The Portland City Council is scheduled to meet Wendnesday night. Urban chickens are on the agenda (link is to a large PDF) as is a liquor license for Pearl, a bar that’s proposed for the former location of Onyx, revisiting the vote on the Cactus Club, as well as liquor licenses for The Farmer’s Table and Typerwriter Tavern. Paperwork submitted to the city confirms that Jeff Landry is behind The Farmer’s Table and includes a draft menu (see page 120 of the agenda).
Chickens and Waterfront Zoning
This week’s issue of The Forecaster has a couple food-related articles. There’s a report on the proposal before the City Council to allow raising domesticated chickens in the city,
Residents like Elaine McGillicuddy are excited about the prospect. McGillicuddy said she heard about the proposal and immediately began educating herself about chickens and sending e-mails to friends encouraging them to support the urban chicken movement.
and news on the struggle over the appropriate use of waterfront property along Commercial Street,
The owner of the Comedy Connection and Porthole restaurant wants to reopen the former Boone’s Restaurant space on Custom House Wharf, but is meeting resistance from the city in a new challenge to waterfront zoning rules.
Turf’s Sports Bar Review
The Portland Bar Guide formerly known as 1:00 a.m. Curfew and before that know as John Everett’s Bar Guide has reviewed Turf’s Sports Bar. The reviews conclusion was that Turf’s is “Nothing special. Just the average, bland, Warren Avenue sports bar.”
What is good about the place? It’s huge. If you have a very large party and looking to get everyone seated for food and drinks, Turf’s can accommodate you. If you’re stuck with a kid and want to have a few drinks, you can ditch the baby at Joker’s and kick back with a tall one on the other side of the building.
They must be doing something right because they’re still in business while many others are folding.
Bogey’s Review
The Bogey’s Bar and Grill received 3½ stars from this week’s Eat & Run column in today’s Press Herald.
Our chili connoisseur (who’s eaten this classic in at least a dozen Old Port eateries) gives the Bogey’s version ($4.95) five out of five stars.
The green peppers, meat and beans were fresh, spicy and satisfying. She cleaned the bowl.
A Call to Raise
Tracy Allen from the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Maine has called for raising the minimum wage for tipped workers in a guest editorial that appeared in today’s Press Herald.
Despite the fact that they make up such a huge portion of the workforce, many restaurant workers are paid the tipped minimum wage, which is less than the overall minimum wage.
Federally, that means tipped workers are paid just $2.13 per hour plus tips.
The tipped minimum wage has been frozen at just $2.13 per hour since 1991 — that’s 18 years! With the passing of each year, tipped workers effectively earn less and less, and many struggle to make ends meet.
La Bodega Latina
The Portland Phoenix tries to decode culinary secret behind the bollos de yuca from La Bodega Latina.
Now that I know this thing is basically a meat-filled doughnut, I get why that Saturday my five-year-old daughter gobbled up nearly the whole thing before I intercepted the last bite. The crispy, golden outside gives way to a soft, steamy layer of deliciousness (a little bit more chewy than fried potato) and inside, magically seasoned ground beef.
The article’s author, Lindsay Sterling, has launched her own blog, Inside Immigrant Kitchens, where you can find some additional photos and a recipe for bollos de yuca.
Alcohol Sting Operation
According to a report in today’s Portland Daily Sun, several local business were caught up in a sting operation for selling alcohol to underage customers.
Lt. Michael Sauschuck said three summons were issued Jan. 23 and six more were issued on Jan. 24 during a compliance check that used a civilian decoy “between the ages of 18 and 20” who attempted to purchase alcohol without identification. Sauschuck said the 31 locations chosen for the sting were randomly-generated and part of an “ongoing operation” by the department to curb sales to minors.
Colucci’s, Vespucci’s and La Bodega Latina were among those “cited by Portland Police for underage alcohol sales”.
The Farmer's Table
Portland Psst! is reporting that a new restaurant called The Farmer’s Table is slated for 205 Commercial Street at the old Mims location.
Fore Street
Travels with Hilary has reviewed the bar food at Fore Street.
It’s easy to make a meal out of the apps here, especially if starting with the wood oven roasted wild Maine mussels. Oh my! These are a must. A hefty bowl of plump mussels hailing Gurnet Strait, Brunswick, served in a rich garlic almond butter, accompanied by crusty bread and a soup spoon. I savored, I dunked and dredged, I slurped (quietly, very quietly). If it had been socially acceptable, I would have licked the bowl.
Emilitsa
Maine Home + Design has published a profile of Emilitsa and the pair of brother, John and Denos Regas, that run it.
Emilitsa is their affectionate diminutive for Emily Regas, their mother. “When we opened, we finally realized what a gift our parents gave us,” says Denos of their childhood. “We wanted to recreate the kind of food we grew up with.” Which means, of course, using the finest ingredients and importing as much as possible directly from Greece. “We’re first generation,” explains John. “Our recipes are true to traditional Greek cooking; they haven’t been adulterated.”