Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie Ladd share her Best and Worst Tips of 2013 in today’s paper,
4) I was delighted when a customer left me a $25 Visa gift card. I was not so delighted when I tried checking out at CVS with fun stuff I didn’t need, and was told the card had a zero balance on it. The line was long and I was embarrassed, so I paid cash.
Also in today’s Sun is an article about Steve & Renee’s Diner.
The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an article about a book of poetry by Russell Libby the deceased former director of MOFGA entitled What You Should Know: A Field Guide to Three Sisters Farm,
The poems are about the future of Libby’s land at Three Sisters Farm in Mount Vernon, and the role his family will play in taking care of that land. The underlying theme is mortality. The last in the collection, “Things You Should Know,” begins with the lines: “If I could, I would walk with you long enough that you, too, might find your way about without a map or guide, but I am certain it will take a while to share what I have learned these past three decades, and the time to start is now.”
and columnist Joe Appel shares a wish list for changes he’d like to see in wine consumers, servers and producers,
Drinkers, Again
Hold feet to fire. You ask your grocer where the broccoli came from; you ask your clothier the age of the Bangladeshi child who knit your socks. Wine is a consumable, and ought to be held to the same standards we apply to other aspects of our lives.
Nathaniel Meiklejohn aka Nan’l aka The Bearded Lady will be running a pop-up bar at SPACE Gallery this Friday, 5:30-9. The pop-up bar is the first of an ongoing monthly series.
Meiklejohn was part of the team that produced the Pocket Brunch series in 2012 and 2013.
Top Gun is an intensive 5-month training program that teaches small business owners the skills they need to grow and be successful. The Maine Center for Entrepreneurial runs the program and it’s a point of distinction just to be invited to participate.
Nine out the 21 organizations people in the Spring 2014 class are Maine food/agricultural businesses. From the Portland area are Nonesuch Oysters, Apiara (beekeeping technology), and Finest Kind Tea. Participants from further afield in Maine include Bixby Bar (a 2014 Good Food Award finalist), a distillery, a malt house and more.
You can learn more about Top Gun on the MCED website.
Allagash Brewing will be releasing Tiarna this Friday (4 bottles per person limit) at the brewery store on Industrial Way.
Tiarna is a “a blend of two beers, one aged in oak and fermented with 100% brettanomyces and the other fermented in stainless with a blend of two Belgian yeast strains.”
Drink Up and Get Happy has reviewed David’s.
Head to David’s to enjoy what Portland has to offer, hang out with friends and family, or warm up after shopping in all the great stores downtown. The fantastic specials on drinks and food paired with a great selection and atmosphere make it a happy hour to top most lists.
Thillist has named the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club to their list of the Best New Bars in America.
…the Scandinavian après-ski spot from Andrew and Briana Volk does the honorable thing, and cuts right to the booze — serving up crafted cocktails (Volk has been a bartender at choice spots across the country) — selected out of a large leather bound list that seems to have cherry picked Volk’s favorites from across the country (shout out to Tommy’s Margarita in SF!), alongside Nordic small plates served on wood planks.
The 
Fishin’ Ships (facebook, twitter) food truck has launched a Kickstarter campaign. Owners Sam Gorelick and Arvid Brown are raising $12,000 to help pay for a food truck. They’ve already made good progress and have received more than $5,000 of pledges towards their goal.
So how did we decide on our goal? Some newer trucks, with lower mileage, are priced as high as $20,000, whereas some heavily used trucks we’ve looked at are as low as $5,000. We hope to find a happy medium between the two and that is why we are asking for $12,000. This will allow us the purchasing freedom to buy a nicer vehicle, without having to pinch pennies further down the road. If we find a truck for less than our goal, the remaining Kickstarter money will be directed towards retrofitting costs such as kitchen equipment, electrical, plumbing, labor and licensing.
Monday — Rosemont and Tandem are collaborating on a tasting event featuring wine from Roussillon.
Tuesday — the monthly local foods networking breakfast is taking place at Local Sprouts.
Thursday — a wine and cheese tasting is taking place at the Public Market House.
Friday — Maine Craft Distilling is hosting a tasting party, and Allagash will be releasing their latest beer, Tiarna.
Saturday — Piccolo and Dandelion Spring Farms are collaborating on a Farm to City craft fair; Piccolo will be serving pastries and hot chocolate. There will be a wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermenntory on Anderson Street.
New Year’s Eve List
Restaurants are beginning to announce their plans for New Year’s Eve. Here’s a list of ones I have details for so far. I’ll be expanding the list as more information becomes public. (Restaurant owners: please send details to anestes@portlandfoodmap.com or post a comment below.)
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.
Tandem Coffee Roasters has launched a new monthly coffee delivery program. The Coffee Subscribers Alliance gives participants the choice of drip or espresso blends. For $20 you’ll get a pair of coffees each month delivered to your home.