The West End News Food & Travel section. Local reviewer James Fereira visits your favorite local eateries and shares all the good with a little snark. And West End independent travel agent Nancy Dorrans takes readers around the world in search of adventure.
Layne’s Wine Gig MUSCADET By Layne V. Witherell Muscadet has a problem. The wine from that famous 650-mile river in the Loire Valley in France is white and dry, tastes of “salinity and... Read more
By Nancy Dorrans Last February I booked two group sites at Lamoine State Park near Mount Desert Island for a four-night camping trip over the Fourth of July. I posted the group travel trip t... Read more
LAYNE’S WINE GIGYOU NEVER KNOW… By Layne V. Witherell For me, wine and food aren’t a predetermined, preordained, sales-rep induced experience beginning with the admonition, “Wow,... Read more
By Nancy Dorrans Last month I embarked on a journey to the truly amazing and stunning state of Oregon. It started with an invitation from the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) to att... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig GIDDY WITH EVENTS By Layne V. Witherell There are so many events. Mindboggling. There’s Beer Week, Wine Week, Restaurant Week, Lobster Week, Portland Seaweed Week (my... Read more
By Nancy Dorrans Springtime, sunshine, and blooming crocus have motivated me to get out in the garden and BACK TO NATURE! I have some good news to share. My happy place garden, maintained by... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig TUESDAY NIGHT WINES By Layne V. Witherell Following our deep dive into the world of unattainable unicorn wines last month, I thought we could relax and get a bit more... Read more
By Nancy Dorrans One of the gains of the pandemic is that a lot more people have ventured outside for their vacations. While hesitant to travel by air or stay in hotels, road trips and campi... Read more
Layne’s Wine Gig Presents UNICORN WINE HUNT By Layne V. Witherell If you Google up “unicorn wine” you get not only a slew of mixed wisdom from the reigning sommelier god of the moment,... Read more
By Nancy Dorrans What is up with our winter? First Izzy, a Nor’easter blizzard brought high winds and tons of snow to our coast but not near enough to the mountains. My skiing frie... Read more
