Eating Portland Alive is reporting that Fork Food Lab plans to close up at the end of September,
After 2 years in operation and one under management of NYC-based Pilotworks, Fork Food Lab is closing and evicting its 35+ entrepreneurs effective September 30th.
Update: the Press Herald has published a report on the closing , as have Maine Startup Insider, and the Bangor Daily News.
A new knife sharpening service called Strata (website, instagram) launched earlier this year. Owner Evan Atwell sharpens knives using a traditional Japanese whetstone process.
Atwell is looking to expand Strata in the coming months to include retail sales of specialty Japanese and French cutlery and eventually include knives from New England producers as well.
Atwell moved to Portland from California where he worked for the Bi-Rite Market group. He currently works as a butcher at Rosemont Market.
Three Dollar Dewey’s has gone out of business.
A sign posted on the front door indicates that the family made the decision to retire, but also hints that “family traditions have a way of continuing forward….”. Could that be a hint that the next generation is working on a new beer bar?
For more information see this article from the Press Herald.
Tuesday – an oyster and wine pairing event is taking place at Cloudport.
Wednesday – Old Port Wine Merchants is holding a wine tasting , and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Friday – Rose Foods is holding a Pizza Bagel Nite, there will be a wine tasting at the East End Rosemont.
Saturday – Little Giant Market is hosting a Sticky Sweet pop-up, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.
2nd Annual Dine OUT for Equality – the event is scheduled to take place on August 22nd. Restaurants that want to participate and support the EqualityMaine Foundation can learn more on their site.
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 Press Herald has reviewed Lio,
The kind of cocktail you’d expect to find in an upscale cocktail bar, not in a bar known for wine, it blew me away with its burst of expertly blended flavors, a sensation that lasted until the final sip. As my sorority sisters know, I’ve enjoyed a lot of cocktails over the course of my travels, and this one was in the top five. It was thus no surprise when I learned that the bartender, Liz, used to be at Central Provisions. Frankly, you should probably stop reading this review right now and go straight to Lio to try one.
Today’s Press Herald reports on tomorrow’s last call at Forest Gardens and it’s upcoming transition to 371 under new ownership.
Allagash is holding a double bottle release on Saturday:
There’s a single bottle limit for the La Vigne and a 2 bottle limit for the Saison Gratis. Doors open at 10:30.
Food & Wine has included Noble Barbecue in their list of the Best BBQ in Every State.
There’s an infectious enthusiasm twin brothers Ryan and Richard Carey bring to the table at Portland’s Noble Barbecue, but people aren’t showing up at this one-time taco shop for the good vibes alone—that’s just a happy add-on to a menu of some of the best smoked meat this town has most likely ever seen.
The Press Herald reports that Maine Med is
buying the building that houses Pizza Villa, a neighborhood institution in Portland’s West End for more than 50 years, as part of its $512 million expansion. The hospital said it has no immediate plans to change the property and will work with longtime owners Tony and Phil Regios, who are planning to retire, to find a new operator.
Bill Addison, Eater‘s national roving restaurant critic, has included Elda in his list of the 18 Best New Restaurants in America,
Biddeford has one of the country’s most lovable diners, one of the nation’s great food-focused bookstores, and now it has Elda. Chef-owner Bowman Brown uprooted himself from his award-winning restaurant, Salt Lake City’s Forage, to return to New England, where he began his career. His approach is a paradigm of current modern American cooking: a short menu revealing Brown’s restless creativity; an exquisite sense of place with seafood and vegetables; and a style that doesn’t land on any one cuisine but shows off all kinds of imagination and chops.