Urban Chickens 2011

| Posted in Farming

Today’s Portland Daily Sun reports on a proposed modification to the city ordinance on keeping chickens that would reduce the setback and property line buffer requirements.

Marshall said the initial ordinance that passed in 2009 was amended to include more restrictive setbacks. But now that the program has proven to be noncontroversial, he said it was time to revisit those regulations.

“From what I have been able to find, there have not been many issues” involving chickens, he said yesterday in a phone interview. “I feel as though it’s appropriate now to move forward and allow people who live in more densely-populated areas” to have chickens.

Review of Tu Casa

| Posted in Reviews

Maine magazine has posted a review of Tu Casa.

The “Mountaineer’s Plate,” consisting of a grilled rib eye, fried egg, avocado, beans, rice, and a fried plantain, is quite possibly one of the most satisfying meals I have ever encountered in the city. Though the rib eye is always cooked well done, it is intensely flavorful and salty, and when combined with the sweet plantain, creamy avocado, and over-hard egg, it makes for a perfect bite of food.

This Week’s Events: Jewish Food Festival, Slow Food $5 Challenge, Zwanze, Harvest Dinner, Trail to Ale

| Posted in Events

Wednesday — both Old Port Wine Merchants and RSVP are holding wine tastings, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Congregation Bet Ha’am in South Portland is hosting a Jewish Food Festival and Cook-Off, the Great Lost Bear is featuring beer from Cottrell Brewing at this week’s brewery showcase, and the South Portland Farmers Market is taking place in the afternoon.

Friday — West End Deli is holding a beer tasting.

Saturday —Slow Food is hosting a $5 Challenge, participants will all contribute $5, go on a shopping trip lead by chef Jonah Fertig from Local Sprouts and collaborate on cooking a meal together at the Quimby Colony kitchen. Novare Res will be tapping a keg of Cantillon Zwanze, one of only 21 kegs of this beer available worldwide. There will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — Cinque Terre is holding the 7th Annual Harvest Dinner at their farm in Greene, Maine. The 12th Annual Trail to Ale is taking place and Wine Wise is hosting a wine tasting aboard the Casablanca.

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.

Bam Bam Grand

| Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized

The Spiced Plate has posted a report and tasting notes from Saturday’s grand opening of the Bam Bam Bakery, a gluten-free bakery on Commercial Street.

Andrew and I split a chocolate chip cookie while thinking about what we were going to fill a pastry box with.  Let’s start with the most decadent: Caramel Delight Bars.  These blissfully large bars have a  chocolate shortbread base doused in caramel, topped with a generous combination of nuts, dried cherries and Maine sea salt.  Sea salt and caramel are so lovely together as a contrast of flavors, and the texture on this bar makes every bite one to savor and linger over.  It completely blew any pastry I’ve had in my gluten-eating days out of the water.

First Review of Taco Escobarr

| Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized

PJB Photographic has published a review of Taco Escobarr.

The “puffy” option was my favorite. Unexpected, decadent yet manageable, the puffy, deep-fried taco shell was mouth-watering (currently writing this at 11:45 pm and having to resist driving back into town for another round) and amazing. I took mine with braised pork, and the default toppings of tomato, lettuce, and cilantro.

Food Trucks on the Agenda

| Posted in General News

Food Trucks were on the agenda at yesterday’s meeting of the Creative Portland Corporation and made it on to the front page of today’s Press Herald.

The organization’s directors unanimously endorsed food trucks at their monthly meeting, and will propose an ordinance to the City Council’s Health and Recreation Committee later this year. If the committee endorses the ordinance, it will go to the City Council.

“It seems odd that we would make rules that limit people’s choices,” said Andy Graham, president of Creative Portland. “We just need to come up with policy suggestions that balance everyone’s interests.”

I was at the meeting, as were Andre Polhill and Helen Andreoli who are interested in starting a “food truck in the city with barbecue and Southern comfort food”.