Ellie

Thanks for the head up on the Laughing Bird! BTW, it looks like Harbor Fish Market is on Twitter! I am very excited about the possibilities as I love to find out what specials or out-of-the ordinary items they get in. It doesn't look like there are many followers yet, but I thought I would spread the word in hopes it will catch on and become a valuable tool for those who can't stop in daily. Of course, now I'll have to figure out Twitter. Yikes! Are there any other interesting Twitter accounts to follow around the Portland area? I'd love to see Yosaku tweet their specials.

I just wanted to drop a quick note about a fish they have had on the specials board at Yosaku. Its called Sanma, is from Japan and I understand its a Pacific saury (so says wikipedia.) For those who really enjoy small, whole, grilled fish along the lines of sardines [@johnnyd...] this is a real treat. Seriously delicious! I just called them and its still available. JohnnyD, I hope you have a chance to try this if you haven't already. You could do a much better job of describing the flavors. Regards

October to March is the best time to buy uni at sushi bars. Browne Trading is a retail purchase opton. Ankimo is also best in winter. ← Thanks for the info! A bright spot for winter, I guess.

Does anyone know whether local sea urchin is in season and if so, where it can be purchased? Another thing I can't seem to get straight is ankimo. It seems monkfish is always available so why not the livers? Its all so confusing ....

Any Restaurant Week reports out there? I've seen surprising little in the blogs so far - Back Bay Grill, Pepperclub... that's all I recall off hand. I plan to get out for one meal (thanks to a courageous babysitter - dinner without our wee-one is a BIG deal!) I hope its going well. This could be a really good thing for Portland (and Maine) in years to come. Cheers!

Really wonderful post, johnnyd! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a try! Good luck with the polpo. Let us know how it goes.

I have been checking all over town and cannot seem to find lard. The butcher is putting together a stash of pork fat for me, but I'd still like to find a source for the rendered stuff. Any ideas? TIA

I am looking for organic or low-pesticide use apple orchards. Not sure why I'm having such a problem finding this info. I have identified one up near Lincolnville. Anything further south or west? Is there a list online somewhere? Thanks!

According to a posting on Craigslist, Katahdin is under new management. Anyone know what's happening over there? Happy 4th!

← The Meat House is now open! I stopped in today to check it out. I was really surprised how nice the space is, with high ceilings, pleasant lighting and a spacious, open feel. I am really pleased with what I saw. There are some natural meat selections, which I'm pleased to see. I really appreciate some of the brands they've selected to sell, including Olivia's greens, Java Joe's (??) maine roasted coffee, La Regina tomatoes, Meadowbrook Mozarella from VT, Boars Head, Al Fresco sausage, Stubbs bbq sauces (which I searched high and low for a few weeks ago and couldn't find), and on and on. Oh, and pies, big and little ones. They stock a pretty complete line of Terra Cotta products, pastas, sauces, etc. Lots of pre-marinated meats for last minute meals. Big, beautiful boston pork butt roasts that will require we fire up the smoker at the next available opportunity -- or if the weather takes a turn, a sinful batch of carnitas! I guess I'm just so thrilled to have another option in the Mill Creek area. As my baby belly gets bigger and bigger, trips across the bridge become less and less appealing. Farms stands, farmers markets and a convenient nearby grocer is just right~!

Thanks so much the tip, esme! You've reminded me, I'm definitely long overdue for a visit to Rosemont.

Bad news on the Knightville Farmers Market. I just got word that this weekend's first market is cancelled due to lack of farmer participation. John Seymour, the organizer, did say there was a lot of excitement in the community but there is a need to spread the word to the farmers. Hopefully this thing will get off the ground! I think it would be a wonderful addition to the area! On another note, yesterday my partner decided to make a fish soup. As we headed off to Hannaford to pick up a few last items, he lamented about the odds of finding decent chorizo. Thanks to johnnyd, I knew they had that D'Artagnan chorizo. I am not sure how it rates against others as I'm not well versed in chorizo. Overall it worked very well in our soup providing nice flavor and color to the soup. And that chowder/soup fish they sell at Harbor, the scraps from the days cuttings, are a always a tasty and inexpensive treat!

I was in the Northstar Cafe this morning and saw a poster announcing a new farmer's market in Knightville beginning Sunday May 25th. 9am - 3pm. 15 Ocean St. It reported limited spaces still available. http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/fm/Knig...arketplace.html There was also a poster for a Knightville Artisan Bazaar. Same place but on Saturday from 10am - ?? (I'm not sure what time). More info at info@maineartiststudio.com. Btw, a few days ago I was at Hannaford in Mill Creek. The natural meat selection there always bums me out, but there was something that made me laugh. They had a very small selection of D'Artagnan rabbits, chickens and poussin. I would rather see local meats or a more consistent selection of natural meats available for my regular grocery shopping. For a D'Artagnan rabbit, I would be more than happy to travel to a specialty purveyor to purchase. On another note, does anyone have any experience sourcing Maine Goat Meat? I found several farms online, but most sales opportunities seemed to be Midcoast - Rockland, Camden, etc. Thanks in advance!

I wanted to send out my congratulations to Fatdeko on his winning cocktail at the B&B Master Mixologist Showcase! (reported by Portland Food Map) Sounds like the event was a lot of fun! Looking forward to seeing you at The Grill Room... soon?