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Rant of the Week: Buy Local

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Maniacal Mondays are my days for a rant.

Today’s is about Buy Local and also to Organic/Green shopping.

I love local businesses. They are the real job creators and often produce excellent products for good values. Especially when it comes to restaurants. I am very happy James Tremontagne is in Westbrook and I can get some amazing poutine at the Frog and Turtle and Memere (eggs, creton, dijon mustard) for Sunday Brunch.

On Wednesday I went into Portland to go to a wonderful new homestyle German resteraunt that is one of my new favorites Schulte and Herr. The atmosphere is terrific as is the food. The potato pancakes there are literally the most cravable dish in Portland for me now.

After lunch, I went to #OccupyMaine for a few to drop off some books. The energy was scattered, and I don’t think camping for a Maine winter makes any sense.

Then I went to have coffee at Bard (excellent coffee) and then the very disappointing Bar Harbor Ice Cream (tasted spicy not creamy), if you want a further review of these places see Saturday’s post.

Every place I went was local, I had great service at all of them, and met nice people enjoying their work. I support Portland Buy Local, and love the amazing shopkeepers there.

But, I can’t shop everything local. Someone I follow on Twitter suggested that people buy everything for their Thanksgiving dinner locally, many suggest getting all of your presents locally. This is a very nice idea.

In practice, it’s completely crazy. For instance if I wanted to get my wife the Season 5 of Doctor Who (which may have been a birthday present), it’s only $43.49 on DVD and I know it’s in stock and I will get it in a couple days. http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Complete-Matt-Smith/dp/B003EV6DBM/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1322767821&sr=8-7 If I tried to find this at a local shop like Bull Moose Music, where I have shopped many times and I really like, they are likely not to have it. And if they do it’s likely to be the full $80 retail price. I love supporting local business and I frequently go to Bull Moose to look at DVDs and CDs but I am not going to pay nearly twice as much and have the frustration of not finding the very specific thing I am looking for.

As far as food shopping goes, I do like local markets and farmer’s markets and if they do something really well or have something I can’t find I go there. There are some excellent sauces I get from Asian markets around town as well as Sesame Oil and some other things. I also love that they are there to be a community resource for our ethnic communities and some make amazing food like the one on St. John (Vietenene Market). But, I am not going there to get dinner most of the time. For instance, I am making tacos tonight and need a can of rotels, one can of kidney or pinto beans, flour tortillas, and a pound of ground beef with some cumin and chili powder for the recipe. If I go to my local Hannaford, I know they will have exactly what I need and I know exactly where to get it. I also know which stores have better prices on certain ingredients. For instance, I get most of my Rotels and beans at Shaw’s since they have a better selection and prices on beans then Hannaford does.

And frankly Hannaford is my local market here, it’s close by (if hard to walk to) and they have good quality and employ tons of Mainers. Both at their stores and wherehouses and corporate offices in Scarborough. I know it’s part of a much larger corporation, but I have a great relationship there.

Also if I am going to get essentials like toilet paper, ibuprofen and paper towels, I know Target will have good quality and good prices. I get good service there, know where things are and know the quality will be good. In fact, the Target brand toilet paper is literally my favorite and an excellent value.

And one more extra rant. Organic people. I do like good food, and good ingredients make good food. But, I don’t need to get everything organic. It’s not some piece of magic. In fact for some local producers it can cost money to be “officially” organic. For instance, I would much rather eat local green beans in season, that are insanely better with garlic and butter then something frozen or especially from a can. I am very happy to get a 1/2 peck of local delicious McIntosh, Cortland or Empire apples that are rich and full of flavor over a red delicious apple that is designed to last a long time, not to taste good. Sometimes food is simple, you buy aspargus in Winter it’s likely from Chile, not anywhere close by. Good food, can be good despite where it comes from.

What do you think?

Rant off.

— Edmund

Top 11 favorite dishes — Portland-land

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These are not in any particular order and would love to hear your suggestions.

1)Curried Crab Soup — Pepperclub, Middle Street, Portland, ME — delicious, one of the most memorable things I have had here. Would be one of my regulars if lived closer.

2)Poutine, Frog and Turtle, Bridge Street, Westbrook, ME — I have had better or worse nights with this but one of the best things I have had in Maine. This is also the first poutine I have had — mmm cheese curds, fries and gravy

3) Pho, Thanh Thanh 2, Forest Avenue, Portland — My favorite pho in town so far, although I prefer the rest of the food and the service at Saigon across the street. Much better broth and more meat then at Saigon.

4) Fresh Donuts, The French Press, Main Street, Westbrook — they also serve these at the Frog and Turtle for Sunday brunch — the 3 I always get are Maple-Bacon, Elvis (banana, chocolate and peanut butter) and the Cinnamon Sugar. I also love getting coffee and sandwiches, breakfast here.

5) Ham and Anchovy Small Pizza, Angelone’s, Main St, Westbrook — Across the street from where I live. Very fresh tasting, call this my salt-lick pizza. Also has location on Washington Avenue (off peninsula) in Portland — haven’t tried it there.

6) Seafood Vietnamese Noodle, Saigon, Forest Avenue, Portland, — Absolutely delicious from one of my great discoveries recently. Love the service here, this is my favorite dish so far, satisfying, spicy, delicious

7) Chicago Dog Meal Deal, Chicago Dogs, Route 1, Scarborough, — Love the relish and snap of this dog, with excellent fries and draft Eli’s Root Beer — really delicious, nice atmosphere — wish was still at Clark’s Pond — just south of Route 1 and 114

8) Meat Papusa, Tu Casa, Washington Ave, Portland, ME — another one of my great finds recently. One of the most cravable things in Portland — even better on the deck on a nice day. Its a filled masa cake with meat, some swear by the cheese papusas. Really good. Odd that a Salvadoran place is my favorite Mexican place in Portland. Reminds me of Mexican places in LA, family owned, speak Spanish, fresh, simple, delicious. Other Mexican places in Portland area, good for chips, salsa and beer.

9) Moo Shu Pork, China Villa, Main Street, Westbrook — this resteraunt has some tables but you mainly go to get take out and delivery. One of the places me and Lanna go to the most. Very good, huge, huge portions. Party tip — flour tortillas work well if don’t get enough Chinese “pancakes”

10) Small plates, Nosh, Congress Street, Portland — did have my first hiccup with the meatloaf sandwich as Nosh, but have been very, very happy with small plates including: egg, couscous, beets, poutine, onion strings, tuna ceviche, oysters. Love that this is available in downtown and open late.

11) Hot Pastrami Special, Full Belly Deli, Brighton Ave, Portland — delicious hot pastrami the best I can remember, grew up in New Jersey. Salty, flavorful, delicious. Also love the potato salad, and cole slaw with the special.

So those are my 11 — do you have any favorites I need to try?

ed