Category: Events

You’ve read about them in the Portland Daily Sun and the Portland Press Herald and now here’s some photos from PortlandTown of the now famous Greek Heritage Festival bakers.
UPDATE: PortlandTown has published an additional set of photos taken on the opening day of the Greek Heritage Festival. (added Friday)
Photo Credit: Michael Barriault

Today’s Food & Dining section in the Portland Press Herald includes a feature article about the Greek Festival,

Maria Economos held court at the stove in the parish hall of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, a pan of hot canola oil awaiting her next piece of delicate pastry dough.

“You’ve got to have the knack, and I do,” insisted the 87-year-old Economos as she surveyed the kitchen table behind her and fastidiously hand-picked the next square of dough to fry. “I’ve been doing this since I was 13 years old.”

and an article about the Vegetarian and Vegan Food Festival which is also taking place this weekend.

“There are plenty of opportunities for people to get their feet wet if they’re thinking about a plant-based diet,” said Beth Gallie, the co-chair of this year’s event. “One thing that makes us happy is people who come who aren’t vegetarians but who want to add meatless meals to their diet.”

Now in its sixth year, the free festival serves up oodles of food samples, a roster of speakers and a host of vegetarian-focused organizations.

The Tuesday Portland Daily Sun includes a pair of articles about the Greek Heritage Festival that kicks off on Thursday this week.

There were dozens of mothers and daughters in the kitchen at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church this past week: measuring out flour, stuffing dates and sprinkling confectioner’s sugar. The recipes that once fed families of ten have been scaled up to feed ten thousand. Going into its 28th year, the Greek Food Festival is three days of Hellenic hospitality under a big top tent at the corner of Pleasant Street and Park Street, just around the corner from the art museum.

Monday — the Monday Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square.
Tuesday — Susan Hecht from FG. Scheider & Sohn will be at Novare Res for “an evening of stellar wheat beer and radish peeling”.
Wednesday — the midweek Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square and a Wine Wise class at The Wine Bar.
Thursday — opening day of the Greek Heritage Festival, Vignola’s Escape to Spain tasting of 25 Spanish wines, wine tastings at Browne Trading and Black Cherry Provisions, the monthly Thursday Night Throwdown latte art competition at Bard Coffee, a wine and cheese tasting at the Public Market House and a summer beer showcase at The Great Lost Bear.
Friday — the second day of the Greek Heritage Festival, a showing of the movie Beer Wars and a Spanish wine tasting at Rosemont Market on Brighton Ave.
Saturday — the weekend Farmers Market is taking place in Deering Oaks Park, the last day of the Greek Heritage Festival, a wine tasting at Scarborough Wine Outlet, the annual StrawberryFest in Cape Elizabeth, the 2nd Annual LobsterFest and the 6th Annual Vegetarian Food Festival.
Sunday — the 5th Annual Taste of the Nation and a Wine Wise program in Portland Harbor aboard the Casablanca.
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.

PortlandTown has published some photos from yesterday’s book signing by Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo at Rabelais. The two were in town with Andrew Knowlton from Bon Appetite to promote The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual.
Photo Credit: Michael Barriault
Update: the Frankies also were on Fox 23 for an interview and cooking demonstration.

Monday — the Monday Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square.
Tuesday — a French Wine Dinner at Bar Lola.
Wednesday — the midweek Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square and there will be a wine tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants, a beer tasting at the West End Deli, and a Wine Wise class at The Wine Bar.
Thursday — Rabelais is hosting a book signing with “artisanal food rock stars” Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, Leavitt & Sons is holding a wine tasting and there will be an Allagash beer showcase at The Great Lost Bear.
Saturday — the weekend Farmers Market is taking place in Deering Oaks Park, and bartender John Myers is leading a Historic Portland walking tour with “multiple stops for adult refreshment” along the way.
Sunday — both Evangeline and Five Fifty-Five are serving Father’s Day beer dinners.
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 — the Monday Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square.

Tuesday — a French Wine Dinner at Bar Lola.

Wednesday — the midweek Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square and there will be a wine tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants, a beer tasting at the West End Deli, and a Wine Wise class at The Wine Bar.

Thursday — Rabelais is hosting a book signing with “artisanal food rock stars” Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, Leavitt & Sons is holding a wine tasting and there will be an Allagash beer showcase at The Great Lost Bear.

Saturday — the weekend Farmers Market is taking place in Deering Oaks Park, and bartender John Myers is leading a Historic Portland walking tour with “multiple stops for adult refreshment” along the way.

Sunday — both Evangeline and Five Fifty-Five are serving Father’s Day beer dinners.

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 — the Monday Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square.
Wednesday — the midweek Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square and there will be a wine tasting at RSVP.
Thursday — Jerry Knecht from North Atlantic Seafood will give a lecture titled The Meaning of Sustainable: Seafood Business for the 21st Century as part of the GMRI Sea State 5.0 lecture series.
Friday — a tasting of Portuguese wines is taking place at Rosemont on Congress Street.
Saturday — the Bayside World Market and Fair; the weekend Farmers Market is taking place in Deering Oaks Park; a tasting of Portuguese wines is taking place at Rosemont on Brighton.
Sunday — the 37th Annual Old Port Festival; a group of Portland chefs will be at Rippling Waters Farm for the The Gourmet Garden Crawl.
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 — the Monday Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square.

Wednesday — the midweek Farmers Market is taking place in Monument Square and there will be a wine tasting at RSVP.

Thursday — Jerry Knecht from North Atlantic Seafood will give a lecture titled The Meaning of Sustainable: Seafood Business for the 21st Century as part of the GMRI Sea State 5.0 lecture series.

Friday — a tasting of Portuguese wines is taking place at Rosemont on Congress Street.

Saturday — the Bayside World Market and Fair; the weekend Farmers Market is taking place in Deering Oaks Park; a tasting of Portuguese wines is taking place at Rosemont on Brighton.

Sunday — the 37th Annual Old Port Festival; a group of Portland chefs will be at Rippling Waters Farm for the The Gourmet Garden Crawl.

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.

PortlandTown has published photos of the doughnut making process at The French Press Eatery in honor of today as National Doughnut Day. According to Wikipedia, the annual doughnut event was “created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I”

When I mentioned to the boys that tomorrow was the big day, they were surprised that they didn’t know of the (should be) national holiday, but quick on their feet in deciding to make a special donut for the day. Thus is born the “Team USA Donut”.  Resplendent in red, white and blue.

Photo Credit: Michael Barriault