American Seafood by Maine author and chef Barton Seaver is a finalist in the IACP awards in both the Food Matters and Reference & Technical categories.
Bunker Release: Big Stax
Bunker Brewing is releasing a new beer Big Stax on Friday at noon. The beer is an Imperial Flapjack Style Stout produced in collalboration with Interboro in NYC.
Maine Restaurant Week 2018
Maine Restaurant Week is scheduled to take place March 1 – 12. Visit the MRW website for a complete list of participating restaurants and to buy tickets for events such as the Incredible Breakfast Cook-off.
Two Maine Beard House Dinners
Two more Maine dinners at the James Beard House in NYC have been scheduled:
- April 3 – Maine Power Couples
Chris and Paige Gould from Central Provisions and Tipo, Damian Sansonetti and Ilma Lopez from Piccolo and Chaval, Danielle and Justin Walker from Walkers Maine - April 5 – Maine Escape
Andrew Chadwick from the Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth
Chef Emil Rivera is already on the Beard House calendar for a dinner taking place on March 24th.
This Week’s Events: American Unagi, Drifters Wife, Proper Cup, Kombucha Workshop, Pasta with Paolo
Tuesday – the Other Side Deli on Veranda Street is holding a wine tasting focusing on budget wines, 5-7pm.
Thursday – American Unagi founder Sara Rademaker will be giving a lecture at GMRI, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing Good Fire Brewing.
Friday – It’s the opening night for the new Drifters Wife (online reservations) at 59 Washington Ave, there will be a beer and cheese tasting at Foundation Brewing and a Jack’s Abby tap takeover at Slab.
Saturday – It’s the opening day for The Proper Cup (website, facebook, instagram) coffee shop at 500 Forest Ave, Higher Grounds is teaching a kombucha workshop, LeRoux is holding a wine tasting, and the 2nd dinner of the Oakleaf series is taking place.
Pasta with Paolo – Solo Italiano chef Paolo Laboa is kicking off a monthly pasta making class starting February 26th. The class will “teach the ins and outs of making a various styles of pasta, as well as its history, before you create two portions of one style yourself. At 5pm, the first portion, plated and served by Paolo himself, will be enjoyed alongside a uniquely paired glass of wine in the shared company of your classmates. The second portion will be yours to take home for your own attempt at re-creation or experimentation.”
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.
Public Market House
The number and diversity of vendors operating in the Public Market House has expanded significantly since they opened. It’s now home to Ameera Bread, Big Sky, Bow Street, Crepe Cafe, Daily Greens, Kamasouptra, Maiz, Pho Co, Sticky Sweet.
The mix and layout is set to change again. Bow Street is soon to move out to their new building at 495 Forest Ave and Cafe Crepe is making room downstairs for Maine Squeeze to move from the second floor. Those changes will free up two spots in the Market for new vendors.
Reviews: Benkay, Tuscan Table
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Benkay, and
Despite the solid food and strong menu, Benkay now has a totally different aura specifically because the inside is much more upscale. It looks beautiful and feels very comfortable because of that. It’s not hard to imagine sitting at either bar and spending some time ordering lots of sushi or maybe a sampling of libations. It would be difficult not to have an enjoyable stay, especially if you want like to sprawl out in a place with some class.
the Press Herald has reviewed Tuscan Table.
If you can get over the idea of coming to the Mall for an incredible bar and dining experience (and really, you should get over that), Tuscan Table will be an amazing night out. The food extended beyond typical Italian fare, and the drinks are cleverly designed and expertly mixed. You will not regret your choice to drink or dine at this beautiful establishment.
PPPE has also posted a report on the new bar menu at Emilitsa.
Stella Hernandez on Wine
Wine & Spirits checked in with Stella Hernandez at Lolita about how some of the selections on her wine list.
Stella Hernandez and her husband were working as architects until 12 years ago, when they left St. Louis for, Maine. Despite the fact that they barely had enough experience to get insurance and the city’s restaurant scene hadn’t exploded yet, they opened a small restaurant, Bar Lola. “It was like the wild west,” says Hernandez. Four years ago, they closed Lola to open Lolita, an even smaller place with the kitchen, wine and ingredients on display. Just one block from their original spot, the duo have been introducing Portlandians to bottles from both hemispheres.
Phoenix: Definitive Brewing, Snacks, Other Side
This week’s edition of the Portland Phoenix includes:
- An interview with Dylan Webber who is launching Definitive Brewing this Spring.
- An article about Snacks on Snacks, the new delivery service in Portland.
- A profile of Pete Sueltenfuss, owner of the Other Side Delicatessen.
Beer Releases from Bissell and Oxbow
Two new beer releases are taking place this Saturday:
- Bissell Brothers is releasing Preserve & Protect, “a 7.8% IPA built off the blueprint of our 4th-anniversary one-off. This beer gives us a chance to utilize the pineapple flavors of Denali on a larger base, with background support from Citra and Vic Secret. The label features an illustration by Heidi Geist featuring our father, recently retired as director of Baxter State Park”.
- Oxbow is releasing Blacklight, “a 6% European hopped dark Farmhouse Ale brewed with oats and midnight wheat, called Blacklight”