PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE – The Maine Potato Board has announced that the Caribou Russet potato will once again be used in two restaurants in Bangor starting with High School Basketball Tournament Week. Geaghan’s Pub & Craft Brewery will be using the Caribou Russet in a variety of potato-based dishes, and Hops House 99 inside Hollywood Casino will be using the Caribou for hand-cut fries and other dishes. Both restaurants are located across the street from the Cross Insurance Center, which also serves the Caribou Russet at its own concession stands.
“We started this last year at Tourney Time in Bangor,” said Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board. “There are a lot of fans from The County who come to Bangor throughout the week for the games, so we thought it would be a nice taste of home at a couple of great restaurants. The chefs reported back that they loved working with the Caribou Russets and the diners at the restaurants loved them, too. While we weren’t completely surprised to hear that, we are certainly pleased that Tourney fans will be greeted with Caribou Russets in Downtown Bangor again this year.”
Geaghan’s Pub and Brewery plans to use the Caribou Russet in potato-based dishes like Irish Nachos, mashed potatoes, Shepherds Pie, and potato-based stews. Hops House 99 will use the potatoes for its hand-cut fries, which accompany the variety of burgers and sandwiches on the menu. Both restaurants plan to continue using the Caribou Russet until the supply runs out, which should be around mid-Spring.
“Because in the potato world, this is still a new variety with high demand, the supply eventually runs out for the season,” said Flannery. “We are hopeful that the supply will increase each year, but it takes time for farmers to devote the amount of acreage necessary to see that level of growth.”
“We’re once again happy to have the Caribou Russet on our menu,” said Peter Geaghan, co-owner of Geaghan’s Pub & Brewery. “Geaghan’s strives to use maine products whenever possible. We believe that it’s not only good for the industry, but it’s also good for our customers.”
“We had tremendous success with the Caribou Russet last year,” said Mike Leonard, Manager of Food & Beverage Operations at Hollywood Casino and Hops House 99. “We were excited to be able to get the Russet back again this year. The chefs love working with it, and it makes an incredible fry. It’s a very versatile potato that really stands out in our restaurant.”
The Caribou Russet hit store shelves with limited supply in 2016. A year later, Hannaford stores began stocking the new variety in its produce sections throughout Maine. The Caribou Russet is now widely available in grocery stores throughout New England, and is being made available to restaurants throughout the region through food distributors.
For more information on the Maine Potato Board, visit www.mainepotatoes.com.
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