Regency's 20 Milk Street adds outdoor dining

The sun is shining and there's humidity in the air, which makes it the perfect time of year to grab dinner and drinks outside. Early in the season, The Portland Regency added a handful of tables on the Market Street sidewalk outside of The Armory Lounge. More recently, the historic Old Port hotel created a lovely outdoor dining room on the far side of the parking circle.

There's seating for roughly 20 and both dinner and lunch are served here, weather permitting. The standard menu comes from the hotel's 20 Milk Street restaurant. This restaurant offers steak and seafood-centric fare, but should you want something lighter I hear that the waitstaff is happy to offer the new bar menu from The Armory.

Also, look for nightly specials and the two for $60 dinner special, which includes two salads, two entrees, two desserts and coffee, tea or soda.

Lunch is served outdoors from 11:30 am-1 pm and dinner is served from 5-9:30 pm Sunday-Thursday and until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday. For more info or a reservation call 774-4200. The hotel & restaurant are located at 20 Milk Street.

555 cook revamps Fit to Eat

Roughly three years ago Mike Mastronardi used to manage the sandwich shop and salad bar Fit to Eat. But after a year there he left to further his culinary knowledge, working at two foodie hotspots: The Harraseeket Inn in Freeport and Five Fifty-Five in Portland.

"Five Fifty-Five really taught me how to cook," Mike says of the fine dining restaurant, where he still works Sunday brunch.

Recently he was offered the opportunity to take over the reins at Fit to Eat, and he jumped at it. He re-opened the shop two weeks ago with a pared down menu and scratch made breads.

Everything is made fresh to order, with sandwiches that include the Old Port ($6.99), with roast beef, avocado, romaine, tomato, cheddar and cucumber wasbi mayo, the California ($7.50), with salmon, avocado, carrots, cucumbers, romaine and cucumber wasbi mayo, and the Santa Fe ($6.99), with chicken, romaine, red peppers, banana peppers, salsa and cheddar.

There's one vegetarian sandwich on the menu, the Portobello ($6.75), with arugula, roasted red peppers, cheddar and horseradish mayo, and there's also a daily vegetarian special.

Each day Mike makes the Tuscan and focaccia rolls, plus English muffins.

Here's Mike whipping up one of his signature scrambled egg sandwiches served until 11 am on the English muffins. Choices include bacon ($5), sausage ($5) and veggie ($6).

He's making all the sauces and dressings from scratch and is sourcing his supplies from Native Maine, Micucci Wholesale and the Fresh Approach market in the West End.

"I don't believe in canned or frozen," Mike says. "I hope that's what sets us apart."

He offers one soup a day, and each is cream-based. Today's soup is carrot cardamon ($2.50/$3.50). He's working on a chilled cucumber creme fraiche soup and a tomato bisque will follow.

In the future, he hopes to add bagels, gluten-free bread and possibly pizza (but that's farther down the road).

"I hope people will be able to tell the difference between homemade mayonnaise and dressing and the bottled stuff," he says.

Fit to Eat is located above The Big Easy and next to Sebago at 65 Market St. It is open Mon-Fri from 7 am-5 pm. Once O'Natural's closes up shop, Fit to Eat may add hours on Saturday. To place an order to go, call 761-4441.

Online lunch dates in Eatland

I was walking down Congress Street past the Eastland Park Hotel the other night when I snapped this shot. Broadcasting Eatland into the dark night sky, it looks like it could be intentional. A neon homage to our James Beard awarding-winning chefs and our culture of sustainable, organic food.

Because it's required for residents of Eatland, I spend a lot of time eating in restaurants. But the past two days have been different, because I've made my lunch dates online. Here I am with the Maine Vegan Meetup group at Silly's for lunch on Saturday. Silly's has a huge vegan menu, vegan desserts, vegan beers and daily vegan specials. The eatery also whips up Soy Silkshakes, and I ordered one with chocolate, peanut butter and coffee. It was rich and oh so delicious.

There are other Maine Meetups dedicated to dining out, including the Portland Dine and Wine Meetup and the Portland Out and About Meetup. It's free to join, and once you're a member the group's organizer will email you info about upcoming get togethers that you can opt to attend or not.

Another way to meet new people and explore Portland's restaurant scene is by signing up for Green Lunches. This off-shoot of the wildly popular Greendrinks parties allows you to sign up for social networking lunches with other people who are nearby at noontime.

I had the pleasure of joining these fun folks for a Green Lunch at the Dry Dock on Friday. It was a beautiful day, and we got to be among the first people to break in the restaurant's lower deck for the season. As we ate, we talked about all the excellent green initiatives moving forward in Maine right now. It was a good time, and a great example of how food and technology can bring people together. Especially here in Eatland.

Inside private Portland dinner with China Study author

Last night I scored an invitation to a private dinner with renowned medical research T. Colin Campbell, left, author of The China Study. Dr. Campbell was in town ahead of a lecture he delivered today to medical students at the University of New England in Biddeford.

Published in 2005, The China Study presents the results of the longest and most comprehensive investigation into the relationship between diet and disease ever conducted. The results show a strong relationship between eating animal protein and dying from cancer. The book then goes beyond the science to examine how special interest groups, scientists and bureaucrats spread nutritional confusion.

Dr. Campbell is pictured with fans at Little Lad's Bakery, where the dinner was held. Located next to the artist designed bus shelter on Congress Street, Little Lad's may be best known for its popcorn, but the company is firmly in the restaurant business, with a spot at 120 Broadway in New York City in addition to the Portland eatery.

The dinner was hosted by John Herzog of Orthopedic Specialists in Falmouth and a member of the teaching staff at UNE. Dr. Herzog is also interested in how food affects health and is about to start a 24 day trial of lipid levels and other blood measurements in study participants who switch from a meat-based diet to a plant-based diet prepared by Little Lad's Bakery and Blue Elephant in Saco.

Dr. Herzog decided to undertake this study after he switched his own eating to vegetarian and eventually vegan and saw his cholesterol level drop from 248 to 94. As part of his new eating style, Dr. Herzog says he dines at Little Lad's at least once a week. If you want to get involved in the study, send an email to info@orthocareme.com.

All the food served at Little Lad's is vegan, including this creamy mac & cheese with a wonderful crust that I enjoyed for dinner last night. It was served with green beans, mashed sweet potatoes and pineapple sweetened beets. The huge and very flavorful meal included garden salad, whole wheat rolls served with a cranberry orange relish, non-dairy ice cream, carob truffles and pumpkin pudding.

Little Lad's is run by the very lively Fleming family - including Mom Maria, Dad Larry and their five adorable and poised children - who entertained the crowd with humorous songs about sugar, fiber and good health. The funny refrains included: "Sugar in my history/Sugar in my past/But now I hope I've had my last."

Capturing all this good cheer and herbivore camaraderie on film, Monica Beach Enterprises, out of Santa Monica, CA, was also a hit with the Fleming children. The crew is creating a documentary about Dr. Campbell and his work to spread the word about the benefits of a plant-based diet. Last night was Monica Beach's first filming session. I'm so thrilled I got to be a part of it.

Portland gets new raw vegan cafe & new organic coffee shop

Portland likes to tout its foodie status, and as of tomorrow the city can claim its first raw vegan cafe. Called GRO (which stands for GrassRoots Organics), it opens at 8 am Tuesday. However, I stopped by this morning to get a sneak peek.

Chef Andrew Borne, pictured above, showed me around the place and gave me a few samples to nibble. Raw food is popular in Southern California and other health food hot spots, but this is the first raw food restaurant I've heard of in Maine. The menu includes juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and sweets, all priced under $10. Whenever possible, Andrew buys from local and organic suppliers.

I tried a bite of the raw meatballs, made with Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and spices, and topped with a raw tomato sauce and a nut sprinkle. It was really delicious, and didn't taste at all healthy-foody or gritty. Look for this as a sandwich and served over raw zucchini noodles.

The shop offers raw flatbreads and crepes, plus non-raw breads (including gluten-free) and sprouted breads. Andrew plans to offer a couple cooked soup options each day.

He explained that raw food preparation uses three main tools: a dehydrator, a food processor and a Vita Mixer. To be considered raw, food shouldn't be heated above 115 degrees. I asked Andrew about the theory behind raw foods.

"When you cook foods, 90% of the nutrients are cooked off," he explained. "We soak the nuts and seeds beforehand. (The soaking) gets rid of enzyme inhibitors, which helps digestion."

Some raw foodies eat raw meats, dairy and eggs, however the raw vegan approach is the most common. Andrew said the shop's owner, Igor Rakuz, wanted to carry raw milk and cheeses until he found out Maine law prohibits the sale of these items in restaurants.

I also sampled one of these amazing raw chocolates filled with coconut and cashews. What makes it raw, according to Andrew, is the uncooked filling and a chocolate coating never heated above 112 degrees.

Here's a close-up look at one of the shop's raw apple pies. The crust is made with Brazil nuts, cashews and dates. Apples are mixed with spices and drizzled with a mixture of pureed cashews and agave syrup.

Eventually, the back room will be converted to an indoor greenhouse of sorts to grow wheatgrass, shiitake mushrooms, micro greens and herbs. One day, more of the cafe's food may come from a real greenhouse on the owner's property in Windham.

GRO Cafe is located at 437 Congress St. (next to Guitar Grave). It's open Monday through Saturday from 8 am-6 pm. Call the cafe at 541-9119.

Portland also gained a new coffee house today. Bard Coffee Roasters opened its doors this morning at 183 Middle Street in the Old Port (kitty-corner from the Starbucks on the other side of the street). It was already packed when I showed up around noon. The shop is roasting its organic coffee in Brunswick, and offering a number of single origin brews. I tried the peaberry, which had a smooth, nutty flavor.

The shop also offers teas and hot chocolate, plus pastries from Standard Baking Company and the Good Eats Boutique. House blend coffees cost $1.60/$1.85/$2.05 and single origin coffees cost $1.85/$2.10/$2.30.

Sunday through Thursday the coffee shop is open from 7 am-9 pm, with doors staying open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Art displays will change monthly, in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk.

Buy Local members mix it up at Andy's Old Port Pub

Last night the Allagash was flowing during the Portland Buy Local mixer at Andy's Old Port Pub. This association of business owners and residents promotes the idea of keeping our purchasing power in the community and holds these networking parties every couple of months. It's not tough to get members out when local brewing superstar Allagash donates the drinks.

Another big attraction was the fresh pizza that Andy's kitchen kept bringing out for the crowd.

Joe Walsh, of Green Clean Maine, spoke to the crowd about Portland Buy Local and thanked Andy's for hosting such a fun gathering, which took place in a private room behind the main bar. After the Allagash ran out, members could order from the regular bar and Andy's donated $1 from each drink to Portland Buy Local.

A little later, Stacey Mitchell, a board member and author of "Big Box Swindle," thanked Joe for all the great work he's done this past year in organizing these mixers. She also urged everyone to join the New England-wide effort called 10% Shift. The campaign asks people to sign a pledge and commit to shifting 10% of purchases from out-of-state businesses to locally-owned businesses.

According to the number crunchers behind this effort, if five million households in New England make this shift, the money spent at local businesses (a greater portion of which stays in the local economy as compared to purchases made at out-of-state chains), would result in the creation of 48,000 new jobs and the generation of more than $5 billion in new economic activity.

Portland Buy Local is always hosting cool events, and the next one to look forward to is the Indie Biz Awards taking place May 13. Be sure to mark your calendar. If you want to see some photos from last year's awards ceremony, check out this post on my Commune Tested, City Approved blog.

Mahamud family opens Barava on Congress

For the current edition of Switch, I wrote about all the new bars, restaurants and clubs that have opened on Congress Street in the last few years. Now there's another one to add to the list. Just this week, Barava opened in the spot that used to house (most recently) Grandes Burritos/Granny's Burritos/Uncle Billy's (and a whole host of restaurants before that).

The restaurant is the work of the Mahamud family of Portland. Originally from Somalia, the family left when conflict broke out, initially moving to Zanzibar, Tanzania before coming to America more than 10 years ago. Barava is the name of the Somali city they hail from.

I met a number of the family members yesterday afternoon when I stopped by to check out the menu and scope out the scene. They include (from left to right) Amal, Abdulkdir and Osman Mahamud.

And here's Ahmed Mahamud, who hooked me up with a delicious cup of traditional Somali tea flavored with cardamom and cinnamon. It's served sweetened or unsweetened, depending on your preference. The restaurant also serves Middle Eastern style coffee, spiced with ginger, and a bunch of fresh squeezed juices, including mango, guava and avocado. Alcoholic beverages are not on the menu.

Along with the tea, Ahmed gave me a primer on Somali cuisine, which calls on a wide-range of influences. These include food traditions from India, other African nations and other Middle Eastern countries, which reflect Somalia's long history as a trading hub. Somali cuisine also contains elements of Italian cooking, picked up during the years of Italian colonization.

Here's an appetizer sampler basket, including sambussa, kachori and nafaquo, which are all bite-sized eats made from various combinations of potatoes, spices and other ingredients. Apps are priced between $.99 and $1.50. Other offerings include goat soup ($2.99), chicken soup ($2.99), falafel sandwiches ($6.99), vegetable biryani ($9.99), chicken pasta ($9.99), beef kabaab ($9.99) and chicken masala ($9.99).

Ahmed says the dish called sport ($15.99) is a popular Somali meal. This large platter feeds two to three people and includes rice, lettuce, pasta, vegetables, chicken and goat. Traditionally this meal is eaten with your hands instead of utensils.

Even though I stopped by before 3 pm (typically an off hour for dining), a steady stream of patrons continued to come through the door. This seems like a good indicator that this family-focused restaurant has a bright future.

Barava is located at 653 Congress St. The restaurant is open Sun.-Thur. noon-10 pm and Fri.-Sat. noon-11 pm. FMI and reservations call 899-0599.

Eco Appetito raises $4,000 for ecology school

Yesterday's Eco Appetito tasting event packed the house at Cinque Terre in the Old Port. Roughly 100 people turned out for this benefit event for the Ferry Beach Ecology School and its innovative Food for Thought program. The school raised $4,000 from the party.

The school's director Drew Dumsch talked briefly about the school and the work it does around food. Providing residential science programs to kids across the state, the school puts a big emphasis on the role food plays in the health of our bodies and our environment. While at the school, students learn to compost food waste, explore the on-site organic garden and eat a variety of locally-grown foods.

Sampling locally-grown food and drink also was the theme of Eco Appetito. Here Leslie Oster of Aurora Provisions pours a glass of Allagash Grand Cru.

Eats included these white bean soup shots

And these Winter Point oysters on the half shell.

As part of the school's Food for Thought program, staff members put together dinnertime skits that communicate environmental messages with humor. The talented eco-thespians shared one of their performances: The Wizard of Ag. Here's Dorothy, two worms and the sun heading to see the Wizard of Ag, who they hope will solve the soil infertility problems in Kansas and rid the world of the genetic engineering scourge. Unfortunately, the Wicked Witch has other plans.

But after some singing and skipping, Dorothy and her group of eco-activists manage to defeat the Wicked Witch and her industrial food ways. How'd they do it? With compost, of course.

Farmer's Table opens for dinner

Tonight is opening night for The Farmer's Table restaurant, located in the old Mim's spot on Commercial Street. When I stopped by this morning, food was being delivered, lights were being hung and chef/owner Jeff Landry was still smiling. Landry, who is the former executive chef of Eve's at the Garden and has worked at Cinque Terre and the Harraseeket Inn, is partnering with his wife, Suzie Altemus-Landry, on this venture. He also told me that the two of them are looking into possibly purchasing the Old World Gourmet in Freeport, which would allow them to offer catering since there's no room for it at this spot.

The interior looks really great, with muted tones, white linens and an open kitchen. There are seats for 40 downstairs, 16 upstairs and, come summer, another 45 outside. I could hear the relief in Landry's voice when he told me the city approved his liquor license just this morning.

Here's tonight's menu, which will change daily. It emphasizes locally-grown, raised and caught food. The restaurant's not taking reservations this weekend, instead seating will be on a first come, first served basis. Doors open at 5 pm and the restaurant is located at 205 Commercial St.

Fortune Cookie Museum at Wok-Inn

When you've exhausted the Maine Museum Trail and are looking for a quirky bit of culture closer to home, you may want to check out the Fortune Cookie Museum on permanent display at the Wok-Inn on outer Forest Ave.

I snapped these pics the other night when Adam and I stopped in for a quick bite to eat at this fast-food restaurant. (The food is really tasty. Just ignore the fact you're eating off a Styrofoam plate.) A few weeks before, I'd been tipped off to the existence of this unusual display by local foodie maven Margo Mallar.

According to the info in this mini-exhibition, the earliest Chinese fortunes were discovered in 1899 on fossilized ox and tortoise bones. Markings on these bones were made during the Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 BC). It's pretty common knowledge that fortune cookies are a Western invention, but according to this display they claim a colorful place in history.

While I was in the restaurant, I asked about the source of the display but no one working the counter knew much about it. A call to the Wok-Inn didn't shed any more light on the matter. So with no real, hard facts to pass along, I'll share the love from my fortune cookie: "Good luck bestows upon you. You will get what your heart desires." (Of course, that message is much better when you add the required "in bed.")

Old Port restaurants "coming soon"

Despite the recession, we Portlanders love to go out to eat. So it's no surprise that a bunch of storefronts in the Old Port are sporting "Coming Soon" signs. Pictured above is the spot at 183 Middle St. where Bard Coffee Roasters plans to pour its organic brew. The building permit in the window indicates the owner is Tom Bard, but there's no indication of when "soon" might be.

Across the street in the spot where the Pavilion used to be, work is underway to transform the former nightclub into an indoor mall.

Here's the floor plan for the Shops at 188 Middle, which shows Italian eatery Luna Rosa occupying space on both the first floor and the mezzanine level. The restaurant is hiring (a friend recently scored a job) and the owners of the building tell me the place should open around the beginning of April.

Infamous Portland landlord Joe Soley is behind this Japanese restaurant at 7 Exchange St. The permit application filed with the City Clerk indicates that Soley's former Wharf Street restaurant Soffritto is now doing business as Wasabi. The sample menu (which City Hall's wonderful Nicole Clegg graciously read to me over the phone) lists a full sushi bar ($3-$10.95 per roll) and bento boxes ($9.50 for a lunch special).

Down on Commerical Street, the Farmer's Table is the new bistro-style eatery slated for the old Mim's spot. A posting on Craigslist says the restaurant is hiring. According to papers filed with the City Clerk ahead of tonight's City Council meeting, the restaurant is being run by Jeff Landry, the current chef at Eve's at the Garden, and his wife, Mary Sue. Their intent is to showcase locally-grown, raised and caught food.

A sample menu lists offerings such as fish soup of the day, grilled early spring vegetables ($7), steakhouse salad ($7), farmer's burger ($9) and pan seared Atlantic salmon ($14). Since farms tend to grow lots of veggies, I assumed the bistro would be a vegetarian's paradise when I heard the name, but the only non-meat entree on the sample menu is cheese tortellini. As a devoted plant-eater, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that more vegetable-based meals will join the menu when this place opens.

In the glass-filled spot formerly occupied by the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, prolific Portland restaurateur Harding Lee Smith plans to open The Corner Room. He tells me it will be an Italian-inspired spot featuring house-made pasta.

"It will be a nice casual, affordable pasta place that's not heavily laden with cheese and tomato sauce," Chef Smith says.

Right now if you peek in through the paper in the windows, there's not much to see. But Smith says the tables and bar are being crafted off site, and he's hoping to open the doors by the end of April.