Category: Events

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, will be offering their Intermediate Level 2 certificate class in Portland March 26-27. The class is being taught by Adam Chase from Grape Experience. The program is aimed at anyone “who works in wine, wants a career in the wine industry or has a serious interest in the subject”. See the WSET website for a more detailed explanation of what the course covers.

For more information contact Adam Chase at adam@grapeexperience.com or Marc Doiron the bar manager at Street & Co.

The Food & Wine section in today’s Press Herald features an article about Maine Restaurant Week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off. The event is taking place Friday morning in South Portland. Tickets are available online.

Last year’s cook-off sold out, and some folks drove from a couple of hours away just to sample dishes such as the Creme Brulee French Toast from The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth. The “bring you to your knees delicious” French toast, smothered in fruit, took top honors and will be back this year to defend its title.

Monday — two competing cocktail events are taking place: the 2nd Annual Cold River Bartenders Bash and Maine Restaurant Week’s The Signature Event. Tickets for both events are still available and if you time it just right you can make it to both events.

Tuesday — The 3rd Annual Maine Restaurant Week starts today. Visit the MRW website for a complete list of participating restaurants and the MRW menus they are offering. Also on Tuesday,  Cheryl Lewis, the chef at El Rayo, is teaching a Latin cooking class at Stonewall Kitchen.

Wednesday — Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class and Grace is holding their monthly wine club.

Thursday — Rabelais and Grace are co-sponsoring a book signing and wine dinner with Gabrielle Hamilton the author of Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef. Hamilton is the award-winning chef/owner of Prune restaurant in NYC. Also on Thursday, The Great Lost Bear will showcase the beer from Baxter Brewing in Lewiston.

Friday — Maine Restaurant Week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off is taking place at Sea Dog Brewing in South Portland, there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli, all 25 taps at Novare Res will be dedicated to pouring beer from Marshall Wharf Brewing in Belfast and First Friday Art Walk is taking place.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place, there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen and Wine Wise is teaching a class on Aromatic White Wines of Europe.

Sunday — the annual CSA Fair is taking place at locations across the state including Woodford Church on Woodford Street. This is your chance to meet the farmers in person and sign-up for a CSA.

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 Urban Farm Fermentory is offering a class on growing mushrooms and there will be a wine & cheese tasting at Blue.

Wednesday — Wine Wise is teaching a Wine 101 class.

Thursday — an Asian Seafood cooking class is taking place at Stonewall Kitchen, the Sea Glass restaurant is holding an Argentine wine dinner and Bard is hosting a Latte Art Throwdown for baristas and coffee enthusiasts.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — the annual CSA Fair is taking place at locations across the state including Woodford Church on Woodford Street. This is your chance to meet the farmers in person and sign-up for a CSA.

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.

Valentine’s Day — Many restaurants that would usually be closed on Monday are staying open tonight. If you’re still stumped on where to go read through all the advice from the Portland food blogging community. Also several have announced special menus for tonight:

• Bar Lola — 5-course dinner, $45 per person.
• Bresca — 3-course dessert menu for $18 per person
• David’s — 5-course dinner
• East Ender — 4-course dinner, $30 per person.
• Five Fifty-Five — 4-course dinner, $75 per person or a 3-course menu at the bar for $60 per person
• Grace — 7-course dinner
• Havana South — 4-course dinner, $49 per person
• Miyake — 3-course dinner for $38 per person, 5 courses for $50, or 7 courses for $75
• Novare Res — beer and chocolate pairing menu.
• Season’s Grille — 4-course dinner, $55 per couple
• The Frog and Turtle — 3-course dinner, $40 per person
• The Inn on Peaks Island — 3-course dinner, $55 per couple
• The Salt Exchange — serving a special Valentine’s Day menu
• Vignola — 4-course dinner, $44 per person

Wednesday — Bresca is holding a sparkling wine dinner, Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class, Havana South is hosting their monthly wine club event and Sebago Brewing’s Full Moon Cask Beer Night is taking place at their brew pub in Scarborough.

Thursday — Black Tie is holding a wine tasting and Sunday River Brewing is the focus of the weekly beer showcase at The Great Lost Bear.

Saturday — a series of chef-led cooking demonstrations are on the schedule for the Maine Home, Remodeling and Garden Show, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — the next 20/20 wine charity event is being held at the East Ender, mushroom expert and author David Spahr will be giving delivering a lecture at the Urban Farm Fermentory, and the 2nd day of chef-led cooking demonstrations are on the schedule are taking place at the Maine Home, Remodeling and Garden Show.

JBF Semi-Finalists — If the past few years are any guide then this is the week that the James Beard Foundation will announce the semi-finalist nominees for this year’s JBF Awards. I’ll post info on any Maine semi-finalists once they’re announced.

Maine Foodie Tours — Maine Foodie Tours continues to operate their Old Port culinary walking tour each Saturday during the Winter months.

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.

Bob Harkins of Maine Distilleries and Joe Ricchio appeared on the Fox morning show yesterday to talk about the Cold River Bartender’s Bash.

Wednesday — RSVP is holding a wine tasting.

Thursday — Sweet Marguerites will be at Whole Foods for a chocolate tasting, and in honor off Valentine’s Day Red Ales will be the focus of the weekly beer showcase at The Great Lost Bear.

Friday — Maria’s Ristorante is having a 4-course wine dinner as a benefit for the Cathedral School.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place, the Public Market House is the subject of a joycott, there will be a wine and chocolate open house at Good Eats Boutique. Bresca, Capt Perry’s Cafe on Long Island and the Sea Glass restaurant are all offering early Valentine’s Day dinners, Wine Wise is teaching a class on French Reds, and Novare Res is teaming up with Sweet Marguerites to offer a set of chocolate and beer pairings.

Saturday — Caitlin Hunter from Appleton Creamery will be teaching a cheese making class at the Public Market House, the beer and chocolate pairings are available for a second day at Novare Res, and the 17th Annual Great Chili and Chowder Challenge is taking place at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.

Valentine’s Day — February 14 is just around the corner. If you’re planning on taking your significant other out for dinner on Valentine’s Day now is the time to call your favorite restaurant for reservations. Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year but many restaurants that would usually be closed that night are staying open and several have announced special menus:

• Bar Lola — 5-course dinner, $45 per person.
• Bresca — 3-course dessert menu for $18 per person
• David’s — 5-course dinner
• East Ender — 4-course dinner, $30 per person.
• Five Fifty-Five — 4-course dinner, $75 per person or a 3-course menu at the bar for $60 per person
• Grace — 7-course dinner
• Havana South — 4-course dinner, $49 per person
• Miyake — 3-course dinner for $38 per person, 5 courses for $50, or 7 courses for $75
• Season’s Grille — 4-course dinner, $55 per couple
• The Frog and Turtle — 3-course dinner, $40 per person
• The Inn on Peaks Island — 3-course dinner, $55 per couple
• The Salt Exchange — serving a special Valentine’s Day menu
• Vignola — 4-course dinner, $44 per person

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.

Portland Trails is holding a recipe contest to “explore the variety of food that can be enjoyed out on the trail”. The deadline for submission is February 22. The first place prize is “a meal for two at one of Portland’s fine restaurants and a guest appearance on CTN5’s ‘Community Kitchens’ television show.”

People are encouraged to submit healthy, delicious recipes for on-the-go food inspired by Portland’s trails and Southern Maine’s farms and gardens.  The recipe should be for a meal-worthy snack that can be carried in a backpack and eaten on a trail. Submissions should include:

• Recipe
• Recipe Name (must be named for a trail within the Portland Trail’s network)
• A brief (1-2 sentence) explanation about why the name was chosen
• Photograph of the finished dish
• Category in which the entrant chooses to be judged (professional or amateur)
• Details about how to store and pack the meal are encouraged

For more information call (207) 775-2411 and ask for Rachael Weyand or email info@trails.org.

Wednesday — Black Tie is teaching a cooking class, both Grace Wine Revolution and Wine Wise are holding wine classes.

Thursday — The Cheese Iron is teaching a class on Winter Cheeses.

Friday — there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli. First Friday Art Walk is taking place, restaurants will be busy so reservations are recommended.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Irish Community Center, LeRoux Kitchen is having a wine tasting and the Winter Cache Project is holding their Winter Harvest Dinner.

Valentine’s Day — February 14 is coming up fast. V-Day is is a very busy night for Portland restaurants.  If you’re planning on taking your significant other out for dinner on Valentine’s Day now is the time to call your favorite restaurant for reservations. Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year but many restaurants that would usually be closed that night are staying open and several have announced special prix fixe menus:

• Bar Lola — 5-course, $45 per person.
• Bresca — on February 12 Bresca is offering a 5-course dinner for $65 per person; on Valentine’s Day Bresca is serving a 3-course dessert menu for $18 per person and on February 16 Bresca is having a 5-course sparkling wine dinner for $65 per person.
• East Ender — 4-course, $30 per person.
• Five Fifty-Five — 4-course, $75 per person or a 3-course menu at the bar for $60 per person.

WSET — The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, will be offering their Intermediate Level 2 certificate class in Portland March 26-27. The class is being taught by instructors from Grape Experience. The program is aimed at anyone “who works in wine, wants a career in the wine industry or has a serious interest in the subject”. See the WSET website for a more detailed explanation of what the course covers.

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.