Bite into Maine, the lobster roll food truck in Fort Williams Park, is one of 144 nominees from across the nation in the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race. You can vote for the nominee of your choice online and the winner will be named September 12. The winning food truck will get $10k and a chance to be on The Great Food Truck Race. The wining voter gets a trip to the NYC Food & Wine Festival.
Eater.com Heatmap of Portland
Eater.com has posted a Heatmap of 12 “newish” Portland restaurants “that have been garnering strong buzz”. The list is based on recommendations gathered from Dawn at Appetite Portland and me.
There’s plenty to get excited about on the list, from establishments helmed by respected chefs (Figa and Petite Jacqueline) to well-priced, authentic ethnic eats (Aroma and Fez), to creative Asian spots (Boda and Pai Men Miyake) to the family-owned, near-perfect Gorgeous Gelato.
Review of the White Cap Grille
Flavor & Zest has published a review of the White Cap Grille.
For a restaurant in Maine, it has the obligatory seafood options (baked Haddock and pan-roasted Salmon) as well as steak dishes, a Chicken confit entrée and a pasta dish. It doesn’t push the bounds of ingredients or try any complex recipes, but holds its own to the various pubs and American-style restaurants in Portland. It has a nice ambiance and versatility, with reasonable prices (lunch for a three with a round of drinks came to around $55) as well as a cocktail menu and bar for a comfortable stop on a night out on the town, although perhaps not the destination.
Zapoteca Cooking Demo on Fox
Chef Shannon Bard was on the Fox morning show last Friday to talk about Zapoteca and demonstrate how she makes the restaurant’s Lobster Ceviche.
This Week’s Events: Local Foods Networking, Slow Food Potluck, RealFood Project
Tuesday — Local Sprouts is hosting a local foods networking breakfast.
Wednesday — Old Port Wine Merchants is holding a wine tastings, Slow Food Portland is organizing a potluck dinner at the Quimby Colony, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.
Thursday — the RealFood Project is teaching a cooking class, the Great Lost Bear is featuring beer from Dogfish Head at this week’s brewery showcase, and the South Portland Farmers Market is taking place in the afternoon.
Friday — the West End Deli is holding a beer tasting.
Saturday — Wine Wise is leading a tasting of emerging red varietals, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market 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.
Lobstering Licenses and the Brentwood Farm
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes articles on how Maine regulates who does and does not get a lobster fishing license,
The central question is whether the rules governing lobster licenses should remain as they are — open to residents under age 18 at little cost, but effectively off-limits to almost everyone else — or whether anyone should be allowed to fish as long as he can afford to buy a license from another fisherman who has one.
and an essay by Elizabeth Tarasevich on the Brentwood Farm community garden in Deering.
Last year, neighbors and several local businesses joined to build a beautiful and bountiful urban garden. It includes plots for 65 families, 20 common share beds, community orchards, herb beds and berry patches for all local residents to enjoy.
Food Republic’s Top 10 List
Food Republic has published their top 10 list of Portland restaurants,
Inevitably when I spot a headline about eating in Portland I click on the link, eager to see which of my favorite restaurants made the cut, only to find that the article is not about Portland, Maine, but rather Portland, Oregon. I’m sure the Oregon Portland is terrific (I’ve never been), but in my book, nothing beats the food scene in New England’s Portland. Let the rivalry begin.
Maine Shrimp Fishery
Both the Press Herald and MPBN has reported on proposed changes to the way the Maine Shrimp fishery is regulated that would limit the number of shrimp licenses issued.
“This fishery still remains open access, however the section has put in a control date which is June 7th, 2011. The purpose of that is that participants before that date may be treated differently than participants that come after that date,” [Michael] Waine says.
While Gulf of Maine shrimp populations are not thought to be directly threatened at the moment, Waine says there is concern that the amount of shrimp being caught over the last two years has exceeded the recommended catch limits.
Food Truck Issue Gets a Boost
Today’s Portland Daily Sun reports that the Creative Portland is “planning to discuss the feasibility of food trucks during its September meeting, potentially paving the way for a broader citywide discussion on the issue.”
“From an economic development point of view, it’s sort of an incubator for young chefs who want to get started. At the same time, it’s a way for existing restaurants to extend their brand,” [Andy] Graham [chair of the Creative Portland board] said. “Think how cool it would be if Fore Street did a food truck, or if Miyake did a food truck.”
For now, food trucks are not allowed under a smattering of overlapping city ordinances. Various city policies enacted over the years further complicate the picture, said Councilor Dave Marshall, a non-voting member who sits on the Creative Portland board.
Review of the Exchange Street Cafe
The Exchange Street Cafe received 3½ stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.
Overall, this little cafe is a really nice addition to the Old Port, where it can be tough to get any kind of decent lunch for $10 or less these days. It’s nice to have a place that serves good food at reasonable prices that isn’t some kind of chain. I’ll be back to try the arancini, the panzerotti and more of those amazing meatballs.
If you haven’t tried this little cafe yet, it’s definitely worth a visit. And you can top off your meal with one of their homemade cannolis.