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.
The Golden Dish has published a report on last night’s kick start event for The Chinese Laundry.
The menu is strictly dim sum and from what I sampled last night I would advise not to miss her future pop-ups.
There were only two items served: steamed dumplings filled with pork and scallions and fried dumplings with sweet potato and leeks. There were a few sauces on the side including a very sweetly pungent hoison sauce with scallions. Both were evocative examples of the genre.
Tuesday — Rob Evans (there’s an interview with Evans in today’s Press Herald) will be competing in the finals for Chopped Champions on the Food Network, the WMPG 18th Annual Fat Tuesday Cajun Cookin’ Challenge is taking place.
Wednesday —Bunker Brewing is celebrating their 1-year anniversary at Local 188, and Cloak & Dagger is holding their Killing Me Sweetly dinner.
Valentine’s Day — nearly every restaurant in town will be open for Valentine’s Day. Here are the one’s planning Valentine’s Day menus or events:
Friday —it’s the first day of the Flavors of Freeport.
Saturday — there will be a wine tasting at Browne Trading, it’s the last day of the Flavors of Freeport, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.
Sunday — Chefs Nikos Regas from Emilitsa, Pete Sultenfuss from Grace and Mitchell Gerow from East Ender will be competing in Boston at the Lamb Jam, Two Fat Cats is holding a wedding cake tasting, and Petite Jacqueline is screening Ratatouille.
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 February edition of Pocket Brunch took place today. The event kicked off at a private home for cocktails, coffee and apps before a jazz band led the assembled guest for a New Orleans style parade down the street to Bubba’s Sulky Lounge for the main portion of the meal was served.
Eric Simeon (who you may remember was the original chef at Grace) and Rhonda Crosson were the guest chefs alongside Josh Potocki and Joel Beauchamp. This was one of my favorite of the Pocket Brunch series so far.
The meal was accompanied by cocktails by Nan’l Meiklejohn and coffee from Tandem Coffee Roasters.
Check out this big set of images from Zwickerhill Photography for more images from the event, as well as this post from Delicious Musings.
On a related note, yesterday Food Coma published a write-up of last month’s Pocket Brunch with Rob Evans.
Maine a la Carte has posted a report from the Monday night’s Sonnet dinner.
It was the latest pop-up dinner prepared by chef Damian Sansonetti, a newcomer to Portland who plans to open his own place in the city this spring, serving Italian farmhouse cuisine. Sansonetti, 35, worked for years at Daniel Boulud’s restaurants in New York.