Staff Training, David Levi, VegFest

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an article on how restaurants train their staff to be ready for the summer season,

The summer tourist season is looming, and Maine restaurants are gearing up. That means hiring extra wait staff and training them to deal with all kinds of situations, before their businesses get insanely crowded. It’s a common rite of spring, for both destination restaurants with national reputations and more casual spots that cater to the shorts-and-T-shirts crowd.

the first article in a three part series written by David Levi about his restaurant Vinland,

“Restriction” is a word I sometimes hear when people first hear about our concept at Vinland, where every ingredient in every dish is local. I counter with two words: “form” and “mission.” To be clear, Vinland is a restaurant, not a concept. At the most basic and real level, it is a place to eat, drink, enjoy company, relax, be delighted and have fun. Like any restaurant. So what makes this restaurant unique? Actually, a fair number of things, but they all boil down to form and mission.

and an overview of the upcoming vegan food festival, VegFest.

This Week’s Events: Forgotten Farms, Latte Art Competition, Moroccan BBQ Pop-up

Monday – Space Gallery will be screening the movie Forgotten Farms.

Tuesday – the Cooperative Extension will be holding a class on buying local meats.

WednesdayHugo’s is holding a chef’s dinner featuring food and wine from Spain, and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday – there will be a Latte Art Competition at Tandem, a Burgundy wine dinner at Petite Jacqueline,  and a beer tasting at the Public Market House, and the Great Lost Bear will be featuring beer from Peak Organic.

Friday – there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont Market on Congress Street.

Saturday – the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

SundayFalafel Underground will be serving a pop-up Moroccan BBQ dinner at Oxbow.

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.

Lobster Roll Competition Semi-Finalists

Down East has released the list semi-finalists that will compete on July 8th in the World’s Best Lobster Roll event on Thompson’s Point:

  • The Lobster Lady — Phoenix, Arizona
  • The Clam Shack — Kennebunk, Maine
  • Bob’s Clam Hut — Kittery, Maine
  • Cousins Maine Lobster — Los Angeles, California and various locations
  • C-Ray Lobster — Bar Harbor, Maine
  • Bite Into Maine — Cape Elizabeth, Maine
  • The Highroller Lobster Co. — Portland, Maine
  • Northern Maine Community College — Presque Isle, Maine
  • Eventide Oyster Co. — Portland, Maine
  • Luke’s Lobster — New York, New York and various locations
  • Freshies Lobster Co. — Park City, Utah
  • Stonington Ice Cream Company — Stonington, Maine

This Week’s Events: Portland Foodscapes, Noble BBQ Pop-up, Street Eats, Kosher BBQ

Monday – there will be a meeting of Portland Foodscape Allies at Local Sprouts.

Wednesday – the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday – there will be a Collective Arts Brewing tasting at the Bier Cellar.

FridayNoble Barbecue will be providing a  preview of the menu of their upcoming Riverton restaurant during a pop-up at Oxbow, and there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont Market on Brighton Ave.

Saturday –  the annual Street Eats and Beats food truck festival is taking place, Immigrant Kitchens is teaching a Dominican cooking class, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

SundayNovare Res is celebrating their 9th Anniversary, and the 4th Annual Holy Smokes! Kosher Barbecue 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.

Cousins Maine Lobster

Cousins Maine Lobster is holding an event on the Maine Wharf on Thursday May 11th 4-6pm to launch their new Maine-based food truck. Cousins was founded in Los Angeles by cousins Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis, originally from Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth, and now operate “26 trucks and 1 brick-and-mortar in 11 markets” with plans to expand to Taiwan.

This Week’s Events: Channing Daughters, MBC Dinner, Toast on the Coast, Food Lab Market

Monday – Winemaker Christopher Tracy will be at Lolita for a Channing Daughters Wine Dinner.

WednesdayUnion is hold the first of a series of weekly MBC beer dinners, and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday – a number of local restaurants and other food vendors are holding Toast on the Coast, a benefit for Veterans Count Maine.

Friday – there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont Market on Commercial Street.

SaturdayFork Food Lab is holding their May market, there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, and 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.

This Week’s Events: Beard Awards, Cambodian Cooking Class, Allagash/Cultivating Community, Full Plates Full Potential, Lamb Jam

Monday – the James Beard Awards Gala is taking place in Chicago. Chefs Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley from Eventide are co-nominees for Best Chef: Northeast, and Rob Tod from Allagash is a nominee in the category of Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional. Portland Food Map will be onsite at the Lyric Opera House to report on the outcome.

Tuesday – there will be a rosé wine tasting at the Other Side Deli on Veranda Street.

Wednesday – it’s the opening day of the Monument Square Farmers’ Market.

Friday – Oxbow will be hosting Bob’s Clam Hut from Kittery, and there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont Market in the West End.

Saturday – Immigrant Kitchens is teaching a Cambodian cooking class, Allagash is partnering with eight local restaurants to through a benefit for the Cultivating Community, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

SundayFlanagan’s Table is hosting a sold out benefit for Full Plates Full Potential, and Lars Taylor from The Honey Paw and Pliny Reynolds from Terlingua will be competing in a BBQ Lamb Jam in Cambridge.

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 Week’s Events: Madeira Dinner, Dessert Pop-up, Cheevitdee, Deering Oaks Market

MondayCentral Provisions is holding what looks like an amazing madeira dinner in collaboration with Rare Wine Co and Barbeito Winery, the International Pectinid Workshop continues this week until Tuesday.

TuesdayBrant Dadaleares will be holding a dessert pop-up at The Honey Paw.

Wednesday – there will be a New Belgium tasting at the Bier Cellar.

ThursdayCheevitdee is scheduled to open, the 4th Annual Gulf of Maine Seafood Celebration is taking place and Petite Jacqueline is holding a wine dinner.

FridayBlack Tie is holding a dinner at Camp Hammond in Yarmouth.

Saturday – it’s the opening day of the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market.

Sunday – the Portland Symphony is collaborating with Oxbow Brewing on a Symphony & Spirits event.

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 Week’s Events: Pectinid Workshop, Banded Horn, Álvaro de la Viña, Lift360

MondaySur Lie is hosting a Banded Horn beer dinner.

TuesdayTerlingua is hosting a Álvaro de la Viña wine dinner.

WednesdayFrog and Turtle is holding an 8-course beer dinner and it’s the first day of the International Pectinid Workshop.

Friday – owners of Tandem Coffee, Hunt & Alpine and Drifters Wife will be participating in a Lift360 event at Judith, and there will be a wine tasting at the Rosemont on Munjoy Hill.

Saturday – the annual Oxbow tap takeover is takin place at Novare Res, as is the Winter Farmers’ Market.

Sunday – the Bier Cellar is holding a Cru Beaujolais tasting.

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.