APRIL 2019
Up Portland 04.19 In Print * On The Web At: www.upportland.com * On Facebook Page 1
Processed Media By Randy Dankievitch — TV Critic / TVOvermind Google Stadia: The Potential is Endless – and Slightly Terrifying In March, Google held a press conference to show off the latest in the bazillion different companies and projects for the company: Google Stadia, hailed by many as a potentially paradigm-shifting moment for the games industry as a whole. After all, with the limitations of a physical console like a Playstation or an Xbox removed from the equation, the possibilities are endless; it could put an end to the environmentally destructive process of creating physical media, and it might even completely redefine what a “massively multiplayer” game could mean – just imagine a game with millions of players in a single shared space, designed and built from the ground up to work anywhere, from phones to smart TV’s, to computers and any other internet-connected device you can think of. No more worrying about graphics card limitations, or designing a game for 200 different computer configurations: the combination of computing power and infrastructure Google can provide game developers is wildly enticing, a dream future for the behemoths of the gaming industry – there’s absolutely no doubt this could completely redefine what it means to create, release, play, and share gaming experiences.
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However, the potential for Google Stadia to do more harm than good is very real: and in very tangible ways, not just tin-hat conspiracy theories. Think about Google as a data company: by the very nature of its core algorithm, Google is designed to consume, organise, and define every single binary number that makes up the entire internet; it is the centre of all digital information in many ways, a conduit to our entire internet experience. Mail, calendars, browsers, passwords, search histories... Google is in possession of all these things, which can be as illuminating as it is dangerous. A theoretical example: say you are playing a Google Stadia game on your computer and run into a bug that causes your game to crash over and over. Depending on how the tools are built, developers might be able to access everything from your recorded keystrokes during the game, to the internal behaviour of your computer during the moment of the crash. With all the information at its fingertips, bug testing a game, or figuring out a way to patch out problems, is completely changed. Gone is the need to have QA testers spend dozens of hours running into the same virtual wall to see if they clip through it; developers would be able to see the moment it happens, know everything that was going on when the issue occurred to quickly determine the issue. They could then cross reference those errors across the entire database of users, effectively isolating the specific issue they’re looking to fix. In this hypothetical scenario, Google Stadia’s potential is intoxicatingly divine. The ability to exploit that data is a prescient issue, especially in an age where companies like Google and Facebook have struggled to restrict themselves from overstaying their welcome in our private information. Another hypothetical example: there’s a free-to-play massive multiplayer roleplaying game, where players defeat dungeons to procure gold in order to purchase upgrades. While the gold can be bought with real money through an in-app purchase, players can earn enough gold grinding out dungeons in order to progress.
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After a large group of players begin progressing through the game quickly, developers study the data and realise that if they tweak certain battle scenarios through the game to make them much more difficult, they’ll get a 25% uptick in players buying gold with real money, in order to alleviate the added challenge. It’s a small thing to adjust loot tables in an RPG, of course, but once those floodgates are opened, there’s no telling where this could go – and as we’ve already seen with loot boxes and the like, could cause a fundamental shift in game development. And in the end, Google isn’t a games company – after all, they aren’t actually making any games, just providing a platform and a storefront for people to spend money, in turn allowing Google to collect that all-valuable data, the true gold mine of Silicon Valley. The ‘how’ of Google Stadia is endlessly fascinating to contemplate; but the ‘why’ is the question Google isn’t really answering, beyond the normal vague tech platitudes about “connecting the world” and “sharing new digital experiences”. There’s also the concern of how Google treats its pet projects: just ask anyone who spent $1500 or more on a pair of Google Glasses how they feel about the purchase now. It’s a real possibility that Stadia launches serves a few rudimentary purposes (buy a video game right from the trailer screen!), doesn’t blow up the way Google assumes it will, and they shutter it in two years. The recent shutdown of Nintendo’s Wii virtual store, where players can no longer download titles they’ve already purchased, is a particularly haunting harbinger of what could happen with Stadia (or really any digital games service, like Steam or the Epic Games store) if all doesn’t go quite as planned for Google.
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There’s no understating the absolutely staggering potential of Stadia; it really could change how we play games, and change the entire workflow of how games are currently produced. But as we’ve seen with everything from Uber to Movie Pass, the fight for user data by the largest tech companies in the world is an imperfect, often inhumane process: that yin and yang of technology is ever-present with Google Stadia, the latest promising, slightly ominous project from one of the Internet’s most powerful entities.
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at Eastern Cemetery Summer’s coming and our gates soon will be open! Join us as we prepare for our busy season. Upcoming volunteer oportunities: • Gardening Days - Help us tidy the cemetery. We provide tools and training. • Stone Conservation - Learn proper stone conservation and restoration techniques. • Stone Photography - After documenting every stone on the site, we are now photographing each one. Wanna help? Contact us at: easterncemetery@gmail.com Spirits Alive - dedicated to the preservation of historic Eastern Cemetery More info at spiritsalive.org
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Beyond The Forecast
By Jack Sillin / Weatherman & Meterology Student Hello everyone!
We have now turned the corner into Spring, and for the most part Mother Nature seems to have gotten the memo. Temps have been warming up in seasonably irregular fashion, with mild periods broken up by slowly lessening cold shots. Gradually, those warmer stretches will become warmer and more frequent as the cold retreats. I’ve already written several columns about Portland weather in the Spring, how frustratingly cold and drizzly it gets, and some of the reasons why that happens. Therefore, this month’s discussion will be about a different and often overlooked aspect of the Spring season: hydrology. One of the many processes we see play out this time of year is the melting of our snowpack. This has already completed in Portland proper, but is only just beginning up in the mountains. The snow site in Tuckerman’s Ravine (not actually near the headwall to avoid contamination by avalanche debris) reported a snow depth of 95 inches as of 28th March, while Chimney Pond up by Katahdin reported 79 inches. Both of these values are much higher than what we usually see, given how frequently temps rise above freezing during the midwinter months if a storm happens to track to the west of the area. Of course these two stations aren’t necessarily representative of conditions across the wider region, but thankfully satellite data and other station observations can help us fill in those gaps. The graphic I’ve included below shows a more regionally comprehensive picture of the snowpack, as of 27th March. Even looking broadly at the mountain region as opposed to sheltered ravines that collect snow notoriously efficiently, the numbers are still impressive.
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Most of the mountains have 30-50” of snow left, with the higher terrain of the Whites coming in well above that. Why do we care about this? Of course if you ski like I do, you’re stoked for an epic Spring of “harvesting corn” a.k.a. skiing soft grippy snow loosened up by the warmth of the sun. However, even those who won’t be getting their goggle tans on can be impacted by the deep snowpack. The left hand panel of the graphic shows how much snow water equivalent (SWE) is stored in that snowpack. SWE measures how much liquid you’d get if you melted all the snow in one spot. Current SWE values in the mountains are generally between 10 and 14 inches, meaning if you were to melt all the snow, you’d end up releasing an amount of water equivalent to a 10 to 14 inch rainstorm. Ten to 14 inches is a lot of water! To try to put that in context, here in Portland our biggest rain storms each year usually come out to between two and three inches. Perhaps the most regionally significant flooding event in recent memory here in Maine was the Patriot’s Day nor’easter of 2007, which brought widespread flooding and infrastructure interruptions in the form of washed out bridges and roads. That event brought about four to eight inches of rain. Hurricane Irene in 2011 produced prolific flooding just to our west in New York and Vermont with about eight to twelve inches of rain, and anyone familiar with that region knows just how impactful that event was. What’s the takeaway? There’s a ton of water stored as snow in the mountains, and if it were to melt too quickly, our waterways would be in big trouble. So how likely is a rapid meltout? Thankfully, all indications point towards ‘not very’. The pattern over the first half of April is likely to be dominated by high pressure as the pattern becomes a bit more “blocked up” over the North Atlantic. That high pressure will likely promote daytime highs a bit above freezing, with nighttime lows around or a little below freezing. That’s exactly what we want for a gradual melting of the snowpack, and as a bonus it’s great for maple syrup production, too. The maple trees need those warm days and cool nights for the best sap flow.
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As for precipitation, we may actually add to the mountain snowpack during the first week of April as a series of low pressure systems move up a frontal boundary that is likely to be located along the coast of Maine. After that, the aforementioned high pressure should keep us from seeing any torrential rain events, which will also help keep river levels manageable. Of course, streams and rivers will still be full and are likely to spill over their banks at times. If you live in an area particularly susceptible to flooding, be prepared for high water. If you encounter a road with water over it, remember to turn around and find an alternate route. River levels will likely remain on the higher side until most of the snow melts, which at this rate very well could be May. Of course we’ll continue to keep an eye on the medium and short range forecasts in case any storm systems decide to venture in our direction. For more timely forecast information, continue to refer to the NWS (weather.gov) or my daily blog (forecasterjack.com). Have a great April and enjoy the warm sunshine (and deep snowpack)! -Jack
Jack’s Weather Terms Hydrometeorology: The study of how the weather influences rivers, streams, lakes and other hydrological entities. There are many ways the atmosphere and the hydrosphere interact, such as impacts to river levels from precipitation. Some interactions are perhaps more obscure, such as changes to the chemical composition of various water bodies that can occur following major runoff events. The interaction can even go the other way, with hydrological processes impacting the atmosphere. One example of this would be the “brown ocean effect” when torrential rainfall from tropical cyclones can cause so much flooding that the storm stops weakening, or even re-strengthens, because it has a new source of energy. Ice Jam: a phenomenon that occurs when broken-up river ice becomes wedged in such a way that prohibits the free flow of water through the river channel. These are most common during rapid warmups when river levels rise rapidly and ice begins to move around before it melts. As the ice moves around, it can get stuck on obstacles ranging from bridges to dams to natural narrowings in the river channel. As ice gets stuck, it forms a barrier that water can’t move through, creating an impromptu dam. As with any dam, a reservoir forms upstream of the ice jam, which can result in flooding of roads and homes. We see ice jams frequently here in Maine, especially on the Kennebec River south of Augusta.
Sauntering With Mat
By Mat Robedee / Up Portland Commentator
Mat’s column will return next issue. As of our deadline for this newspaper, he was having outdoor adventures in Indonesia, so look for a report on their swim holes, mountains and more in the May Up Portland. Up Portland 04.19 In Print * On The Web At: www.upportland.com * On Facebook Page 7
Layne’s Wine Time
Layne V. Witherell / Up Portland Wine Critic
CLASSIC CHEAPIES These are the wines that I refer to as my “Wednesday Nite Pizza Pours”. Actually, in this day and age, you can most likely experience good technology, fun flavours and reasonable prices, all at the same time. What you will not get is a transformative experience. After all, it is Wednesday nite, and it is an unassuming pizza fresh out of the box paired with simple wines. Grenache: In Spain, the grape is called Garnacha and it winds up fashionably featured on labels and in blends. It used to be relegated to the anonymous carafe on your table in a local Spanish restaurant. That all changed with Evodia ($8.99), an ancient vine discovery that upped the game and flavours of the grape. Older vines simply translate to more complexity. The search for old vines in Spain continues. The rest of Spain jumped onto their enthusiastic revival of a neglected grape. Affordable quaffing grenache are readily available. Monte Ducay, Carinena, $6.99. A high-quality Co-op that wraps its bottles in bright yellow paper. More complexity than you would expect for the money.
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Bodegas San Valero is famous as a leader in technical modernisation. One of the first co-ops to send the kids to winemaking schools in the 40’s and 50’s. Mariscal El Miracle Old Vine Garnacha Tintorera, Valencia, $6.99. “Old vine” is the operative word. Juicy and delicious. The beauty of the grape is that it tastes of both strawberries, raspberries and a little leather. Do look at the alcohol content on labels as grenache can ripen up to a whooping 16% alcohol. Just eat more pizza and hydrate. Grenache by another name: Cotes du Rhone There are tons of pizza worthy Rhone wines out there. Rhones are plentiful and reasonable. Guigal. Chapoutier and Perrin are big names in quality basic Rhone, but not for big bucks. Andre Brunel Rhone, $8. Juicy, luscious, hint of blackberry, they are built for the short run. Drink them fresh and young. Pinot Noir: Pepperwood Pinot Noir, Chile, $6.99. Usually, it is not a great idea to look for pinot noir for under ten dollars. This is an excellent case in point. It washes down red sauce, if that is your goal. Tisdale Pinot Noir, California, $5. If you are fishing on the bottom shelf, this is a well-made, reasonable find. Tastes like a pinot with a bit of cabernet splash. Back label: Modesto is the home of Ernest and Julio Gallo, the world’s largest wine producer. Lots of their wines out there. Mark West Pinot Noir, California, $10. We were staring at being stranded in New Orleans, sleeping in an airport chair, with all flights to Newark recently cancelled. My wife, Judy, got us a flight to Atlanta. To airport celebrate we had lunch at an over-priced gate 20 restaurant. The two glasses of Mark West Pinot Noir at $17.50 each were divine.
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Later in the week at home we had a bottle with homemade fresh tuna poke. The wine was not so much. Wine is as much about the occasion as the quality. Montepulciano: Villa Cerena, Montepulciano d ‘Abruzzo, $5 to $7. Rich, slurpy, fatness. It can be intense, cuts through the sauce red, or a splash in the glass. The Cerena is a very drinkable, enjoyable version. Mascarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo at $10 is a good pizza wine find. More body than the Cerena. A lovely grape in all areas of the price spectrum. Different Pizzas: A topping of sweet peppers and onions are ideal to pair with Oyster Bay New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, $10 to $12. The lush grapefruit overtones of the New Zealand sauvignon blanc washes up against the sweetness of the pizza. A Bordeaux Blanc at $10 has a soothing effect and calms down the deliciousness on top of the pizza. A good example is Ch. Seguin at $8 to $9. Vegan with crushed cashew nuts instead of cheese. Cocobon Red Blend, California, $7. A Nutella like set of flavours. Soft, plumy, with a hint of toffee and cocoa.
clusive insider wines at no risk. WOW. Of course, they algorithm your taste buds with orders. Just push the button marked “Sign me up”. Bring your own pizza or have it delivered via drone to the game --- it’s your choice. The problem with cheapie wines is that hopefully you get what you pay for. You should be looking for a wine to wash down your pizza. Want a transcendent experience? Then open your wallet a little wider. There is a recent book by Jon Bonne called The New Wine Rules that sums it all up this way: “First, most wine is very well made --- far better than it was twenty-five years ago.” “Most of all, one key rule: speak up as soon as you think something’s wrong. The customer who tries to bring back or send back a half-finished bottle is the customer who doesn’t get welcomed back”.
New Categories: There is a new world out there called “The Wine Club”. They come in all prices and shapes. Wineries, wine pros and wine wannabies all participate in this interactive sport.
(EDITORS NOTE: Layne is a professional in the wine business with over 30 years of experience. He can be reached at lvwitherell@gmail.com for talks and consulting. His website is http://winemaniacs.wordpress.com/
I bring this up because now, more than ever there are new uniformed people getting “into” wine.
He will be doing wine events at Port City Blue, 650A Congress St. here in Portland.
A classic example is a bottle given to me recently by a knowledgeable friend. He purchased a Karen Birmingham Petite Syrah Reserve Selection, Lodi. Calif. 2017. It was a wine club purchased wine and while well made it tasted like it should be drunk from a sippie cup at a kid’s soccer match. Price? A monthly funding to an emerging winemaker who supplies you with ex-
“Layne’s Wine Gig” is a talk and tasting (four pours, $12) and is a rollicking standup. It is the 2nd Friday of every month from 4.30 to 5.30 p.m.. Call them at 7744111 for all the info.).
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Mark: My Words By Mark Gatti / Mark’s Hotdogs You should sell lobster rolls. How about Dixie Dogs, French fries, hamburgers, tofu dogs, or Thai spring rolls? Why do you get here so early, no need to arrive until 10 a.m. at the earliest? Usually well intentioned, suggestions as to how I run my food stand have been a constant dialogue since I first opened in 1983. Of all new menu items tried through the years, only Italian sausages had sales consistent enough to be a sustainable addition to my menu. Sure, there were other items tried that sold fairly well at first, but fell off over time. As pertaining to the work schedule, one of my customers in the early days was a successful businessman. He insisted that there was no need for me to show up at 8.30 and felt that I would “burn out” when considering that I worked well in to the evenings back then. Considering his success, it was easy for him to convince me to try this new schedule. After one day it was back to my early bird ways as I was not ready in time to serve a dozen early day customers, which created impetus to never show up late again! Another idea explored was expanding my business to brick and mortar. The first three years had seen a lot of growth, so why not? Well, limited parking, few available locations, sky high lease rates and the realisation that a bank loan would be required to fund the plan. I should add that the bank loan idea was moot anyway because all the banks visited turned me down. Owner of a small business herself, I remember my mom’s relief that her only son was not going to play Russian roulette with his young business. She correctly predicted keeping overhead low would create business longevity and the ability to combat “off weather” years, and cyclical times of high rates of vegetarianism and “no bread” Atkins oriented diets.
and running. I knew this dream would become reality when all the necessary protocols of licensing, insurance requirements, and inspections were completed. A happy day for all involved when Skip opened those few years ago. Now his stand is a welcome mainstay down on the waterfront. Wisely, this is seasonally run in warm weather months. A good idea not following my prior modus operandi of working through Winter, when I was knowns as “ popsicle Mark.” Skip pays me frequent visits when he is not working. Always greeting me with a warm hug, he is, above all, a good friend to many of us. I like to say that Skip smiles at the world and the world smiles back. A few last words about “popsicle Mark”. As I age it seems Winter is longer than when a young lad. Owing to many seasons working outside, I swear the inner core of my bones are in a constant stage of perma-frost, only partially able to thaw out in the humid, dripping langurous (hot) dog days of late Summer. Yes, that’s me wearing a fleece jacket and Winter hat during a White Mountain trail hike on a sun-splashed 70 degree day in late Spring. Now it is late Winter and soon will be time to reopen the stand in early April, weather permitting. My mind and soul have been warmed by recent inquiries from friends concerning when I’ll be back and telling me how much the little red cart has been missed. This show of support does as much to alleviate the Winter chill as do the multiple layers of clothing wrapped mummy-like around my body! To those Winter devotees, a happy transition to warm weather activities. To others who have been in a state of near hibernation, a wish you all morph from dormant Winter larvae to energetic butterfly floating happily on those first fragrantly sweet mild breezes of Spring! Until next time, good health and happiness. ---Mark.
My menu remains “non-expansive” to this day. My friend Doug, who has many decades experience in the food and drink industry, keeps me on track. He reminds me to “KISS” – Keep It Simple Stupid! Thanks for the sage advice, Swami! Now for an example of a feel-good story in the Portland world of food carts. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. A mission of one of our small local universities is to provide young graduates tools to succeed in the job market. Enhancing personal pride and fostering independence, this school produces many students who end up contributing to our society on many levels. Several years ago, this institute of learning graduated a young man, Skip, who had the goal of owning and operating his own food cart in our fair portside city. With help of supportive family members and a job mentor, Skip embarked on the daunting mission of making this goal reality. I was an initial point of contact when asked if I would let Skip shadow me for a few days so he could get a feel for running a food stand. This writer was happy to help. Very friendly, outgoing, earnest and prompt, it was a pleasure to work with Skip in this Genesis period. Armed with a great sense of humour and obviously a “people person”, I felt Skip had some of the essential qualities needed to succeed. Next a collaborative effort was created between a local family run eatery, Skip and his job mentor. Tasked with ironing out the specifics of Skip’s mission, they created the menu and worked out the logistics needed to get this business up
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LOOK I NG FOR T H E
PERFECT LUNCH? Start with FREE parking that is ALWAYS available at DiMillo’s!
If you’re looking to enjoy a delicious lunch with friends or family, DiMillo’s is the perfect place. Fabulous lunch specials every day! Huge selection of beer and wines. Amazing views of the harbor from every table. Family members are aboard every day to greet you. Come aboard and you’ll soon see, and taste, why DiMillo’s has been named Maine’s number one family-owned restaurant!
Portland’s One - Of-A-Kind Restaurant In the Old Port, Portland, ME
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207.772.2216
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www.dimillos.com
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Always free parking while you’re on board.
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Food For Thought... It’s often that we hear comments about this column from folks when we are strolling around the Old Port or Monument Square, but not as often that we get emails, which is why this one was of special note to us from someone we know: “I just wanted to drop a note to tell you how much I enjoyed your upbraiding of Portland’s restaurant owners about their prices. I’m sure that Harriet and I aren’t the only people who stay away from those fancy “15 minutes of fame” restaurants because of those prices. As Portland has become discovered by the outside world, the restaurant prices have followed the same outrageous upward spiral as the city’s real estate prices. It may be good for the owners of said restaurants and real estate, but it leaves many of the long-time locals out of both scenes. I hope many of those restaurant owners read your paper and take your advice to heart.” What can we say, but thank you, and we, too, hope some of the worst offenders do take a look at their pricing. Not only did our friend’s e-mail make us feel good that we hit on a vital point, but it sent us looking for some places we could tell readers about that they might not know of, but are worth seeking out for their quality and value. Such is the case with our two spots this month, both off Peninsula, as, like housing, food downtown is costly. Asia Chinese Restaurant in Mill Creek in SoPo, and Coppersmith’s Tavern & Table at 671 Main Street, also in SoPo, are both worth visits. What makes both unique is that not only is the pricing fair, but what appears on the plates is good, quality food, with a friendly staff and a bill at the end which will not leave your wallet in shock. This is not to say that anything is wrong at all with either, but as our writer commented after reading last month’s column, we feel one should not have to take out a 2nd mortgage to buy a lunch or dinner. These are two of our fave spots where it’s easily possible to enjoy and pay for a meal, and leave smiling with change. Coppersmith’s: This eatery is in the former home of the Howard Johnson’s Restaurant where Westbrook Street and U.S. 1 meet. In fact, the Howard Johnson name is still on the neighbouring motel. But do not look for HoJo Colas or 28 Flavours, fried clam rolls or the orange roof there these days. The whole place reminds this reviewer of a British-style pub meets sports bar, complete with the current look, the draft beers (including several brewed just for Coppersmith’s) and a menu complete with French Onion Soup, Fried Pickles, Fish & Chips and a good, old fashioned burger and fries. In other words, it’s somewhere great to visit, eat and have enough cash left to do it all again.
This also gives Coppersmith’s an opportunity to be themselves, and allow room on the menu for items like Chicken n’ Cheese (Grilled chicken with peppers, onions, mushrooms & cheddar cheese, $11) and Chicken Parmesan (Above, served with Demi Salad and Garlic Sticks, $17). It also means things like the pub burger (Below, $10) can really do them proud. Also, Coppersmith’s is a true family restaurant. Not at the homey bar, which is adults only, but elsewhere, we see families and folks of all ages enjoying what’s on the plates.
The overall atmosphere really is welcoming and the staff here smiles. That’s something not every restaurant --- cheap or costly --- can boast and something it would pay for more to learn, this reviewer feels. That said, we did a late lunch at Coppersmith’s recently and sampled a few of the items on their pretty extensive menu. We would not be honest were we not to say that while the place is fairly new, the owners, Paula and Bob Coppersmith, were the former owners of SoPo’s Dock’s Seafood, which they sold in February. That means a few of the Dock’s items have appeared here, but if you want that twin lobster dinner we so adore at Dock’s, and some of the other Dock’s specialties, you will have to venture over there as they sold it to a friend with a non-compete, meaning this spot has a very different vibe and menu.
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By the way, Coppersmith’s also has pizzas. We want to try “The Coppersmith Special” (Black Pastrami, Roasted Red Pepper, Mozzarella, Swiss, Garlic, $13) and their version of a Buffalo Chicken Pizza with capers and Red Onion ($13) also sounds worthy. Applause, as for $2 extra they have anchovies on hand which, for we lovers of same, is a huge plus, too!
All in all, we had a wonderful meal, the staffer worked hard, allowing us to sub a demi salad for some fries with our burger and paying attention to our requests. Including her well-deserved tip, two of us escaped for $37.51, which this reviewer would say is way more than fair. Go out, try Coppersmith’s and see if you agree. Their hours are Sunday - Thursday from 11 a.m. till 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 to 11. They are on the web with a complete menu and more at www.coppersmithtavern. com So is that $37 and change still too much? Well, then, go do the lunch buffet served from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Mondays thru Saturdays and noon till 2 p.m. Sundays at Asia Chinese Restaurant, 50 Market Street in SoPo. There we had more than a lot of very decent food recently for $19.33 for two --- and that includes the tip we left for their hand-working staff. We should say several things about this restaurant, which we discovered shortly after moving to Portland in 2015.
ways count on seeing me with a plate full of Egg Foo Young, some lobster sauce, Chop Suey and a bowl of soup. The eggrolls are also more than good, and the dumplings with spicy sauce a highlight, too. Have we essentially said “everything!” is what we enjoy? If so, you get the drift. Check out the menu and more at www.asiarestaurantmaine.com and give Asia Chinese Restaurant a try. Again, you will like the food, the service and the fact that you can easily escape with your purse or wallet still intact. So there you have them.... two spots to try that won’t break the bank, but will fill you up deliciously. Neither is on the peninsula as the combination of high rents, chefs with oft-inflated egos and expectations just do not fit anything with the word “budget” attached. Like our friend and writer said: “ I hope many of those restaurant owners read your paper and take your advice to heart” because no matter how good the food and experience, there are monetary limits. Bits & bites, more restaurant news... About the time these words hit print, a number of the seasonal spots will be dusting off their counters and tables, firing up their grills and opening for the season. Others, which stay around all year, will be reopening after their annual cleanings and remodels, and everyone will be getting ready for the season which is soon to start. That means this is a good month to get out there and try (or revisit) some of the places which in a few weeks time will be too packed nuts to butts for we locals to even think about getting into. The 15th is the scheduled opening day at Wiscasset’s Red’s Eats. Meantime, Duckfat reopened after their annual refresh last weekend and so did Ribollita and East Ender. The outdoor tables will soon be sprouting on the terraces at The Porthole, Portland Lobster Company and more, too, so watch for your fave and get in there before they are jam-packed! As the old line goes: It’s now or never (or at least never till the hordes depart again in October!).
One of those is that they do have a menu as well as the buffet, but we so like the buffet choices that we have never ordered off the menu. Friends do and report great results, too. That said, this is one of the last places with some of the “old school” Chinese dishes we adore on their buffet, including a wonderful Egg Foo Young and some Chop Suey we never fail to enjoy. We know fans of “modern Asian” or “fusion” likely won’t find the place to their liking, but they do good eggrolls, have hot soups (traditional Egg Drop and Hot & Sour) and a whole lot more on that daily buffet. They also do have a very extensive menu and they offer take out on menu (not buffet) items, so it’s a pretty good deal, especially when the pricing is factored in. The second thing we wanted to say is it appears that Asia Chinese has done something a lot of places do not, can not or will not, and that is to transition to new owners without losing any of the menu items or messing with what’s working. The former owners departed a few months back and after a few weeks of transition, going in during the last week of March brought the same happy smiles to our faces that we got before the sale. Bravo! So what do we like at Asia Chinese? On the buffet we have yet to find anything we did not like, but we tend to go with those old school things we grew up enjoying. Thus, you can al-
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Black Elephant Hostel Brings A Unique Euro It’s a bit over 300 miles from the Black Elephant Hostel at 33 Hampshire Street in Portland to United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, but on many, if not most, days in season one could be forgiven for mistaking that they had walked into the UN by stepping in to the Black Elephant’s lobby... such is the amount of national and international travellers who have already found Maine’s first hostel. And it’s not even been open quite a year. An idea hatched by owners Heather and James Loeber (that’s Heather below), along with daughters Jolie and Sadie, the Black Elephant turned a former downon-its-luck 1890’s vintage apartment building into not only the state’s first hostel, but a location which is being sought out by travellers to Maine from thruout the world looking for a unique overnight experience at an affordable price.
to their assigned quarters. Oh, and don’t forget to strip your bed when you leave and please put dirty linens in the bins as maid service is different than in a fullservice hotel, too. From the hostel’s ADA approved first-floor room to one of the 2nd and 3rd floor dormitory spots (Note: there’s no elevator here.), one can rent anything from a single bed in a bunk style room shared with a number of others, to one of the private rooms (one complete with en suite bathroom). A recent few visits on sunny days, paired with some before season ended last year, found several languages being spoken in the cozy lobby, and folks with passports from South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Switzerland, UK and Canada... not to mention a collection of visitors from U.S. cities and states which would do any hotel proud. The hostel is also a magnet for thru hikers who are either starting or ending what ends up being weeks or months on the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. In fact, such is the hostel’s draw to hikers that Loeber held a “thru hikers meeting, because they have found us to be a great place to reacclimate to reality” after so long away from basics like washers, showers, internet and more. “We offer the thru hikers their choice of a free bath, a free beer or free laundry, though usually they need, and we happily provide, all three,” she said with a smile while getting the hostel ready for an expected onslaught of guests already reserving for this Spring and Summer. Along with the free extra option for thru hikers, everyone, she notes, finds the Black Elephant attractive for their pricing, which is an average of $40 a night. She noted, “This is about a tenth of what a room costs in Portland in season at one of the big hotels.” So how can they do it? A combination of mostly dormitory-style living with some pretty strict rules to make the adventure fun and safe for all, combined with a staff who greet everyone at the door with a smile, a towel and directions
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Speaking of bathrooms, the place boasts 13, so nobody will ever be left standing cross-legged in a hallway. Also, special door locks with signs let would-be users know if the one they are headed for is open or occupied. Despite all the conveniences Heather and her family have included in the place (Did we mention free WiFi?), she says, “one of our biggest challenges is getting people to know not only that we are here, but what a hostel is.” While she noted a lot of especially younger travellers in Europe routinely use them, “Most Americans don’t get it,” which is the Black Elephant’s biggest hurdle. She did note things have been an easier sell among the younger set, adding, the average guest is between 25 and 45. “But we have had many 70-somethings, too.” There’s also the issue of this being the state’s first hostel. While it resembles in many ways a boutique hotel, complete with a huge bathroom with a footed soak tub one can rent for $5, to themed rooms and wallpapers designed to dazzle, the issue is to get folks travelling to continue on to Maine and not turn around in Boston when they wander. “We do get a lot of first-time hostellers plus most European travellers know to search for hostels and I am currently the only one in Portland. Also, we are listed on the same on-line travel agencies as the other hotels and are extremely budget friendly,” Loeber told Up Portland, noting that a goal is to impress guests with the city, the unique building and, hopefully to have them come back or refer friends to the Black Elephant. “We are lucky that once they get here, Portland shows itself. We tell them when they ask which restaurant to visit to eat a little at each place and try several,”
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Feel To The Old Port she said, while adding that a full kitchen, with utensils and even a bin for each person in the special fridge there is included in the price of a bed. “We have had a number of pot-luck nights where guests all shop, cook and eat together,” she added, leaving this reporter to wonder what an international buffet at the hostel would be like --- assuming many of the foreign guests took part. There are other things which are also curiosities one won’t find in one of the “sterile” hotels or motels down the block. For instance, the lobby has several musical instruments which anyone is welcome to pick up and play. There are morning coffee hours where those staying mix and mingle, and staff has been known to head out on a bar crawl with some of the guests --- after they get off shift, of course. Everything about the redone building is unique. The wallpaper selections and decor of the various rooms was done in part by Heather and James’ daughters. Jolie is a student at the School of Art and Design in Savannah and Sadie (who usually helps with housekeeping, check-ins, etc.) is currently a student at St. Andrews University in Scotland, adding even more to the international flavour at the Black Elephant, where average stay off-season seems to be one or two nights, but during the Summer, Heather notes it extends “maybe from two to five.” The maximum stay allowed is a week, as Heather reminds that the building is a hostel, not an apartment building, anymore. So with season fast approaching, and most locals concerned about where to put those sisters, brothers, old pals from Indiana or college buds from LA this Summer, the Black Elephant is certainly worth a look. Drop by and see it for yourself at Newbury and Hampshire streets in the Old Port, or pay a cyber visit at www.blackelephanthostel.com Either way, the experience will be unique and unforgettable, as will your guests’ stays, but don’t look for room service, bed turn-downs, logo notepads in the rooms or mini-bars... just unique, comfortable and clean accommodations in a five-star location.
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Maine Jewish Museum
First Friday Art Walk: April 5, 2019 5pm-8pm Exhibition: March 7, 2019 to May 10, 2019
Art of the Vegetable
Lynn Karlin Fineberg Family Community Room
Glasslight
Martin Kremer Spiegel Gallery
Revisiting Stu Nudelman Third Floor Sanctuary Curator - Nanci Kahn
Maine Jewish Museum
267 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 773-2339 Monday - Friday 10am-4pm + Sundays 1pm - 5pm or by appointment mainejewishmuseum.org Nancy Davidson, Curator in Residence
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Here’s What We Think... By Ted Fleischaker / Up Portland Publisher This editorial is about the word “NO” and the fact that we feel a need to say it loud and clear to three entities immediately. One of those is Portland Downtown, formerly called the Portland Downtown District. We want to say NO to you for asking us, as Portlanders to just sit here and accept what this newspaper feels is the utterly baseless, and frankly shortsighted, decision you made for us (without any major business or citizen input that we have been able to determine) to end the wonderful Old Port Fest after this year. This event has been a kick-start to Summers on the Peninsula for over 40 years. It does not lose money, and it does bring thousands of people to downtown for one sometimes wild, but always fun, weekend. Yet, the powers-thatbe at Portland Downtown have decided that this Summer’s version will be its last and that the event, started years ago to increase tourist and local traffic and interest in what was then a dilapidated Old Port area, has accomplished its original goal and need not be continued, despite all the positivity it brings to our city each year. In Up Portland’s way of thinking, if this ill-thought-out decision is allowed to stand, this should also be the last year the folks at Portland Downtown have jobs, because they obviously are not paying attention to what we, the majority of residents, businesses and visitors downtown would like. And from all this publisher has read, they are not even giving any real reason why they have made what is a clearly unpopular decision with we downtowners.
Learn, too, to read a clock, because it’s way past time you stopped this constant tax creep, and rolled back some former increases, even if it does mean consolidating schools and cutting administrative staff. We say a loud NO to another increase! Learn to live within your means! We are sure you have some math teachers who are ready and able to tell you how to add and subtract and the difference between red and black ink. Go learn it! And finally, NO to the mayors of Portland and other cities who want a local option sales tax. We do not care if that tax is “targeted” at tourists and visitors or is partial year or only in season. It’s again (see above) another tax. And while those heading to Augusta to push for it say it will hit mostly tourists and others not here year round, where exactly do they want we 12-month locals to dine, shop and visit in the city we love? And how can we afford to pay for it with more taxes? The whole suggested local option is a smokescreen at best and a proposal for legalised robbery at worst, so the state should say a loud NO to this proposal. If cities cannot live within their means, then we need to look at projects which they propose and at who will be paying. And we need new “leaders.” Not only are the proposals for local option sales taxes laughable, but coming on top of the other tax increases proposed and existing, plus minimum wage rises and possible mandatory sick time regulations the local option taxes are clearly business killers. More and more of the wonderful restaurants and other places we and others come to see, eat at and visit will be closing their doors if government strangulation continues to take hold. Enough! We hope that if the local sales tax option somehow makes it thru the legislature, our governor will use her veto pen and ask the cities and towns to face reality. There are only so many dollars and only so many of us out here to pay them... and we have had enough. Let the mayors and the city councils, like the educators, live within the means they now have. From this newspaper a loud message of one word: NO!
We do hope they will reconsider, and if not, that some business (or a group of us who have businesses) will take this event over and continue it. The decision by Portland Downtown to call it quits is to us, in a word, “stupid”. Reconsider please! Another loud NO needs to go out to School Superintendent Xavier Botana. NO Mr. Botana we taxpayers will NOT be paying an additional 6+% for schools without a fight. NO Mr. Botana we do not need to expand schools with pre-kindergarten and more when we have a diminishing base of students and this newspaper sees no need to expand your school department’s budget. NO Mr. Botana we will not stand by when a plan to combine two high schools at a cost savings to we taxpayers has been quietly shelved by your staff. And NO Mr. Botana we do not think you should continue to lead our schools when by-and-large the job being done by your administration is not as responsive to the taxpayers as this newspaper feels it needs to be. We’d suggest you show better leadership, and economise. Before Portland loses yet more people to our astronomical cost of living. We need to say NO to any sort of property tax increase and suggest that the schools learn to live within their budget. Learn, too, to use that extra money you got from the state to reduce demands for yet more taxpayer money.
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The Standard Reviewer By Randy Dankievitch — TV Critic / TVOvermind Game of Thrones’ Final Season Marks the End of an Era for HBO When Game of Thrones quietly made its debut in 2011, HBO was living in the afterglow of the era of The Sopranos, The Wire and Deadwood, still looking for their next big hit drama. The flash-in-the-pan popularity of True Blood and Entourage were waning, and the cable giant’s niche projects, like In Treatment, Big Love and Bored to Death had mostly failed to capture a wide audience --- the kind of watercooler and message board conversation starters it had come to expect of its own shows. Before the debut of Game of Thrones, HBO’s biggest show was arguably Eastbound and Down – which was popular more for Danny McBride’s iconic performance as Kenny Powers, than it was as an actual show.
television shows heads into an era without a major “hit”. Westworld’s indulgent second season guarantees a smaller audience whenever season three debuts, and with the JJ Abrams’ adaptation of Watchmen as the only true big-ticket premiere on the books so far this year, HBO’s dominance of the industry may finally be coming to an end. All of its current hits – shows like Barry, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Little Lies, and The Deuce – lack the cultural cache to become a big, signature series for the network. It’s strange to imagine a world where HBO doesn’t have at least one “appointment viewing” television show; in the age of streaming, however, it’s no surprise HBO has struggled to capture lightning in a bottle again, as it has continuously done every few years since the mid-1990’s. Right now, HBO appears to be biding its time with miniseries like Sharp Objects, and the upcoming Chernobyl and Gentleman Jack series – but these short-lived endeavours only beg more questions for HBO’s future, as it faces a world of uncertainty – and given the network’s past, opportunity – in its quest to rise once again... not entirely unlike the Stark children on HBO’s era-defining hit drama. Valar morghulis!
It’s funny to think, then, that Game of Thrones wasn’t even the biggest debut for HBO during the 2010-11 broadcast season; at the time, all their marketing was focused around the other two shows debuting that year, Boardwalk Empire (from The Sopranos writer Terrence Winter), and Treme, the latest high-profile project from The Wire creator David Simon. Game of Thrones was viewed by many as a genre entry, the kind of show that might garnish a small, dedicated audience of book fans --- a show with just enough cultural cache to justify its expensive production budget – what many in the industry call a “loss leader”, the kind of show that isn’t necessarily profitable, but allows its home channel to define their reputation and brand through critical acclaim and rewards.
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Early on, the results seemed clear: the Martin Scorcese-directed pilot for Boardwalk Empire drew nearly five million viewers during its premiere in September 2010. Seven months later, Game of Thrones drew a paltry 2.22 million viewers for its first episode. That number had risen to three million by Fire and Blood, the first season finale, but it still didn’t outperform Boardwalk Empire’s first season ratings at any point – but word of mouth was spreading, and as news of the Ned Stark story got out to audiences around the world, Game of Thrones’ audience slowly began to grow.
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Fast forward seven years, and Game of Thrones is the biggest show HBO’s had since The Sopranos, a cultural touchstone that surpassed even the network’s grandest goals for the fantasy adaptation, garnering 12 million viewers for the season six finale in Spring 2017 (by comparison, Boardwalk Empire lasted four seasons, ending in 2013 with a series finale watched by 2.18 million people). When its eighth and final season debuts on April 14 , Game of Thrones will undoubtedly break more viewing records... an impressive feat for a eight-year old show in the “Age of Too Much TV.” th
However, when the story of the Starks and Lannisters finally comes to an end this year, HBO finds itself again looking towards an uncertain future. With comedy hit Veep also ending in May, TV’s most reliable source of prestige
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15 Middle Street Portland
Local Art
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Nursery
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Decor
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Hackin’ The Net By Ted Fleischaker / Publisher For the past few months around our house, it’s been the “battle of the assistants” and after a while of using two of them, I figured it was time to follow up to a column I did some time back about which, if any, you should buy. The “assistants”, in case you haven’t figured it out as yet, are those voice-activated speakers which talk and listen (often, I feel, too much) so they can respond to your every whim. Most folks know them as Siri and Alexa. There’s also one called the “Google Assistant” one can address as “Hey Google” but neither we nor anyone we know has one of those. Siri “lives” in a lot of Apple devices, but the one I’m commenting on here is the Apple HomePod, and for Alexa, it’s the Echo Dot. Both are happily residing in our living room, and both seem to do a decent job responding when one of their names is uttered. But the issue I have, and several visitors have noted, is that sometimes, especially Alexa, will speak when not spoken to. What was that your mom used to say about speak only when you are spoken to? This does bring up the issue of when they are listening and who they are “reporting to.” Both Apple and Amazon say their devices are secure and nobody is hearing what’s being said, but there have been some claims by police and investigators seeking “recordings” from crime scenes, though as far as we know, none has been found. And some folks swear they get ads on their computer after their smart speaker hears them talking about, say, a trip to Germany or buying a new pair of jeans. Neither thing has happened to us, but I can see where some folks with just a touch of paranoia might be suspect. And damn I do still need new jeans! Does that make me feel any different? Not really, and I don’t mind the device listening, but if you do, then simply don’t buy one or pull the plug if you are doing something you shouldn’t be... and keep it quiet because while the speaker might not hear, if you are loud, the neighbours will! OK so that security issue aside, how do we feel about these gadgets? Sadly, despite the HomePod having much better fidelity on music, Alexa runs rings around her when it comes to smarts. This is partly true because I feel Apple is trying too hard to keep things prisoner to their own system and services, and because Siri just is not as advanced as Alexa is. Need a couple examples? Try listening to a favourite radio station by saying “Play Classical FM.” If you say “Hey Siri” first, he will say “Here is some classical music for you” and play music from Apple Music or some unknown source. On the other hand, Alexa, which is hooked into things like TuneIn Radio and Simple Radio will immediately connect to the intended station: The New Classical 96 in Toronto. It’s the same with other formats. Asking for an obscure tune or performer will often result in humourous results. For example, asking for Debbie Friedman’s Oseh Shalom (a Jewish tune) on Siri resulted in “I can’t find that” whereas doing the same to Alexa resulted in a different tune with Debbie Friedman being played from Apple Music. Why Apple’s own HomePod couldn’t find that same piece or option is anyone’s guess. And the differences go on. Both assistants are great when heading out to ask for the current temperature. Siri says “it’s 42 degrees” whereas Alexa follows the current number up with the line “today, expect a high of 45 degrees.” That additional is handy since I not only know which hoodie to grab, but what I can expect while walking around the Old Port later.
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Both seem to do equally well on other things. Ask “What’s the population of Portland, Maine?” and either one will tell a reasonably correct number near 66,000. But ask “Hey Siri, what’s the news?” and Siri will give you the latest from NPR and before starting will give an option to instead hear Fox, CNN or Washington Post newscasts. Nice. Alexa, on the other hand when asked “what’s the news” will go into a bunch of gibberish about give-aways of the day and all sorts of this or that about apps and ads, but no real newscasts. Fail. Try “Play BBC News” and Siri goes to the latest BBC News Podcast from the UK, whereas Alexa wants to play the latest newscast from NBC Radio News. Trying multiple times tends to bring the same results, showing that both systems have their faults when what they hear is not what one says. Another issue is accents. The world has all manner of accented speech --- from Midwest American, which is often touted as “no accent” to strong Southern, New England and foreign accents. And sadly, the way each is interpreted by the smart speaker will result in a different thing happening. While I do not have a strong accent, after working in radio for some years, I did grow up in the Southern Midwest. This means sometimes neither assistant can understand what I am saying very well. The results can range from frustrating to hilarious, showing that while voice activated technology is making huge strides, it’s not quite there yet. And let’s not forget multiple devices on the same system. Say “Hey Siri” at our house and both our iPhones, iPads and the HomePod will all perk up. If things are working as designed (which they usually are in this case) the HomePod will win out and provide what answer is available, while the others fall silent, though that’s not always the case, resulting in several different devices answering the “Hey Siri!” from different parts of the room at our house! Finally, there’s the matter of sound quality. The sound one gets when playing, especially music, differs greatly. I’d need a better Amazon Echo device to fairly
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judge, for while we got our Dot for under $50, it’s literally able to be held in the palm of one’s hand and has nowhere near the speaker space nor fidelity we get with the HomePod, which was about $350. So do you really get what you pay for? In the case of assistants, from what we have found to be the case, no. The fidelity and the clarity of sound hands a solid victory to the HomePod, but Apple’s apparent and oft-written about refusal to allow many of the popular apps, like Simple Radio and TuneIn to be used on their system means what Siri can do and find and reply is severely handicapped. Put another way, what good is great music fidelity if the song or station or genre you want to hear either is not available at all, or is only available if you buy Apple Music and pay a monthly fee for the use of the tunes? So given all of the above what would we do were we to start over? Right now, we’d buy another Amazon Echo. A larger one than our current Dot, but definitely an Alexa speaker. There’s a fuller size Echo for about $100 on Amazon which this reviewer feels would add the music fidelity we are now missing, and retain the smarts Alexa currently brings to the table. Neither might work for you, and to those who cover their phone and laptop cameras with tape “to be sure nobody’s watching me” you likely will want to skip the whole thing, for smart speakers do need to listen to function and if you are scared they will overhear a fight with the boyfriend or bank info you tell on a phone call then neither Alexa or Siri is right for you. Unlike the phone camera which does not spy on you, these gadgets are designed to be listening all the time so they can and will work. As for us, we will likely keep both Alexa and Siri because it’s fun to have all the options. I only wish we could figure out a way to make them talk to one another --- just to see what they’d choose to discuss! Sure hope it’s not politics!
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Up Portland is edited in Portland and printed the last week of every month in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We may be contacted at the e-mail or phone number below. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and fairness, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. Liability is limited to the cost of said ad. Ads not cancelled by published deadlines may be billed at agreed-upon price. Ads may be edited or rejected for content at the discretion of the publisher. All items appearing in Up Portland, as well as the name, logos and design are copyright 2019 by BBS, A division of High Speed Delivery Fork Ltd. & Ted Fleischaker and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written approval.
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Easter cakes and Passover desserts are
Passover – April 19-27 Easter Sunday – April 21
available for order beginning April 1. To view a menu, visit us at: www.two fatcatsbakery.com, or pick up a menu at our Portland or South Portland locations.
Celebrate Spring with Two Fat Cats Bakery Portland — 47 India Street 207.347.5144 Tuesday–Saturday 8am-5pm Sunday 8am-4pm South Portland — 740 Broadway 207.536.7713 Tuesday–Saturday 8am-5pm
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