This Week’s Events: Dessert & Drink Extravaganza, Food-Tech, Erin French, NYE List

| Posted in Events

Monday – The Great Holiday Dessert & Drink Extravaganza is taking place at Thompson’s Point, and Janet Helm will be giving a talk on The Food-Tech Revolution at Cellardoor.

Tuesday – Erin French, chef of The Lost Kitchen, will be speaking at One Longfellow Square.

Wednesday – there will be a tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants, and Little Giant market is holding a holiday pop-up shop.

Thursday – The Great Lost Bear will be holding their annual 12 Beers of Christmas showcase.

Saturday – the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.

New Year’s Eve – Restaurants are starting to announce their NYE plans. Here’s the ones I’ve heard of so far. I’ll be expanding the list over the next 4 weeks as more information comes in:

  • Baharat – pre fixe and regular menu.
  • Bolster Snow – 3-course dinner, $65 per person.
  • Boone’s – 4-course dinner, $95 per person.
  • Central Provisions – 5-course dinner with optional pairings, $150 per person.
  • Evo – 4- and 7-course menus.
  • Five Fifty-Five – 5-course dinner, $100 per person.
  • Grace – will be open serving their regular menu.
  • Lolita – a 5-course dinner with optional wine pairings, $110 per person (tip included).
  • Petite Jacqueline – 3- and 5-course dinner, $45/$65 per person.
  • Tipo – 4-course dinner, $75 per person with optional wine pairings ($35).
  • Tiqa – 3-course dinner for $55 per person.
  • Vinland – 5-course dinner for $121.60 (tax and tip included) plus optional pairings

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.

Reviews: Little Giant, Noble BBQ, Island Creek, Leavitt & Sons, Hot Suppa

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Little Giant,

An eclectic menu of hearty dishes contributes to the restaurant’s homey vibe, especially comfort-food classics like rolled buttermilk biscuits ($6), as light and laminated as croissants. Executive chef Rian Wyllie serves them with a mound of aerated lardo (cured pork fat), into which he whips rosemary, garlic and maple syrup. Spooned over the top is a tart hot-pepper jelly that tap-dances tiny prickles of heat along the back of your tongue.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Noble BBQ,

Barbecue is nothing without the support of a smattering of rib-sticking sides, and Noble covers familiar ground with two types of slaw (“old school” and citrus-apple, both noticeably different from one another in taste and texture), baked beans, mac ‘n cheese, fries and addictive house-pickled vegetables. “Scrappy Fries” give the restaurant a signature item of sorts — a pile of crunchy fries topped with baked beans, meat scraps, poblano sauce and cotija cheese. Is it poutine? Not really, but sort of, and it works.

the Press Herald has reviewed Leavitt & Sons,

When I got back to the office and a co-worker asked if I’d ordered the Our Famous Chicken Salad sandwich (which incorporates bacon and ranch dressing, obviously for health reasons), I felt a twinge of regret. I’d been tempted by it, then backed away. This gives me another reason to go back, and now I know I can find my way there. If I lived anywhere near downtown though, I’d walk, to skip the parking hassle. In spring and summer, a sandwich or salad to go and a trip into Deering Oaks with Leavitt & Sons would be just the ticket.

The Bollard has reviewed Hot Suppa,

Such hiccups aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Hot Suppa. The service was friendly and efficient, and the room was warm in every way. I look forward to exploring another corner of the dinner menu, and there are plenty of chilly evenings ahead.

Map & Menu has reviewed Island Creek Oyster Shop.

As a raw bar, The Shop’s menu is refreshingly simple – $1.50 oysters, tinned fish, caviar, beer, wine, and champagne. Island Creek’s own Duxbury oysters are served alongside some of Maine’s native varieties, including Damariscotta’s Mookie Blues, Scarborough’s Abigail Pearls, and New Meadows River’s Eider Coves. If you’re not in the mood for oysters, Tinned sardines, squid, octopus, or razor clams are served on a heaping tray filled with bread, butter, pickles, cabbages, and mustard.

2018 Portland Symphony Wine Dinner

| Posted in Events

The PSO ha announced the line-up for the 17th annual wine dinner. The culinary team for the 2018 dinner are:

The dinner will feature wine from the Blue Danube Wine Company, and will take place March 14, 2018 at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport.

Fred Eliot: Paté en Croute

| Posted in People

The Press Herald has published a feature story on Scale’s chef Fred Eliot and his passion for developing skills to execute the classic French dish paté en croute.

Learning how to make paté en croute has been on Eliot’s bucket list for years, but it was only when he came to Scales that he had an oven that could do it justice, one that was able to bake at very precise temperatures. Now he makes one every other week, displaying the increasingly stunning results on Facebook and Instagram. It often sells out in one night.

Under Construction: Maine Food for Thought

| Posted in Under Construction

A new food touring company called Maine Food for Thought (website, twitter) is under development.

Founders Sarah and Bryce Hach are looking to provide a look behind the scenes of the Portland’s culinary scene to the talk about the origins of the food we eat and the people who make it all happen.

Discover how Portland’s stellar food scene tells the story of Maine’s vibrant and unique food system. Beyond a tasting, beyond an exploration of how food gets to your plate, we’ll look at how being a nationally celebrated food destination affects the people, ecology and economy of America’s eastern-most state.

Visit the Food For Thought website to sign-up for their mailing list and keep updated on their launch.