Nominations are now open for the 6th Annual Press Herald Source Awards. The awards recognize “Mainers’ most promising, innovative and successful efforts – large and small – to combat climate change, and to otherwise protect, sustain and conserve our beautiful state, its resources and waters”. Numerous food and agricultural businesses have been recognized in past years.
You can nominate a sustainable initiative you admire online now through March 1st.
The Press Herald has published an update on this year’s edition of Maine Restaurant Week which is taking place March 1 – 12.
Instead of offering the traditional Restaurant Week three-course menus, Maine restaurants – many of which are struggling financially – have simply been asked to come up with something creative to offer diners. And in another nod to the pandemic, Restaurant Week specials will be available for curbside takeout as well as indoor and outdoor dining.
Terlingua is launching a guest chef series that will start next week and run through the end of April. Each guest chef will be creating a dish that makes use of smoked meats from Terlingua.
Highroller Lobster is first up with a “BBQ Brisket Grilled cheese//bbq sauce//beer battered onion strings” sandwich.
Here’s the full schedule:
Small Axe is launching a guest chef series in February:
Briana Holt from Tandem Bakery will be on the calendar in March, and Small Axe is working to schedule more chefs. Stay tuned for more details.
It’s been an extremely difficult year for restaurants and the entire world. No report can fully or adequately capture all that has happened and that we’ve experienced in the past 12 months. That said, here’s an attempt to provide a high level overview of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the rays of hope and sunshine that was the 2020 year in food for Portland:
The most popular articles published on Portland Food Map in the past year.
January – 6 Maine businesses were winner at the Good Food Awards, Courtney Loreg from Woodfords F&B was the featured chef for the inaugural My Kitchen Their Table interview series, the Chef Summit took place, Mission Chinese chef Danny Bowien was the guest chef at Solo Italiano, Sean Turley from The Righteous Russet was interviewed by Malus, staff from Bard Coffee and Speckled Ax qualified for the US Coffee Championships. Magnus on Water, Ada’s, 207 Bar and Restaurant, The Knotted Apron, and Noodle Love opened.
March – The Covid pandemic officially arrived in Maine and restaurants began adapting (we weren’t yet say pivot), the city asked restaurants to immediately transition to delivery and takeout, restaurants began preparing meals for school children and delivering meals to frontline workers, the governor ordered dining rooms to close statewide, Maine distillers began producing hand sanitizer, Andrew Ross wrote his last regular restaurant review of the year, Solo Cucina Market opened in South Portland. Portland Food Map began publishing a takeout and food delivery list, and in collaboration with Caroline Richter, a Hospitality Workers Resource Guide In the earlier pre-Covid part of March Five Fifty-Five had announced plans to close in mid-April, Sarah Jackson from the Hunt & Alpine Club and LyAnna Sanabria from Chaval came in first and second place at the Northeast regional Speedrack competition. Leeward, Judy Gibson, and Robin’s Table opened, and A&C opened a (short lived) second location in the West End. Bob’s Clam Hut closed their Portland location.
April – there was a fire at Walker’s Maine and one at Browne Trading, Cooking for Community launched, a number of restaurant launched in-house takeout grocery services, the Portland Farmers’ Market opened for its 252nd season, it became legal for restaurants to sell to go cocktails and growlers of beer with their takeout meals. Ramona’s opened for takeout on Washington Ave. Blue Spoon Cafe and Catering closed.
June – Restaurants in Cumberland County were allowed to re-open for outdoor dining on June 1st and indoor dining on June 17th. Black Lives Matter protests began taking place in Portland around the state which prompted a strong interest in black-owned food businesses. Restaurants began demonstrating support for the protests, bakers participated Bakers Against Racism, brewers took part in the Black is Beautiful collaboration beer, and restaurants took part in Food Industry Action. A number of streets in the Old Port were blocked off to provide space for restaurants to offer expanded outdoor dining, Black Dinah Chocolates announced plans to change the name of the company, Melissa Kelly chef/owner of Primo testified before Congress on PPP loans. The Somali Bantu Community Association in collaboration with the Agrarian Trust launched a $367k crowdfunding campaign to acquire a 107-acre farm in Wales, Maine. Several companies launched food truck tracking services. Burundi Star Coffee, Zao Ze Cafe, Via Vecchia, and Evo X opened. The Cider House, Woodhull and the Old Port Sandwich Shop went out of business.
August – the Maine Sunday Telegram took a multifaceted look at how the pandemic was changing the restaurant industry in Maine, Wine Enthusiast magazine named Andrew and Briana Volk to their 2020 40 Under 40 list, the Somali Bantu Community Association successsfuly completed their $367k crowdfunding campaign. Joe Ricchio launched an online video cooking series called My Seventies Kitchen. NewYork [sic] Fried Chicken, Little Easy Snoballs, Paella Seafood, Jefe Juan’s, Halsted’s, Navis Cafe, George’s North Shore, and Sal de la Tierra opened. Vinland closed.
October – Rabelais Books and its owner Don Lindgren were included in this year’s Saveur 100, Colleen Kelly opened a new version of Silly, Rover announced plans to re-open their bagel shop in Biddeford, Eaux announced plans to move to a new location. The Portland Banded Brewing tasting room, Rigby Yard, Roll Call and Fusillo opened. Flood’s, The Exchange Street Holy Donut, Brewery Extrava, Ameera Bread and the Old Port Po ‘Boys closed.
December – Governor Janet Mills has announced a $40M aid program for the hospitality industry, A&C and Woodfords began issuing restaurant bonds. XO Burgers and Wings, Kuno, Tacos y Tequila, and Batson River opened. Browne Trading re-opened their market. More & Co. went out of business.For additional perspectives on the past year in food see Andrew Ross’s 2020 Best of list in the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Here are links to the Portland Food Map year in review reports for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010.
35 options and counting on this year’s New Year’s list. Check back, we’ll be adding more as more restaurants announce their offerings. Don’t see your favorite restaurant on the list? Check with them directly. Some restaurants may be open on NYE with their regular takeout/menu options.
If you know of any restaurants offering special New Year’s Eve/Day options please email me or post a comment below with the details.
Chefs Matt Ginn and Colin Wyatt are collaborating on an Evo New Year’s Eve takeout menu.
Ginn is the executive chef of the Prentice Hospitality Group and Wyatt is the former executive sous chef from Eleven Madison Park. Wyatt and his wife Selena Juneau-Vogel recently resettled to the Portland area—part of a longstanding plan to return to Maine (where Juneau-Vogel grew up) that was accelerated by the pandemic.
The friendship between Ginn and Wyatt dates back to 2007 when they both worked for Steve Corry at Five Fifty-Five. As a reference back to those earlier days, the NYE menu includes a black truffle lobster lasagna as a nod to the truffle lobster mac and cheese that was a signature item on the menu at Five Fifty-Five.
The 5-course menu includes:
You can pre-order Evo’s New Year’s Eve takeout dinner online, $130 per person.
Radici, the new pizzeria on Washington Ave, is planning a weekly collaboration series in January and February.
Working with Radici on the series are chefs from
Christmas is a little more than a week away. Here’s an evolving list of the takeout, dine in, or provisions options that I’ve learned of are. I’ll be adding to the list as restaurants and other food producers announce their plans:
Restaurant industry folks please DM on instagram or email at anestes@portlandfoodmap.com with details on your Christmas Eve/Day options.
Additionally, if you’re able, please consider making a donation to one or more of these organizations to help fight hunger in Maine:
The Press Herald is hosting a webinar to gather reflections on the past year with members of Portland’s small business community.
The arrival of the pandemic this spring sent Maine business people into a scramble, searching for ways to keep the lights on while ensuring the safety of employees and customers. Several shared the thinking behind their difficult decisions and pivots in our Making it Work segments. Now we return to ask, “How did it all pan out?”
Participating in the webinar are.
The webinar is scheduled to take place this Thursday at 1pm. Register online to attend.