Under Construction: Blue Lobster Urban Winery

| Posted in Under Construction

A new venture called Blue Lobster Urban Winery has applied for a liquor license to operate a wine bar at 61 India Street. Take a look at this interactive presentation that the owners have published that outlines the concept for their new business. According to documents filed with the City they hope to open in May. A draft menu (page 54) was submitted as part of their application.

Gorgeous Gelato in the Park & SoPo Winter Market

| Posted in Under Construction, Farming

This week’s issue of the Forecaster reports that Gorgeous Gelato will be join Bite into Maine and 2 other vendors in running food carts in Fort Williams Park.

Giovine said he opened his Portland business on Fore Street about a week before Christmas in 2010, giving him plenty of time to create a smooth operation before the spring and summer tourist seasons. He said he is importing a cart from Italy to sell gelato at Fort Williams, and prefers to be closer to Portland Head Light because it has more foot traffic than Cove Beach.

Also in this week’s issue is an article on the challenges faced by the South Portland Winter Farmers Market.

Six month after holding its inaugural bazaar, the city’s first weekly farmers market is still struggling for customers.

If traffic doesn’t improve, organizers say the market may not survive.

Dinner Review of Schulte & Herr

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has published a review of Schulte & Herr.

My friends each had the borscht and the potato pancakes. The latter are some of the lightest examples of this dish, intensely good, cloudlike rounds that are crisp all at once. The borscht revealed a complex broth enhanced by the assertive flavor of oxtail enriching the deep red soup. It was a sensational version in a sea of soppy renditions that one is apt to encounter elsewhere.

Blackbird Eats Two Fat Cats

| Posted in General News

Blackbird Baking has bought Two Fat Cats,

We are very happy and excited to announce that Blackbird Baking Company has bought and now owns Two Fat Cats Bakery at 47 India Street in Portland’s Old Port.   It’s been a long process, but everything has come together and ownership changed hands on January 31, 2012.  We’re very excited and pleased to have such a wonderful staff now working for us at Two Fat Cats.

Winter Produce

| Posted in Farming

This week’s Portland Phoenix includes an article on winter farmers markets and CSAs that are opening up new options for sourcing local foods during this time of the year.

Even with Maine’s short growing season, farmers all over the state are working to accommodate the needs of their customers who want to eat locally year-round. There are more winter farmers’ markets and winter Community Supported Agriculture opportunities, and farmers are taking extra steps to get their products to the customer no matter the season.

East End Cupcake Wars

| Posted in General News

The Press Herald has published a report on East End Cupcakes and their appearance in the latest episode of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. The show aired Sunday night and the theme for this week’s competition was to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the I Love Lucy show.

Zoidis, owner of East End Cupcakes in the Old Port, didn’t win the show’s $10,000 prize, but she did come away with some clever Lucy-inspired cupcake ideas.

A cupcake she created in the first round of the competition was an homage to the “Vitameatavegemin” episode, in which Lucy is hired to do a TV commercial for a health tonic that makes her tipsy.

This Week’s Events: Cooking Class, Pai Men Wine Dinner, Coffee Cupping, Bakery Pop-up

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — Chef David Levi is teaching a cooking class. The class will teach how to “create and craft delicious and nourishing dishes using exclusively organic, local, and sometimes wild ingredients.”

Wednesday — Pai Men Miyake and Rosemont are co-hosting a wine dinner featuring Hillinger wines from Austria, and David Levi is holding a second (sold out) session of his cooking class.

Thursday — The Great Lost Bear is featuring Gritty’s at their weekly brewery showcase, and Rosemont is holding a wine tasting.

Friday — Coffee by Design is holding a pair of coffee cuppings, and there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli.

Saturday — a Bakery Pop-up Shop is taking place at Akari, sales at the pop-up shop will benefit the Good Shepherd Food Bank. There will be a wine tasting LeRoux Kitchen, Wine Wise is leading a Cabernet wine walk in the Old Port, and the Winter Farmers Market is being held.

Sunday — La Vie en Rose is on the schedule for movie night at Petite Jacqueline, and Maine food historian Sandy Oliver will be speaking at the Freeport Historical Society about the history of chocolate in American cooking.

Valentine’s Day — memories of New Year’s Eve are just fading and it’s already time to start making plans for Valentine’s Day. Here are the first few V Day options I’ve heard of. Post a comment with info for others that I should add to the list.

  • Bar Lola, $45, 5-course dinner with optional wine pairings
  • Bresca, 5-course Paris 2066 Dinner, $65 per person, $100 per person with wine pairings
  • Cinque Terre, 5-course on February 13 and 14, $59.95
  • Peaks Island Gastro Society, $100 6-course prix fixe with wine pairings on Saturday February 11
  • Petite Jacqueline, $65 4-course dinner with optional wine pairings
  • The Salt Exchange has posted their Valentine’s Day menu
  • Vignola, 4-course, $39.95

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.