Leischen Stelter

Latest Articles

Food for the hungry

Gourmet chefs seek to feed Maine's kids
For many Maine kids, the end of the academic year means an end to regular meals.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | June 24, 2010

By | January 01, 0001

On vacation with a chef

What can you do with plantains?
One of the most commonly posed questions to chefs is some version of: Where do you go to eat?
By LEISCHEN STELTER | April 28, 2010

Fine wine, fine cause

Distributors partner to raise money, educate Portlanders on wines of the world
Drinking for a good cause is starting to catch on in Portland.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | March 31, 2010

Winter Point harvests from 300-year-old family land
While awaiting brunch at Vignola one Sunday afternoon, the server surprised us with two oysters on the half-shell, topped with vibrant pomegranate seeds.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | March 03, 2010

The brunch quandary

In Portland, there's always one more place you haven't tried
There seems to be an endless number of places to try in Portland. So many, in fact, that I keep discovering well-established restaurants that I didn't even know served brunch. One of those places was Vignola.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | February 03, 2010

Tests of time

Don't let old standbys drop off the radar
It feels like every week I read about a new restaurant opening in Portland.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | December 09, 2009

The way it 'Otto' be

Congress Street slice shop sticks to the basics
People queued up along Congress Street during the First Friday Art Walk last week may have been in town for the art, but they were in line for the pizza.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | November 11, 2009

Seasonal fare(well)

The chef of Five Fifty-Five bids adieu to summer
With Labor Day weekend behind us, so goes the high tourist season here in Maine. While this means less crowded beaches and the possibility of finding a weekend parking space in the Old Port, it signifies a major transition for restaurateurs around the city.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | September 09, 2009

Life after the Old Port?

Owners of Rachels L'Osteria share their experience moving to the neighborhood
As the central hub for tourists and locals alike, the Old Port seems like the perfect spot for a restaurant. But sometimes being in the center of the madness can detract from the experience, not only for diners, but also for the owners.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | August 19, 2009

Full circle

Bresca's new collaborative effort brings intimacy back to dining
For someone who once envisioned herself sequestered in a dusty library somewhere in England reading medieval literature, Krista Desjarlais, executive chef and owner of Bresca, has a life far from quiet and solitude.
By LEISCHEN STELTER | July 22, 2009