Under Construction: White Fox Taverna

| Posted in Under Construction

Emilitsa chef Niko Regas has leased space in Farmington where he plans to open the White Fox Taverna (instagram) serving a menu of Mediterranean cuisine. The small 12-seat space has additional outdoor patio seating for 40 where White Fox will host live music.

Regas hopes to open White Fox in May, and so it sounds like a Summer road trip to Farmington is in order.

Regas has been with Emilitsa for 10 years. He shared that it’s been a great experience which he will miss even as he’s excited to move forward with the challenge of launching his own restaurant. Regas and his family live on a farm in Farmington which they hope to turn into a working farm and orchard in the coming years.

This Week’s Events: Ripka, Pickling Workshop, Magnus Pop-up

| Posted in Events

Monday – Piccolo is hosting a Ripka pop-up dinner (menu).

Wednesday – there will be wine tastings at RSVP and the Old Port Wine Merchants, and a Kate McCarty (aka The Blueberry Files) is teaching a Pickling Workshop at UFF.

Thursday – The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beer from Bunker Brewing.

Friday – future Biddeford cocktail bar Magnus on Water will be collaborating with LB Kitchen on a pop-up dinner, and there will be a wine tasting at the East End Rosemont.

Saturday – the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.

A Look Ahead – here are a couple events happening a little further out that you may want to check out.

    • Chaval will be serving a special menu and featuring ANXO Ciders on April 22nd.
    • Seaweed Week is taking place April 26 – May 4. You can see a full list of restaurants planning to add seaweed-based dishes to the menu on seaweedweek.org.

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 Minervino Family

| Posted in People

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published an article about Minervino Family.

The Minervinos are perhaps not as well known as some Portland restaurateurs, but their roots here run deep – their family immigrated to Portland from Italy in the early 20th century. In addition to Pizza Villa, which reopened March 25, the Minervino brothers and two of Sam’s children, Tom and Meg, own Tomaso’s Canteen in the Old Port, and Rob’s son Marcus has worked there. Sam owns Samuel’s Bar & Grill on Forest Avenue, where Rob is assistant manager. Siblings Tom and Meg are partners in Legends Rest Tap Room in Westbrook and hope to open a second restaurant together in Portland within the year.

Reviews: Food Delivery Services & Pancakes

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of 6 Portland area restaurant delivery services, and

2 Dine In’s roster of restaurant partners tops 100, offering food as varied as pork schnitzel (Other Side Delicatessen), Sicilian pizza (Slab) and cactus-blossom pupusas (Flores). Deliveries generally arrive when they are supposed to, although the back-end technology seems to sandbag expectations by frequently proposing wait times that exceed an hour, even when the actual delivery arrives far sooner.

The Golden Dish has reviewed local options for pancakes.

To me the perfect pancake is light and fluffy (not leaden and too floury) with crisp edges from being cooked on a well-greased griddle. The batter is lightened by folding in whipped egg whites to the flour, milk and egg batter.   They should be no larger than 4-to 5 inches in diameter, sensibly large compared to the dinner-plate size pancakes that some restaurant kitchens deem are likable by the dining public.

9 Italian Wine Dinners

| Posted in Events

Nine (9!) Italian wine dinners are taking place in Portland and elsewhere in Maine on May 8th. Participating restaurants are:

  • Enoteca Athena, Brunswick
  • Evo Kitchn + Bar
  • Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth
  • Lolita
  • Paciarino
  • Solo Italiano
  • Tipo
  • Union
  • Varano’s, Wells

Collectively, 43 wines from 23 different wineries will be served. They’re all imported by Leonardo Locasio Selections/Winebow.

For more details consults the individual restaurants.

Rosemont Market HQ on Stevens Ave

| Posted in Under Construction

Rosemont Market and Bakery has announced that they’ve leased 10,000 sq ft of space at 832 Stevens Ave to consolidate in one place their bakery, food production, offices and warehouse operations.

The 10,000-square-foot space will allow Rosemont to increase efficiency; encourage collaboration among our bakers, cooks, produce specialists and local producer partners; and minimize travel times from production to retail, thereby maximizing freshness and reducing environmental impact.

“This project is the next natural step for Rosemont’s growth,” says Rosemont Director of Operations Erin Lynch. “Rosemont’s products as well as our relationships with local suppliers are the soul of what we do. Our aim is to create a beautiful workspace that can accommodate and nurture our creative work as well as deepen and expand how we work with producers throughout the region.”

Rosemont plans to begin the build-out soon, and hopes to starting using the new facility by the middle of the Summer.

Rose Foods Guest Chef Series

| Posted in Events

Rose Foods is launching a guest chef program later this month. Each week a guest chef will create a signature bagel sandwich that will be featured on the menu Friday – Sunday. Here’s the schedule:

  • April 26 – 28, Mr. Tuna
  • May 3 – 5, Eventide
  • May 10 – 12, Drifters Wife
  • May 17 – 19, Meat Hook (a butcher shop from Brooklyn)
  • May 24 – 26, The Honey Paw
  • May 31 – June 2, Duckfat
  • June 7 – 9, Noble BBQ
  • June 14 – 16, Cong Tu Bot
  • June 21 – 23, Little Giant

Under Construction: Copper Branch

| Posted in Under Construction

Mainebiz has published an update on the Copper Branch vegan restaurant under development in Canal Plaza.

Chris and Melissa Hooper, husband-and-wife entrepreneurs who will become the building’s first tenants after signing a lease, told Mainebiz they’re targeting a September opening — possibly sooner — for the business.

Originally from Canada and now living in Cape Elizabeth, the couple will be franchisees for Copper Branch, a fast-growing Montreal-based chain that specializes in “100% plant-based power food” from avocado toast and other all-day breakfast fare to power smoothies and poutine with cremini mushroom sauce, a vegan take on a Quebec classic.