Malcolm Bedell, co-creator of From Away, will be appearing on NBC’s Today show this morning prepare his Apricot Shellacked Ghost Chile Chicken Wings. His wings along with those of two other cooks will then be judged by Sunny Anderson.
Malcolm’s segment should air sometime between 8 and 9 am.
Update: Malcolm won the competition. Watch the cook-off on Today.com.
Eat Maine has published a review of The Front Room.
I came looking for a comforting meal, and the Front Room delivered. The service adds to the experience, and I leave happy and full. Now I know where to go for French onion soup and other cold weather comfort food. The Front Room provides friendly, genuine service and a warm, hearty meal. Surprisingly, I’m looking forward to a few more winter storms.
Map & Menu has published a review of Sweet Marguerites.
I decided to make a morning out of it by bringing along a couple of magazines to read while sipping my cup of hot chocolate. Having tried the salted caramel last time, I decided to go with the traditional chocolate. Both variations are deliciously creamy & rich enough that you want to slowly savor your cup. I’m honestly not sure of a better pick-me-up for a dreary winter day!
The Golden Dish has published a review of Vignola/Cinque Terre.
What more can I say other than Vignola Cinque Terre remains a superb dining venue in Portland, a tour de force that deserves, without reservation, all the accolades that one can muster.
Maine Today has published a profile of Maine Cocktail Tours.
Slated for its inaugural tour on May 1, Maine Cocktail Tours will lead small groups for thirsty and curious cocktail fans through the streets of Portland. The tour will begin at City Hall, where that Father of Prohibition Neil Dow once kept a stockpile of rum, much to the dismay of local citizens. (Okay, they were probably more than a little dismayed. Rum Riot, anyone?)
The Blueberry Files has made a plea for all Portland restaurants to use Maine maple syrup.
But for those that don’t, shame on you. (That’s right, shame!) In Maine, Maine maple syrup should be the default syrup served with pancakes and waffles. We’re a tourist-driven city, and if we don’t show off our state’s products, then how are we to expect visitors to be interested in them?
The 10 eateries looked up most often in January on Portland Food Map were:
The numbers in parentheses indicates their rank last month.
This week’s Portland Phoenix has published a pair of articles about pork, both by Laura McCandlish:
The nomination process for the Phoenix Readership Survey is still ongoing. Go to make your recommendations for the top restaurants, bakeries, bartenders, food blogs, etc.
Working Waterfront has published an article about the short Maine Shrimp season.
The move to cut the shrimping season wasn’t a surprise. The previous shrimping season was cut short after just a few weeks, and summer surveys showed that the Northern shrimp population is in trouble. The survey found that shrimp were small in size in general and that two year-classes were absent, said Michael Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator with the commission. The results were surprising, even for a fishery known for boom and bust cycles.
“We’ve had similar situations, but we haven’t had two absent year-classes in a row,” Waine said.
The Press Herald has published a bar review of Mama’s Crow Bar,
The bar itself only serves beer — American craft beer, to be exact. There are six brews on tap and a slew of bottles available.
and a review of Vespucci’s.
While the market itself is shabby in its appearance, I would rate the counter food as above average to excellent.
Eater Maine and Maine a la Carte posted reports today about two Damian Sansonetti projects:
The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an article about two local food authors and their books.
In “The MILF Diet,” former full-time Portlander and current summer resident Jessica Porter presents a beautiful cookbook that shows women how to use the techniques of macrobiotic cooking to bring their bodies and lives back into balance.
In “Food Fix,” Falmouth resident Susan Lebel Young provides an accessible self-help guide based on personal experience and the principles of mindfulness to lead readers out of the junk food abyss and into a real food oasis.