Here’s a look at Sunday night’s pasta-themed dinner at The Purple House. This was the third of chef Krista Kern Desjarlais’ dinners in North Yarmouth.
 |
 |
 |
|
This Week’s Events: Dracula Dinner, Brew Pub Cup, Good Food Awards, Baking Classes
Thursday – an Allagash dinner is taking place at Terlingua, Gather is collaborating with the Royal River Community Theatre on a Dracula Dinner, and the Brew Pub Cup is taking place at The Great Lost Bear.
Friday – the Good Food Awards are taking place, 3 Maine vendors are nominees, and there will be a wine tasting at the West End Rosemont.
Saturday – Woodford F&B will be celebrating their 2nd anniversary and raising money for the Locker Project, and the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday – Foley’s is kicking off their baking class series.
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.
Maine Scallops
The Maine Sunday Telegram has explained why only a limited part of the Maine scallop makes it on to the dish and reports on a new aquaculture operation that may change that.
December into April is the season when wild Atlantic sea scallops can be pulled from state-regulated waters in the Gulf of Maine both by divers and mechanical drags for our dining delight. Maine scallops are both delicious and pricey, but few of us realize that half of the scallop is chucked out at sea even though it’s perfectly edible.
This might also explain why it’s illegal in Maine to serve scallops on their shell in Maine.
Reviews: Tuscan Table, Maiz, Pearl
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Tuscan Table, and
In addition to the service, the meat and cheese plate – which I felt was both really delicious and a very fair value needs a couple of – I’ll call them logistical – improvements. And my haddock was good, but not the great, flavorful piece of art I’d look for in a perfect world. Still, Tuscan Table is off to a good start in their first weeks. In fact, good enough that my wife went back with a friend the very next night. I think it’s reasonable that you check it out at least once and see what you think.
the Press Herald has reviewed Maiz.
What I am saying is I’m glad none of you witnessed my consumption of this arepa. This delicious arepa, with its crispy (gluten free!) exterior and its messy interior. It comes with an optional sauce that varies from day to day. I chose chimichurri. Something made the arepa the tiniest bit greasy, and I think the chimichurri might have been the source. But it wasn’t enough to stop me from enjoying every single last bite.
Also, the Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Pearl in Kennebunk,
Some dishes, like golden shoestring fries, an overstuffed bouillabaisse and a meaty, lightly dressed lobster roll ($24) are twins of dishes she serves at Pearl Oyster Bar in Manhattan. Others, like a warm-spiced apple crisp and a crunchy, schnitzel-like pan-fried chicken breast served with creamy celery remoulade, demonstrate that Charles – who, unlike many famous chefs, frequently cooks on the line in her own kitchen – knows a whole lot more than oysters. You won’t be able to score a table here once the tourists arrive, so take advantage of the off-season and get here while you can.
NYC→PWM
Today’s Press Herald reports on some of the former New Yorkers making a new life and a living in Portland, and helping develop the restaurant scene in the process.
Restaurateurs who have moved here from New York say the customers are different, too. Sansonetti says that Mainers, curiously, appear to be more adventurous eaters than New Yorkers. When he worked at Bar Boulud, Sansonetti put Mediterranean sardines and Maine herring on the menu, but they were tough sells. When he opened Piccolo, he served sardines “and we couldn’t keep them on the menu.”
Under Construction: 185 Cottage Road
White Cap Coffee (website, facebook, instagram) had planned to locate a cold brew tasting room on Washington Ave in the former Sahara Club building. Now 3 months later, they’ve evolved their business, and after a merger with Rwanda Bean Co. and in collaboration with Cape Whoopies they are leasing 185 Cottage Road in South Portland.
The space will be used for to “manufacture whoopie pies and support coffee cold brew manufacturing, roasting coffee and retailing both products”. It will be a place where customers will be able to “see the manufacturing operations and then enjoy the products there in a retail setting”.
White Cap/Rwanda/Cape Whoopies hope to take over the space in February with plans to open in late Spring.
52 Places: Lindsay Sterling
Immigrant Kitchens author Lindsay Sterling is a finalist for the New York Times 52 Places travel writer position. More than 13,000 applied for the job which will send the person selected for the role to all 52 spots on the NYT Places to Go List.
MCD Fifty Stone
The Whisky Advocate. has published a brief write-up on Maine Craft Distilling’s Fifty Stone.
Along with Westland in Seattle, Maine Craft Distilling is one of the few American distilleries using locally sourced peat to make single malt whiskey. Peat is an abundant resource in many parts of the world, reflective of the local plant life and terroir. We look forward to more distilleries experimenting with local peat—the taste profiles should all be quite unique.
Baxter’s Fine Candies Moving
Baxter’s Fine Candies is closing their store on Brackett Street and will be moving Westbrook to set-up shop with Black Dinah. They’re holding a moving sale this Friday and Saturday.
This Week’s Events: Ag Show, Farmers’ Market Convention, Park Challenge, Sashimi Grading
Tuesday – it’s the first day of the 77th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta.
Thursday – the 10th annual Maine Farmers’ Market Convention is taking place in Augusta and the Industrial Park Challenge at The Great Lost Bear, and Mika Higurashi will be giving a talk at GMRI entitled “Making the Grade: Leading the Way for Sashimi-Grade Seafood“.
Friday – there will be a wine tasting at the East End Rosemont.
Saturday – the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place and there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen.
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.