This Week's Events:Allagash Dinner, Brewer's Festival, Rwandan Cooking Class, Chimay

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place, Vignola is holding their 5th Annual Allagash Beer Dinner, and both Grace and Wine Wise are holding wine education events.
ThursdayThe Great Lost Bear will showcase brews from all of the Portland breweries and Downeast Beverage will hold a beer tasting.
Friday — The first night of the 17th Annual Maine Brewer’s Festival (more info), a Rwandan cooking class is taking place, the West End Deli is holding a wine tasting and the First Friday Art Walk is taking place which usually kicks the competition for a table at your favorite restaurant up a notch (more than 60% on OpenTable are already booked solid for the 7 pm time slot) so make your reservations early.
SaturdayLeRoux Kitchen is holding a wine tasting, the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place and it’s the last night of the 17th Annual Maine Brewer’s Festival.
Sunday — Novare Res is holding a Chimay beer event.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

This Week’s Events:Allagash Dinner, Brewer’s Festival, Rwandan Cooking Class, Chimay

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place, Vignola is holding their 5th Annual Allagash Beer Dinner, and both Grace and Wine Wise are holding wine education events.

ThursdayThe Great Lost Bear will showcase brews from all of the Portland breweries and Downeast Beverage will hold a beer tasting.

Friday — The first night of the 17th Annual Maine Brewer’s Festival (more info), a Rwandan cooking class is taking place, the West End Deli is holding a wine tasting and the First Friday Art Walk is taking place which usually kicks the competition for a table at your favorite restaurant up a notch (more than 60% on OpenTable are already booked solid for the 7 pm time slot) so make your reservations early.

SaturdayLeRoux Kitchen is holding a wine tasting, the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place and it’s the last night of the 17th Annual Maine Brewer’s Festival.

Sunday — Novare Res is holding a Chimay beer event.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

Maine Beer & Mead Tasting

Portland magazine has published the notes of a tasting of 13 Maine beers and 1 mead.

Clever. European. Sexy. Diabolical. SoCal cool. If the words used to describe Maine beers at a local tasting are any indication, it would be safe to say that we’ve left behind our staid reputation for tweedy, English-style ales, emerging as the New World birthplace of world-class brews like Allagash’s lusty Belgian whites, Sebago’s breezy IPAs, Marshall Wharf’s maniacally hopped classics, and Shipyard’s pop-culture seasonals.

Maine Beer & Mead Tasting

Portland magazine has published the notes of a tasting of 13 Maine beers and 1 mead.

Clever. European. Sexy. Diabolical. SoCal cool. If the words used to describe Maine beers at a local tasting are any indication, it would be safe to say that we’ve left behind our staid reputation for tweedy, English-style ales, emerging as the New World birthplace of world-class brews like Allagash’s lusty Belgian whites, Sebago’s breezy IPAs, Marshall Wharf’s maniacally hopped classics, and Shipyard’s pop-culture seasonals.

Trader Joe's: First Day Photos and Reportage

The news coverage of the Trader Joe’s opening extends into it’s first day with photos and commentary on From Away, and articles from the Bowdoin Orient and Press Herald.
Here’s an excerpt from the From Away,

In front of a crowd of people that circled the packed-to-capacity parking lot, Portland Mayor Nicholas Mavodones and Portland “Store Captain” Tracy Acciola performed a ceremonial lei cutting, before the first lucky patrons were let in the door, to cheers from the Hawaiian shirt-bedecked staff. Excited customers had taken the day off from work; one woman I spoke to pulled her daughter out of school for the day. Whole Foods, you’re in big trouble.

Trader Joe’s: First Day Photos and Reportage

The news coverage of the Trader Joe’s opening extends into it’s first day with photos and commentary on From Away, and articles from the Bowdoin Orient and Press Herald.

Here’s an excerpt from the From Away,

In front of a crowd of people that circled the packed-to-capacity parking lot, Portland Mayor Nicholas Mavodones and Portland “Store Captain” Tracy Acciola performed a ceremonial lei cutting, before the first lucky patrons were let in the door, to cheers from the Hawaiian shirt-bedecked staff. Excited customers had taken the day off from work; one woman I spoke to pulled her daughter out of school for the day. Whole Foods, you’re in big trouble.