Byers & Sons Long Island Bakehouse

| Posted in Openings

Mainebiz reports that new owners have bought the Long Island Store on Long Island and have renamed it Byers & Sons Long Island Bakehouse.

The operation will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May to October. It will offer breakfast and lunch, daily baked goods, such as hand-cut cinnamon donuts, muffins, scones, whoopee pies and cookies. Take-home meals such as lasagna, chicken pot pie, lobster pot pie and lobster quiche are also in the plan.

The plan is to use as many local suppliers as possible, to install a lobster tank and buy from island lobstermen, and to offer local beer, wine and produce, she said.

Interview with Emily’s Oysters

| Posted in People, Fisheries

Femidish has interviewed Emily Selinger about her aquaculture business and oyster CSA, Emily’s Oysters.

Femidish is a new Maine podcast that seeks to “Elevat[e] the stories of women and their unique abilities to nourish themselves and one another. Conversations about food through a feminist lens.”

Emily’s Oysters was founded in 2018 in Freeport. Their oysters are available via a CSA, and at the Wednesday Portland Farmers’ Market.

So What Happens Next?

| Posted in Openings

The Bangor Daily News has taken a look at what’s in store as restaurants begin re-opening their doors for in-house dining over the next few weeks.

In a public health crisis, many restaurant owners are not seeking a path back to normalcy, but they are forging ways to evolve that may bring lasting change. They are wary of a spike of disease. They also fear that missing a vital summer season will destroy their livelihoods.

Rusurgam Mag

| Posted in Openings

A new Maine food publication Resurgam Mag (website, instagram) has published their first issue online.

Resurgam is the creation of Josh Lemay, Harper Fendler, and Sean Connerty as “an attempt to document and celebrate the prolific food community of Maine while giving back to those in need”. Resurgam is written and created by people from the hospitality industry.

Copies of Resurgam can be purchased on their website on a donation basis. “[A]ll proceeds will go to benefit unemployed hospitality workers. Pay what you feel comfortable giving and know your donation will go to support others in need”

This Week’s Events: Eventide, Tandem, Luke Davidson, Three of Strong, Solo Together

| Posted in Events

Monday – Eventide re-opened for takeout yesterday, and as part of incremental restart they are also doing takeout today.

Wednesday – Luke Davidson from Maine Craft Distilling will be part of a panel discussion on adapting their business services in light of the pandemic, and  the weekday Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday – the Portland Symphony Orchestra is holding Solo Together, a virtual wine dinner and performance.

Friday – Tandem Bakery is re-opening for takeout on Friday and Saturday, and Three of Strong is holding a virtual release party for their new rum Nightwater.

Saturday – The weekend Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market 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.

Pizzeria Radici Opening This Summer

| Posted in Under Construction

Randy and Ally Forrester are making progress on renovating the former Terlingua space. If the remaining work goes as plans they’re on track to open Pizzeria Radici (website, instagram) by the end of June.

The word “radici” means root in Italian and indicates the restaurants intent to pair ancestral food traditions with the “sustainability and versatility of Maine’s harvest from the land and sea”. The Forresters hope to open the pizzeria this coming summer.

The Forresters moved to Portland from Allentown, New Jersey where they operated Osteria Radici. Osteria Radici was a James Beard awards semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2018, and Randy Forrester was a semifinalist for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic in 2019.

Wine Delivery

| Posted in Openings, Wine

Wine shops, like all food businesses, have had to adapt to the current reality. Many offer curbside pick-up and a number of them have launched delivery services including Maine & Loire, Eighteen Twenty Wines, Lorne Wine. Just this weekend, Wine Wise, a wine tour and education company, launched its own retail wine delivery business Wine Wise at Home.

If beer and spirits are more to your tastes check with your favorite brewers and distillers. You might also want to visit delivery services CarHop and Drizly for other options.

Save Our Shifts

| Posted in Openings

A new initiative called Save Our Shifts (website, facebook, instagram) launched this week. It’s designed to provide “an opportunity for bartenders to create educational content about their craft and a platform to deliver it.”

Save Our Shifts was created by Round Turn Distilling, Might & Main, photographer Zack Bowen, and the Portland chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild.

You can see the first few videos on Youtube.