Pans & Predictions from the Press Herald

| Posted in General News

Meredith Goad and crew shares their “list of what we liked, what we didn’t like [from 2013] and what we think is in store for 2014″.

There’s a lot of these lists floating around, so I thought I’d put a little twist on it and focus on Maine food trends we hate, trends we love, and trends we just expect to show up at our door one day unannounced, whether we want them or not, sort of like “60 Minutes.”

These lists are a group effort. I asked several people I know on staff who love food and/or dine out a lot to send me their wishes and gripes. Thanks to my colleagues Susan Axelrod, Mary Pols and Jack Milton for their contributions.

Personally I’m hoping they’re wrong and that donuts and small plate dining are with us as trends for a long time to come. Likewise I can easily agree with their desire for more OpenTable, pickled vegetables, wheat berries and Mediterranean food.

Completing Novare’s Chalice List

| Posted in Beer

Active Beer Geek has published an article about his conquest of the Uprising, the Novare Res 230 beer mug club list.

It’s a genius system of privilege that Eric, owner of Novare Res, has concocted. Your mission – if you choose to accept it – is to finish a 3-row, double sided, multi-styled beer list of 230 brews. The reward? A ginormous pimp cup, known as a chalice, that allows you 25% more beer for every pour in that vessel in your lifetime. Also, on the day of your chalice acquisition you drink for free. It’s like a right of passage or ritual of manhood for beer geeks. But wait, there’s more…

Pricey and Scarce: Restaurant Real Estate

| Posted in Under Construction

forleaseMeredith Goad has written a feature article for today’s Press Herald about how the scarcity and high cost of restaurant spaces in Portland is impacting young chefs who are seeking to open a restaurant.

The city’s food reputation was built on the backs of young, independent chefs opening their own places where they could serve local, seasonal foods and let creativity and originality reign. But as space shrinks and rents rise, some chefs are worried that soon the only people able to open a restaurant in the Old Port and its outskirts will be big names with much deeper pockets than a 28-year-old just out of culinary school.

This Week’s Events: New Year’s Eve List, First Friday, Wine Tastings, Winter Market

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — New Year’s Eve

  • Artemisia Cafe, will be open serving their standard menu.
  • Back Bay Grill, 4-course dinner for $96 per person
  • BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe, 3-course dinner, $50 per person
  • Boone’s is throwing a party with a band, cocktail luges, ice sculptures and balloon drop. 5-course prixe fixe dinner is $85 per person with optional pairings available. More info.
  • David’s Opus Ten, 9-course dinner with wine pairings is $150 per person.
  • East Ender, 4-course dinner for $65 per person.
  • El Rayo, 4-course dinner for $38 per person.
  • Empire Chinese Kitchen, serving the standard menu.
  • Eventide, will be throwing a party, a $25 ticket will get you “$1 oysters and a steady supply of your favorite menu items for snacking (lobster rolls and oyster buns included)”
  • Five Fifty-Five, 5-course dinner in the restaurant for $100 per person
  • Gather, serving a special NYE’s menu
  • Gingko Blue will be open serving their new New Orleans-inspired menu.
  • Grace will be serving their regular dinner menu. A cover charge of $10 (which funds the Good Shepherd Food Bank) will get you into the late night party which comes with complementary champagne toast at midnight.
  • Hugo’s, 5-course dinner, $120 with optional wine pairings for $75
  • Hunt & Alpine Club, will be serving “special food and cocktail menus. Included will be options for multiple punches, bottled cocktails and Champagne”. They’ll be taking reservation up to 10pm and staying open until 2am.
  • Miyake, will be serving a special 5-course omakase in addition to their usual menu
  • MJ’s Wine Bar “will be offering ten different sparkling wines by the glass this year. All at either $5 or $10 a glass”.
  • Oscar’s New American, 4-course dinner for $75 per person with optional wine pairings for $45
  • Outliers Eatery, 7-course dinner
  • Pai Men Miyake will be “tapping a couple of special kegs and have an extensive specials selection in addition to the regular menu”
  • Petite Jacqueline, 3-course dinner for $65 per person, there are also optional wine and champagne pairings
  • Piccolo, 5-course dinner with a glass of sparkling wine, $85 per person
  • Roost House of Juice, 3-course raw organic dinner, $30 per person, optional juice and wine pairings are $12
  • Schulte & Herr, will be open 5-9pm
  • Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea, 4-course menu, $85 per person with optional wine pairing for $30
  • Spread, will be open, details still TBD
  • The Frog & Turtle, 2 seatings (4:30-7:30, 8-12:30) at $40 and $65 per person
  • The Good Table, will be serving a special New Year’s Eve menu
  • The Salt Exchange, 4-course dinner, $65 per person
  • Vignola will be serving a speecial NYE menu, $55 per person
  • Vinland, 5-course tasting menu with a wild fermented sparkling wine for $75, optional wine pairing are available for $25. Email info@vinland.me for reservations.
  • Walter’s will be open serving their regular menu.
  • Zackery’s, room and dinner package starting at $119 plus tax
  • Zapoteca, 5-course preview of dinner the chef will serve at the James Beard House, $50 per person with optional wine/tequila pairings for $25.

Friday — it’s First Friday Art Walk and the restaurants will be busy so be sure to make reservations in advance.

Saturday — Browne Trading and LeRoux Kitchen are holding wine tastings, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermenntory on Anderson Street.

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.

Review of the Cafe at Pat’s

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed the Cafe at Pat’s.

Instead, a dish called Greek island chicken ($19) seemed interesting. The chicken breast was adorned with wild mushrooms, spinach, basil and goat cheese. The quality of the chicken was excellent, and the dish might have been one prepared by a home cook trying out a magazine recipe. It wasn’t extraordinary by any means, just tasty and simple. And perhaps that’s what The Cafe is all about, serving satisfactorily prepared food without fuss or flourishes in a relaxed neighborhood setting.

Maine Craft Brewing & Annual Food Calendar

| Posted in Under Construction, Events, Beer

The new issue of Portland Magazine reports on the growth of Maine’s beer industry that features 3 new breweries: Bissell Brothers, Foundation Brewing and Banded Horn.

Also in the new issue is the magazine’s annual Maine food calendar. The article includes an interview with chef Cara Stadler about the new dumpling restaurant she has under development on Spring Street in the building that’s been the longtime home of the West End Deli.

And what becomes of West End Deli and its tasty takeout sandwiches? “Look for us to open in the former Gleason Fine Art Gallery at 545 Congress by the end of January,” says owner Nancy Arnold. “It’s a great spot. We’ll have more room for specialty foods–cheese, meats, pastries.”

Vinland Now Open (Updated)

| Posted in Openings

vinland_opening

Vinland (website, facebook, twitter)opened tonight. The restaurant is located at 593 Congress St, adjacent to Congress Square Park.

For Friday and Saturday dinner chef/owner David Levi is serving a “$40 three course menu, your choice of starter, main, and dessert” with a full bar. For reservation email info@vinland.me.

Update: See this article from the Huffington Post for more info on Vinland.