The Wrap: Thai Esaan closes indefinitely, and SoPo Seafood opens

Hearth and smoke harm from a doable electrical fireplace on the Fishermen’s Internet on Forest Avenue in Portland final week has indefinitely closed Thai Esaan, the restaurant subsequent door, “till we are able to correctly assess our state of affairs and see what our potentialities are for reopening,” the homeowners introduced on social media.

Nobody was injured within the fireplace. Though the hearth gave the impression to be positioned close to {an electrical} panel, investigators haven’t but made a conclusive dedication about its origin and trigger, mentioned Christopher Goodall, Portland’s assistant fireplace chief.

Each companies are positioned at 849 Forest Ave.

Fishermen’s Internet is closed as properly. The homeowners mentioned they haven’t determined whether or not they’ll reopen on Forest Avenue or transfer to a brand new location, however for now they’re accepting orders for delivery solely. Name (207) 999-2424.

Swinging new place

Portland has loads of sports activities bars crammed principally with soccer, baseball and basketball followers. Now town could also be getting a venue that caters to golfers.

The Portland Metropolis Council 0n Monday authorised a restaurant/lounge license for Joseph Atwood of Falmouth and Peter Atwood of Scarborough, who plan to open X-Golf Portland, a bar and restaurant at 101 York St. The venue could have a golf-related retail area, in addition to six digital golf simulators.

In his license utility, Joseph Atwood mentioned his aim is to “present an upscale, household pleasant, sports activities bar/restaurant for the folks of Higher Portland to come back and luxuriate in a meal, watch a televised sporting occasion, or play a spherical of digital golf.” The goal opening date is Feb. 1.

A pattern menu contains all kinds of pub-style meals, from rooster wings to steak ideas and fries.

New spot for oyster eaters and seafood consumers

SoPo Seafood’s retail market and uncooked bar at 171 Ocean St. in South Portland opened final Wednesday. Photograph by Josh Edgecombe

Hours for the much-anticipated market are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays by way of Sundays. The uncooked bar, the place you’ll be able to savor oysters and beer, is open the identical hours.

The market opened final Wednesday. Yesterday, the primary sushi-grade Maine uni of the season arrived. (Neither right here nor there, however Justin Timberlake is a fan: “I really like uni. If I’m going to die of something, it’s going to be gluttony.”)

Maine’s urchin season is underway, and SoPo Seafood has simply acquired its first sushi-grade uni. Photograph courtesy of SoPo Seafood

SoPo Seafood initially deliberate to promote native seafood to eating places, however then the pandemic hit. With eating places closed, the enterprise pivoted to a neighborhood seafood supply service. The market and uncooked bar are the subsequent step within the homeowners’ new enterprise mannequin.

Ela Market and Grill closed

Ela Market & Grill, at 125 Bucknam Street in Falmouth, has completely closed.

The market, which opened in February 2020, offered mostly to-go food, together with sandwiches, salads and pizza, lots of which had a Greek aptitude. Ela had a troublesome begin, contemplating the homeowners did in depth renovations to the constructing and opened just a month before the pandemic reached Maine.

The two,541 square-foot constructing is now listed on the market on the Coldwell Banker web site for $1.1 million. Along with the market area and all of its gear, fixtures and furnishings (and 10 parking areas), the property features a two-bedroom condominium.

Order ye lobster whereas ye might

Eat your fill of lobster throughout Maine Lobster Week. Marie Sonmez Images/Shutterstock.com

You continue to have 4 days to rejoice Maine Lobster Week, which ends Saturday. Practically 50 Maine eating places are highlighting lobster on their menus, whether or not it’s a multi-course meal, a particular dish, or a easy lobster roll.

Nonesuch River Brewing in Scarborough, for instance, is serving not solely lobster rolls and lobster mac-and-cheese, but additionally lobster succotash – lobster with native corn, cherry tomatoes, inexperienced beans, a wine cream sauce and cornbread. Island Lobster Firm on Peaks Island is providing lobster poutine that includes lobster meat and cheese curds atop a mattress of fries and – right here’s the most effective half – drizzled with lobster bisque.

For extra menus, go to mainelobsterweek.com.

And for many who nonetheless gained’t get their fill of lobster this week: Luke’s Lobster plans to offer one fortunate individual free lobster for a yr. Go to lukeslobster.com to enter.

Can’t go to the truthful, however …

The Widespread Floor Honest was canceled once more this yr, leaving distributors who ready all yr for the truthful with a lot of merchandise to promote however no clients. A lot of them will probably be gathering at Conscious People Farm, 290 Morse Street in New Gloucester, from 11 a.m. to five p.m. for the Harvest Moon Craft Pageant.

Whereas crafters who make botanicals and goat’s milk merchandise will attend, the competition doesn’t embrace Widespread Floor meals distributors. Meals will probably be out there, although, from Mr. Tuna (sushi hand rolls), Niyat Catering (Ethiopian meals), Empanada Membership, and Snöbirds Shave Ice.

Greater than 30 Maine crafters will attend the competition, which was organized by Hannah Welling on her household’s farm.

The all-outdoors occasion additionally options actions for teenagers, stay music and visits with livestock. Masks will probably be required, no matter vaccination standing. Organizers are asking for a $5 donation on the gate to cowl bills.

Writer and fermentation revivalist Sandor Katz pays a digital go to to Portland in October. Photograph courtesy of Chelsea Inexperienced Publishing

Enjoyable with fermentation

Sandor Katz is a rock star of the fermentation world. His books are thought-about must-haves amongst followers of fermented meals. (Michael Pollan known as him “the Johnny Appleseed of Fermentation.”) Onggi, a fermentation store that opened last spring at 93 Washington Ave. in Portland, is internet hosting a free Zoom session with Katz wherein he’ll reply questions and speak about his newest ebook, “Fermentation Journeys: Recipes, Strategies, and Traditions from Across the World” (Chelsea Inexperienced, $35), due out on Oct. 28.

The session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 6. RSVP on Eventbrite.com  or by way of the store’s web site at onggi.com.

Books (together with 10 signed copies) can be found for pre-order, as properly.

Information from the Frontier

Frontier, a Brunswick arts and cultural venue within the outdated Fort Andross mill overlooking the Androscoggin River, has nonetheless not reopened its full-service restaurant, which closed in the course of the pandemic. It’s trying to find a culinary companion to take over meals service operations till the homeowners can provide you with a long-term marketing strategy.

Frontier’s movie, music, artwork and group programming will resume in October, and its espresso bar will probably be open.

In the meantime, Frontier plans to staff up with Nomad Pizza for a two-night occasion Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 to boost cash for the Mid Coast Starvation Prevention Program. The occasion, from 6 to 9 p.m. each nights, contains stay music. The $20 ticket worth will get you wood-fired pizza and salad; beer, wine and cocktails will probably be out there for buy. To order a spot, go to Evenbrite.com or explorefrontier.com.

Proof of vaccination or a unfavorable COVID take a look at will probably be required. Masks are required when not consuming or ingesting.

Free espresso for a trigger

Aroma Joe’s plans to offer away free 16-ounce cups of espresso – sizzling or iced – on Sept. 29, which is Nationwide Espresso Day.

The Portland-based firm – which now has 78 places in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Florida – will donate $1 to The Dempsey Heart for each cup of espresso it provides away. In case you can’t make it to one in all their places that day, go online and buy their home mix espresso ($8.50 for a 12-ounce bag), and $2 will probably be donated to The Dempsey Heart.

Serving to most cancers sufferers – that’s a great excuse for grabbing some Wednesday morning espresso.

Writers Karl Schatz and Margaret Hathaway look over web page drafts for the primary quantity of the Maine Bicentennial Cookbook at their dwelling, Ten Apple Farm. Brianna Soukup/Workers Photographer

Name for (extra) recipes

In case you’ve obtained an amazing household recipe to share – particularly for those who’re from rural Maine – take into account sending it to the organizers of the Maine Community Cookbook, who’re trying to find extra recipes to fill their second quantity, scheduled to be launched subsequent spring.

The deadline for submitting recipes for the “Maine Group Cookbook, Quantity 2: 200 Extra Recipes Celebrating House Cooking within the Pine Tree State” has been prolonged by two weeks, by way of Oct. 15. The aim is to gather no less than 50 recipes in 25 days, particularly recipes from extra rural elements of Maine. Even higher if they’ve a catchy title, like a few of these submitted to this point: “Grampa Gene’s Onion Pie,” for instance, or “Steuben Aspect-Stroll Society Oyster Stew.”

To submit a recipe, go to maine200cookbook.com or mail recipes to Maine Group Cookbook c/o Rabelais Books, 2 Most important St., Suite 18-214, Biddeford, Maine 04005.

As with the first cookbook, $2 from every ebook offered will go to teams combating starvation in Maine. The primary quantity raised greater than $15,000.

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