Archive

September 30, 2008

Portland Pie Company
Portland Pie Company has come a long way since its early days on India Street. Back in 1997, the purveyors of what would eventually become this…
Invest in a lobsterman
Lobsterman Jim Kuntz’s boat engine recently exploded and he doesn’t have the cash to fix it, but that hasn’t stopped him from…

Henry VIII Carvery
Sometimes you just have to have a good hot sandwich for lunch. Nothing real fancy, no sprouts or spinach or weird cheeses, just meat and bread and…
Bid for a steer ... or a lamb or a pig
According to farmer Wendy Gallagher, “you can’t take the 4-H out of the kid.” And she should know. Gallagher is a past 4-H…
Mexican
Everybody loves a hot spicy burrito for lunch or some garlicky guacamole to eat with their tortilla chips. Mexican cuisine is that intensely…
Paella is your easy-to-make, anytime comfort food
In Maine we know a lot about foods that got their start as poor man’s grub and later won acclaim as delicacies of the caviar and champagne set…
These aren’t your grampy’s burgers
Once upon a time, going out for burgers meant dining on thin slabs of griddle-fried meat on a bun from a package. If you were lucky, you might get…
Have your beer & eat it too
Wine has long been a kitchen staple, adding flavor and nuance to many sauces and stocks. But these days humble beer is edging out wine in many…

Emilitsa
When I’m in a fine dining establishment and I see the words “country” or “rustic” on the menu, I can be fairly certain…
Dollaro’s from the Bucks
Danielle Buck has been working 14 days without a break when I meet up with her. Despite back-to-back 18-hour shifts, she is filled with energy and…

The Beach House Grill
On a recent overnight in Ogunquit, the million dollar question was at what great restaurant would we land for dinner. We debated about the…
From California to ... Monument Square
If you’re like me, when you hear the name Mousse Cafe & Bakeshop, you’re mind flashes to an image of the fluffy dessert. But the…

Tips for the grill
When marinating meat, make sure to place the container in the refrigerator. Always use glass pans rather than metal pans to marinate. Use a meat…
Farm fresh
Daniel Perron doesn’t mind making the 90-minute drive from Sumner Valley Farm to the Portland Farmers’ Market every Wednesday. Despite…
Restaurants & food producers get ink & airtime
>>Buzz According to “The Improper Bostonian,” chef Lydia Shire encountered skunks when she first scoped out the Atlantic House…
Flatbread Company
I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you about the always-packed-line-out-the-door-fabulous-pizza-fiefdom of Flatbread Company. But I can…
Blueberry Sunshine
Here’s a perfect way to give wild Maine blueberries a little summertime zip. 1 organic lemon 3 oz. light rum 2 oz. Maine maple syrup 4…
‘Cue it up
Summer wouldn’t be summer without the carefree ritual of the backyard BBQ. But all too often this involves nothing more than slapping a few…
Soul food
Fried chicken. Country fried steak. Biscuits drenched with gravy. Hot and tasty hushpuppies. All these dishes may add up to a heart attack waiting…
It’s blueberry season; have you made pie yet?
Just say the words “would you like some blueberry pie” and everyone around you will look at you with love in their eyes. Now, you…
For Mom convenience is spelled TOTE
Mom’s awfully busy these days. Between a full-time job, getting the kids to baseball and ballet, walking the dog and keeping the house in some…

Local Flavor: Bernie’s Place
Bernie’s Place hasn’t been around for long, but it seems to be growing a decent following from those who like hearty breakfasts and…
Got lobstah?
Fans of Maine’s signature crustacean will flock to Rockland July 30-Aug. 3 for the 61st Maine Lobster Festival. The seafood feasting begins at…
Wine & seafood lovers get ready
The end of October is what folks in the tourism industry refer to as the shoulder season. Summer’s over, Columbus Day has come and gone and the…

Spice of life
Mamta Punjabi and her family moved to Maine from Massachusetts in 1996, and ever since then she’s been traveling back to the Bay State to pick…

Gadget guru: I scream, you scream, it’s time to make ice cream
The days are officially, and finally, getting hotter. There is obviously something special and quintessentially summer about heading out to the old…
Focus on cuisine: Italian
Italian cuisine is just pizza and spaghetti, right? Wrong! Sure pasta’s got a lot to do with Italian dishes, but only those from the south…
Flexible (& healthy) eating
You may not be a vegan, or even a vegetarian, but chances are, if you’re a follower of current food trends you either have or are following the…
Sip: Pomraztini
With the heat of summer upon us, here’s a fruity drink sure to cool you off. 3 oz. organic pomegranate juice 1 oz. Cold River Vodka 1 oz…
A 'bake — the Maine way
The Clambake. It’s an ultimate Frisbee tournament, it’s an Elvis movie, it’s a New England institution. As a native Mainer, born…

Local Flavor: The Good Table
I had been wanting to try The Good Table Restaurant for a while, but something always foiled my plan, unless it was a Monday, when my eating schedule…
German Flavor
It’s a beer lover’s paradise in Portland these days. Less than a month after Novare Res brought 200+ bottled beers to town, Prost!…

TreeHouse Cafe
Coming from a state that has two nationally-known sandwiches —Phili Cheese Steak and Primanti Bros sandwich (the sandwich that comes with…
Cakes of Art
At two in the afternoon last week, Peggy Kovensky had already been baking for 10 hours. But she still had much more to accomplish before heading home…

Local Flavor: A1 Diner
Everyone always raves about the Forest City dining scene, and as Portlanders my husband and I can attest to being spoiled by the overabundance of…
Looking for good eats?
Maine Grains and Grapes Festival Saturday, June 21, 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm Androscoggin Bank Colisee, 190 Birch St., Lewiston >>This…

Switch Dishes: Gadget Guru
Spring brings to mind freshness and renewal. As soon as the flip-flops come out (and admittedly, we here in Portland tend to jump the gun on this…

Tracking the Trends
Clark Kent and Spiderman had their super powers and so do some of the specialty fruits currently grabbing the attention of healthy foodies. These…
Gadget guru