Reading the Tea Leaves

The Honey Paw on Middle Street

In 2015, over 100,000 cruise ship passengers are scheduled to visit Portland between May and November (up from 82,000 in 2014). Hoteliers aim to fill the 575 new rooms that opened up in the last year, plus the additional 110 planned for this one, with visitors that arrive by plane, train, and automobile. With Portland’s ever-growing reputation for an exceptional dining scene, more and more restaurateurs are hoping to be the answer to the question, where should we eat tonight? More importantly, where will we locals retreat to hide from all those tourists? 18 restaurants and bars are planned to open in 2015, building inspectors willing.

Here are the ones we’re most excited about and what these business plans might mean for Portland.

The Washington Avenue corridor

With multiple high-end real estate projects developing on the north side of Munjoy Hill and into East Bayside, many restaurateurs are eyeing the available spaces on Washington Avenue. Two unnamed restaurants are in the works, one in a former restaurant space near Silly’s, the other in the former J.J. Nissen Bakery building. The immediate success of Oxbow Brewing’s tasting room behind Coffee By Design on Washington Avenue points to the pent up demand for comfortable, casual spots around Munjoy Hill. In general, as the Old Port continues to maintain high occupancy rates, business-owners are looking for space in outlying areas, like the Arts District and the West End.

The wrath of grapes

As discerning diners like to know the provenance of their food, the traceability and hyper-localism spill over into beverages, illustrated by the growing demand for craft beer, wine, and spirits. Maybe wine is getting its time in the spotlight, alongside craft beer. The owners of Maine & Loire, a natural and biodynamic wine shop also opening on Washington Avenue, sure hope so. As do those of UnWINEd, the Blue Lobster Urban Winery, and Lincolns. UnWINEd, opening soon on Congress St. in the Arts District, will serve wine and appetizers in a comfortable lounge setting. The Blue Lobster Urban Winery has been in the works for several years now, but the proprietors assure Anestes Fotiades of Portland Food Map (portlandfoodmap.com) that they plan to complete their microwinery in 2015. Lincolns, while promising a selection of alcohol and beer, is co-owned by Mark Ohlson of MJ’s Wine Bar. This underground lounge at 46 Market St., where everything costs only $5 (hence Lincolns), is sure to offer a limited selection of quality wines.

Superstar expansions

While some businesses, like Lincolns and UnWINEd, are hoping to capture the local love with inexpensive, stripped-down lounges, others are aiming high with premium real estate and prices to follow. Dana Street (of Street & Co. and Fore Street) will open a 144-seat eatery on Maine Wharf with a high-end seafood menu and retail seafood market. The owners of Hugo’s and Eventide Oyster Co. are expanding their restaurant row down the block with The Honey Paw. The new restaurant’s concept is scant on details other than “non-denominational noodle restaurant,” but will surely continue the tradition of well-crafted, thoughtful, delicious food. Small Axe food truckers Karl Deuben and Bill Leavy find a brick-and-mortar home in the East Ender space—same name, new menu; don’t worry, their cold-smoked burger will make the transition.

Portland’s food and drink scene continues to expand, seemingly unabated, causing many to wonder when the bubble is going to pop. With residential real estate development, cruise ship schedules, and the number of hotel rooms increasing, many powers-that-be with money are betting that the bubble is still inflating. For the most part, these planned restaurant projects are still chef-owned and operated; Portland has not yet seen an influx of corporate restaurant groups. Here’s hoping the addition of these new projects continues to add to Portland’s high-quality dining scene.

To see a complete list of food-related businesses opening in 2015, visit portlandfoodmap.com/underconstruction.html

Originally published in DigPortland, January 1, 2015.

Customer Appreciation Month

Ask any restaurant owner in Portland and they’ll say one of the hardest parts of owning a restaurant here is the bipolar cycles of customers. While Portlanders enjoy a relative glut of wintertime activities compared to other coastal towns that close up as soon as the last cruise ship departs, restaurateurs still feel the pinch in the winter.

Even owner of the popular (now shuttered) restaurant Bresca, Krista Kern Desjarlais, told me, “To be a restaurant owner here…is extremely challenging. It’s very magnified. You can take a walk around town on any January, February, March…midweek evening, and we’re all waving at the window at you, like, hey, come on in!” Business owners employ several strategies to lure in reclusive diners, discounting meals or offering special menus. Others take advantage of the slower pace to do some much-needed maintenance and renovations.

Eventide Oyster Co. and Hugo’s owner Arlin Smith doesn’t mind that there are fewer customers in his restaurants this month. A construction crew is working in the adjacent space, expanding Eventide’s dining room and the restaurants’ shared kitchen, while adding yet a third restaurant, The Honey Paw. Both Eventide and Hugo’s will be closed for a week at the end of January while dining room walls are demolished and drywall dust flies. Smith knows the staff will appreciate the time off guilt-free, as they aren’t missing lucrative tips.

Sonny’s, Local 188, and Salvage BBQ also gave the staff a break after the busy holiday season while owner Jay Villani closed the restaurants last week for deep cleaning. When they reopened, Villani began the annual “white sale” (a name that traditionally refers to linen sales at department stores in January), a 15 percent discount on food at his three restaurants. Villani says the promotion is a form of “customer appreciation,” in the colder months and of course, helps counteract the post-holiday (literal and figurative) belt-tightening.

Other chefs use the slower pace of the winter to flex their culinary creativity or feature a popular menu item for a limited time. At Hugo’s, the chefs are bringing in whole sides of pork and beef, which allow them to serve big cuts of meat family-style for the relative bargain of $45 per person. Arlin Smith says these promotions might not be the biggest money maker for the restaurant, but energize staff and excite customers at an otherwise quiet time of year.

Back Bay Grill chef Larry Matthews is bringing back his famed burger for a few nights this week. Matthews served the local beef patty, topped with shredded lettuce, a creamy garlic dressing, and Stilton bleu cheese on a brioche bun, as a bar menu item in his classic Bayside bistro. When Matthews did away with the bar menu a few years ago, many mourned the loss of the burger. Now, he brings back the burger to fill the house during otherwise slow weeks. Matthew enjoys that the burger’s scarcity creates demand and give people a reason to go out in the winter. And it works; the restaurant fills and the burgers sell out (call ahead to reserve one for this week or next).

The ultimate wintertime promotion is Maine Restaurant Week, launched locally by foodie PR firm gBritt seven years ago. Jim Britt specifically planned the event to occur in March, “to stir up business during the darkest days of winter.” Participating restaurants serve special tasting menus, designed to entice housebound diners to cash-hungry dining rooms.

 Even those with nothing to gain other than fun have helped promoted local restaurants during the colder months. Event planner Emily Hricko and graphic designer Cecilia Ziko began Plow-WOW, a pop-up happy hour, three years ago to liven up the otherwise unpleasant task of moving one’s car in a snowstorm. This year, the happy hours are at Local 188 from 6-8 pm during parking bans. Follow Plow-WOW’s facebook page (facebook.com/plow.wow) to be updated on the next event.

If you’re willing to endure, slippery sidewalks, reduced parking, and biting winds for dinner, some of Portland’s finest restaurants will be there to reward your loyalty. But call ahead first…just to be on the safe side.

Originally published in DigPortland on January 14, 2015.

Portland Spirits Society

A few weeks ago, an NPR story caught my attention: Not Just a Man's Drink: Ladies Lead the Whiskey Renaissance. Women? Whiskey? Yes, please. 

The story featured Heather Greene, who teaches Whiskey 101 at New York's The Flatiron Room. Greene relayed a growing interest in whiskey amongst women, but that they often wondered if drinking whiskey would make them seem too aggressive or were intimidated by the male-dominated culture of whiskey drinking.

In listening, I thought of the Maine Beer Mavens, a local group of women interested in learning more about craft beer. The Mavens have the expected beer tastings and brewery tours, but also offer looks into the angles industry, like distribution, HR, and marketing. Then I thought, I wonder if the Mavens would be interested in learning about whiskey too?

So I got in touch with Maine Beer Mavens' coordinator Lora Burns to ask her about coordinating a women's whiskey tasting. We met for some whiskey at Portland Hunt & Alpine (OK, I got sucked in by my favorite cocktail of late, the Jack Rose: applejack, grenadine, and lemon juice - kind of the polar opposite of whiskey). And it turns out Lora has also had thoughts about starting a spirits appreciation club. Thus, the Portland Spirits Society was born.

Design by Elizabeth Hunter (my sister!!)

Lora and I are very excited about mobilizing some whiskey-loving ladies to meet the people behind Maine's craft spirits and to explore our newfound whiskey preferences. We're planning a beginners tasting event and tours of local whiskey distilleries. We hope to find knowledgeable ladies who work in the whiskey industry to talk and drink with us.

Once the Spirits Society gets rolling, we'll expand to learn about other liquors based on the group's preferences. Follow our page on facebook to be updated with future events, and if you have any ideas for the group, be it topics or contacts within the greater Portland area, email me (ha, I typed femail - perfect) at blueberryfiles at gmail dot com.

Cheers!

Bar Food? Paper Plates, Plastic Wrappers and Regret

As last week’s Nor’easter reminded us, baby, it’s cold outside. Fortunately, Portland’s plethora of bars and restaurants offer hours of indoor entertainment. Drinking on an empty stomach is never a good idea (as hard lessons learned in college will attest), but many Portland bars tend towards $14 cocktails and $8-10 small plates to accompany them. A happy hour for two can quickly turn into a $100 meal—certainly not a sustainable pace until spring.  

Fortunately, even the grittiest bar is legally required to serve some sort of food. Specifically, Maine liquor laws require that “Class A Lounges must offer food for sale during all times they are serving liquor.” The law goes on to elaborate, specifically that salads, hamburgers, and hotdogs are in, but popcorn, chips, or pretzels are out. So two friends and I set out to explore the cheaper side of drinking and snacking through Portland.  

On a recent quiet Saturday night, couples at the Snug played card games and swapped real-life ghost stories. For a while, the Snug kept its customers satisfied with stiff drinks, soft pretzels, and black bean burgers. Back then—during what I refer to as “the Glory Days”—bar staff allowed customers to bring in slices from neighboring OTTO Pizza. Last December, the Snug’s owner Margaret Lyons revealed a relatively extensive menu offering vegetarian pub fare.  

We ordered mixed drinks ($6), but found that the expletive-laced menu was gone. My friend mourned the loss of the opportunity to consume an entire sleeve of Ritz crackers and a block of cheese in public. Undeterred, I ordered a soft pretzel, now made by South Portland bakery Little Bigs ($2), over the two tempting soup options: carrot ginger and creamy tomato with homemade croutons ($6). The pretzel was perfectly serviceable, salty and chewy, with a small side of yellow mustard for dipping.  

Buoyed by our success at the Snug, we plunged into the frigid November night air and headed through the quiet East End streets to Sangillo’s. Figuring we’d at least find sustenance in the form of Jell-O (shots), we were warmly welcomed into the neighborhood bar. Spying a hot dog warmer, we asked about the food options, and with a laugh, the bartender offered up a surprisingly diverse selection of Hot Pockets, corn dogs, and pizza. Figuring corn dogs pair best with tequila Jell-O, we went with two dogs and three shots, totaling $13. A squiggle of yellow mustard completed the package and before our systems could process what we’d done, we were back outside hailing a cab across town.  

Our first disappointment of the night came at Mathew’s, where we learned their cook was “out sick.” Portland’s oldest bar allegedly offers a small menu of hamburgers, chimichangas, and fried snacks like onion rings and jalapeno poppers, but admittedly no one’s there for the food. Our whiskey and ginger ales came in pint glasses for $7, and the friendly bouncer chatted with us while we sipped. But soon our hunger caused us to bid the sparse crowd at Mathew’s farewell.

We prowled the Old Port, sticking our heads in bars and asking, “got any food?” We heard recommendations for other area pubs, tales of frozen burritos labeled “in case of inspector,” pitches for karaoke, and were pointed to a lone rack of potato chips. Finally, exhausted from the search for hot dogs in dark places, we settled at Andy’s Old Port Tavern with a basket of popcorn and their full pub menu.

Eating at some of Portland’s oldest, classic, grittiest bars is comparable to hitting the freezer case of the 7-11 on your way home after a bender: not something you’d do in broad daylight, but satisfying, albeit sodium-laden. This winter, consider visiting bars you might not otherwise frequent, but eat at your own risk.  

The Snug Pub | 223 Congress Street | daily, 5 pm-1 am
Sangillo’s Tavern | 18 Hampshire Street | daily, 8 am-1 am
Mathew’s Pub | 133 Free Street | daily, 10 am-1 am
Commercial Street Pub | 129 Commercial Street | 10:30 am-1 am

Originally published in DigPortland on December 10, 2014.

Raise a glass to Prohibition's influence

Originally published in the Portland Phoenix on October 11, 2014

Watching the weekend revelry unfold on Wharf Street in the Old Port, it’s hard to envision the time when drinking in Portland was illegal and covert. But that was indeed the reality for 82 years in Maine, under the “noble experiment” that was the prohibition of the sale and manufacture of alcohol. Rather, defiant tipplers drank in private clubs, at times below street level, in back-room speakeasies. Today, Prohibition-era cocktails are making a comeback, especially in Portland, where bartenders shake up potent concoctions using local and house-made ingredients.

The phrase “Prohibition-era cocktails” may sound like an oxymoron, but much of what we see in today’s craft cocktail revival is actually borne of drinking during Prohibition. It might be easy to explain the recent elevation of bartending to an art form as an extension of the farm-to-table, from-scratch ethos that has gripped our national dining consciousness. No self-respecting cocktail bar would be complete today without fresh fruit, juice, and herbs; handmade syrups, and bitters; delicate glassware; and precisely-cut ice. Similarly, these ingredients were the hallmark of early twentieth-century cocktail culture before Prohibition attempted to stamp out the lively drinking scene.

On the quiet end of Wharf Street, the first-floor bar of Central Provisions is ground zero to explore these historic cocktails. In the recently renovated historic East India Trading Company warehouse (one that undoubtedly held shipments of alcohol during its heyday), Central Provisions’ creative bar menu offers twists on classic cocktails. Here, bar manager Patrick McDonald draws from “The Bartenders Guide,” the first American cocktail book, published in 1862 and written by Jerry Thomas, considered to be the father of American mixology.

Cocktails at Central Provisions, like the Real Georgia Mint Julep, Pisco Sidecar, Silver Fizz, and Cobbler, are modern spins on Thomas’s recipes that saw great popularity during Prohibition. To channel your inner flapper, order the Corpse Reviver #3.5, tweaked with bourbon replacing the classic brandy, and shaken up with puckering Campari, dry curaçao (a liqueur similar to triple sec), and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. The result is a crisp, light-pink wake-up call, served “up” in a delicate coup glass.

Sonny’s well-rounded cocktail list offers several nods to ingredients and techniques popular before and during Prohibition. In No. 1 with a Bulleit, clouds of meringue-like foam top the bourbon cocktail, its tart lemon and lime juices tempered by simple syrup and fresh strawberries. Drink recipes began to call for the addition of egg whites in the late 1800s, where some vigorous shaking lends a rich texture to the final cocktail. Sipping on this delicate drink at Sonny’s bar, with its bank-vault-turned-wine-storage, one can imagine the lively scene in a Portland speakeasy.

At Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, where the menu provides historical tidbits about the featured cocktails, bartenders might coat your glass with an absinthe rinse or top your cocktail with float of Champagne before presenting it to you. These flourishes illustrate the lasting influence of Prohibition, during which absinthe was the darling of the young bohemian set, much to the consternation of prohibitionists. The backlash was so severe, that the ban on the sale of absinthe in the US was only recently lifted in 2007. French Champagne, like Canadian whiskey, appeared in many speakeasy drinks as it flowed into the country after American distilleries were shuttered.

Think these high-falutin’ cocktails are too much? Prefer to keep it simple with a gin and tonic or a Jack and ginger? You have Prohibition to thank for the popularity of tonic water and ginger beer as mixers as well. Because most illegally-distilled spirits were rough and cheap, so-called “bathtub gin,” flavorful tonic replaced soda water and ginger ale got stronger to mask the cheap liquor. Whatever your drink, celebrate your legal right to drink it freely and openly in one of Portland’s specialty cocktail bars reviving the lost art of bartending.

Central Provisions | 414 Fore St | 207.805.1085 | centralprovisions.com

Sonny’s | 83 Exchange St | 207.772.7774 | sonnysportland.com

Portland Hunt & Alpine Club | 75 Market St | 207.747.4754 | huntandalpineclub.com

Cheap eats in Maine's culinary capital

Originally published in the Portland Phoenix on September 19, 2014

Welcome to college in the big city! Aside from the chilling cold seven months out of the year, Portland is a great place to spend a few years pretending to study. The Forest City’s culinary options stretch before you like so many oyster varieties at the hippest new raw bar. There’s duck liver crostini! Truffled mac and cheese! Three-pound porterhouse steak! Wood-oven roasted mussels! But after a trip to the campus bookstore, the annual pilgrimage to Target, and let’s not even mention that first tuition installment, your bank account balance is starting to look mighty paltry in the face of anything truffled or sous vide. So here’s 13 options that will satisfy your inner foodie without causing you to decide between the omakase and your Econ text book.

Small Axe food truck's Smokestack Lightning burger

El Rayo’s rice and bean bowls
This festive Mexican restaurant, set in a refurbished gas station, offers many affordable dishes packed with the tangy, salty, spicy flavors of the cuisine. You could snack on the Mexico City-style street corn on the cob, coated with chipotle mayonnaise and dusted with cotija cheese ($4.95). The fried plantains ($5.95), fundido (chorizo cheese dip with corn chips, $5.95), and nachos ($4.25) all call to the budget diner. But go for an oft-overlooked option: the rice and bean bowls with grilled fish, steak, vegetables, or mushrooms ($8.95-$9.75). Piled high with fresh toppings like shredded lettuce, sliced radishes, and cilantro, these rice bowls leave you feeling virtuously full in a way nachos never could.

El Rayo Taqueria, 101 York St. | elrayotaqueria.com

Blue Rooster Food Co.
Chef/owner Damian Sansonetti sports an impressive culinary resume from the kitchen of his high-end Italian restaurant Piccolo. Sample the talented chefs’ cheaper offerings at his casual sandwich shop Blue Rooster Food Co. Blue Rooster offers “lowbrow” foods like bacon-wrapped hot dogs and tater tots, made with creative twists and high-quality ingredients. Tot standouts include Buffalo Hot Tots ($6.50), smothered in hot sauce and blue cheese, topped with fried celery root and carrot, and the Early Bird ($6.50), where a bed of fried potatoes supports bacon, a drizzle of maple mayo, hot sauce, and a fried egg. Note: Blue Rooster is one of few late night dining options in the city (open until 2 am Thursday through Saturday).

Blue Rooster Food Co., 5 Dana St. | blueroosterfoodcompany.com

Kamasouptra
All of the vendors in Monument Square’s Portland Public Market offer quick and affordable meal options. But Kamasouptra’s soups are hearty, creatively flavored, and surprisingly filling. A $5 cup of soup comes with a fist-sized whole wheat roll to complete the meal. Try the rich grilled cheese and tomato soup, refreshing gazpacho, or kicky jalapeño beer and cheddar. A variety of gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan soups are always available. Should you find yourself needing fuel for back-to-school shopping while you’re at the Maine Mall, Kamasouptra’s second location in the food court is your best option.

Kamasouptra, 28 Monument Way | kamasouptra.com

$1 oysters at Hot Suppa
Between Eventide Oyster Co., Boone’s Oyster House and Fish Room, and J’s Oyster Bar, there’s no shortage of fine places to enjoy a wide variety of bivalves from Maine and away. But the pleasure of slurping down a dozen or two often comes with a hefty price tag. Not so at Hot Suppa, the Cajun-themed West End restaurant, best known for its stellar brunch (and corresponding long waits). Their happy hour (Tuesday through Saturday, 4-6 pm) offers $1 oysters and $4-6 bar snacks, like wings, poutine, and fried calamari. If you’re old enough to enjoy the $1-off beers and house cocktails, even better.

Hot Suppa, 703 Congress St | hotsuppa.com

Small Axe food truck
Options for cheap eats abound within Portland’s burgeoning food truck scene, but Small Axe offers the foodiest bang for your buck. Chef/owners Bill Leavy and Karl Deuben worked in some of the city’s finest restaurants before launching their own truck last year. Small Axe’s menu uses upscale ingredients like braised pork belly, locally caught hake, cold smoked beef burgers, and local produce, in items that are the $8-$10 range. Try the aforementioned Lightning Smokestack burger with spicy Shishito peppers ($10) or a curried vegetable and rice bowl with or without fish ($9). Small Axe truck’s chefs serve lunch starting at 11:30 am on weekdays.

Small Axe food truck, Congress Square Park

Slab’s slab
If you’re new to Portland, you may have missed the big to-do over the Sicilian Slab served at Micucci’s Italian Grocery. The market’s longtime baker Stephen Lanzalotta served this huge slab of pizza in the back of the store to rave reviews. When he was abruptly fired from his position at Micucci’s, slab fans everywhere worried about the future of the thick Sicilian-style pizza. Fortunately, Lanzalotta partnered with supersized-food lover and owner of Nosh Kitchen Bar, Jason Loring, to open Slab Sicilian Street Food. Here, just as at Micucci’s, the slab is large, the sauce is sweet, and the sparse cheese salty and browned from the heat of the oven. “Splurge” on the slaw ($5), a crunchy mix of thinly-sliced cabbage, fennel, beets, carrots, and red onion, which is a nice foil to the heavier carb options. If you can wait that long, excess slabs go for $2 each late night—watch their Facebook page for the announcement.

Slab Sicilian Street Food, 25 Preble St. | slabportland.com

Ten Ten Pié bento box
The true gastronaut enjoys seeking out the newest hole-in-the-wall offering delicious fare. For that, turn to Ten Ten Pié, the new multicultural market and bakery in the former home of a beloved Italian deli in the Bayside neighborhood. Their bento box lunch specials change daily, but always include a delicious and filling mix of veggies, meat, and rice. Recent options include five-spice pork and rice with daikon radish, green beans, and a hard-boiled egg ($8.50) and Thai green curry with multigrain rice and a carrot-cranberry salad ($7.25). If you can spare an extra $2-3, you’ll be rewarded with sweet treats such as double chocolate sake cake, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, and chèvre fig cheesecake.

Ten Ten Pié, 171 Cumberland Ave.

Hella Good Tacos’ $2 Taco Tuesday
This understated Washington Avenue taqueria will certainly set off your foodie radar. In the former home of Steve and Renee’s Diner, Hella Good Tacos’ proprietors Josh and Melissa Bankhead turn out Northern California-style tacos, burritos, and tamales. The tacos are priced at a reasonable $2.29 each ($3.29 for fish), served on a double layer of corn tortillas, and topped with cilantro and diced white onions. Order two tacos with rice and beans for $5.99 or just bide your time until Taco Tuesday, when all tacos are $2. Be sure to take advantage of the salsa bar, offering spicy pico de gallo and salsa verde for your freshly fried corn chips.

Dim Sum at Empire Chinese Kitchen 
With the arrival of Empire a year ago, finally people have stopped complaining that there’s no good Chinese food in Portland. But put any ideas of decor featuring red booths, fish tanks, and gold filigree out of your head; the recent renovation brings a relaxed, modern feel to the space. For those unfamiliar, dim sum is a style of cuisine featuring small portions of steamed buns and dumplings typically served in bamboo baskets. At a reasonable $5 for 3-4 pieces, you can share several types of dim sum with friends or order a basket for yourself. The Empire egg roll, stuffed with pastrami, asparagus, and cabbage ($6) is an unusual twist on a classic, while the wonton soup ($5) is savory and filling with hearty stuffed dumplings. Whatever you get, you’ll be surprised by the diminutive bill when you’re finished with your tea.

Empire Chinese Kitchen, 575 Congress St. | portlandempire.com

Timber Steakhouse’s Happy Hour
Portland’s posh new steakhouse may boast prime cuts of meat at prices that rival a week’s worth of groceries. But really, whenever anyone sums up a steakhouse, it always comes down to the sides. The New York Strip may have been divine, but how was the creamed spinach? Get right to the things that matter by scoring said sides at a discount during Timber’s happy hour. Try a number of $5 appetizers, including jalapeño cornbread, Buffalo chicken croquettes, and batter-fried bacon with maple syrup. Soak up the swanky atmosphere while savoring comfort food on the cheap, weekdays from 4-6 pm.

Timber Steakhouse & Rotisserie, 106 Exchange St. | timberportland.com

Bayou Kitchen
If you live in the Oakdale neighborhood by USM, you’ll quickly discover there’s not too many quality food options on the busy thoroughfare of Forest Ave. That said, there are a few gems worth your time, and Bayou Kitchen tops the list. This casual eatery is packed on weekends for brunch, but also serves lunch 7 days a week until 2 pm. Specializing in Cajun classics like jambalaya, beans and rice, and gumbo, the Bayou can turn up the heat when you want it. With prices reflecting their off-peninsula location, the portions are massive. The Huevos Rancheros amounts to an entire burrito stuffed with black bean or beef chili, topped with two eggs, salsa, and sour cream, or go light with their à la carte sides, all under $5.

Bayou Kitchen, 543 Deering Ave. | bayoukitchenmaine.com

Pai Men Miyake lunch special
While the sushi dinners at Miyake remain solidly out of reach until the ‘rents come to visit, the more causal sister restaurant, Pai Men Miyake, offers Japanese classics like ramen, gyoza, and sushi rolls, using farm-raised pork and locally-grown produce. A bowl of ramen is satisfying enough on its own, but Pai Men’s tei-shoku lunch goes the extra mile to fill you up. Available weekdays from 12-2:30 pm, the menu offers a selection of dumplings, vegetable salads, ramen, and sushi rolls. Chose a combination from two categories for $8.50-$12.50 and sample a little bit of everything from this cozy noodle bar.

Pai Men Miyake, 188 State St. | miyakerestaurants.com/pai-men-miyake

Otto Pizza slices
We don’t need to tell you that pizza is cheap and filling. But a lot of Portland pizza is, well, mediocre. Enter Otto Pizza. Back-to-school bonus: Otto is offering a “frequent eater” card for students, wherein after you buy 10 pizza slices, the eleventh is free.

Otto Pizza, 225 Congress St., 576 Congress St. | ottoportland.com

How do you like them apples?

Originally published in the Portland Phoenix on September 12, 2014

Twenty Ounce Pippin, huge pale-green monsters, as big as a baby’s head. Winter Banana, a beguiling yellow with a red blush. Black Oxford, diminutive purple-black orbs, dotted with light “stars.” American Golden Russets, a raised, sandpaper-y texture on its light brown surface.

These aren’t far-off planets as envisioned by a science-fiction writer; rather, these unusual names and appearances describe heirloom apple varieties. As students trundle off to school, the nighttime temperatures begin to dip, and the daylight lessens, apple trees all across Maine are ripening. While we have come to think of apples as only “red” or “green” (and usually disappointingly mealy), local orchards are now offering apples with a plethora of tastes, textures, and uses.

For those looking to learn more about the pedigree of the unusual and vast variety of forgotten apples, turn to Rowan Jacobsen’s new book, Apples of Uncommon Character: 123 Heirlooms, Modern Classics, and Little-Known Wonders. Jacobsen currently resides in Vermont, but is no stranger to Maine, exploring the terroir of bivalves in A Geography of Oysters and recently volunteering with NOAA researching the health of shellfish and puffins in the Gulf of Maine. In his latest work, Jacobsen presents an encyclopedia of apples, detailing rare and heirloom varieties, accompanied by beautiful color photographs. Become an apple aficionado through Jacobsen’s vignettes detailing rare and common apples’ history, as well as which apples are best for fresh eating, baking, saucing, and cider. The book’s final chapter provides apple recipes, from lobster Waldorf salad to classic tarte tatin.

Jacobsen’s short introduction delves into the apple’s journey from Europe to the fledgling United States (including mention of John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, and his entrepreneurial work adding value to plots of land by installing apple orchards) and then into the declining number of apple varieties available in today’s supermarket. Jacobsen also details the work of pomologists like Maine’s John Bunker, who hunts down rare apple varieties and preserves them in his Palermo orchard. Bunker and his wife Cammy Watts offer a 5-week apple CSA, providing share members with 55-60 pounds of apples, delivered every other week from mid-September until early December. The “Out on a Limb” CSA showcases about 30 different unusual apple varieties, from early-season tart specimens to end-of-season apples that sweeten in storage. Bunker will return to MOFGA’s Common Ground Fair again this year with his popular apple display.

In southern Maine, apples have been quietly populating stands at the farmers’ market for about a month now. The first arrivals are what farmers call “Early Macs,” or McIntosh apples. This New England favorite is best early in the season, before the flesh takes on an unappealing mushiness. At Uncle’s Farm’s stand, farmer Mike Farwell is selling these Early Macs, plus Cortlands, Ginger Golds, and Paula Reds for $1.50/lb. Nearby Snell’s Farm is selling Sunrise Macs and Ginger Golds. All of these varieties are good for both fresh eating and baking, but do not store well like some other late-season varieties.

Sweet cider from Meadow Brook Farm & Orchard in Raymond is also now available at the farmers’ market, and their pick-your-own orchard is open weekends from 9 am to 6 pm. At the Urban Farm Fermentory, brewer Reid Emmerich ferments juice from McIntosh and Cortland apples using the yeast naturally present on the fruit. The resulting “cidah” is much drier than most varieties, as other commercial cideries add additional yeast and sugar to create a sweeter drink. Whether you’re drinking or eating your apples this fall, look beyond the supermarket to see, as Jacobsen says, “the many things an apple can be, the many roles it can play in our lives.”

Rowan Jacobsen, Apples of Uncommon Character, reading and apple tasting | September 22 | 6 pm | SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress St., Portland | 207.828.5600 | free

Preserve precious produce

Originally published in the Portland Phoenix on August 14, 2014

Hunt & Alpine Club's pickled pantry

In his preserving cookbook Saving the Season, University of California Master Food Preserver Kevin West writes, “nature’s bounty is abundant, but fleeting,” and encourages preserving as a means of capturing edible nostalgia in a jar. That’s all well and good in California, where a bygone season just means a different bounty at the year-round farmers’ market. But in Maine, the end of the growing season means we’re staring down the decidedly unsexy barrel of local produce like potatoes, carrots, and beets from storage. That is, unless you add one more thing to your already-full summertime agenda: preserving.

Entrepreneurial hipsters have driven the cost of a quart of pickles up to the $10 mark, so making your own is not only economical, but immensely satisfying. You can preserve your vegetable pickles in jars by canning them (visit UMaine Extension’s website for recipes, instructions, hands-on classes, and videos at extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-preservation) or you can skip the food safety concerns and make quick refrigerator pickles. At Salvage BBQ, Jay Villani douses thinly sliced cucumbers and onions in a sweet “bread and butter” brine flavored with mustard seed, turmeric, celery seed, salt, and plenty of sugar. The sweet yet tart pickles balance out the fatty smoked meats and the spicy barbecue sauce.

Portland Hunt & Alpine Club’s chef Ricky Penatzer pickles any produce he can get his hands on, sourcing sunchokes, blueberries, beets, green strawberries, and cabbage (just to name a few) from Dandelion Springs Farm, Alewive’s Brook Farm, and FarmFresh Connection. Penatzer serves his pickled concoctions on the various “børds” at the Scandinavian-themed craft cocktail bar, using the pickles’ texture and bright flavors to offset the richness of the cheese plates, deviled eggs, and smoked trout with brown butter mayo.

At Piccolo, Damian Sansonetti pickles zucchini, onions, and fennel slices in vinegar, then covers the vegetables with a layer of olive oil. He serves the zucchine sott’olio alongside salumi and says the pickles have a silky, “confit” texture. Sansonetti aims to preserve fruit jams and sauces with his wife, Chef Ilma Lopez, for later use in her intricate desserts.

While wild Maine blueberries and apples are available nearly year round, local strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and peaches are precious commodities. While all of these can be preserved in jars in jams and jellies, freezing whole berries or fruit slices offers a more versatile product. Would-be preservers may balk at the prices per quart at the farmers’ market, so seek out “Pick Your Own” operations. An afternoon spent at Snell’s Family Farm in Buxton or Fairwinds Farm in Topsham can yield pounds of raspberries and blueberries at a fraction of the cost.

Standard Baking Co.’s bakers freeze blackberries and raspberries in the summer to use in buckles (baked fruit with a cake topping) and buckwheat scones. Abby Huckel at Local Sprouts Cooperative freezes fruit sauces and cut fruit for the café’s bakery. The fruit is baked into muffins, pies, and scones, while the catering crew makes berry frostings and filling for wedding cakes. Huckel even freezes vegetables at the café, using previously frozen snap peas, corn, and peppers in their vegetable mix, served alongside scrambled eggs, home fries, or in a stir fry. Huckel says that by late winter, the vegetable mix is fairly cabbage-heavy, so “anything that can break up the cabbage is welcome.”

Between two seasons of light and dark, bounty and scarcity, create a little time to master simple preserving techniques to brighten your plate, whether it’s pickled or sweet. Should you posses the know-how to preserve, but not the equipment, such as canning pots, dehydrators, jar lifters, and funnels, support the fledgling Portland Tool Library. The organizers aim to create a lending library of home and garden tools, including preserving supplies. Donations to their startup fund can be made at indiegogo.com/projects/maine-tool-library-portland--2.

Summer Pickling in Maine, Continued

In researching my recent Portland Phoenix column, Preserve precious produce, I, as usual, gathered information that wouldn't fit into the column. I talked pickling at length with the chef at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, a place that brings cocktails to mind before pickles. But Ricky Penatzer pickles a lot of produce (and even fish!) to serve on their Scandinavian-themed sandwiches and bords. 

The nitty-gritty of Penatzer's pickle process was left out of the column, but he has a lot of interesting techniques. Because of health code regulations and time constraints, Penatzer doesn't can his pickles, but instead makes batches of refrigerator pickles. Fridge pickles can last a few months (in the refrigerator, of course), due to the high acid content (i.e. added vinegar) and allow more freedom in your recipe creation. 

Penatzer creates brines based on the flavor profile of the produce he's pickling. Thinly sliced sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) are pickled in a sweet "bread and butter" brine with caramelized onions, celery seed, mustard seed, peppercorns, and lots of turmeric. He blanches the sunchokes in the brine (they shouldn't be eaten raw, as they can cause stomach troubles) as he heats the brine to dissolve the sugar and salt. 

Conversely, he avoids heating delicate wild Maine blueberries when pickling them, since cooking them toughens their skins. Penatzer boils the brine, but then lets it cool to room temperature before adding the fruit. To add a more complex flavor without the added expense, Penatzer adds a little bit of aged white balsamic vinegar to the blueberries' brine. He uses ratio of equal parts white or cider vinegar and water to create the base for the brine, then adds a bit of flavored (i.e. more expensive) vinegars at the end, after heating and cooling the brine. 

The jar pictured above is pickled fennel, and I should have taken a page from Penatzer's book and blanched the fennel slices in the brine. Pickled raw, the resulting pieces are a bit tough. The brine is equal parts cider vinegar and water, with a tablespoon of salt, and a sprinkling of mustard seeds, peppercorns and red pepper flakes. 

You can pickle jalapeno slices (they stay nice and crunchy without any added heat), purple cabbage - both great for topping Mexican dishes - red onions, green tomatoes, cauliflower (blanch it), and green beans (again, blanch for fridge pickles). 

If you love dilly beans (pickled green beans), as much as I do though, you'll have to break out the boiling water bath canner to put up a year's worth of pickles. I made one batch resulting in 7 jars, and certainly need to at least double that volume to make it to next summer. There's a lot of Bloody Marys to be had during football season. 

Dilly Beans (Pickled Green Beans)

From the National Center for Home Food Preservation

4 lbs. tender green or yellow beans 

8 to 16 heads fresh dill

8 cloves garlic

1/2 cup canning or pickling salt

5 cups white vinegar (5 percent acidity)

5 cups water

1 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Wash and trim ends from beans and cut to 4-inch lengths. In each sterile pint jar, place 1 to 2 dill heads and 1 clove of garlic. Place whole beans upright in jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Trim beans to ensure proper fit. 

Combine salt, vinegar water, and pepper flakes (if desired). Bring to a boil. Add hot solution to beans, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Add lids and apply screw bands until fingertip tight. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. Let cool, check for seals, and label and date.

Yield: About 8 pints

If you're into fermenting to get your pickles, I can't recommend this ceramic crock enough: the Harsch fermenting crock. It's not cheap, but it's doing a great job of keeping my cucumbers fully submerged in the brine. The water lock around the lid is keeping the mold out - my other batch of pickles fermenting in a 5-gallon plastic bucket has blue mold around the edges, whereas the crock has not a hint of mold (the spots you see in the photo below are scum from the fermentation process and floating spices). 

The 5-gallon pickles have been fermenting for about 3-1/2 weeks and the larger batch in the crock for almost 2 weeks. I sampled the smaller batch of pickles a week and a half ago, and deemed them to not taste like much more than salt. I diluted the brine and left them to ferment a bit more. Hopefully they'll have a tangy, acidic flavor the next time I dip in for a sample. 

For more information on fermenting, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation's page on fermenting. Sandor Felix Katz is a great resource for fermentation as well, but more so his book Wild Fermentation and the Art of Fermentation than his website. Canadian bloggers at Well Preserved also do a great job explaining fermentation. But really, you've just got to get in there and start something fermenting. The produce is in, so start pickling!

OBX Beach Break

I'm on vacation! Nothing but peaches, corn, seafood, pools and beaches as far as the eye can see.

Until we return to our regularly scheduled programming (ha! Like I have a schedule...), read my article in this week's Portland Phoenix: Preserve precious produce.

Backyard Locavore Day, Food In Jars' Preserving by the Pint

The 6th annual UMaine Extension Backyard Locavore Day is this Saturday, and the weather is predicted to be lovely. All the gardens will have dried out and be poppin' after this week's rain. Come enjoy a stroll around someone else's backyard and be inspired by ways you can grow and preserve your own food. 

The 6 sites in Brunswick and Freeport showcase a variety of properties and gardens, so no matter where you're at on the food production/preservation continuum, you'll be sure to learn something. Tickets are only $15 in advance, $20 on the day of, and can be purchased online. 

I will be demonstrating making homemade yogurt in Freeport, so I hope to see you! I will have a few copies of my book, Portland Food: the Culinary Capital of Maine on hand for sale. 

Once the Locavore dust clears, I am so excited to be hosting Marisa McClellan on her book tour for her second preserving cookbook, Preserving by the Pint. Marisa writes the popular canning blog Food in Jars and published her first preserving cookbook by the same name in 2012. It's a great read, full of inspiring recipes like roasted corn salsa, blueberry-lemon syrup, and even rosemary salt. I'm excited to see her new book, which highlights small batches of preserves. I'm sure it will be inspiring and filled with beautiful photography like her first book.

Marisa will be at the UMaine Extension office in Falmouth on Thursday, August 21st from 7-9pm demonstrating three recipes from her second book. I'll be providing pairings for attendees to sample (I'm already brainstorming which local cheeses will go well with), and of course Marisa will sign books and have copies of the recipes she demonstrates on hand. The class is $15 and you can register online (we do expect this workshop to sell out).

Unusual ice cream options

Originally published in the Portland Phoenix on July 16, 2014

Our short Maine summers mean we must maximize our ice cream eating opportunities. Most Portlanders have an opinion about the best ice cream purveyor, from Beal’s to Gifford’s to Red’s Dairy Freeze. But what of the lesser known frozen treats? During this run of glorious warm weather, many Portland restaurants and sweets shops are quietly churning out scoops worth your time this summer.

East End Cupcakes, known for their creatively flavored confections like banana cake topped with Nutella buttercream, quietly started making chocolate chip cookies 2 years ago. The cookies are sprinkled with a good amount of Maldon sea salt, giving them an irresistibly salty finish. Owner Alysia Zoidis says, “you need salt when you have sweet. A lot of people overlook that, and you get a one-dimensional sweet.”

Zoidis serves a scoop of Toot’s vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies ($4). After taste testing area offerings with her mom, Zoidis settled on North Yarmouth’s beloved Toot’s Ice Cream. Zoidis found the mother-daughter duo serving “wonderful, homemade ice cream,” from a repurposed train caboose to be an obvious choice.

Vinland, the 100 percent local foods restaurant, has taken advantage of the crowds drawn to the newly revitalized Congress Square Park by serving ice cream out of the back door of the restaurant. The ice cream operation has been in the works for a while, but according to bartender Alex Winthrop, the kitchen was working on achieving the perfect organic, gluten-free cone before launching. A salted butter semifreddo is the first flavor available, with a creamy texture and the sweetness again tempered by a hint of salt ($4 cup, $5 cone).

If you’re up for a bit of a drive out of Portland, you’ll be rewarded by fresh ice cream at Krista Kern Desjarlais’ Bresca and the Honey Bee. Desjarlais closed her popular Portland restaurant Bresca in the Spring of 2013, after purchasing the Snack Shack on Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester. Locals have been recreating at the privately-owned Outlet Beach since the 1920s. Desjarlais continues the tradition with her lakeside barbecue menu, but elevates it with gourmet twists on hamburgers and hotdogs. After you enjoy a Le Crunch dog, topped with kettle chips or a chilled rice noodle salad with pork belly, get a scoop ($3.75 cup with a pizzelle cookie, $.50 extra for a house-made sugar cone), while you dip your feet in the refreshing lake water.

Desjarlais uses Bink Belgian Ale and fresh peaches in her Belgian ale peach ice cream to create a subtly sweet, complex flavor that begins to melt as soon as its handed to you. Other summer flavors include White Monkey Tea, infused with a green tea from Little Red Cup Tea Co., and cherries that have been soaked in red wine. A root beer ice cream is flavored using all natural extracts and a crème fraîche Key lime pie has chunks of crushed graham crackers. The Snack Shack stops serving ice cream after Labor Day, so visit before 5:30 pm, seven days a week.

While not new, Bonobo Wood Fired Pizza continues their summer ice cream window. They serve popular Gelato Fiasco flavors and Smiling Hill ice cream, one of the only spots to get a scoop without visiting the farm’s dairy store. Stop by any of these spots on your post-dinner constitutional for a treat that is as sweet as Maine’s fleeting summer. You may even find your spot to lobby for in the neverending debate over Maine’s best ice cream.

EAST END CUPCAKES | 426 Fore St, Portland | Mon-Thurs 10:30 am-6 pm; Fri 10:30 am-8 pm, Sat 11 am-8 pm; Sun 11 am-5 pm | 207.228.3304

VINLAND | 593 Congress St, Portland | Dinner 5:30-9 pm; Brunch Sat-Sun 10 am-1:30 pm | Visa/MC/Amex/Disc | 207.653.8617

BRESCA & THE HONEY BEE | Outlet Rd, New Gloucester | Food Wed-Sun 11:30 am-4 pm; Ice cream Mon-Sun 11 am-5:30 pm | 207.725.9002

BONOBO | 22 Pleasant St, Brunswick | Lunch Wed-Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 4-9 pm; Sun 4-9 pm; Ice cream window Thurs-Sat 6:30-9:30 pm | 207.347.8267

Summer Weekend: Flea Bites, SeaDogs, and Bissell Brothers BBQ

This weekend in Portland is full of food and drink events, as are all Maine summer weekends. Tonight, from 6:30-9:30pm, is Flea Bites, the food truck clustering event outside of Portland's Flea-for-all. Featured food trucks are CN Shawarma, Good Shepherd Food Truck (with guest chef Damian Sansonetti, Piccolo), Fishin' Ships, Gusto's Italian Food Truck, Wicked Good Truck, Love Cupcakes, and Mainely Burgers. I don't know how they're going to fit all those trucks in that tiny lot, but it's going to be jam packed full of good food!

Tomorrow, July 12th, is Bark in the Park at Portland SeaDogs game at 5pm. It's a fundraiser for the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland through Planet Dog's Foundation, and there's a pre-game dog parade on the field! Not a food-related event, and I'm not even that into dogs, but I love baseball and am looking forward to watching an adorable doggie parade before the SeaDogs beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Bissell Brothers Brewing is having a Sunday BBQ out at the brewery on Industrial Way. They'll be pouring 4 beers - which is the most I've ever seen offered from them at once! In addition to the Substance, their American Ale, the Dang 'Ole, corn ale with lime; Strawberry Swing, a red wheat ale infused with local strawberries; and the 'Magin, a Rye IPA are available.

Whatever you find yourself doing - whether it's an ambitious agenda of hitting up the afore-mentioned events or relaxing on the beach - enjoy this perfect summer weather we've been having!

Get out and dine

Originally published in the Portland Phoenix on June 19, 2014

Summer in Maine brings a long-awaited flurry of activity. While it’s tempting to recoil into a “locals only” routine to avoid the crowds, dining in Portland is at its finest when it’s warm out. Be strategic about your opportunities for great food within this short season of relative abundance. Here are 10 must-eats for Summer 2014.

1) Bite Into Maine’s lobster roll
While Cape Elizabeth’s Fort Williams is in the eye of the tourist storm, the green space and endless expanse of ocean will keep you from feeling claustrophobic while you wait for your lunch. Gorgeous scenery or no, Bite Into Maine’s lobster roll cart alone is worth the drive. Choose from five preparations of fresh, never frozen (a feat more rare than you might think), Maine lobster: 4.5 ounces of tail and claw meat, all served on fresh-baked, buttered, toasted buns. Try the picnic-style roll, lobster meat tossed with melted butter, a layer of coleslaw, and sprinkled with celery seed. Think of it as research for your vote in Roll Call’s Taste of America competition, where Maine’s lobster roll has made it to the final round (vote at rollcalltasteofamerica.com). | biteintomaine.com

2) Maine Pie Line’s blueberry pie
This Maine staple can be surprisingly hard to find in a state that produces 99 percent of the country’s wild blueberries. Maine Pie Line’s Briana Warner consistently creates atypical pie fillings (like peaches poached in sage and wine and baked in almond pastry cream). Rather than just ho-hum blueberry, Warner adds warming spices cardamom and ginger to the fruit filling and covers it with a sugar-topped lattice crust. Maine Pie Line is open Wednesday–Friday, 10 am-3 pm, and Saturday from 9 am-1 pm at 200 Anderson Street in East Bayside. | mainepieline.com

3) Central Provisions’ bread and butter
Since its opening in February, Central Provisions has blended seamlessly into Portland’s elite restaurant scene. One menu staple, the bread and butter, elevates the pre-meal snack into an appetizer worthy of its own stage. Slices of grilled sourdough bread come with a heat-tempered duck egg yolk that’s been whipped and piped onto a smear of salted butter. Heavenly. | central-provisions.com

4) A meal from the farmers’ market
The Portland Farmers’ Market is the premier spot to find fresh, local food this summer. Fresh tomatoes, sweet corn, herbed goat cheese: these ingredients don’t need much to rival any Old Port restaurant meal. Meat-lovers should visit Thirty Acre Farm for pork bratwurst for the grill; everyone will love Lalibela Farm’s black bean tempeh strips, pan-fried in tacos or a salad. | portlandfarmersmarket.org

5) Small Axe food truck
We wouldn’t dare to venture a guess as to whether Congress Square Park just needed a little love to become a viable public space again or if the uptick in visitors is due to the popularity of Small Axe truck alone. Either way, enjoy the fried haddock sandwich or pork belly fried rice from these friendly chefs for lunch and dinner on weekdays. There’s new seating in the park, free Wi-Fi and, of course, great people watching. | smallaxetruck.com

6) Blue Rooster Food Co.’s chef hot dog series
Your favorite handheld treat gets a gourmet makeover this summer at The Rooster. Every week until the end of August, a guest chef hot dog is being served; the series started with Cara Stadler of Tao Yuan’s bacon-wrapped dog, topped with kimchi, ssam sauce, and cilantro mayo. This week, Steve Corry’s ‘555 Dog’ will be served until Thursday, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Good Shepherd food bank. | blueroosterfoodcompany.com

7) The Well at Jordan’s Farm
The word is out about this idyllic restaurant at Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth. Former Back Bay Grill chef Jason Williams prepares Jordan’s Farm produce and locally-raised meats in his gazebo restaurant. But remember, it’s a working farm; last summer, farmer Carol Anne Jordan found visiting picnickers spread out on her farmhouse’s lawn like they were in some Maine version of Disneyland. Bring your manners and a bottle of wine (it’s BYOB) for an al fresco dinner. Open Wednesday-Saturday at 5pm. Reservations accepted for groups of 6 or more; cash only. | jordansfarm.wix.com/thewell

8) Hella Good Tacos at Steve and Renee’s Diner
Namesake Renee recently sold her Washington Avenue diner to Josh Bankhead, who had been renting kitchen prep space for his taco cart. The diner is slowly transforming into a Mexican restaurant, with a new salsa bar for topping your chorizo tacos, carnitas burrito, or freshly-fried tortilla chips. Hella Good Tacos’ cart can still be found in Monument Square, Wednesday-Friday at lunchtime. See Facebook for the diner’s expanded hours; now serving beer. | facebook.com/hellagoodtacos

9) Gorgeous Gelato
No matter your flavor preference, whether you like fruity, chocolate-y or sweet and creamy, the gelato turned out by the Italian owners of Gorgeous Gelato is likely to be the best version you’ve had. Fruit sorbets taste fresher than if you ate berries off the bush; the ‘Gorgeous’ flavor (sweet cream with chocolate chip and caramel swirls) has an impossibly smooth texture. If you’re concerned about such things, know that gelato has 70 percent less fat than ice cream. | gorgeousgelato.com

10) Out of the Blue seafood
In an attempt to generate demand for local, abundant seafood species, Gulf of Maine Research Institute has partnered with area restaurants who feature a different lesser-known fish each month through October. In June, find redfish at Five Fifty-Five, recently served seared with littleneck clams, cipollini onions, chorizo, and butter sauce. The Salt Exchange roasts redfish and serves it with fiddleheads and corn risotto. Participating Portland restaurants include Fore Street, DiMillo’s, Gilbert’s Chowder House, and food truck Fishin’ Ships. | gmri.org/outoftheblue

Collaborations and foraged finds

Originally published in the Portland Phoenix on June 19, 2014

The old joke goes, if you want to know what’s going to be popular in Portland in five years, look at what’s happening right now in New York. But what’s closer to the truth is that Portland has been forming — dare we say setting — its own trends all along. Sure, gimmicky things happening here, like putting bacon in a Bloody Mary, were probably done in some Brooklyn bar years ago. But serving farm fresh, local food has always been popular in Maine.

Two trends in particular can be seen playing out in our high-caliber food and drink scene: one unique to our area and one that’s also popular elsewhere, but particularly well suited to our coastal climate. Look to new and long-standing popular Portland restaurants to see these trends continue this summer.

Portland chefs report the degree of camaraderie and collaboration they experience in their industry is unique. In the ultimate partnership, two restaurant professionals are opening the most-anticipated restaurant in Portland since Hunt + Alpine Club. The culinary pedigree of the owners has helped to create the hype; Jason Loring, owner of Nosh Kitchen Bar, and Stephen Lanzalotta, former Micucci’s baker, are partnering to open Slab Sicilian Street Food.

The menu at Slab naturally focuses on slab-style pizzas, and the beer list features 20 taps, many of them local. A 70-seat beer garden makes the location in the former Public Market House once again a destination for food and drink. Seven local breweries have brewed beers inspired by Slab’s menu: Rising Tide, In’finiti, Gneiss, Banded Horn, Bissell Brothers, Foundation, and Bunker Brewing.

Rising Tide is now pouring their Coslaboration in their tasting room. It’s a wheat ale, brewed with fried sage and fresh oranges, inspired by the hummus served at Slab. Only the aroma of sage is detectable, while the oranges contribute to the crispness of the beer. It’s perfect for drinking on Slab’s patio. In’finiti’s El White Camino is an easy-drinking corn lager and is now available at In’Finiti. Look for these collaborative brewing efforts at Slab (25 Preble St.; facebook.com/slabportland), opening any day now.

The use of foraged foods in Portland restaurants is slowly becoming more mainstream. At the newly opened Lolita on Munjoy Hill, from the owners of the former Bar Lola, find a dandelion green and nettle salad. The bitter, wild greens are dressed with a garlic almond puree and slices of speck, or cured pork. Nettles are the plants responsible for the stinging feeling on your calves as you hike through a field; their leaves contain formic acid, a skin irritant. Fortunately for Lolita’s diners, the effect is neutralized when the leaves are cooked.

Newcomer Vinland’s all-local menu features many foraged items. While spring’s fiddleheads and ramps are slowly fading, wild lamb’s quarter and oyster mushrooms are taking their places. Perennial favorite Eventide Oyster Co. uses foraged seaweed to flavor their soup stocks and as a garnish on their exquisitely prepared seafood dishes. If you want to add the flavor of the sea to your home cooking, Vitamin Sea, a value-added seaweed company in Scarborough, makes agricultural products, pet treats, and snacks from Maine seaweed. The Wild Weeds savory topping is an addictive mix of dried, roasted seaweed, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. It can be found at the Portland Farmers’ Market.

The beautiful thing about foraged foods is their accessibility. If you’re interesting in learning how to find the right wild edibles, consider attending the inaugural Maine Seaweed Fest, August 30 at Southern Maine Community College. Guided beach walks led by “Coastal Carol” of Coast Encounters will educate you on how to safely harvest nutritious sea greens. Local vendors will be preparing food that will expose you to the versatility of seaweed.

Considering that the Maine seaweed harvest last year was 17 millions pounds — worth almost half a million dollars — it’s about time this humble plant has it’s own festival. Turns out Maine was way into seaweed before it was cool.

Maine Seaweed Festival | Saturday, Aug 30 | Southern Maine Community College, 2 Fort Rd., South Portland | seaweedfest.com