Today’s Portland Daily Sun reports on restaurant patrons who clear a table of items they can pocket for later use at home.
The elderly couple sitting at table 12 were either siblings or close cousins who had not connected in quite some time. They were sharing childhood stories and laughing about events that had obviously taken place well over 50 years ago. Also, they were swiping stuff off the table with no shame.
The Holy Donut, Litl’ Squirts and Bixby Bars are in contention to win $30,000 from Gorham Savings Bank as part of their Launchpad competition. The top five winners of the popular vote will get the chance to pitch their ideas to the judges.
Visit the Launchpad website to read their business plans and vote on your favorite.
If they win The Holy Donut plans to open a new store outside of Maine.
The Forecaster has posted an update on Otto’s 2nd South Portland location.
According to Community Planner Stephen Puleo, approval would allow Otto to build a prep kitchen for storage of supplies and ingredients, as well as a 36-seat restaurant.
Three Maine chefs are contenders in this year’s Food & Wine Best New Chef Competition:
You can see the full list on candidates and vote for the hometown favorites online.
Justin Velgos, Mark Woollard and Billy Flaherty have produced an unofficial Uprising iPhone app (website, twitter) for people who have taken on the challenge of drinking their way through The Uprising beer list at Novare Res.
You can download it from the Apple App Store.
For more info on The Uprising and Novare Res’s Chalice Room see Active Beer Geek.
Foodworks, the catering company and sandwich shop located at 47 India Street, is planning to move to 61 India Street—where the Blue Lobster Urban Winery was originally planning to locate.
Monday — Space Gallery is screening the movie A Place at the Table which is about hunger in America. The film will be followed by a discussion led by Maine Hunger Initiative.
Wednesday — the 13th Annual PSO Wine Dinner (sold out) is taking place; this year’s dinner features Greek wines paired with dishes prepared by Emilitsa, Piccolo, Fore Street, Inn by the Sea and the Harraseeket Inn. Black Tie is teaching a cooking class.
Thursday — Wine Wise and Vignola are collaborating on a Vietti wine dinner, Eve’s is hosting a South American dinner featuring dishes from Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, and the Bier Cellar is holding an Allagash beer tasting.
Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.
American Sommelier Classes – the Maine chapter of American Sommelier is offering several wine education programs this year: monthly seminars on a wide range of topics, a 6-week foundation series on major grape varietals, and a 10-week series on viticulture.
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.
A pair of Portland brewery updates:
The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Vinland.
Vinland’s myriad ideas are most eloquently expressed when the food itself speaks for them. And the restaurant lets that happen — the menu and the service offer few hints of the righteousness that has become Vinland’s public persona. The handsome room is spare and well lit, the better to appreciate the presentation of the cuisine — which remained true to its astringent-aesthetic from that beet chip beginning to a delicious dried-parsnip crumble for dessert.
Former Rosemont Market butcher, Jarrod Spangler is seeking $50,000 of funding on Kickstarter to help fund a butcher shop he has under construction in Kittery.