Category: Events

Monday — Oscar’s New American is holding a Portuguese Wine Dinner.

Wednesday — The Maine Brew Bus has organized a progressive beer dinner featuring Rising Tide Brewing, and Black Tie is teaching a cooking class.

Thursday — The Great Lost Bear will be featuring beer from the Maine Beer Company.

Friday — Maine Restaurant Week’s series of special events kick-off with the Incredible Breakfast Cook-off.

Saturday — It’s the first official day of Maine Restaurant Week, there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.

Sunday — The MRW Bowl Big Tournament 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.

The semifinalists for the 2014 JBF Awards will be announced on Wednesday by the James Beard Foundation.

What Maine chefs and restaurants would you like to see on the list?

For reference take a look at the semifinals lists from 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Tuesday — the local foods networking breakfast is taking place at Local Sprouts.

Wednesday — Piccolo is holding an Allagash beer dinner; Bunker Brewing, Tandem, and Rising Tide and Speckled Ax are joining the Hunt & Alpine Club to celebrate their inclusion in Imbibe magazine list of the top 75 “people, places and flavors that will shape the way you drink in 2014″.

Saturday — author Ben Keene will be at Rising Tide to sign copies of his book The Great Northeast Brewery Tour, Vena’s Fizz House is teaching a bitters workshop, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.

Sunday — Chef Thomas Pisha-Duffly will be serving a Indonesian dinner (tickets) as part of the Family Feast series.

Coffee by Design — Coffee by Design has announced plans to open their new cafe in East Bayside on March 4.

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.

An additional pair of Valentine’s Day events have been announced:

• Vena’s Fizz House is holding a Valentine’s Polka Party, go for the dancing and to try one of the alcohol-free cocktails, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordial, Lumber Jack Love, Love Potion #9 or the Black Heart Martini, 7:30 – 9:30 pm.
• Indonesian coffee farmer, Ric Harinyato will be at Coffee by Design on 1 Diamond Street to give a presentation on Sumatran coffee and cooking samples of Indonesian cuisine, 1 – 3 pm.

This winter the snow seems like it will never end, but on the bright side there are a few eateries that offer special events and discounts whenever the white stuff starts falling:

• Plow Wow – a pop-up party that takes place during parking ban nights at Little Tap House.
• The Salt Exchange – TSE often declares snow day drink discounts on bourbon.
• Gelato Fiasco – during winter months GF institutes a “frozen code” that shaves a percentage point off the cost of your gelato for every degree below freezing of the outside temperature.

Tuesday — the local chapter of American Sommelier is teaching a sparkling wine class. Rosemont, Tandem and Con Tu Bot (twitter, instagram) are teaming up on a Vietnamese bar night.

Wednesday — Black Tie is teaching a cooking class.

Thursday — the Hunt & Alpine Club is hosting a Bols Genever Apres Ski Night, and a chocolate/wine/cheese tasting at the Public Market House.

Valentine’s Day — nearly every restaurant in town will be open for Valentine’s Day., many offering fixed price special dinners.  Call your favorite spot asap to make reservations. Here’s a list of venues that are planning something a little different:

• Allagash Brewing, 4 rare beers (Old HLT, Midnight Brett, Mattina Rosa, and Red Howes) and chocolate from La Creme Chocolate and Haven’s Candies, 4 – 7.
• Bier Cellar will be holding a Port/Madeira tasting, 5:30 – 7:30.
• Flanagan’s Table will be hosting a dinner prepared by chef Erin French from The Lost Kitchen, 6 – 10.
• Novare Res is collaborating with Sweet Marguerite’s to serves a set of beer and chocolate pairings.
• Rising Tide is working with with truffles from La Créme Chocolat, there will be chair massages and supplies to make Valentine’s Day cards, noon – 5.
• Sweetgrass Farm Winery & Distillery is opening their new tasting room at 324 Fore St, noon – 8.

Saturday — author Josua Bernstein, will be on a Maine Brew Bus tour and then at Rising Tide for a book signing, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.

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 — Rosemont is holding a Port Tasting at their Commercial Street location.

Wednesday — Outliers is holding a French wine dinner.

Thursday — Wendy & Eric Brown, authors of Browsing Nature’s Aisles will be at Longfellow Books for a talk and book signing, and The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beer from Funky Bow.

Friday — the Bar of Chocolate Cafe is hosting a “absinthe spoon show” called Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Founder for First Friday Art Walk.

Saturday — Vena’s Fizz House is teaching a bitters workshop, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.

Sunday — the 20th Annual Great Chili and Chowder Challenge is taking place at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.

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.

The 6th Annual Maine Restaurant Week is taking place March 1-10 this year. A number of MRW special events have been announced:

• Incredible Breakfast Cook-off, restaurants compete to earn the title of Maine’s Best Breakfast. February 28, 7-9 am, $20-22.50 per person
• Bowl Big Tournament, teams of four people will be paired with a restaurant professional to compete in a bowling tournament. March 2, 2-5 pm. $100 per team
• Portland Chinese Restaurants, a lecture on the history of Chinese restaurants in Portland presented by Gary Libby, March 4, noon.
• Pancake Race, teams of four will compete in a pancake flipping relay race. March 4, 6:30 pm. $40 per team
• Maine Restaurant Fare, a lecture by eminent food historian Sandy Oliver, March 8, 7 pm.
• Signature Event, a tasting event featuring cocktails and desserts from Maine restaurants. March 9, 5:30 – 8 pm. $40 -50 per person.

Flanagan’s Table has announced some additions to the line-up of chef tasting dinners taking place this year:

• April 6 – Chef Steve Corry, Five Fifty-Five
• May 3 – Chef Sam Hayward, Fore Street
• June 8 – Chefs Andrew Taylor and Michael Wiley, Hugo’s
• July 20 – Chefs Damian Sansonetti and Ilma Lopez, Piccolo