Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100Hungry eye 52 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine photos by Leah Brown nos, jalapeños, Fresnos, and the once rare and now ubiquitous shishitos. Remem- ber when Scotch bonnets were found only in Caribbean hot sauces? Now you can get them fresh at Hannaford. ELIXIR FIX Vena’s Fizz House on Fore Street in the heart of the Old Port is a good spot to start your quest to spice up your life. Step in- side and you’re surrounded by intriguing little bottles and jars of bitters and tinc- tures, and all sorts of classic bar parapher- nalia. Step upstairs into the bar and you’re Indiana Jones pausing for a drink in Tim- buktu. It’s dim, and there’s rhythmic mu- sic with vocals in faraway languages in the background. The shelves behind the bar are packed with bottles and vintage glassware. “We call this the Kickstarter,” says bar manager Warren Murray as he shakes up a “mocktail” and strains the pretty orange concoction into a Mason jar garnished with an orange slice. “It’s made with Fire Cider, which is apple cider vinegar infused with digestives like turmeric, ginger, habane- ro pepper, and horseradish. Then we add blood-orange juice, fresh ginger, and some of this ghost pepper extract from Belfast, Maine. Ghost peppers are sup- posedly the hottest of the hot.” Y ou take a sip–overwhelming fizzy, citrusy, sweet-sour brightness. Two seconds later, your lungs feel warm. Despite the peppers, it doesn’t burn like hot sauce–it heats up your soul instead, and it’s a warmth that stays with you. Vena’s comprehensive drink menu has pages of cocktails, mocktails, fizzes, rickeys, restoratives, digestives, and curatives. Cu- ratives include an Alchemist’s punch and a Hemingway Frappé with absinthe, suggest- ing hangover cures. There’s food, too, includ- ing chef Stephanie Shershow’s chocolate chili fondue. “I use Urfa Biber chili salt from Ver- vacious,” she says, referring to another spicy shop on Commercial Street committed to making life taste better than ordinary. Warren Murray points across the street to the Sweetgrass Winery tasting room, where the wine and spirits are fermented and distilled on a farm in Union. “We use their gin in our cocktails. And their bit- ters.” A jolt of Sweetgrass’s Maine cranber- ry bitters adds unexpected dimensions to even plain seltzer water. “We’re trying out some new quick health shots—kind of the opposite of a cigarette break. They’re full of herbs and bitters. There’s an antioxidant shot, a digestive, and a ‘simmer down’ shot with lavender.” He strains pale green liquid into a stemmed sherry glass. “This is a Joy Tonic, with basil, rosemary, sage bitters, and lemongrass bit- ters.” You’ll be smiling when you leave. TEA TIME “Would you like to try my Fall Tonic?” asks Sarah Richards. She’s behind the bar at her Homegrown Herb and Tea shop on Mun- joy Hill, which can best be described as a ti- ny oasis behind a brightly painted store- Nettles Elderberry Basil