Category: Events

The Portland Phoenix has published a report on last weekend’s food law colloquium.

Do front-yard gardens and backyard chicken coops, as leading symbols of our thriving food movement, deserve First Amendment protection, much as black armbands did during the Vietnam War? Does a focus on “food miles” distract from the urgent need to reduce the greenhouse gases agriculture emits as we strive to feed a world population of 9 billion by 2050? Should the government mandate vegetable consumption — just as New York City and others have enacted bans on Big Gulps and trans fats?

Wednesday — The Merry Table is serving a 5-course French wine dinner.

Thursday — Bard is hosting the monthly latte art barista competition, Grace is restarting their wine education program, there will be a mead and cheese tasting at the Public Market House, and the Great Lost Bear will be featuring beers from Victory Brewing.

Friday — the Incredible Breakfast Cook-off is taking place, Wine Wise is teaching a class on Port, there will be wine tastings at the West End Deli and Rosemont, and a Gritty’s tap takeover at Taco Escobarr. It’s the first day of Maine Restaurant Week and concurrently Grace is raising money to fight hunger in Maine by donating $1 for every 3-course $30 meal ordered March 1-8.

Saturday — there will be wine tastings at Browne Trading and LeRoux Kitchen, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — MOFGA’s Meet Your Farmers and Fishermen event is taking place at Woodfoord Church, and Two Fat Cats is teaching a baking class.

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 — Local Sprouts is hosting the Local Foods Networking Breakfast. All week starting on Tuesday The Honey Exchange is running a bee-themed children’s program.

Wednesday — there will be a wine tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants of Bordeaux from 2009 and 2010.

Thursday — GMRI research scientist Steve Eayrs will be giving a talk at GMRI entitled Tools of the Trade: Nets and Computers, the Old Port Sea Grill and Sea Glass Restaurant are holding wine dinners, there will be a Cooperstown Beer tap takeover, and the Great Lost Bear will be featuring beers from Sierra Nevada.

Friday — the Aphrodisiac’s wine dinner is taking place at Eve’s (rescheduled due to Nemo).

Saturday — the Maine Food Law Colloquium is taking place, Sea Change Cooking is teaching a low sugar cooking class, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — Two Fat Cats is teaching a baking class, Wine Wise is leading a wine walk to celebrate their 3rd anniversary, and Petite Jacqueline is screening Micmacs.

James Beard Foundation Awards — while the list of nominees doesn’t surface until March 18, the James Beard Foundation typically releases the full list of restaurants under consideration in the week after Valentine’s Day. PFM will post a list of all the Maine restaurants on the list.

Feed the Arts @ El Rayo — every Sunday El Rayo is running a program to support local arts organizations. 10% of proceeds are donated to each week’s featured arts non-profit.

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 Maine Law Review has published online drafts of the essays being presented at next weekends 2013 Food Law Colloquium. The conference will examine the intersection of law and food across a number of different dimensions: property, the first amendment, policy, regulation, food labeling and genetically modified foods.

You can register online to attend the Colloquium.

Portland magazine has published a culinary tour of some of the restaurants participating in Maine Restaurant Week with details from restaurant staff on what they have in store for diners this March.

The first thing to know about the fifth annual Maine Restaurant Week is that it isn’t actually a week. It’s a 10-day opportunity to sample irresistible multi-course menus dreamed up by clever chefs who are just as sick of winter as you are. At very attractive prices. At restaurants all over the state. From March 1 through 10, most participating restaurants offer 3-course dinners, your choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert–for $22 or $32. This sort of value can make you believe in spring again.

The magazine also includes an article on the changing face of children’s menus.

For a full list of MRW participating restaurants see the Maine Restaurant Week website.

Tuesday’s Cajun Cookin’ Challenge resulted in a tie for first place between The Great Lost Bear for their Filé Gumbo and Congress Bar & Grill that cooked up a Maine Shrimp Etouffeé. Second place went to Local Sprouts for their Chicken Shrimp & Sausage Creole-style Gumbo.

More than 600 people attended WMPG’s 18th Annual Cajun Cookin’ Challenge and it was their votes that determined the winners.

Joe Ricchio is hosting a party at Nosh this Sunday to celebrate the premiere of episode 2 of the Food Coma Show. Boston chef and restauranteur Barbara Lynch was part of the crew for epsiode 2 will be at Nosh for the launch party. The event starts at 7:30pm and the $10 tickets are available on Nosh’s website.

Rob Evans came in 2nd place to chef Jun Tanaka from London. The Press Herald has details on last night’s dishes,

Tanaka’s Carrot and Ginger Frangipane Pudding with Chantilly and Carrot Sauce edged out Evans’s Cinnamon French Toast with Orange and Carrot Gelee and Almond Foam.

But it was close.

and the Food Network has published a brief post-competition interview with Evans.

Dispatch magazine has published some recommendations for celebrating Fat Tuesday in Southern Maine.

Also be sure to stop by the Cajun Cookin’ Challenge taking place today at USM.