This Week’s Events: Good Food Awards, Prohibition Speakeasy

| Posted in Events

Friday – the Good Food Awards Gala is taking place; 12 Maine food producers are finalists and potential award winners in 2020. Madame Genever’s and Sur Lie are teaming up on a speakeasy to mark the 100 year anniversary of Prohibition.

Saturday – the Winter 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.

207 Bar & Restaurant Opens Today

| Posted in Openings

207 Bar & Restaurant (facebook, instagram) is scheduled to open today at 4 pm. It is located at 337 Cumberland Ave in the building formerly occupied by Maria’s.

207 is being launched by Antoine Bikamba along with business partners Damas Rugaba, Aime Nijimbere, and Aline Bucyana.  It will serve world cuisine with influences from Africa and the Caribbean. For an idea of what that will include you can take a look at the draft menu that was supplied with their liquor license application back in November.

Wine and Food Tariffs

| Posted in Wine

The Press Herald has published an article on the tariffs on wine and specialty food being considered that would have a major impact on restaurants, specialty food shops and the wine industry in Maine.

“Literally, our wine shop would cease to exist if this happens, within a matter of months. Our restaurant would not be the restaurant we want it to be – its heart would be ripped out,” Peter Hale [co-owner of Drifters Wife and Maine & Loire] said in an interview. “That goes for a number of our peers in the community.”

Individual can voice their opposition to the tariffs by posting comments on regulations.gov.

Additional reporting can be found on the Bangor Daily News, Food & Wine and Wine Spectator websites.

New Tavern Slated for Wharf Street

| Posted in Under Construction

A new tavern serving lunch and dinner is under development at 51 Wharf Street by Tom Minervino, his sister Meg Minervino and their business partner Mike Barton.

The tentative name for the tavern is the Wharf Street Rathskeller. It will seat 44 including a 20-seat horseshoe bar.

The Minervinos and Barton also own and operate Legends Rest in Westbrook.

Solo Cucina and Market Remakes The Farm Stand

| Posted in Under Construction

Owners of The Farm Stand in South Portland and Solo Italiano are collaborating to launch Solo Cucina and Market.

The new venture will takeover the space currently occupied by The Farm Stand and open sometime in February. The remade market will incorporate up to 10 seats and a small bar featuring bakery and espresso drinks. Solo Cucina will sell prepared food to go in addition to the meats and produce that The Farm Stand is known for.

The Farm Stand in its current form will close on January 15 to begin renovations.

For more reporting on the project read today’s article from The Forecaster.

Swain to Speak at Trade Commission Hearing

| Posted in General News

Ned Swain, the owner of Devenish Wines, is in Washington DC today where he’ll be addressing a hearing at the federal government’s International Trade Commission.  Swain is there along with a range of other speakers from the wine and specialty food industry to speak against the proposal to apply 100% tariffs to European wines (as well as cheese and other products) imported into the United States.

Devenish along with other Maine wine distributors, food shops and restaurants have been very active getting the word out, making the case for the negative impact these tariffs would have on the wine and restaurant industries in the state.

For more perspective on the issue and the impact it will have, see this article in the New York Times written by Jenny Lefcourt, president and co-founder of Jenny & Francois Selections, a natural wine importer.