This Week’s Events: Seaweed Dinner, Nepal Benefit, Baxter Lecture, Mosel Wine, Crooners Launch

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Monday — Vinland is hosting a 5-course seaweed tasting dinner, there will be a tapas event at Lolita this afternoon, and Le Petite Boucher will be holding a pig butchering workshop.

Tuesday — Brad Messier is the guest chef for a pop-up dinner at Vinland.

Wednesday — The Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place, and all David’s restaurants in Portland, South Portland and Kennebunkport will be donating 15% of all restaurant sales to relief efforts in Nepal. and Rabelais owner Don Lindgren will give a talk to The Baxter Society on The Apgar Collection of 19th Century Cookbooks “looking at highlights of the collection, and milestones in American cookbook history, as well as examining what a large collection can tell us about American culture that individual books cannot”.

Thursday — Rosemont is holding a Mosel tasting event at Think Tank, and chef Shannon Bard is hosting a launch party for her book The Gourmet Mexican Kitchen.

Friday — Crooners & Cocktails at 90 Exchange Street is holding their launch party.

Saturday — Maine & Loire is holding a wine tasting, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

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.

Review of Sonny’s

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The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Sonny’s.

Located in a striking historic building in the heart of the Old Port, Sonny’s is a laid-back restaurant with a bustling bar scene and a somewhat eccentric dinner menu the owner calls “Latin-inspired.” Sit up front for a view of the kitchen and maximum buzz, or ask for a table in the back room if you’re searching for something quieter. Empanadas are made daily and filled with a variety of different meats and vegetables. (Watch out for the five-alarm chipotle sour cream; it’s likely to bring tears to your eyes.) If you’re sticking with a South American theme, try pulled pork enchiladas. Looking for something simpler? Seared fish with herbed butter sauce is reliably good. Chocolate lovers will want to leave room for a mocha ganache-drenched cake with black cherry almond filling. Made with Bob’s Red Mill wheat-free flour, the velvety confection gives gluten-free a much better name.

Review of Bao Bao

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The Press Herald has posted a bar review of Bao Bao.

This is the kind of place that would be hard to resist ordering at least one or two things off the menu – an order of six dumplings, a plate of smashed cucumbers – but the cocktails, sake, local beer on tap and the unique array of teas are quite worth the wait and the charming atmosphere.

Bar Fight Club: Hunt & Alpine

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talesofthecocktailThe Hunt and Alpine Club has been selected to compete in this year’s Bar Fight Club at Tales of the Cocktail, the “world’s premier professional cocktail event.”

Bar Fight Club is an annual battle royale where a small number of celebrated bar teams compete in a spirited showdown to claim the ultimate bar bragging rights.  The rules are simple – there are none. Each bar team will serve up great drinks in their own style featuring spirits from The 86 Co…and Del Maguey Single Village Mezcals…The winners will be determined based on a range of criteria covering cocktail making and presentation, with bonus points awarded to the teams who make some noise to keep the party going. Also up for grabs will be the prize for People’s Choice, chosen by the Bar Fight Club crowd that night. 

They’re up against some serious national and international competition, bars like The Cure in New Orleans and The Aviary in Chicago.

May the Fourth…

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The Press Herald has published a report on Piccolo’s May the Fourth Star Wars Dinner.

The cuisine at Piccolo, one of Portland’s most intimate and romantic restaurants, pays tribute to the “humble cuisines of Southern and Central Italy,” particularly food from Calabria and Abruzzi. But on Monday, May 4, an international holiday for Star Wars fans, the menu expanded outside our galaxy to include a Sarlacc Tot-Tooine Salad, Sausages Alla Taun Taun and an appetizer described as the X-Wing Dagobah Ration Kit.

Review of Bao Bao

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The Bollard has published a brunch review of Bao Bao.

Many of the offerings at Bao Bao are not particularly authentic, but they’re all good, and a few are downright great. The incredibly friendly waitstaff was happy to explain anything in detail and help us make good choices — service you’re not likely to find at a big-city banquet hall. Until the day when a true dim sum experience becomes available in Portland, Bao Bao will fill that niche admirably.

James Beard Awards

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The James Beard Awards took place last night in Chicago. Sadly, known of the four Maine nominees were selected for an award, but just being nominated is a significant honor. When I caught up with some of the Maine team at last night’s after party at The Aviary they were happy to have been part of the process and out enjoying the celebration.

Given Maine recent track record with the JBF awards I think we can look forward another robust crop of nominees in 2016. I look forward to returning to Chicago next May to join in all the fun and try out more of the city’s fine restaurants.