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1 week ago | 
thebollard.com | Chris Busby |Dan Zarin
photo/Dan ZarinMagissa91 Anderson St., Portland956-2902magissaportland.comOver the course of its 2,800-year history, Greece has made countless contributions to Western civilization: philosophy, the Olympics and democracy, to name just a few. With some of those innovations (that last one, in particular) losing a bit of their luster lately, this seems an opportune time to indulge in one of Greek culture’s most enduring exports: its cuisine.
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1 week ago | 
thebollard.com | Chris Busby |Jessie Banhazl |Sara Hogan |Dan Zarin
photos/Troy R. BennettThe invisible artistry of Mark Turner, Portland’s kindest cook A long time ago, in a little Italian village far away from Casco Bay, there lived a boy named Pasquale who was enchanted by the magic of Hollywood movies. He’d sneak away from home or skip school to go to the cinema in Caserta, the capital city. His father, Giuseppe, and several other workmen from the settlement of Garzano lived across the ocean 10 months of every year, building roads in Maine.
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2 months ago | 
thebollard.com | Chris Busby |Dan Zarin
Portland police called to help Bill Lundgren after a brutal roadside assault roughed him up and charged him with OUI instead. photo/courtesy LundgrenWhy can’t police help us the way we help each other? OK, true-crime fans, please take a few moments to ask yourself how you would respond in the following situations:1.
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2 months ago | 
thebollard.com | Chris Busby |Dan Zarin
The kitchen inside one of Winter Landing’s apartments. photos/Kiki GarfieldLast November we got a call from a whistleblower, a lady nearing 80 we’ll call Margaret, complaining about her experience living in a newly built senior-housing development at Mercy Hospital’s former West End campus. Called Winter Landing, the 52-unit building comprised of 600-square-foot one-bedroom apartments opened in mid-October of 2024.
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Feb 2, 2025 | 
thebollard.com | Figgy DiBenedetto |Dan Zarin |Tom Major
Environmental RadicalHey folks! “O’er the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go!” Did I get you into the holiday spirit? I had to try, and that’s the only Thanksgiving tune I know. I’m writing this during the holiday season and I’m sure happy. I got hit in the head by a boomerang the day before Thanksgiving as a small lad. Ain’t been right since. That explains a lot of things. You guys don’t know I have a daughter. In fact, I have grandkids. Call this column a Christmas gift to them.
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Feb 2, 2025 | 
thebollard.com | Figgy DiBenedetto |Dan Zarin |Tom Major
Pork & Potatoes at CBG. photo/Figgy DiBenedettoCBG617 Congress St., Portland613-9356cbgportland.comThere’s nothing wrong with taking food seriously, but the pressures and pretensions of living in a foodie city like Portland sometimes make me cynical and I want to stick it to the man. And by “the man,” I mean James Beard. Sometimes I want to visit a place the late, great gourmand would never consider giving a try, a joint like CBG.
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Jan 5, 2025 | 
thebollard.com | Dan Zarin
The Everything Scone at Finestkind. photo/Dan ZarinFinestkind17 Pepperell Square, Saco494-7083finestkindmaine.comDid you hear? Saco is the new Biddeford, which was previously called Portland’s Brooklyn, so I guess Saco is now also Brooklyn vis-à-vis the Manhattan of Portland, making Biddeford … Queens? I’m having trouble keeping track, and it’s all bullshit anyway, but it is true that Saco’s dining scene is having a moment of sorts.
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Dec 8, 2024 | 
thebollard.com | Tom Major |Dan Zarin |Figgy DiBenedetto
Mike Dunn with a can of Alte. photo/Tom MajorHigh on HempSo this month I’m putting my beer/beverage writer hat back on and calling for more state regulation of products people drink to feel buzzed. This might not seem like a radical position to you, but damn, I can’t believe I just wrote that. Congress’ 2018 Farm Bill (a.k.a. The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018) made it legal to grow hemp. Hemp and marijuana are two names for the same plant: cannabis.
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Dec 8, 2024 | 
thebollard.com | Figgy DiBenedetto |Tom Major |Dan Zarin
photo/Figgy DiBenedettoEarth at Hidden Pond354 Goose Rocks Rd., Kennebunkport967-6550earthathiddenpond.orgAnticipating my folks’ annual autumn visit to Maine, as well as their 51st wedding anniversary and my father’s 78th birthday, I booked a table months ago at Earth at Hidden Pond, which was declared “Kennebunkport’s best restaurant” by … well, their own website. I’d been intrigued to try this classy place’s “farm-to-fork” cuisine for quite a while.
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Dec 8, 2024 | 
thebollard.com | Dan Zarin |Zack Barowitz |Figgy DiBenedetto
Making a Better WorldHey, folks! So this month I’ve got some stuff to help you a bit if you’re with me in making this world a better place. Things like I recently read about schoolchildren up in Poland (Maine, that is) getting together and harvesting baby fish. Now if the whole world could do things like this…The first thing that came to mind when I thought about ways to help the world is vote Democrat. But then I realize I probably don’t have to tell you that, do I?
