Massachusetts' lobster fisherman are land-bound until May 16th, owing to a sizable gathering of endangered North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay. The whales are prone to becoming entangled in fishing equipment, which can result in injury and require costly wildlife rescue efforts. Ordinarily, lobster season starts at the beginning of the first week in May,…
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Sweet and tart wild blueberries are only in season from now until September! Here's what you need to know about the berry.
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We’ve severely depleted the bluefin tuna population, and other species like red snapper are not far behind. But not all seafood appears doomed. The lobster population in Maine is alive and well, enjoying a succession of bountiful seasons for the past several years. Presumably lobster — an expensive luxury ingredient in constant global demand — would go the…
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In Hungry Concierge, we travel the world to spot hotels that operate with their guests’ food and drink needs squarely in mind — hotels, both big and small, that are located in neighborhoods rich with bar and restaurant options. Because there’s nothing worse than having your trip derailed by crummy room service.“People don’t take trips…
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Summer might be effectively over, but there are plenty of good reasons why you should still pay a visit to Portland, Maine. Since the months of June, July, and August are peak tourist season for the charming coastal town, the crazy crowds have finally started to thin out, making accommodations more affordable and restaurants easier to get…
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If you’ve had the good fortune of eating sea urchin (uni), you know that there’s nothing that tastes quite like it. It’s buttery and eggy, and some claim to pick up hints of the ocean between bites. With all that being said, there really isn’t one single item that can be accurately compared to the…
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Selling pretzels, chips and peanuts in a brewery’s tasting room seems logical, right? Not if you’re in Portland, Maine.Allagash Brewing Co. has recently been denied the right to sell prepackaged snacks to tasters by the city’s zoning board, according to the Portland Press Herald. Portland’s zoning administrator, Ann Machado, wrote a letter to the appeal board…
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About a month ago, give or take, Maine's lobsters shed their shells. When this annual event takes place, they grow new shells to expand into, and in the meantime, they are in their absolute, most succulent prime. Any East Coast shellfish fan has enjoyed one before, particularly summertime lobster bake/boil enthusiasts; it's just about recognizing the signs: a shell that…
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During the summer months, Portland, Maine, is as irresistible as a destination gets. The weather is comfortably warm, with low humidity. The skies are crystal-clear, and the water is, well, right there. Aside from the postcard-perfect backdrop of the city and its natural surroundings, there’s plenty of good eating to be done.Here, I share five…
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Food festivals have certainly come a long way in the past few years. No longer are they sparsely attended fringe events popping up in hotel ballrooms. Festivals in the year 2015 are star-studded affairs, complete with heady promises of once-in-a-lifetime meals and coveted VIP ticket packages that cost north of $1,000. Food Republic is here to point you…
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Oxbow Brewing made our list of the 25 best beers of 2013, which is cool in itself, but whoa, there's a lot more to know about this upstart craft brewing company. Fortunately, our buddy Joe Ricchio is on the scene. The latest installment of his new video series, Off The Wagon, treks into the trees…
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Gone are the days of baby laxative–laced mystery meats, prepared exclusively for our country's educational institutions (and prisons). Today, colleges across the nation are stepping up their game more than ever, serving homemade meals from scratch and featuring a variety of cuisines and unique presentations. Just look at Washington University in St. Louis, which runs…
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Portland, Maine is quickly climbing the ranks as a culinary destination, offering much more than sublime lobster rolls. With easy access to both fresh seafood from the ocean and seasonal produce from local farms, a recent influx of big-city chefs seeking calmer waters, and a local less-is-more attitude (which translates into top-notch, ingredient-driven food sans…
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Enough salivating in front of the computer screen. We've supplied you with all the tips and superfluous science regarding this week's featured crustacean. Now it's time to get your own claws on a fresh catch and get to roll-stuffing. Stick with a classic roll smothered in herb mayo, or top it off with uni and caviar if you're…
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Happy Lobster Roll Week! To celebrate this sweet, briny jewel of the summer sandwich menu, we're running five straight days of recipes, interviews, chefs' expert tips and pairings. If you thought you were craving a buttery bun stuffed with fresh lobster meat before this official celebration, it's about to get critical. Pick up a lobster…
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Happy Lobster Roll Week! To celebrate this sweet, briny jewel of the summer sandwich menu, we're running five straight days of recipes, interviews, chefs' expert tips and pairings. If you thought you were craving a buttery bun stuffed with fresh lobster meat before this official celebration, it's about to get critical. Pick up a lobster…
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Ben Conniff is co-owner of NYC-based lobster roll and urban seafood shake mini-empire Luke’s Lobster. In his spare time outside of slinging one of the finest rolls on the East Coast, he likes to write about his frequent travels. In this dispatch from last week’s Harvest on the Harbor Festival, we find out what it’s…
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Scallops are always a seafood fan favorite. I love pairing scallops with a delicate side, so that the fantastic flavor of the shellfish is not masked or overpowered. Carambola (or starfruit) is frequently available in South Florida, but seldom used. When combined with vanilla bean, lime and plentiful butter, it really accents all of the…
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Growing up, most of us either owned one of L.L.Bean’s hallmark backpacks, or knew someone who did. And while you have to hand it to the classic brand for enduring the test of time and continuing to do what it does so well (outdoor basics, backpacks, camping gear), the 100-year old company adopted a new…
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Chef Amanda Freitag is often seen on TV shows like Chopped and Unique Eats, when she's not traveling the world and eating amazing food. Now, we're happy to announce, she'll be contributing dispatches to Food Republic, starting with a trip to Maine this past summer. During my many culinary adventures, it feels like I have…
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It took my wife and me more than five years to get married. It only took me a few minutes to decide what food I wanted to serve at our rehearsal dinner. “We’re getting Otto,” I told her on a hot July night, a few weeks before we got married in Portland, Maine. “Uh, what’s…
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Early last month, I was perusing Portland, Maine’s finest beer shop RSVP Liquors when a display of locally crafted Shipyard ales made me do a double take. “It’s too soon!” I exclaimed, causing a nearby cashier to cock her eyebrow. “What’s Pumpkinhead Ale doing out in early August?” One of Shipyard’s top-selling seasonal beers has…
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Inevitably when I spot a headline about eating in Portland I click on the link, eager to see which of my favorite restaurants made the cut, only to find that the article is not about Portland, Maine, but rather Portland, Oregon. I’m sure the Oregon Portland is terrific (I’ve never been), but in my book,…
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You may have heard about the delightful abundance of lobster we've been experiencing the past few years. While we recognize this as joyous news for brave, hardworking lobstermen, we're going to focus more inwardly and celebrate the delightful abundance of lobster rolls we've been experiencing lately. Lobster rolls and their distant kin, fancy New York…
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It's one of the food world's great ironies: As the price of most basic ingredients is way up, one of the most exclusive ingredients is becoming cheaper and cheaper. The lobster dinner, which often conjures up images of restaurants with crisp white linen tablecloths and posh waiters serving expensive wines by candlelight, is now something…
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