November 26, 2019

Cocktail Mary, Anoche, and A&C Grocery at Night

I went out last Friday night to visit several new Washington Avenue businesses. A friend who moved away in August was visiting for the holiday and since we both used to live on Munjoy Hill, we wanted to see what's new in the old neighborhood. On our agenda: drinks at Cocktail Mary, a new cocktail bar on Congress Street, drinks at Anoche, a cider and tapas bar, and dinner at A&C Grocery, a former market turned diner. 

The first stop, Cocktail Mary, was a huge success. This space used to be Ramen Suzukiya and has been transformed by former Izakaya Minato bartender Isaac MacDougal with a hand-painted mural, pastel colors and a bar running the length of the space. Despite there not being any soft materials in the decor, it never got too loud in here.



The menu is short and sweet: 7 specialty cocktails, sodas, beer, and wine. We enjoyed the Marty Washington with Hardshore gin, grapefruit kombucha, Aperol, maple, and Luxardo ($14), while G. had The Orchard Rye with Jim Beam rye, Melletti, Fernet Michaud, and fresh apple juice. 

A. showed up after a while and enjoyed the tropical Scurvy Snack, made with rum, caraway, pineapple gum syrup, and lime ($10). We snacked on some delightfully over seasoned ranch-flavored oyster crackers, which is the only food available. 


Next up: Anoche. This cider and tapas bar is from Erika Colby, former bar manager of Novare Res. She has completely transformed the former Coffee By Design space, with dark walls, natural wood, and lots of houseplants (this picture came out kind of crazy, but I think it channels the vibe well!).


There's an extensive cider menu, but I'd been hearing about the gin and tonics, served in giant goblet-esque wine glasses, so I went with one of those. We intended to try out the some of the tapas menu, but were approaching closing time at A&C Grocery, and I was a little afraid of what Joe would do to us if we rolled in at 8:50pm.


So I'll be back to try out Anoche's tapas menu—the whole leg of jamon iberico was calling my name. 

Down the block we went to A&C Grocery, at the corner of Washington Ave. and Walnut St. Owners Joe Fournier and Ben Slattery have just started serving a French brasserie dinner menu from 6 to 9pm. The menu is small and they were out of an item, so we were able to order nearly everything: French onion soup, a frisee and 7-minute duck egg salad, and steak frites. The mussels and frites were out for the evening and we skipped the duck wings and sausage served with beans. 


Everything we had was so good—the French onion soup sweet and salty, the frisee salad mustardy and rich, and the steak and frites both perfectly cooked. I would repeat this meal in a second. 



We had a great time bar/diner crawling down Washington Ave. and judging from friends' Instagram stories, we weren't the only ones spending a Friday night checking out the new businesses that have opened in Portland's East End. Inner Washington Ave. is quickly becoming (has become?) a better place to spend a weeknight evening than the Old Port. 

October 25, 2019

First Look at CBG


CBG, the revamped Congress Bar and Grill, opens today. The longtime Portland favorite closed this summer and was purchased by Jason Loring and Mike Fraser, who have also worked together to reopen Bramall and Roma, two other Portland institutions. 

The new space has a similar feel to the former bar, with wood paneling replacing the red walls. The signature red and yellow checked linoleum remains, but has been buffed up. Retro beer signs, modern lighting, and taxidermy dot the walls, and a large portrait of the characters from The Big Lebowski looms over the dining room from the rear wall. 


Most of the booths are gone, replaced with tables, and the wall that seperated the bar from the dining room has also been removed, in its place a wide high-top table that has bar stools at both sides. 

The drink menu is similar to Bramhall's, with signature cocktails that skew towards quirky. I had the 5 Hours West of Los Angeles, with rum, applejack brandy, dry curaçao, fernet branca, pineapple, and lemon. A. tried The UFO with rum, coconut cordial, cucumber, lime, pineapple, and sesame oil. 


The food menu ranges from pubby—wings, smash-burgers, and baked mac and cheese—to global: tempeh larb salad, falafel and feta plate (perhaps a nod to Congress Bar and Grill's hummus plate), and ramen. The bar also introduces an upstate New York classic, the garbage plate, to Maine with a hearty serving of French fries and American chop suey topped with a fried egg, hot sauce, onions, and spicy aioli. 

We enjoyed wings ($12 for 6), riblets ($14 for a small order), Caesar salad ($12), steak frites ($17 for a small), and the chicken noodle paitan ($14). The crispy French fries that accompany the steak are made in-house, and I'm still regretting sending the leftover paitan with my husband for his lunch (I was feeling generous!). 




CBG will undoubtedly fill the same needs Congress Bar and Grill did—a meal before a show at the nearby State Theater, a happy hour spot, a late night nightcap, a casual date night. Open 11am to 1am every day, there's no excuse for you not to stop into the new CBG and check out the changes for yourself.

October 2, 2019

BBF Preserves: Tomato Jam and Garlic Pear Preserves

It's the best season (in Maine) for food preservation: when summer meets fall. Late September has the best crossover between our favorite late summer foods and those early fall stars. With this extended warm streak we've been having in Maine, it's still not too late to preserve some summer foods (namely tomatoes), and this tomato jam is a really easy, quick project to throw together. 


For experienced tomato preservers, I'll say one thing to convince you to make this recipe: it doesn't involve peeling tomatoes. Those of you who know what a b*tch that step is will be sold. 

My mom sent me this recipe via her cousin, and I had to check it against a reliable canning source to make sure it was properly acidified and heat processed before I said I'd can some for her. I found the recipe nearly verbatim on Food in Jars (tomato jam), where it's apparently one of Marisa's most popular recipes. 


The jam is much sweeter than ketchup and can be used on turkey burgers, sandwiches, meatloaf, cheese boards, with roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes or served with black eyed or crowder peas (that recommendation comes from the cousin in Georgia).

Tomato Jam
Adapted from Food in Jars

5 lbs. tomatoes, finely chopped (do not peel)
3-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup bottled lime juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon red chili flakes

Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, simmer the jam until it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 and 1-1/2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat.

When jam has thickened, remove from heat and ladle hot jam into hot 4-ounce jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace. Wipe rims with a clean, damp paper towel. Apply two-piece canning lids and adjust screw bands until fingertip tight. Process in boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude.

Remove from water bath and allow to cool. Check for seals, and then store jars in cool, dark place for up to one year.

Yield: 12-16 4 oz. jars


The second seasonal recipe I recently made is a roasted pear and garlic preserve. Sounds strange, is absolutely delicious. The garlic is sweetened by roasting and its savoriness offset by the roasted pears and sugar.

Of course, the primary way to eat it is alongside some sharp cheddar cheese or soft goat cheese, but it's also good on toast, according to my mother-in-law.

Roasted Pear and Garlic Preserves
Adapted from the The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving

1 garlic bulb
4 pounds ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar (5% acidity)
4 tablespoons Ball Classic Pectin
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400*F. Cut off pointy end of garlic cloves, and wrap garlic in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil and surround with pear pieces. Bake for 25 minutes.

Turn pear wedges over and sprinkle with 1/4-cup of sugar. Bake for 15 more minutes (or until soft) and remove from oven. Place garlic back in oven, directly on rack, and bake for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, place pear pieces in a large non-reactive pot and add water. When garlic is done, remove cloves from peel and add to pear-water mixture. Mash with a potato masher until coarsely chopped. Stir in vinegar, pectin, thyme, salt and pepper, and remaining 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims with a clean, damp paper towel. Apply two-piece canning lids and adjust screw bands until fingertip tight. Place in a boiling water bath canner and boil for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.

Remove from water bath and allow to cool. Check for seals and then store jars in cool, dark place for up to one year.

Yield: 4 8-ounce jars

Please see USDA and National Center for Home Food Preservation for more resources on proper canning procedures.

July 31, 2019

Updates in Portland's East Bayside Neighborhood



In the last 7 or so years, the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland, Maine has developed into a home for drink-related businesses, many of them fermented. Once filled with electric supply companies and other manufacturing businesses, this neighborhood now is home to a high concentration of breweries, distilleries, wineries, and even a kombuchery. 

The transformation began with the first new wave of businesses in 2010, when Urban Farm Fermentory, cider, kombucha, mead, and beer brewer, moved into a former warehouse on Anderson Street. Then Rising Tide Brewing and Tandem Coffee's café and roasting facility opened in 2012. In the subsequent years, other breweries and food manufacturers moved in, including Coffee By Design and Baharat, creating the hub we have today. 


I spent an afternoon touring the weedy streets of East Bayside, dodging a few groups of Millennials moving between breweries and wineries in the area. The patios of Rising Tide Brewing and Austin Street Brewery had yet to fill for the day, but I did take note of the degree to which the Rising Tide patio has expanded—when I used to frequent the brewery, it was a small area roped off area with a few barrels to rest your drink on, now the patio easily seats 100.



Down the street, another brewery cluster has formed, with Lone Pine Brewing, Goodfire Brewing, Blue Lobster Wine, and Eighteen Twenty Wines. Since launching, Lone Pine Brewing has moved its brewing operation to the former Sebago brewery in Gorham, but maintains its original location as a tasting room.


Over on neighboring Cove Street, Dean's Sweets opened a second location, with a retail shop and more space for making chocolate bars and sauces. The shop was most recently studios for artists and shares space with two interior design firms. It has a big warehouse-y feel, but has been smartly decorated up front to welcome customers.



Down the street is East Bayside's newest brewery, Brewery Extrava, brewing Belgian beers. The space was previously a metal fabrication shop and has been extensively renovated. Now it's a bright tasting room with big windows and plenty of seating.




Lastly, Three of Strong, a rum distillery, opened on Diamond Street. The space has high ceilings, smart branding, and serves cocktails and a fair amount of food for a distillery (think hummus plates, tacos, and Cuban sandwiches). 


Currently the distillery is offering two rums, a 5- and a 12-year, with the third, a silver rum, to come online soon. The aged rum is purchased from a distillery in Columbia, and the silver rum is made in-house.

The cocktail menu includes classics like the painkiller, rum punch, and daiquiris, but also unique ones like Take Two in the Morning made with cold brew, saffron, and quinine. The new distillery's grand opening is next weekend, August 16-18, so stop in and see what you think of all the new changes in East Bayside.


May 28, 2019

Grass-Fed Beef from Maine

Grilling season has finally arrived in Maine, and as you reach for your animal protein of choice this summer, I ask you to consider its origins. I know, I know, as a culture, we've gone out of our way to divorce the tasty final product from its squeamish, heartrending origins. But uncomfortable as it may be, I'd argue meat eaters are morally bound to make the best choices they can for themselves, the animals we raise for meat, and the environment. 

It's always been important to me to eat ethically and locally-raised meat, but often in an abstract way, one that waned in the face of the steep price tag on local meats. But the issue was driven home for me last year when I researched grass-fed beef for a food policy grad school class. I learned about the growing demand for grass-fed beef as people become more aware of the negative environmental and health impacts of large-scale animal agriculture and the popularity of meat-forward diets like keto and Whole30 (read my experience on the Whole30 diet). 


From growing antibiotic resistance to increasing greenhouse gas, not to mention the ethical pitfalls of raising animals on such a large scale, the issues concerning industrial livestock production are numerous. Hence the growing interest in beef that has been raised in a way that is good to the animals, the environment, and for the people that will eventually eat it. 

As I wrote my paper, I learned how important it is to support these small farmers that raise cows in small herds and feed them only grass or hay. This type of animal husbandry is the antidote to large industrial agriculture, but the downside is that it's more expensive. In supporting these farmers, you can ensure they stay in business and have a market for their products. The larger the market, the more producers, and the more producers, the lower the price for customers (that's the theory at least). 


After researching the issue, I thought I should make good on my new knowledge by buying some grass-fed directly from a Maine farmer. And many of them make it easy to do so, with products available through mail-order and delivery to Portland. 

I began by getting on Cold Spring Ranch's mailing list. Farmer Gabe Clark of Cold Spring Ranch in New Portland (about 2 hours north of Portland in Somerset County) sells boxes of his frozen grass-fed beef and delivers orders to Portland about once a month. A box contains 25 pounds of steaks, roasts, and ground beef and costs $175. This averages out to $7 a pound for grass-fed filet mignons, porterhouse steaks, and ground beef, which is an incredible deal. 


After I'd gone through almost two boxes of Cold Spring Ranch beef, farmer Dan Kaplan of Heartstone Farm in Charleston, Maine (just over two hours north east of Portland in Penobscot County) emailed to ask if I wanted to try his grass-fed beef. So many thanks for Farmer Dan for sending a generously packed box of ground beef, rib eye, porterhouse, and filet mignon steaks. 



Now that it's finally warmer weather, we've been enjoying these tender, flavorful steaks and burgers on the grill. Before it warmed up, I made bolognese and a short rib ragu that was amazing over some store-bought gnocchi. Farmer Dan's online store makes it easy to buy, with discounts for ordering in bulk, free shipping for larger orders, and even a cow share (a quarter, half or whole side of beef) if you're really looking to fill the freezer.

I absolutely love eating beef, and knowing that it's raised humanely and supports Maine farmers makes it taste all the better. Whether you prefer to buy in bulk from a farm like Cold Spring Ranch or customize your order with Heartstone Farm's online store, buying grass-fed beef direct from farmers has never been easier. 


May 1, 2019

Real Retro Diners

Back to basics with four original New England dining cars


The diner has become the quintessential American restaurant, where simple, affordable food is served up with a warm welcome. Diners became popular in the 1920s when diner car manufacturers sprung up with efficiencies modeled after Henry Ford’s assembly line. The glamorous train culture that captivated Americans in the early-20th century informed the cars’ elegant design. Diners were shipped by rail or trucked to their location, providing a quick entry into the restaurant business for entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the country’s growing fascination with travel and dining.

Today, diners occupy a beloved spot in the American culinary landscape. You never need to worry about mispronouncing the name of a dish or which fork to use while settled deep in a worn vinyl booth or perched on a stool at the counter. And the menu is guaranteed to include hamburgers, fries, chocolate milkshakes, and all-day breakfast—the ultimate comfort foods. In today’s often overwrought dining culture, it’s good to get back to basics, and on those, these New England diners deliver.

A classic menu with regional surprises

Far from the Gilded Age mansions and super yachts of the Newport, Rhode Island waterfront sits Bishop’s 4th Street Diner. For more than 50 years, the diner has been serving breakfast and lunch to a legion of loyal customers, along with plenty of tourists. Both come seeking simple diner classics with some regional cuisine sprinkled in.

The 49-seat diner sits on a bustling roundabout, at the intersection of a commercial thoroughfare and the entrance to the city’s naval base. Like the train cars that inspired its design, the chrome-plated dining car is long and narrow, with a rounded or “barrel” roof and large windows lining the front. The O'Mahony Diner Company built the diner in 1952 as one of the 2,000 dining cars it made. Today, only 20 of these O’Mahony dining cars remain.

Inside, booths with turquoise-upholstered benches line one wall. Red vinyl–topped chrome stools flank the counter, which runs the length of the kitchen. The black and white tile pattern on the side of the counter and the chrome backsplash are classic Art Deco elements.

The 4th Street Diner first operated as the Princeton Diner in Swansea, Massachusetts, for a decade. New owners moved the diner to Newport in 1968 and renamed it after a nearby street. Nancy Bishop and her then-husband, Steve, bought the diner about 20 years ago, added their name to the moniker, and operated it together until the couple divorced. Nancy continued on her own until last November, when she sold the diner back to Steve, who owns it with his second wife, Vicki.

Vicki and Steve have made few changes, mostly slight menu tweaks. You’ll find standard diner fare, from overstuffed omelets to hot turkey sandwiches. You’ll also get to sample Rhode Island cuisine, a quirky mix of New England ingredients and immigrant influences, with dishes like hot wieners, “stuffies” (stuffed quahog clams), and johnnycakes (thin crispy cornmeal pancakes). Insider’s tip: Ask for the coffee milk (think chocolate milk but made with coffee syrup instead of chocolate).

Bishop’s 4th Street Diner, 184 Admiral Kalbfus Road, Newport, RI

Even better than Grandma's kitchen

It seems like anyone who has lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire has a story to tell about Gilley’s, a diminutive diner with just eight seats, dating back to 1940. The understated menu features hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, and fries. With multiple awards and appearances on the Food Network, however, Gilley’s belies its reputation as a gut-busting greasy spoon.

Owner and chef Steve Kennedy’s culinary background is in private catering under the tutelage of famed area chef James Haller of the now-shuttered Portsmouth restaurant Blue Strawbery. That explains why the burgers are made from prime chuck, triple ground and hand-shaped daily. French fries, made from Maine potatoes, are cut to order, and even the humble grilled cheese sandwich benefits from thick slices of Texas toast.

To enter, slide the door open—don’t pull or everyone will know you’re a newbie. Place your order at the counter by the kitchen. Another counter, with eight fixed stools, runs along three sides of the car. The original oak paneling, porcelain trim, and rounded ceiling reinforce the retro vibe.

Built by the Worcester Lunch Car Company, the diner was first pulled around the city by horses, then a tractor, and finally a truck, providing cheap and fast meals to the downtown lunch crowd. It came to a permanent rest at its Fleet Street location in 1974. Kennedy took over in 1994 and added a wing to connect the diner and its storage trailer. The original red-roofed car is now dwarfed by the addition, but the small, caboose-like structure is still visible, complete with the wheels that made the mobile lunch venture possible.

A popular late-night spot, Gilley’s attracts its fair share of boozy revelers looking to fill their stomachs with fried food before bedtime. But owner Kennedy says he works hard to make his restaurant a welcoming place for everyone. He likens the diner to Grandma’s kitchen, where you can’t swear or put your feet up on the furniture. Kennedy prides himself on serving the local community, everyone from “derelicts to debutants,” as he puts it. And his cooking is reminiscent of Grandma’s too, with dishes made from scratch and many of the ingredients sourced locally.

Gilley’ Diner, 175 Fleet Street, Portsmouth, NH

The perfect version of a classic 

Be prepared to wait. Fifteen stools run the length of a worn counter, and they’re always full. Named Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant in 2014 and attracting national attention ever since, Palace Diner is a dining destination. The brown butter banana bread is reason enough to drive from Portland 18 miles south to Biddeford, a small working-class city still transitioning from manufacturing to modern economy.

When Palace Diner first opened in 1927, Biddeford’s economy revolved around the Pepperell textile mill. The diner turned out quick meals to shift workers 24 hours a day. But the textile industry began its decline in the 1960s, and in 2009 the mill closed for good. Ten years later, the mill’s towering brick buildings are filling up again, this time with restaurants, art studios, and startups, thanks to some forward-thinking developers and bullish city officials.

The diner sits in a large municipal parking lot, painted a splashy red with “Ladies Invited” stenciled on the front. The Pollard Company in Lowell, Massachusetts, built the dining car in 1927, and it’s one of only two Pollard cars remaining. Inside, under a barrel roof, a long Formica counter runs the length of the car, with the stools the only seating. The cooking no longer happens on the grill line behind the counter, but in a kitchen addition. Orders are passed into the car through a narrow window.

Every menu item at Palace Diner is the perfect version of that dish. The potatoes are deep-fried to a golden brown, with craggy, smashed edges and a healthy sprinkling of coarse salt. French toast is made from thick slices of challah bread, custardy in the middle with a crunchy exterior of sugar that has caramelized on the griddle. The cheeseburger’s soft bun and thin patty are reminiscent of the best aspects of fast food. Then there’s the legendary tuna melt, with its inch-thick slab of iceberg lettuce.

The chef-owners Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell have serious culinary chops, having worked at some of the best restaurants in Portland, Maine, and New York City. They took over Palace Diner in 2014, becoming only the sixth set of owners in the diner’s 92-year history. Conley says he now finds it more gratifying to serve up diner fare in an everyday setting: “It’s great to be able to take a high-quality experience that is otherwise only accessible for $100 on a Friday night and make it available for under $15.”

Palace Diner, 18 Franklin Street, Biddeford, ME

Salem Diner

Of the 30 diners on the National Register of Historic Places, over half are in Massachusetts, including the Salem Diner, a rare Sterling Streamliner model. J.B. Judkins Company of Merrimac, Massachusetts, made just 16 Streamliner dining cars before ceasing production following Pearl Harbor and soon after going out of business. The Salem Diner, built in 1941, is one of two still operating.

With a barrel roof, bullet-shaped nose, and metal paneling, the diner looks like a 1940s train engine resting at the station. The car’s design creates a rounded end on the inside too, with tables set into an elegantly arching banquette. Booths and stools provide seating for nearly 50. Cooking still takes place behind the counter on a narrow line of griddles. 

Salem State University’s campus encircled the diner over the decades. In 2013, the university bought the diner, renovated the interior, and added a late-evening shift to breakfast and lunch service. 

Salem Diner, 70 Loring Avenue, Salem, MA

This article was originally published in Lark Hotels' magazine in May 2019.

April 27, 2019

Portland, Maine Food Truck Update—2019

It's been a few years since my last survey of the food truck fleet in and around Portland, Maine, and as you'd expect from these mobile eateries, a lot has changed since then. Here's an update of who's slinging food from a truck/cart this summer and where you can expect to find them.

Businesses are listed in alphabetical order, and bonus details about special food truck events this summer are featured at the bottom of the post.


Bite Into Maine - The OG food cart returns for its 8th season in Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, serving several styles of lobster rolls. Since the cart's start, BIM's locations have expanded to a year-round commissary in Scarborough and an Airstream trailer at Allagash Brewing that opened in April. The Fort Williams cart opens May 4th. Come high season, the cart and trailer will be open daily, but check the website to confirm.

Cannoli Joe's - This dessert truck is out serving several different flavors of cannolis like White Chocolate Raspberry, Sicilian, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel, and even Piña Colada. Find them parked on the Eastern Prom and Commercial Street at the bottom of India Street from 11am-4pm.

Eighty 8 Donuts - Winters takes this mini donut business (formerly Urban Sugar Donuts) to its Sugarloaf brick and mortar shop. Come summer, Rosie the donut truck is back in action in Portland. The truck's season kicks off at Street Eats and Beats June 1st. Find these tiny delights this summer at Thompson's Point, the Eastern Prom, and special events.

Falafel Mafia - This vegan Mediterranean food truck serves up pitas and bowls of their falafel topped with tahini and pickled and fresh vegetables. Find them on the Western Prom, at Spring and Temple Street, at various breweries, and in the Back Cove Hannaford parking lot, as well as Thompson's Point concerts and other special events.

Fishin' Ships - This nautical, pun-riddled fried seafood truck kicks off its season at Street Eats & Beats June 1st, launching into a busy season. They be at Rising Tide and the Industrial Way breweries and special events throughout the summer.

Photo courtesy of Farm to Coast Mobile Kitchen

Farm to Coast Mobile Kitchen
- Known for its steamed buns and banh mis, this truck spawned a café in Biddeford after its owner needed prep space for the truck. Now the truck and a cart dubbed Steam Machine can be found at breweries and special events throughout the summer. The Steam Machine, serving steamed buns, can be found at Austin Street's Fox Street location every Sunday.

Grillin' Brazilian - This Brazilian themed Airstream trailer managed to serve food through the winter by posting up at Definitive Brewing regularly. Now it's traveling to other breweries (Industrial Way and East Bayside) and has a regular spot on Thursdays at Austin Street's Fox Street location with a new food cart.

Kuno - Serving Peranakan cuisine, a mix of Chinese and Malaysian, owner Nick Lee runs the former Thainy Boda truck. Lee is a former cook at Thainy Boda and bought the truck from Boda's owners when they decided to sell. Launching in February (brave), Kuno has been serving at breweries (Goodfire, Bunker) and on the Western Prom near Maine Med.

Mainely Burgers - This truck has "graduated" (heh, get it, because it was started by college students) into two brick and mortar restaurants in Boston and Cambridge. But the food truck carries on at its regular spot at Scarborough Beach State Park as well as special events throughout the summer. Look for its sister truck Mainely Treats too.

Mami - This truck grew into a successful brick and mortar restaurant on Fore Street, so the truck is out less these days. But it's still available for catering and special events, so you may still catch it. It will be at the May 5th Gastro-Go-Go at Rising Tide (see bottom of post for more information on special food truck events).

Photo courtesy of Momma Baldacci's

Momma Baldacci's
- The CN Shawarma/Baharat truck has been resurrected, this time as a mobile version of a longtime Bangor Italian eatery that closed in 2006. The son of the original restaurateurs launched the food truck in late 2018. You'll find Momma Baldacci's serving pastas, strombolis, subs, and cannolis at Definitive Brewing every Wednesday this summer.

Muthah Truckah - Find grilled sandwiches from the Muthah Truckahs at various breweries in East Bayside and on Industrial Way. The truck also posts up at businesses during the weekday for lunch, so check social media for the latest schedule.

Noble Barbecue - Noble Barbecue is known for its over-the-top barbecue meats and sandwiches (particularly their "Scrappy Fries"). With a successful brick and mortar on Forest Ave., the "Mobile Noble" can be found at... you guessed it, breweries and special events! I've run into the truck at Lone Pine Gorham's already this season.

Nom Bai Street Kitchen - Serving Vietnamese and Cambodian street food, this truck has been at Thompson's Point concerts and Congdon's After Dark in past seasons. Scant details are available for this year's kickoff, but they are scheduled to be at Rising Tide Brewing a few times this summer.


Tacos del Seoul - This taco trailer serves a fusion of Korean and Mexican food with tacos, burritos, and bowls. Its season will kick off May 5th at the Gastro-Go-Go Cinco de Mayo party at Rising Tide. Find them at breweries (Allagash, Rising Tide, Lone Pine), Thompson's Point, and special events throughout the summer.

The Greeks of Peaks - Serving Greek food "just like Yiayia used to make," this food truck can be found at the East Bayside and Industrial Street breweries and special events. You'll find all the Greek hits: gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, Greek salad, and fried halloumi cheese served here.

The SaltBox Cafe - This food truck is actually a small shingled shed on a trailer that serves breakfast and lunch on the Eastern Prom. Find them beginning May 4th at 8:30am on the Prom, and occasionally at Rising Tide and the Industrial Way breweries.

Totally Awesome Vegan Food Truck - Serving up "gourmet vegan junk food from his synthwave themed mobile kitchen" (which is just a hilarious description), Chef Tony and his rad truck can be found on Spring Street and in the parking lot of Tony's Donuts on outer Congress St.

Other mobile food eateries you may encounter at Portland breweries:


To sample several food trucks at once, consider these events:

Street Eats & Beats
This annual food truck festival will have over 25 mobile eateries from Portland and beyond at Thompson's Point on June 1st. Tickets are $12 and drinks from Tito's Vodka and beer from Gritty's will be available. There will be live music and outdoor games. Must be 21+.

Fork Food Lab First Friday Pop-Up Markets
Fork Food Lab, the Bayside communal kitchen/business incubator, is holding monthly pop-up markets for its members at Rising Tide Brewing. Several food trucks rent space at Fork for prep, so you'll potentially find The Greeks of Peaks, Totally Awesome Vegan Food Truck, and Falafel Mafia, as well as a number of food carts and caterers.

Gastro-Go-Go
This gathering of food trucks happens regularly throughout the summer. The first event kicks off on Cinco de Mayo from 12-5pm at Rising Tide Brewing with at least 7 food trucks and carts, live music, games, and of course, beer from the brewery.

Congdon's After Dark
Congdon's is a breakfast and lunch spot in Wells (with delicious donuts), and last year its owners had the genius idea to host these "after dark" nights with food trucks and beer. Billing itself as "New England's only food truck park," Congdon's After Dark has over 10 trucks nightly on summer weekends (Thurs-Sun). Check the schedule—there's a great variety of trucks and even brings the return of Hoss & Mary's, a longtime OOB fave.

Maine Brewers Guild Festival
This beer festival on July 27th at Fort Preble in South Portland will have multiple food trucks in attendance.

April 2, 2019

BBF Travels: Spring Break in Nashville

I vacationed in Nashville two weeks ago—over St. Paddy's Day and (unbeknownst to us) the start of the SEC tournament. The timing sounded like a good idea at the time, but in retrospect may have been a few thousand people too many. Although, in "Nashvegas," there may never be a time where you can avoid the mobs of people wandering on Broadway, whether they're draped in "Bride Squad" t-shirts or University of Kentucky jerseys. 

During our trip, we learned that for the past several years, over 100 people a day moved to Music City, making it the seventh fastest growing city in the U.S. After a weekend there, we may not be ready to move just yet, but with the early spring, great restaurants and bars, and the music scene, it was a pleasant place to spend a mid-March weekend. 


We arrived early Friday to get in a full day and headed right for Pinewood Social, the sweetest bowling alley/coffee shop/bar/restaurant that provided the right amount of hospitality to be a relief after traveling so early in the morning. (Do enough people come right from the airport to the bowling alley that they have a process for holding your luggage? Perhaps yes?)


We had reserved a lane, and after we checked in, we were escorted through the restaurant to a 6-lane alley, flooded with natural light. An hour and a half of bowling with lattes, brunch cocktails, avocado toast, and chicken and biscuits and we had officially transitioned into vacation mode. 


We stayed in a rental in East Nashville, about a 10 minute ride from downtown, in a sweet bungalow that made us want to cancel all our plans and sit on the porch drinking wine in the delicious spring weather. 


After a nap, we ventured back out for night one in Nashville. On the agenda, a show at the historic Ryman Auditorium, best known for hosting the Grand Ole Opry from 1942 to 1974. Little Feat was playing that night, a stop on their 50th anniversary tour. 

We didn't have dinner plans for that night, which was not a great plan in a crowded city on a Friday night when you're on a time crunch. But fortunately, the second restaurant we went into could seat us—Adele's, the southern outpost of New York chef Jonathan Waxman. We enjoyed a great dinner of cauliflower and kale salads, local fish, and the chef's signature roast chicken before heading to the theater to dance the night away. 


The next day, after a backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry, we turned to the next item on our to-do list: Nashville hot chicken. Admittedly, my only experience with the regional food was seeing it served at Big J's Chicken Shack with a pair of gloves to protect your hands, so I was a little afraid of the stuff. 

Fortunately, the place in our neighborhood, Pepperfire Hot Chicken, offered different levels of spice. I boldly chose medium, which was a slow-building spice but nothing unmanageable. Some fried okra and mac and cheese rounded out the meal of Southern staples. 


Saturday afternoon, we headed back to our favorite intersection in East Nashville. With a brewery, a hipster restaurant that looked like a mash-up of Tandem Coffee and Drifters Wife, and a record shop/craft beer bar, we felt like we could spend the whole weekend between here and the aforementioned porch and be very happy indeed. 

The brewery, Southern Grist Brewing Co. just happened to be releasing two collaboration brews with Mast Landing Brewing Company the day we visited (of course, since Maine is everywhere!). The 14 or so styles on tap that day ranged from New England IPAs to an imperial raspberry sour with marshmallows. We had such a good time, relaxing in the sunny tasting room, enjoying the first delicious local beer we'd found on the trip. 

Side note: did we fly a quarter of the way across the country to do the same thing we'd do at home? Why yes, yes, we did. I offer no excuse. 


For dinner on Saturday night, we went to The Green Pheasant, a new Japanese restaurant downtown. While we waited for our table, we sipped on our cocktails and admired the gilded interior. Our meal was a flurry of delightful courses, from a ginger-carrot dressed wedge salad and a sashimi bowl to the rich, handmade noodles tossed with a spicy crab butter. A "fair food" dessert of a tempura-fried chocolate cake capped off the most decadent meal. 


But of course we weren't done... I had to try the Pearl Diver. This tiki bar back in East Nashville has the most incredible 60s California motel/grandma's living room vibe going on. It was truly like I'd died and gone to hipster heaven. There were adorable men in romp-hims (that's rompers for men), too-cool-for-school bartenders, and delicious, slushy rum drinks.

We got our nightcaps and headed away from the crowded, dark bar to the lobby-like entrance, where we could watch the night's dramas unfold from a safe distance.


The next day was St. Patrick's Day! We started with a hearty brunch at Marche Artisan Foods (and one of the many fabulous biscuits of the trip) and decided to spend the day away from the craziness of the downtown.

We checked out the Nashville Zoo, enjoyed a pubby lunch (and whiskey!) at Whiskey Kitchen and then headed home to regroup for our final Nashville activity: a night at The Bluebird Cafe.


Are you so impressed that I've made it this far without mentioning "Nashville," the TV show?? I must confess I do not have a lifelong love of country music, but rather a healthy obsession with Connie Britton and the ABC drama/soap opera "Nashville." 

As so many scenes take place in the Bluebird Cafe, I was excited to see a show at this iconic club (and definitely had the thought in the only bathroom in the club—Connie Britton definitely sat on this toilet too!!). 


Turns out... the popularity of that TV show has transformed The Bluebird from local jam spot into a tourist attraction. When the lead singer asked how many of us were from out of town, every single person in the club raised their hand. So it's hardly a locals' spot anymore, but remains a great place to chance upon a national act or songwriter behind the hits in an intimate space. 

After our busy weekend, we made the executive decision to cancel our dinner reservations, order a pizza, and go back to the rental to start the new season of Queer Eye. A little R&R was needed after being on the go all weekend! 


So how'd we do?? For three full days in Nashville, we sure saw and ate a lot. The spring weather was hard to leave, but we're always happy to come back to Maine!