Category: Events

Today’s Press Herald provides a preview of the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition. The cook-off will take place later this month at Harvest on the Harbor.

Bouchard, the executive chef at DiMillo’s on the Water, is coming back for seconds in the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition, after her maple butter-poached lobster tail failed to claw its way to the top in the 2009 contest.

“This is our year,” said a determined Bouchard, who will join forces with another DiMillo’s chef, Cliff Pickett. Pickett competed for the title in 2010 with a steamed Maine lobster and sweet corn tamale.

Tickets for the competition are on sale at the Harvest on the Harbor website.

The Phantom Gourmet TV show will be filming at The Holy Donut Friday morning 7:30 – 11.

According to an article in the Bangor Daily News, Chefs from Nosh, Zapoteca, Sea Dog Brewing, Frog & Turtle and Hot Suppa were in Monument Square yesterday for a popcorn cooking contest.

Five of the city’s most popular eateries sent teams to Monument Square on Wednesday afternoon to put gourmet spins on Boy Scout popcorn in an effort to help raise the profile of the organization’s signature fundraising snack. Judges for the light-hearted first Popcorn Bowl were Gonneville, the Pine Tree Council’s top popcorn seller for 2011, WMTW TV news anchor Erin Ovalle, Southern Maine Community College culinary arts program chairman and chef Wil Beriau, and Portland Press Herald food writer Meredith Goad.

Visit Maine a la Carte for all the details on each restaurant’s entry in the competition.

James Tranchemontagne brought his son as his sous chef, and made a Creole popcorn with ground ancho, filo, onion and garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, cayenne and smoked paprika.

The staff at the Black Point Inn collaborated with chef Rob Evans and Brian Hill on a 6-course meal that raised $30,000 to fight hunger in Maine.

Black Point Inn staff donated their time to work the event, our food vendors and wine merchants donated all product and 100% of all proceeds  – $30,000 went to the cause. Every dollar raised will connect a child to 10 meals, so with the generosity of the Black Point Inn community, we helped provide 300,00 meals in Maine – 6th in the nation for “severe food insecurity.”

The Captain Fairfield Inn in Kennebunkport is hosting a food event series this winter that will feature a number of people from the Portland food community:

• November – food preservationist and author of The Blueberry Files Kate McCarty will teach a class on pickling and canning
• January – Allagash brewmaster Jason Perkins will be sharing a set of limited edition and special seasonal beers
• March – Erica Archer from Wine Wise will be leading a discussion on pairing wine and seafood
• April – cheese expert Shannon Tallman will share some her favorite cheeses and discuss pairing them with Maine beer, cider, mead and wine

Other events in December, Februarywill focus on cocktails and chocolate.

Tuesday — Bar Lola’s Tuscan wine dinner was so popular that they’re repeating the event this week.

Wednesday — Calabash in South Portland is holding a cigar dinner, there will be a wine tasting at RSVP, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — there will be a cheese and organic wine tasting at the Public Market House, there will be a beer/mead/cider/wine tasting at Bier Cellar, Oxbow Brewing will be featured at the Great Lost Beer’s weekly brewery showcase and Bard Coffee is hosting the TNT Latte Art Barista Competition.

Friday — Tandem Coffee is holding a coffee cupping, there will be a beer tasting at the West End Deli, and it’s the first day of Oktoberfest at Novare Res.

Saturday — Bunker Down Fest is raising funds for the Portland Farmers Market, Rising Tide is holding an open house, it’s the second day of Oktoberfest, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place. If you’re looking for an excuse to get out of town consider the Maine Lakes Brew Fest in Caso Maine.

Sunday — Cloak & Dagger #7 is taking place, it’s slated to be an 8-course vegetarian dinner.

All This Week — the Cumberland County Fair is taking place in Cumberland Maine.

All This Month — DiMillo’s, East Ender, Five Fifty-Five, Grace and Petite Jacqueline are all participating Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry program to raise funds to fight hunger. Check this map for the nature of each restaurant’s program.

Freedom Farm Dinner — Local 188 & Sonny’s are holding a dinner at Freedom Farm in Freedom Maine October 20th to benefit the Portland Farmers Market. The evening will consist of a farm tour followed by a 5-course dinner with pairings. Tickets are $70 per person and are available for sale online.

Le Semaine du Gout — Petite Jacqueline is planning a Week of Taste as “a celebration of dinning, agriculture and education”. Each night Monday through Friday during the week of  October 15-19 “will feature a different culinary theme and create a 3-course prix fixe menu”. Call (207) 533-7044 for reservations.

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.

Tuesday — the monthly local foods networking breakfast is taking place at Local Sprouts, Bar Lola is holding a Tuscan wine dinner, and it’s Growler Nite at Bunker Brewing.

Wednesday — Frog & Turtle is celebrating their 5th anniversary with a 5-course wine dinner, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — there will be an Austrian wine tasting at the Bier Cellar., and Devenish Wines will be at Aurora Provisions for an Autumn wine tasting.

Friday — BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe is holding a wine dinner, a new restaurant called Gather is scheduled to have their grand opening, it’s the first day of the Common Ground Fair in Unity and there will be a beer tasting at the West End Deli.

Saturday — Sea Change Cooking is teaching a vegan cooking class see there website for a full list of classes taking place this Fall, chef David Turin will be preparing a 4-course wine dinner in Kingfield to benefit Maine Huts & Trails, Space Gallery is hosting a lunch called From Sandwich to Shirt where the food scraps will be used as part of a fabric dyeing demonstration,  it’s the 2nd day of the Common Ground Fair, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — Vignola/Cinque Terre is holding their 8th Annual Harvest Dinner at the Grand View Farm in Greene.

All This Month — DiMillo’s, East Ender, Five Fifty-Five, Grace and Petite Jacqueline are all participating Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry program to raise funds to fight hunger. Check this map for the nature of each restaurant’s program.

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.

Monday — Broadturn Farm is hosting a dinner catered by Aurora Provisions to benefit the Scarborough Land Trust’s Broadturn Fund.

Wednesday — chef Matthew Delisle from L’Espalier will prepare a 7-course dinner at Five Fifty-Five, there will be a cider and cheese tasting at the Public Market House and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Friday — white russians will no doubt be consumed in mass quantities at this year’s Viva Lebowski festival taking place at Bayside Bowl? It’s the first day of Cask Fest at Novare Res.

Saturday — the Cape Elizabeth Kitchen Tour is taking place, there will be a wine tasting at Kitchen & Cork, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place. It’s the last day of Cask Fest at Novare Res.

Sunday — it’s Open Winery Day in Maine, the 13th Annual Trail to Ale is taking place, Dan Agro is leading mushroom walk on the grounds of Evergreen Cemetery, the 5th Annual Eco Appetito is taking place and Kitchen & Cork is hosting a baking contest.

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 afternoon Hugo’s is preparing the meal for a sold out 100+ guest dinner at Green Spark Farm in Cape Elizabeth. The meal is part of the Outstanding in the Field program which organizes similar farm to table events all around the country and internationally.