Articles
Mega ships arrive, bringing mega dollars
The white whale docked in Portland in late September. While it wasn’t Moby Dick — rather, it was Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Explorer of the Seas – the event marked the coming of the mega ship era in Maine. Onlookers marveled as the cumbersome 15-passenger-deck ever-so-delicately docked. “The ship had an unusual arrival,” notes Jeff
And for the over-indulgent? Home Runners!
If the spotlight on the re-invented Black Point Inn now shines mainly on the dining experience, accompanying the menu is an impressive wine list. Norine Kotts, food and beverage director, encourages diners to indulge with great gusto. Like any seasoned connoisseur, she believes that fine wine should be sipped and savored — by the bottle,
Reinventing ItselfSimultaneously, the Black Point Inn updates – and returns to 1921
The newly reconstituted Black Point Inn opened last summer a hodgepodge assemblage of its former self. Its rose garden has been replaced by a heated swimming pool with a gorgeous ocean view, blank trellises adorning the adjacent patio signaling a future filled with roses yet to come. What happened to the venerable old Black Point
State Pier project gets a green light — sort of
On July 11, Portland City Council’s Community Development Committee (CDC) voted two-to-one to recommend Ocean Properties Ltd., of Portsmouth over The Olympia Cos., of Portland, as the company best suited to redevelop Maine State Pier. This story of dueling developers (WWF May 2007) might well have ended that evening, were it not for the continuing
The Summer Shack Cookbook
W.W. Norton & Company $35.00 A Seafood Cookbook for the Entire Family In his sleep, the legendary Jasper White can easily whip up cherrystone seviche, Portuguese-Style pan fried hake and Fra Diavolo sauce. Yet in his recently released cookbook, The Summer Shack Cookbook, readers are also served terrific recipes for the most delightfully and deliciously
Political correctness moves into Maine’s seafood restaurants
Ethical and practical concerns have altered the way Maine’s most prominent chefs choose to serve seafood. Only fish that can reproduce at the rate that they’re being caught make it onto their gourmet menus. At the height of this summer’s tourist season, chic restaurants are preparing politically correct seafood, educating as well as feeding some
New ship joins Maine’s summer cruise fleet
On June 15, Maine Gov. John Baldacci will smash a bottle of champagne to officially christen a new 100-passenger ship, American Star (a sister ship is pictured here) – after which the cruise ship will sail from its home port in Bangor and begin a 20-week season of seven-night cruises along Maine’s coast. Ports of
Ocean vs. Olympia: To the Victor Goes the Pier
Only two proposals for the redevelopment of Maine State Pier met the stringent four-month late February deadline of Portland’s Community Development Committee (CDC). Both suggest a hotel, office building and accommodations for the high-speed Cat as well as the city’s tugboat fleet. Furthermore, both remarkably carry the same $90 million price tag. Currently the CDC
Lobster Chic Shopping for “bugs” is getting more complicated
There’s a new guy in town selling lobsters — Whole Foods, which just opened Feb. 14 in Portland. At 45,350-square-feet, this supermarket is my town’s new epicenter for the animal-compassionate consumer who strongly believes in the humane killing of naturally fed animals who’ve lived a stress-free life. I, however, am feeling a tad overwhelmed —
Becky’s Diner: A landmark waterfront eatery gets the green light to expand
Since 1991, 0n Hobson’s Wharf off Portland’s Commercial Street, Becky’s Diner has been dishing up utterly familiar, authentically home style fare. This is a diner than never disappoints — walk in the front door and you can really count on something, even if it’s just lunch. The regulars eschew fancy food phrases like “comfort food,”