Ramona’s is launching a guest chef series. The series kicks off next weekend with Judy Gibson and runs through early April.
In addition to partnerships with Portland area restaurants the series includes chefs from Commander’s Palace in New Orleans and Mile End Deli in Brooklyn.
American Fizz has published an interview with Coco O’Neil and Ed Lutgens from Bluet Winery. Bluet is a Maine business that makes wine from wild Maine blueberries.
The Bluet winery is in a warehouse in Scarborough just out of town, and immediately gives you the sense that something interesting is happening here. Originally located in an 1820s barn in Jefferson, Maine, Bluet needed a bit more of a temperature-friendly location for their fermentations—too cold in those old Maine wooden barns. I was welcomed by Coco O’Neill, the sales lead for Bluet, and Ed Lutjens, assistant winemaker and sometimes-cooper for the winery. We talked about the inherent nature of blueberries, supporting the local Maine agriculture community, and the joys and hardships of making fruit wine.
A new bakery and market called Bread and Friends (website, instagram) is under development in Portland. Bread and Friends is the creation of two couples: Maggie and Tanner Rubin and Jessica Rattey and Jeremy Broucek, who all recently moved to Portland from the California where they worked in the bakeries and restaurants of the Bay Area including Tartine, State Bird Provisions and The Progress (more details below).
Bread and Friends will be an artisan bakery and specialty market that will serve a menu of breads, pastries, sandwiches, house-made products (spreads, jams, etc), prepared foods, and wine and beer.
The team plan to launch this spring initially selling through subscriptions, wholesale and at some local farmers’ markets. They are looking for a space to open a brick and mortar establishment by the end of 2021. The team shared with us that they “love how food can tell a story, and want to be a space where Portland can find approachable products that have integrity of ingredients and process, and where they can learn about the people behind their food.”
Tanner Rubin will be the head baker for Bread and Friends. He has spent a number of years in the Bay Area baking for Josey Baker Bread, Midwife and the Baker, and Tartine, and prior to moving West got his start at Publican Quality Bread in Chicago. Rattey, Broucek, and Maggie Rubin met when all three worked at the Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions and at its sister restaurant The Progress. Rubin was part of the admin and operations staff, Rattey worked front of house, and Broucek was the chef de cuisine at The Progress.
All four have worked together before on small projects and pop-ups and have wanted to expand on that experience on a larger scale. The impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry accelerated the process of honing a vision for Bread and Friends and turning it into a reality. Broucek and Rattey are from New England and were drawn to Portland for the outstanding food scene and quality of life.
Julie Taliento Walsh, owner of Tally’s Kitchen (instagram) on Marginal Way, will be opening Tally’s Cafe at the Steven’s Square Community Center. The 950 square foot space (kitchen, bakery, retail counter) is adjacent to the SSCC atrium with seating for 50 people.
Walsh expects to being serving a similar menu to what she offers at Tally’s Kitchen with the addition of some new options like smoothies, dinners to go, and specialty coffee drinks. She hopes to be open in time for early summer.
Wednesday – This week’s guest chef collaboration at Radici is with chef Cara Stadler from Bao Bao.
Thursday – Tandem is re-opening their West End coffee shop and bakery for takeout, and Mami, George’s North Shore and Highroller are collaborating on 2-night pop-up.
Friday – it’s the first of a 2-day guest chef collaboration at the Small Axe Pop-up/East Eender with chef Josh Sobel from Ramona’s.
Flavors of Freeport, the annual celebration of food and drink in Freeport, Maine, is taking place February 1 – 28. This year the Visit Freeport (website, facebook, instagram) organization has created two ways to explore the restaurants and other businesses in town.
Restaurants, coffee shops and other food businesses will be offering Freeport On The Menu specials during February. Take a look at the Visit Freeport website and/or check in with your favorite Freeport businesses on instagram for details on what they have to offer.
Also during February take part in Freeport Foodie Lotto with the chance to win a $1,000 prize or gift cards from local businesses. Download a copy of the game card and earn Flavors of Freeport stamps by spending $10 or more at one of the participating businesses. You can get stamps for the Stay in Freeport squares by making making a hotel reservation, and earn a stamp for the center square by making a donation of $10 to the Freeport Community Services Food Pantry. Full details and rules are included on the game card, along with details on all the participating businesses.
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Nominations are now open for the 6th Annual Press Herald Source Awards. The awards recognize “Mainers’ most promising, innovative and successful efforts – large and small – to combat climate change, and to otherwise protect, sustain and conserve our beautiful state, its resources and waters”. Numerous food and agricultural businesses have been recognized in past years.
You can nominate a sustainable initiative you admire online now through March 1st.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes an article on how kids are doing more home cooking during the pandemic.
Kids and teens have taken advantage of pandemic downtime to turn up the heat on their passions for cooking, say parents, as well as local and national cooking instructors. Some have used time at home to expand their interest in baking, grilling or cooking in general, while others are learning their way around the kitchen for the first time. The process for kids can be educational, and more parents these days are looking for constructive things for children to do at home, since most only physically go to school a couple days a week. Learning to cook can be a form of entertainment – something to do besides video games or watching TV – and take a bit of pressure off parents who during the pandemic have had to make three meals a day for the whole family.
A new business opened Friday on the second floor of the Public Market House. Coco Cones (instagram) serves fried chicken in a waffle cone with a choice of three sauces: MJ Maple, garlic lemon, and smoky Coco. They also offer a falafel sandwich.
Owner Casey Jabrawi also owns and operates Paella Seafood on Forest Ave. Coco Cones is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm.
The Press Herald has published an update on this year’s edition of Maine Restaurant Week which is taking place March 1 – 12.
Instead of offering the traditional Restaurant Week three-course menus, Maine restaurants – many of which are struggling financially – have simply been asked to come up with something creative to offer diners. And in another nod to the pandemic, Restaurant Week specials will be available for curbside takeout as well as indoor and outdoor dining.