Bon Appetit

Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appetit covers Portland and repeats that oft-uttered, little-fact checked piece of information with a fresh twist:

The local visitors bureau reports that per capita, more money is spent in Portland restaurants than in any other U.S. city except San Francisco and New York, via BA.

And lists the breweries, seafood restaurants, bakeries, and best places to eat. A short video here.

Minumentals: gastronomique

Painting: Rob Sullivan
Rabelais, Sept. 4, 6-8 p.m. [On EMD!]

Haddock cakes and Marifax beans

Sam Hayward talks about cutting costs, not corners:

In his kitchen at Fore Street Restaurant, amid the sounds of ovens and fans, and the murmurings and gurglings of pots and pans, Hayward makes a meal that harks back to the traditions of Maine—cod cakes and beans, via NPR.

Month in Review, August

The New York Times' Julia Moskin planned to write about Portland restaurants in September (1) and preindustrialists from Brooklyn invaded Maine to butcher pigs (2). Attendees at a cod race got drunk and out of hand (3), a Matinicus man who reportedly shot another lobsterman did so to defend his daughter (4), and creating a Matinicus-only fishing grounds might solve any future tensions (5).

Because of fall harvests breaks, kids in The County started school in August (4). The potato was called an inexpensive food option (5). A surge in scallops on Georges Bank did not bode well for Maine's stocks (6). Livestock farmers were called an endangered species (7), the state's apple research facility turned 100 (8), and an 87-year old clam digger died (9). Food was better without meat (11).

12 Seats

Photo: Jon Levitt

Restaurants per capita

Whit Richardson looks at the numbers behind the oft-repeated, PR-infused accolade: Portland has more restaurants per capita than San Francisco.

The Portland City Clerk's office has 536 registered food service establishments with food preparation, according to Alexandra Murphy, assistant city clerk. Assuming a Portland population of 63,000, we come up with one restaurant for every 118 people. Pretty good! With that kind of figure, Portland even tops San Francisco, via Mainebiz.

The Farmers' Cart

The Farmers' Cart, a 30-Acre Farm side project, opened today in Monument Square with breakfast sausage and pulled pork wraps.

Sonny's

Jay Villani, of Local 188, has rented the ground floor space at 83 Exchange St., the space formerly occupied by O'Naturals, for a new restaurant focused on the lunch crowds. According to The Forecaster, it will be called Sonny's.

RIP report: Huong

Huong Vietnamese Food, the hole-in-the-wall pho shop at 349 Cumberland Avenue, has closed.