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Last weekend, Frontier Ruckus came through Portland for a gig at the White Heart, and they played a special backyard picnic pre-party at an undisclosed location in the West End. David Meiklejohn captured it on video, for those of us who were dettered by the rain. As you’ll see, there were plenty of people who didn’t let the weather put a damper on their good time. Let’s get one more food post in, while we’re on a roll.
Again we take an optimistic look at late night pizza options in Portland. The other day I spotted this Craigslist ad (thanks, job search rss feed!), and then the Psst! confirmed it: a new restaurant by the name of Otto’s Pizza would be opening up at 576 Congress Street. Today was apparently the soft opening, advertised by a cute sign constructed with paper plates. Read on for the full review and more photos! Read on… I know, two food-related posts in a row? I thought this was a music blog! Don’t worry, it is. I just enjoy food, as you may have noticed. Drinks, too. At El Rayo Taqueria (aka that new taco joint in Portland that’s really good) yesterday I noticed an interesting beverage on the drink menu: a Michelada. It was described as “Beer of choice served over ice with Worcestershire sauce, lime, tabasco, and salt.” Sounded perfect to me. When I ordered it I was asked “are you from the Southwest?” No. “Have you lived in Mexico?” Nope. “Been there?” Not once. “Oh. Usually those are the only people that drink this.” Now if only someone would open up a late-night taco truck in Portland, all my Mexican food-related needs would be fulfilled! review by Biscuit Wakefield The Udder Place Two years ago I joined my husband on a trip to New York City, where he was attending a boat sales show, and there I encountered a chocolate chip cookie unlike any I’d ever eaten. It was at the Levain Bakery, which my daughter Kathy tells me is “famous” from mentions on the Food TV Network. The place was recommended to me by someone at the conference, who said I “absolutely had to try” the Levain cookie, even though it meant riding the subway alone and getting lost. As I wandered around in circles I found myself envying the pigeons, what with their homing brains. Finally I homed in on the bakery and a “famous” “must-try” chocolate chip cookie was mine – and just as everything in New York seemed overly large and hard to digest, this cookie was a whopper. I could only eat half, but oh, what a half it was: massively thick, underbaked in the center, with sturdy outsides and a heady rush of sugar. I have since dreamt of this cookie, which Mr. Wakefield liked also when I shared a piece back at the hotel. The reason for this preface is that The Udder Place’s chocolate chip cookie was reminiscent of Levain’s, if a lot smaller and less intense. When I broke it in half the thick bottom crust bent, it didn’t snap;the insides were soft and doughy. This is my preferred CCC texture but I realize it may not be yours. As at Levain, there was no pronounced vanilla flavor – cheap extracts have ruined many a fine cookie. Instead, the experience was one of light caramel, almost like eating a blondie. The chocolate involved was quality semi-sweet, but in my opinion the chip-to-dough ratio was a mite low. The cookie itself was also greasier than it should have been, leaving visible oily stains on the napkin. A little less fat and a little more chocolate and this would have been a contender for the top chocolate chip cookie in Portland. Best of all I did not have to ride a bus or the subway in order to get it, although it does require a short drive from the peninsula, which I did not mind because I had some spare time that morning.
On Friday night, They Might Be Giants made it up to Portland, Maine for their (supposedly) only show in Maine this decade. Though they often double it up and do a children’s show early in the day followed by a later club show for the grownups, this time around they just brought the full-on-adult rock to Port City Music Hall. Audrey Ryan opened with a set full of acoustic guitar, accordion, and a bit of an overly aggressive smoke machine. One of the quirks of PCMH is that when though the stage is large, it’s pretty low to the ground, so when someone like Audrey Ryan performs sitting down, it’s hard to tell if it’s a recording or the opening act you’re hearing! I suppose it’s a testament to PCMH’s top-notch sound system, but it can lead to some confusion when the house is packed and you can’t quite tell if something is happening on the stage or not. It was great to see They Might Be Giants here in Portland, and of course they played all the hits that you’d expect to hear at this point in their long career. Their set last over an hour and a half, so fans certainly got their money’s worth! Check out the full exclusive photo gallery from this show here.
Before we get into it, might I share with you this late-notice bit of HillyTown housekeeping from the department of live music, or HillyTown Presents. On Saturday, June 20, we’re bringing you Strand Of Oaks, Matt Bauer, and Tin Ceilings with an evening of music at Zero Station. Details here.
On a personal note, I launched my new photography portfolio site this week. Portland, its people, and its music scene are pretty well-represented. See you out there, in the sun, hopefully. It is supposed to be summer now, right? It seems like Spencer And The School Spirit Mafia have been making a huge impression all over Portland for a while now, before releasing any recorded music or having much of an online presence at all. These days, this seems like a pretty novel approach to promoting a band, but it sure seems to work for them. Maybe it has something to do with having a massive group with costumes (please hold your Sufjan comparisons until after you hear the music… at which point they’ll make even more sense) or the band’s tendency to parade down Congress Street, performing in front of crowded bars and venues. With their debut album scheduled for an July 21st release (with a release show on August 1st at Asylum, which is definitely not closing), SATSSM have a blog, myspace page, and Facebook page for you to keep up on their activities. Check it out, and enjoy. Fun, Two, Three, Four, indeed. |
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