So many restaurants opening . . . will it ever end?

| Posted in History

In 1977 the Maine Times published an article entitled “Why are so many restaurants opening in Portland and will it ever end?” According to the article,

Ten years ago [1967], Portland was practically without restaurants. The Roma . . . was almost alone in trying to serve food that was not pre-portioned and pre-packaged. Then came the Gaslight on Exchange Street, then the Old Port Tavern and then it seemed to explode.

Author Mark Mogensen asked several restauranteurs about whether a “saturation point” had been reached—quite ironic given the ever growing number of eateries to be found in the city in 2010.
Opinions ranged from “it’s fast approaching” from the owner of the Hollow Reed* to “I think the saturation point has been reached” from Charles McGee, co-owner of the Old Port Tavern.
I wonder what they would say about the Portland restaurant scene of today?
The Maine Times article also includes the earliest reference I’ve ever seen to the “most restaurants per capita” stat.

“Christ there’s a lot of them” [Portland license inspector Ed] Newbegin said. From a survey, Newbegin said he learned that “Portland Maine, per capita, has the highest population of restaurants in the U.S.”

*Reportedly Portland’s first vegetarian restaurant.

This Week's Events

| Posted in Events

Monday — Fans of Arrows in Ogunquit will be holding their breath to see if the restaurant wins the Best Chef Northeast award from the James Beard Foundation.
Tuesday — the new food and drink trivia competition continues at Grace.
Wednesday — The midweek Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square, and Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class.
Friday —the First Friday Art Walk is taking place and restaurants will be very busy so make your reservations early. The West End Deli is holding their monthly wine tasting.
Saturday — the weekend Farmers Market is taking place in Deering Oaks Park, and the Maine Bar-B-Que Showdown is being held.
Sunday — it’s Mother’s Day and brunch locations will be packed with families giving Mom a rest from the 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.

This Week’s Events

| Posted in Events

Monday — Fans of Arrows in Ogunquit will be holding their breath to see if the restaurant wins the Best Chef Northeast award from the James Beard Foundation.

Tuesday — the new food and drink trivia competition continues at Grace.

Wednesday — The midweek Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square, and Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class.

Friday —the First Friday Art Walk is taking place and restaurants will be very busy so make your reservations early. The West End Deli is holding their monthly wine tasting.

Saturday — the weekend Farmers Market is taking place in Deering Oaks Park, and the Maine Bar-B-Que Showdown is being held.

Sunday — it’s Mother’s Day and brunch locations will be packed with families giving Mom a rest from the 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.

Today's Events: Farmers, Beer, Gelato & Wine

| Posted in Events

There are a few additional food events taking place today:

Today’s Events: Farmers, Beer, Gelato & Wine

| Posted in Events

There are a few additional food events taking place today:

Asmara To Go

| Posted in Profiles

Travels with Hilary has published a profile of Asmara and some brief commentary on the take-out food she picked up at the Oak Street Eritrean restaurant.

Asmara (the restaurant) serves its dishes in the traditional way, on injera, a spongy bread made from unleavened teff flour. This bread is used as an eating utensil: You break off bits and use it to grab the main dish, which is usually a tsebhi, a stew of peas, lentil, and red pepper. It’s available vegetarian style or with chicken, beef, or lamb.

Under Construction: The Cookie Jar

| Posted in Under Construction

The Cookie Jar bakery, a well loved fixture on Shore Rd in Cape Elizabeth, is rebuilding the damage from a 2006 storm and, according to an article in today’s Press Herald, plans on opening on Memorial Day weekend.

At the Irving service station next door, Ray Clark and his employees field questions about the bakery every day. “I have heard from all the customers, ‘What’s happening with The Cookie Jar?'” Clark said. “They even come from out of state.”

Donna Piscopo said all of the old favorites will be back when The Cookie Jar reopens, as will the soup and sandwiches she had introduced before the storm. The business will likely open with 12 employees, and have more than 15 once it’s been running for awhile.