Category: Events

Monday — Kate McCarty is teaching a jam and jelly making workshop at Whole Foods.

Tuesday — Local Sprouts is hosting their monthly Local Foods Networking Breakfast.

Wednesday — there will be a wine tasting at the Old Port Wine Merchants, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — the City Council subcommittee for Public Safety, Health and Human Services will be reviewing a draft ordinance to allow food trucks to operate in the City. Now that the sunny weather has arrived The Great Lost Bear is showcasing the Beers of Summer.

Saturday — the 8th Annual Vegetarian Food Festival will be held at the East End Community Center, Caiola’s and Devenish Wine are hosting a Wine Tasting Marriage Equality Fundraiser, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — The Well and Devenish Wines are co-hosting an Italian Wine Dinner, Dobra is leading a Chinese tea tasting,  and the Taste of the Nation fundraiser to fight hunger in Maine is taking place on Great Diamond Island. Many of Portland’s best restaurants are participating. You can learn more and buy tickets online at Share Our Strength website.

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.

Nonna’s Kitchennette and Seoul Sausage are going to be operating again today in the Old Port with film crews from the Great Food Truck Race. Details are still thin but it looks like they’ll be parking on Commercial in front of Ri-Ra.

Here’s a set of reports on last night’s initial appearance of the 2 trucks:

• Chubby Werewolf returned from a blogging hiatus to publish a thoroughly entertaining and detailed piece about the pop-up food truck event
• Edible Obsessions has posted a report from yesterday along with commentary on the offerings from both trucks
• Fellow food trucks Bite into Maine and Mainely Burgers have been tweeting non-stop
• WCSH has aired a segment which includes an interview with Nonna’s Kitchenette
• Maine a la Carte posted a report on the event with details on Nonna’s

Afternoon Update
Here’s a photo of the trucks out in front of Ri-Ra’s at about 1 pm on Sunday. Both had long lines and crews from the Food Network were filming for the TV show.

Evening Update

• The Press Herald has published a report on this weekend’s food truck happenings
• WCSH has aired another report on food trucks including interviews with the executive producer of the show and co-owners of Brunswick food truck Lola’s Taqueria. This segment later made it’s way onto the USA Today website.

 

Two finalists in the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race are en route to Portland and should be arriving this afternoon. From what I’ve heard, due to some special event license, they will be able to operate in the city once they get here. The 2 food trucks are:

• Nonna’s Kitchenette from Parsippany, NJ. Here’s the menu: Fried Ravioli $7, Meatball Madness $9, Pizelle Gelato Sandwich $6, East Coast Ice Cream Float $5, Italian Sweet Balls $5. All of it looked good. I especially enjoyed the fried balls with powdered sugar.
• Seoul Sausage from Los Angeles. Here’s the menu: KBBQ Burger $8, Flaming Fried Balls $5, Korean Tatas Supreme $8, Strawberry Lemonade $3.

5 pm: Nonna’s arrived and texted to let me know they’re at 408 Fore Street by the time I walked 2 blocks over from Middle Street there was already a line. Portland’s food writer’s have put in a good showing with Edible Obessions, Chubby Werewolf, and Meredith Goad from the Press Herald also showing up for the fun. A pair of newlyweds also stopped by.

8 pm: Seoul Sausage arrived and parked a few spots in front of Nonna’s. They’re located right outside of Gritty’s. They just have 1 hour to sell due to the rules of the contest.

Press Herald food blog Maine a la Carte reports that Chef Tony Mantuano will be coming to Portland in July for a special wine dinner at Carmen at the Danforth. Mantuanu is the chef at Spiaggia in Chicago.

The critically-acclaimed Spiaggia has been called one of the best Italian restaurants in the country. It was nominated for “Outstanding Restaurant in America” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, 2007 and 2010. In 2005, Mantuano was named James Beard’s Best Chef: Midwest. Spiaggia is a favorite dining spot for the president and first lady, who celebrated Obama’s presidential election victory there in 2008. Oprah Winfrey has also been a frequent guest.

Portland restaurants cleaned up at last week’s Maine Hot Wing Cook-Off Challenge. The Great lost Bear won in the Hottest of the Hot category, the Asylum took the honors for the Best Traditional Wing Sauce, and Congress Bar & Grill won the People’s Choice Award.

The event was sponsored by Shipyard Brewing. It raised $2,800 for the Relay for Life.

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — esteemed wine importer Peter Weygandt is collaborating with Caiola’s on a 6-course wine dinner ($70pp, 772-1110), Miyake is holding a sake tasting, there will be a wine and cheese tasting at the Public Market House, and a wine tasting at Aurora Provisions, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beer from Founders Brewing.

Saturday — Novare Res is holding the 2012 Smuttfest celebrating Smuttynose Brewing by offering 25 of their beers on tap, RSVP is having a Founders Brewing beer tasting and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Taste of the Nation — looking out a couple weeks, the Taste of the Nation fundraiser to fight hunger in Maine is taking place on June 24 on Great Diamond Island. Many of Portland’s best restaurants are participating. You can learn more and buy tickets online at Share Our Strength website.

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.

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — the 1st Annual Maine Hot Wing Cook-Off Challenge is taking place, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from the Brooklyn Brewing.

Friday — Think Tank is screening the movie Blue Gold, and Novare Res will be showcasing beer from Greenflash Brewery.

Saturday — Wine Wise is leading a wine walk featuring trendsetting European Whites, there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — it’s the 39th Annual Old Port Festival.

Twilight Dinners — tickets are now on sale for Cultivating Community’s Twilight Dinners. The dinners have proved so popular that they’re now a weekly occurrence starting July 5.

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.

Wednesday — the 3rd Cloak & Dagger dinner is taking place, there will be a wine tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Bard Coffee is hosting this month’s Thursday Night Throwdown latte art competition, Bresca is holding a vegetarian wine dinner, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from the Tuckerman Brewing.

Friday — wine tastings are being held at Rosemont on Brighton and the West End Deli, The Salt Exchange is holding a Bourbon Tasting and it’s the First Friday Art Walk.

Saturday — there will a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — it’s Maine Lemonade Day.

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 — Sea Change Cooking is holding an olive oil tasting at the Woodlands Club in Falmouth.

Wednesday — Frog & Turtle is hosting a beer dinner and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — there will be a wine tastings at Rosemont on Brighton and at Browne Trading, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from the Sixpoint Brewery.

Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

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 — Local Sprouts is hosting the monthly Local Foods Networking Breakfast.

Wednesday — there will be a sake tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — there will be a wine tasting at the Public Market House, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from Magic Hat Brewing.

Friday — there will be a beer tasting at the West End Deli

Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — Po’Boys & Pickles are holding a Parking Lot Crawfish Boil.

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.