Standard Baking Co. has had a bakery cart built. It was stationed out in front of the bakery Sunday for an Earth Day collaboration with the Portland Gear Hub.
They haven’t decided yet on how they’ll use it this summer. I’m hoping for a roving bakery and coffee cart and bread delivery service. “I’ll have a pain au chocolat, small coffee, and 2 baguettes please.”
Tuesday – American Sommelier is holding a wine tasting at Cloudport.
Wednesday – there will be a wine tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants.
Thursday – the 5th Annual GMRI Gulf of Maine Seafood Celebration is taking place.
Friday –there will be a ine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton, Petite Jacqueline is celebrating the life of the restaurant’s namesake (who passed away in 2017) with a “toast and happy hour” in her honor serving “Champagne toast, foie gras, shrimp cocktail, oysters, cheese and charcuterie, sweet treats”.
Saturday – Joe Appel will be leading a tasting and giving a lecture on wine in the 18th century at the Tate House, and the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday – Vignola is holding their annual beer and cheese tasting, and Foley’s is teaching a baking class.
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.
Carla Jean Lauter has written an article about LD 1889, the law that enabled breweries to charge for samples, for the Press Herald.
Here in Maine, there’s another milestone that probably deserves to be recognized: the passage of LD 1889 in the Maine House and Senate. Signed and enacted in mid-April of 2012, LD 1889 laid the groundwork to fundamentally change the entire beer industry in Maine by allowing Maine brewers to charge for samples at their own breweries. While this seems trivial, its passage had cascading effects that have allowed the beer industry to become what it is today.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Taverne Khione in Brunswick, and
Nothing says “yiayia” quite like lamb chops ($28), which Provencher rubs with oregano, salt and pepper before char-grilling. He serves them medium-rare with extraordinarily citrusy, lemon-infused roasted potatoes, a lovely counterbalance to the low-pitched gaminess of the meat. Or whole grilled dorade, its cavity stuffed with fennel tops and slices of lemon, plated up next to a ruddy tumble of paprika-coated roasted potatoes ($28).
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed JP’s Bistro.
As I delved further into my plate, I was pleased with the combination of flavors. The mushrooms and tomatoes were dispersed in the perfect proportions, not overpowering the scallops and the crab was so good as a second seafood flavor. It was an item that had all the right ingredients to combine into an well put together dish. The potatoes and vegetables were sound sides.
A group of Somali Bantu immigrants in Maine are launching a new food truck in Lewiston.
The Isuken (website, facebook) food truck is raising start-up funds through a Kickstarter campaign for a down payment on the truck and for other expenses.
Here’s some information on the menu:
The main products that Isuken food truck will offer are Sambusas, fried pastries filled with local meats and veggies. We will offer beef, chicken, fish, and veggie (vegan) options. We will also offer a gluten-free and vegan rice, corn, bean, and veggie dishes and grilled meats. For beverages, we will offer our Somali chai tea, a sweet, spicy, milky tea.
The Guardian has published a survey of Portland for their Best Towns and Small Cities in the US series.
Restaurants and bars featured in the article: Arcadia, Bayside Bowl, Blue, Bolster Snow, Eventide, Holy Donut, Local Sprouts, Oxbow, The Bearded Lady.
Chef Evan Richardson has leased the space at 90 Exchange Street, formerly occupied by Crooners & Cocktails, where he plans to open a scaled-up restaurant version of his food cart Eaux (facebook, instagram).
Eaux will serve a menu of “New Orleans and Southern inspired food…in a bistro setting” Wednesday through Monday, 11:30 am to 1 am. Richardson plans to open by late May.
Here’s a look at the draft menu:
Eaux will join an ever growing cadre of restaurants that got their start as food carts and food trucks. The list includes Bite Into Maine, Mami, Small Axe/East Ender, Love Kupcakes/Baristas+Bites, Hella Good Tacos, Mainely Burgers, Urban Sugar and CN Shawarma/Baharat.
Lio (instagram, facebook), the new wine-focused restaurant from Cara and Cecile Stadler – owners of Tao Yuan and Bao Bao, has applied for a liquor license. As described in the application cover letter,
The concept of Lio is to offer a wide variety of wines by the glass, including many high end wines that are typically not available by the glass, with menu options specifically paired with the wines. The cuisine will be modern European offered on small plates, allowing diners to have food & wine typical of fine dining restaurants without the time or cost commitment of fine dining. The layout of the restaurant is designed around a serpentine bar configuration, that allows diners to cluster in groups around the curves, as well as a chefs table and private dining room. The space also has a deck and patio. It is an amazing location with a unique layout that we believe will be a unique and welcome addition to the already diverse restaurant scene in Portland.
Owen Price has joined the team as the chef for the restaurant. You can see some pictures of the Lio kitchen and early menu development on his instagram account.
The draft menu (page 87) includes smaller plates like Parsnip & Potato Latkes, pastas such as Bucatini with lump crab, chili flake, crab butter, breadcrumbs, olive oil, lemon, parsley and larger dishes such as Salt-crusted Whole Fish.
Here’s a look at the floor plan for Lio:
Crown Jewel (website, facebook, instagram) has applied for a liquor license. The 35-seat restaurant is under construction on Great Diamond Island. Owner Alexadra Wight was the organizer of the highly regarded Flanagans Table series that ran for several years in Buxton.
Crown Jewel will be open seasonally starting in 2018 through Columbus Day. Rocky Hunter has joined the team as the chef for the restaurant. Hunter was formerly the Vegetarian Chef de Cusine at David’s Opus Ten.
The draft menu (page 64) includes smaller items such as smoked mackerel rillet, and Fryburg potato & caviar, entrees such as pan seared cod and gnocchi verde.
For a list of other restaurants under development see our Under Construction List.
Tuesday – Austin Miller, the chef from Mami, will be competing in an upcoming episode of the Food TV Network show Chopped, and Central Provisions will be have 9 glass pours from the Selections de la Vina portfolio.
Thursday – there will be a wine tasting at Bow Street Beverage.
Saturday – Maine Craft Distilling is launching their new line of canned cocktails, Novare Res is holding Farmhouse Funkadelic – their annual Oxbow tap takeover, Liquid Riot is releasing the 2018 edition of their beer Blushing Star, and the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday – the Fabulous Femmes dinner is taking place at Chaval.
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.