Todd Richard

Latest Articles

Brzowski will Sleep when he's dead

Too old to die young
What you need to know about Brzowski in a nutshell: Not only does he understand that "myriad" is an adjective, and not a noun requiring a preposition, but he mines the Upanishads for samples.
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 15, 2011

Kate Schrock picks up a backbeat

Rocket fuel
This happens in music all the time, of course: People with no obvious commonality come together because the music they make sounds good. Thus we have Kate and the Rocket.
By SAM PFEIFLE | September 29, 2010

Bubblegum pop, legendary sax, and a taste of Trails

Sibilance
Though they didn't win the ROCK-OFF this year, pop band FYVE did turn more than a few heads, with a bubblegum pop sound bolstered by twin-sister harmonies.
By PORTLAND PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF | August 18, 2010

We heart these people

Meet Portland's most influential
We all know Portland is a busy, exciting place to live. It takes a lot of people's amazing energy to keep it going, though. Who's doing the moving and the shaking?
By JEFF INGLIS | February 10, 2010

Keep your skin on

Grilling fish whole is a tasty variation
Skinless, boneless cuts of fish are convenient — you don't have to clean them yourself — but getting rid of those "extras" takes away a lot of flavor, and a lot of the nutrition, too. Good news! It's easy to grill whole fish, and they make a great centerpiece for summer cookouts.
By TODD RICHARD | May 27, 2009

A better brunch

If you can't make it out, here's what to do at home
There is no worse fate than the purgatory of Sunday brunch. The scene is almost universally the same: after a night of aggressive drinking and merriment, boozy plans are laid to meet up in the morning for brunch.
By TODD RICHARD | July 19, 2011

A cure for all ills

Gin cocktails are great for starting spring
Gin has a massive public-relations problem, one that is centuries old and showing no signs of waning.
By TODD RICHARD | April 01, 2009

Patrick, the potato, and pork

An affordable Irish dinner
In just a few short days, the life of Saint Patrick will be celebrated the world over with his namesake holiday, Ireland's most visible mark on the global calendar.
By TODD RICHARD | March 04, 2009

An authentic Valentine?

Seeking history, and adventure, in the holiday
With a battalion of cherubs, a glut of roses, and a ticker-tape parade of hollow Hallmark sentiments, Valentine's Day may yet be the most reviled and expensive holiday of the year.
By TODD RICHARD | February 04, 2009

Stretching the wallet

Punky's fits the stomach, and the bill
I had never been to Punky's. Despite glowing reviews from food fanatics, there never seemed to be a reason to break from my norm or shake up my old fast-food standbys.
By TODD RICHARD | January 07, 2009

Stuff your stockings

Maine-made treats for the holidays
For Christmas last year, my shop-local plan had me assembling gift baskets brimming with foods for several families on my list.
By TODD RICHARD | December 10, 2008

Celebratory swigs

Holiday bottles that don't break the bank
How do we celebrate the holidays during a global financial fiasco?
By TODD RICHARD | November 12, 2008

Pumpkin primer

Turn the fall harvest into a feast
For budget-conscious shoppers, the arrival of pumpkin season is a boon.
By TODD RICHARD | October 17, 2008

Get your goat

Start a stew at International Market
In the former home of the Portland Spice Company, the International Market is open for business in a neighborhood packed with multicultural food offerings.
By TODD RICHARD | September 17, 2008

Irish music night

Music seen at Blue, August 20, 2008
At 9 pm on Wednesday, two chairs and instrument cases sat empty on Blue’s postage-stamp stage.
By TODD RICHARD | August 27, 2008

Buying in

Local food is no longer more expensive
Buying goods from our immediate area has swollen from a good idea into a movement to make it a good habit for all Portland residents.
By TODD RICHARD | August 20, 2008

Sontiago + Gabe FM

Music seen at Bubba's Sulky Lounge, July 24, 2008
Sorely under-appreciated hip-hop DJ Gabe FM is leaving us for the Left Coast, but couldn’t drop off the face without first dropping it like it’s hot.
By TODD RICHARD | July 30, 2008

It's cookout weather!

Fending off the picnic “fruitcake”
If you’re attending (or hosting) a cookout, then have a heart and offer your guests something besides the obvious norm. Here are a few ideas.
By TODD RICHARD | July 23, 2008

Backyard barbecue basics

Blake Smithson shares smoky secrets
The intricacies of barbecue as a method, a meat, and a meal are several. Thankfully, Smithson is generous with his seasoned advice.
By TODD RICHARD | June 25, 2008

Benefit for the Portland Peace Festival

Music seen at Bubba's Sulky Lounge, June 21, 2008
Dancefloors are alive. They are living, breathing, changing animals that are hungry for more.
By TODD RICHARD | June 25, 2008

Fiddling with fiddleheads

A seasonal treat, explained
The fiddlehead is Maine’s simplest, and quite possibly Maine’s most revered, delicacy.
By TODD RICHARD | May 28, 2008

Camarojuana

Music seen at the Big Easy, May 24, 2008
The delicious drunken daze that was the ’80s may have reached its pinnacle with Portland audiences.
By TODD RICHARD | May 28, 2008

Montroller

Music seen at the White Heart, April 25, 2008
Free admission makes it hard to pass up a show on a Friday night, especially when it is the emerging Portland-and-New Hampshire band known as Montroller.
By TODD RICHARD | April 30, 2008

Gastronomic stimulus package

Splurge a little at the Cheese Iron
This, coupled with the thaw and other natural stimulus packages, write a recipe for the spoils of spring: maturing cheeses, bright wines, green garlic ramps, and outdoor eating.
By TODD RICHARD | April 30, 2008

Home-cooked satisfaction

Southern-style cooking needs self-rising cornmeal
Trips to my mom’s house always involve her spoiling me and my friends with Georgia-born home cooking.
By TODD RICHARD | April 02, 2008

Ghettosocks, Sontiago, Dilly Dilly, Gabe FM

Music seen at SPACE Gallery, March 28, 2008
Friday night showed why our Canadian hip-hop friends like to visit Portland so often.
By TODD RICHARD | April 02, 2008

Band of Local All-Stars

Music seen at Empire Dine and Dance, March 2, 2008
Local working man’s bassist Justin Maxwell assembled a phenomenal band of local luminaries especially for the event.
By TODD RICHARD | March 05, 2008

Love it at Leavitt's

Ready-made, or ingredients, with plenty of wine
Besides, the bottle of Wolftrap is ample distraction from your time- and money-saving approach.
By TODD RICHARD | March 05, 2008

Senses and sensibility

Twenty$pot celebrates Valentine's Day
February is the month of love, and the shortest month on the calendar.
By TODD RICHARD | February 06, 2008

The year of the goat?

Slow food and Rabelais Books ruminate
François Rabelais, racy author and advocate of the eat, drink, and be merry lifestyle, was quoted on his deathbed as saying he was “off in search of the great perhaps.”
By TODD RICHARD | January 09, 2008