Full Plates Innovation Grants

| Posted in General News

Full Plates Full Potential has granted $100k+ to four organizations from the John T. Woods Innovation Fund.

Full Plates Full Potential, a local nonprofit working to end child hunger in Maine, today announced that they have awarded a total of $104,563 to four organizations in the inaugural round of John T. Woods Innovation Fund grants. Established in memory of the organization’s cofounder, this new grant program supports school districts and community organizations in piloting new and bold strategies that increase participation in, and access to, meal programs for children and youth. The four organizations receiving inaugural grants are Augusta Teen Center, Bath Area Family YMCA, Cultivating Community, and Healthy Communities of the Capital Area.

The grantees, while diverse in their scopes of work, are each working towards innovative solutions to make meals more accessible to Maine kids through projects aimed at addressing unique needs in their own communities.

The Danforth in the West End

| Posted in Under Construction

The new bar and restaurant under construction in the former Little Giant space in the West End will be called The Danforth. The Danforth is scheduled to open by the end of April as a neighborhood restaurant and bar with a strong classic cocktail program.

Renovations are well underway, and the general manager Lucy Comaskey shared that they are “aiming to create a space where the room and service are welcoming and intentional, and the food and drink are there to match in quality and comfort.”

The Danforth is being launched by Gin & Luck, the parent company of Death & Co. which operates cocktail bars in Los Angeles, Denver and New York. They are now hiring for an executive chef, front of house manager, and head bartender, and will soon be looking to fill a number of other positions. For full details see The Danforth job board.

The Photo Kitchen in Morrill’s Corner

| Posted in Under Construction

The Photo Kitchen (website, facebook, instagram) is a new membership-based food photography studio and event space  under construction in Morrill’s Corner.

When completed The Photo Kitchen will be the home of Lauren Lear Photography (instagram) and The Messy Cookie (instagram). The photo studio and kitchen will also be available for food photographers and other members  of the creative community to use on a membership basis or for daily rental.

Owners Lauren Lear and Krystina Benedetti hope to open The Photo Kitchen by April.

Upcoming Events: Valentines Day, Porthole Wine Dinner

| Posted in Events

Monday/Valentine’s Day

  • Apres – raw bar operated by the Lady Shuckers and live music.
  • Black Tie – a Valentine’s take-out menu for two; order by February 8th.
  • BlueFin – is serving a menu of “featured Valentine’s Day cocktails”.
  • Blue Spoon – will have some Valentine’s Day specials along with their regular menu.
  • Bravo Maine – is holding a French Bistro cooking class.
  • Brickyard Hollow – 4-couse menu with complimentary prosecco toast during dessert.
  • Broken Arrow – a 4-course tasting menu with optional pairings.
  • Butter and Kale – 4-course meals for 2; both vegan ($185) and omnivore ($195) options are available.
  • Cellardoor Winery – “Valentine’s Flight features six wines for $25 a person; every two flights purchased includes a sharable charcuterie board.”
  • Chaval – will be serving a special Valentine’s Day menu, details are still TBD.
  • Elda – Valentine’s Day tasting menu; $125 per person.
  • Evo Kitchen + Bar – a 6-course dinner for $120 per person, also available for takeout.
  • Fish & Whistle/Lorne – a Valentes pop-up by Fish & Whistle at Lorne Wine in Biddeford.
  • Fork Food Lab – a Valentine’s Day collaboration between Lady Shuckers and Galactic Hobo Sauce featuring Maine-grown oysters from two women-owned farms.
  • Gelato Fiasco – take-home sundae kits for Valentine’s Day which include two hand-packed pints, two brownies and the choice of Valentine-themed toppings and Valentine’s sprinkles.
  • Isa Bistro – 3-course dinner for $75 per person.
  • Izakaya Minato – Valentines omikase, $55 per person.
  • Knotted Apron – 4-course prix fixe dinner; $79 per person.
  • Lake & Co – “romantic ready to reheat dinner and dessert for pick up or delivery” on Saturday the 12th; order deadline on the 8th.
  • Maria’s – Valantines themed dinner.
  • Rosemont – has a Valentine’s Day pre-order menu.
  • Ruby’s West End – 3-course dinner with vegan and non-vegan options, and optional wine pairings.
  • Stroudwater Distilling – 3-course meal and “comedy line up features Mike Gray, with Ray Harrington headlining, and Ian MacDonald hosting”.
  • The Grill Room – serving a special Valentines menu.
  • The Maker’s Galley – 4-course prix fixe dinner.
  • Tiny Feats Confections – Chocolate Raspberry Tortes available for pre-order.
  • Vena’s Fizz House – a Valentine’s Day mixology class.
  • Verbena’s – will be serving a Valentine’s weekend menu featuring the flavors of Southeast Asia.
  • Wine Wise – a Black Truffle Wine Dinner for two in collaboration with Chaval; $250, delivery included.
  • Yardie Ting – will be serving a surf and turf dinner for two at the Public Market House; $80 for a couple.
  • Yosaku – 4-course dinner for 2 for $125.
  • Other Restaurants – some restaurants may also be open serving their usual menu, check in with your favorite spots to find out if they are open Monday the 14th.
  • Chocolate shops and bakeries – check in with your favorite chocolate shops and bakeries to find what Valentine’s Day special candies and baked goods they may have available.

Thursday – The Porthole is holding a wine dinner.

February 24 – Judy Gibson is holding a Portuguese wine dinner., and there will be a 5-course Spainish/Portuguese wine diner at Evo.

February 25 – a new food cart called Slide Street Co. is holding a pop-up at Fork Food Lab.

April 22 – May 1 – 4th Maine Seaweed Week.

March 1 – 12 – Maine Restaurant Week.

March 5 – the launch party for Absolem Cider from Winthrop Maine is taking place at Anoche on Washington Ave.

March 7 – a 5-course Bissell Brothers beer dinner.

March 29 – Maine’s newest cidery the Absolem Cider Company and Oxbow Brewing will collaborating on a beer/cider dinner at the Oxbow Beer Garden in Oxford.

April 9 – the Beer With(out) Beards festival will be taking place.

June 13 – 19 – the 5th Annual Portland Wine Week will be taking place.

The History of Whip and Spoon

| Posted in History

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram delves into the history of Whip and Spoon, a kitchen supply store that operated in Portland for nearly a quarter of a century.

Fifty years ago this month, two transplants from Washington, D.C., started a business that became the Whip and Spoon – a Portland kitchen shop that would flourish in tandem with the country’s growing interest in cooking and entertaining. During their nearly two-and-a-half decades in business, the couple’s store supplied Mainers with the means to upgrade their eating and drinking at home.

New Owners at Yosaku

| Posted in People

Yosaku (instagram) has changed hands and is now owned and operated by Rattanak Tray and Hope MacVane-Tray. Rattanak Tray has been a sushi chef at Yosaku since it opened for business 19 years ago.

The couple are happy to have the opportunity to build on the legacy established by retiring owners Takahiro and Susan Sato who founded Yosaku in 2003.

The Trays plan to make some changes including adding 20 new sakes and 6 Japanese whiskeys, a Japanese gin and a Japanese vodka to the bar menu—Yosaku now offer daily special $10 sake flights. They are planning on bringing back some old favorites to the menu and some changes to the interior design including a larger bar for both indoor dining and to better support take out order pick-up.

Casita El Corazon

| Posted in Under Construction

El Corazon has leased the former 158 Pickett Street Cafe building where they plan to open a South Portland outpost of their Longfellow Square restaurant. Renovations are underway. When it opens the South Portland location is expected to be open Tuesday through Saturday.

El Corazon initially launched as a food truck in 2013 before taking over the former Petite Jacqueline space in Longfellow Square in 2017. The 158 Pickett Street Cafe closed last August after 20 years in business.

Brewing Up Opportunity Internship-Scholarship Fund

| Posted in General News, Beer

Maine Beer Company has made a $100,000 gift to the University of Southern Maine to establish the Brewing Up Opportunity Internship-Scholarship Fund. The fund will “provide access to education, on-the-job training, and mentoring to help develop a new generation of beer industry professionals.⁣”

Maine Beer Company co-founder and USM Alum Daniel Kleban noted, “Our hope is that this collaboration with USM creates an access point into craft beer and expands the understanding of what a career in this industry can be, while at the same time cultivating the industry’s next generation and changing the narrative of who makes up that community.”⁣
⁣
The fund will support USM students across multiple disciplines, who wish to pursue careers within and connected to the craft beverage industry, with internship-scholarships awarded to individuals from traditionally underrepresented populations, first-generation college students, or students coming to Maine from an international location.

For additional information see this article in Mainebiz and information on the USM website.

Moonday Coffee on Washington Ave

| Posted in Under Construction

David Kessel from Moonday (instagram) and his partner Rebecca Perea-Kane who is the founder of Thicket (instagram) have leased the former Ishi Ishi space on Washington Ave where they plan to jointly operate their coffee bar and jewelry businesses.

Kessel launched Moonday this past summer as a food cart serving espresso-based coffee drinks prepared with beans from Speckled Ax. Moonday will be expanding their menu with a selection of teas at the new shop.

Renovations are well underway and they expect to open within a few weeks. Hours for the business are still TBD.

Slide Street Co.

| Posted in Under Construction

A new food cart called Slide Street Co. (instagram) is under development and expected to launch in spring 2022.

Chef/owner Adam Heath is planning a menu of “Slider sized burgers and sandwiches with a colorful twist”. The flagship burger will be The Acadia which is a Maine beef burger prepared with bacon rillette, IPA jalapeño pickle, Pineland Farms cheddar, and a blueberry mustarda. Heath also expects to have a rotating list of specials. Other items on the menu will be the Lil’ Squeeler (confit Pork belly, rose harissa, miso pineapple relish, green jade matcha bun) and the Hibiscus Biscuit (Hot fried chicken patty, basil honey, pickled cabbage, hibiscus biscuit). As a special twist that makes Slide Street sandwiches colorful and distinctive Heath will be creating house-made buns that use natural food colors to create brightly colored sandwich buns.

Heath moved to Portland in 2008 and has worked for a number of local restaurants including as part of the kitchen team that initially launched Tiqa, summers working at The Inn on Peaks Island and at Union at The Press Hotel for the last 4-5 years. He’s excited to be launching his own business and the opportunity to “showcase my own dishes and flavor profiles that I know the all patrons will enjoy everyday”.

Heath is planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter next week to raise funds to support this new business.