soup – Dothraki Wedding Stew with a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
  • Salad – Dove and Parsnip Pie with Oxbow Saison Noel Ale
  • Egg – Roast Quail and Quail Eggs with R. Nicoll Dry Mead
  • Meat – Boar Leg  and Belly with Bunker Scotch Ale
  • Dessert – Fig Tart with mulled wine

pb5_oxbow

Premeal eats were accompanied by coffee from Tandem Coffee Roasters and drinks by Nanl Meiklejohn.

For more photos from Kings & Commoners visit Zwickerhill Photography.

Wild Mushroom Foraging Law

| Posted in Farming

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published an update on the Maine mushroom foraging law.

But eight months later, the law still has not been implemented. The program to certify wild mushroom foragers and brokers has not been put in place. An advisory board established by the law has yet to be formed.

Meanwhile, wild mushrooms are still being peddled to restaurants and retailers — unchecked and unsupervised.

David Levi in Food & Wine

| Posted in General News

Chef David Levi was mentioned in the 2013 food trends article in the new issue of Food & Wine.

Sea Foraging
In their quest for wild sea ingredients, chefs are sourcing more than just seafood from the ocean—for instance, Portland Maine’s David Levi cooks with sea buckthorn while Joshua Skenes at Saison in San Francisco uses seaweed to bundle fish fillets.

Earlier this year Levi, along with Gather chef Chad Conley, were hosting. Levi’s now seeking a location for a new restaurant he’s calling Vinland.

Under Construction: In’finiti Fermentation & Distillation

| Posted in Under Construction

In’finiti Fermentation and Distillation is the official name for Novare Res’ restaurant, brewery, distillery and retail shop that’s been under development for several months at 250 Commercial Street.

According to materials provided to the city with their liquor license application, they plan on serving lunch and dinner 7 days a week. The onsite brewery and distillery are primarily for on-premise consumption with some sales through their retail shop.

Based on floor plan (see below) it looks like there are plans for outdoor deck seating on the back side of the building. A draft food menu for In’finiti is online (page 57).

 

Vino Portland

| Posted in Wine

Near the end of Natalie Ladd’s column in today’s Portland Daily Sun are details on a new wine education and travel program called Vino Portland.

The Down Low: Speaking of wine, be on the lookout for Vino Portland, the brain child of Kevin Profenna-Hutchins…[the] project will be based out of the Merry Table on Wharf Street and will combine education, tastings, pairings, and, of course, travel. The website will be up soon with a detailed calendar of events, but in the meantime, contact Kevin at 400-0030 for more information or to purchase a holiday gift certificate for that special swirlier in your life.

According to the article, Profenna-Hutchins also operates Tennis Italia.

Steve and Renee’s Diner

| Posted in People, Profiles

The Portland Daily Sun has published a profile of Steve and Renee’s Diner.

Renee was having trouble getting into the interview because she saw that my breakfast was getting cold. We had to take a break so I could finish eating, then things were fine. She cared. Just couldn’t get away from it.

Therein lies the tale. At Steve & Renee’s Diner it’s all about people. Has been for the twenty-nine years they’ve been in business. “Just don’t call us a restaurant,” she said, “there’s restaurants all over the place. We’re a diner, like the ones that used to exist in Portland. When people come in here they’re family.”

Under Construction: Little Tap House

| Posted in Under Construction

A new eatery and bar called the Little Tap House is under construction at 106 High Street in the space recently vacated by Plush West End. The owners are billing it as “a boutique craftbeer gastro-pub with local farm to table dining”. A draft menu is available online (page 70).

Lee Goyette is the owner/general manager of the Little Tap House, and Andrew Kadish will be serving as the executive chef. According to information from a regular PFM reader, Goyette and Kadish were both formerly at J.P. Thorntons in South Portland.

4th Annual Obscure Holiday Cocktail Tasting

| Posted in Events

Edible Obsessions, The Blueberry Files and Vrai-lean-uh (source of excerpt shown below) have all written up reports from last Friday’s Obscure Holiday Cocktail Tasting. The tasting is an annual event among some of the food bloggers in Portland.

This year somehow the holiday celebrated ended up being Pearl Harbor Day rather than Christmas. The evening involved a discussion of five-star WWII generals and Emperor Hirohito. And yet it was still festive! A good cocktail-and-cheese duo elevates any holiday.

The drinks this year were also all really good.* They weren’t particularly “obscure holiday cocktails” so much as cocktails that one could drink on a holiday that are maybe unfamiliar or new. I think the lesson might be that most obscure holiday cocktails are obscure for a reason.

My contribution was a drink I’m calling the Cider House Rules:

3 oz   Northern Spy Barrel Aged Eden Ice Cider

1 oz   Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel

1/2 oz   Kyoto Ice Extracted Tower Shot from Speckled Axe

2 dashes Walnut Bitters

Served with an orange twist