Casco Bay Butter and Green Bee Soda are semi-finalists in the Gorham Savings Bank Launchpad competition. The five finalists will pitch their business ideas on June 18th and the winner will receive $30,000.
Visit the Launchpad website to read their business plans and vote on your favorite.
The Bangor Daily News has published an article about Maine’s growing local grain industry.
In Portland, baker Alison Pray, owner of Standard Baking Co., still has a hard time believing her bakery is using grain from Maine. Pray is offering a half dozen breads, including two German ryes, made with local grain. The dense, seeded breads are growing in popularity.
When she started her bakery two decades ago, she recalls, this opportunity “wasn’t even on the horizon.”
“We are thrilled. We are so excited. This is what inspires all of our innovation and excitement about developing new breads and pastries,” said Pray. “It opens a lot of doors for us.”
Wing Lee II has opened on Saint John Street in the space formerly occupied by Jan Mae. The original Wing Lee is located in Scarborough.
Tawakal Halal and the Arabian Days coffee shop have cleared out of 3 Deering Ave in Bramhall Square freeing up some retail space in an increasingly popular stretch of Congress Street.
Earlier this month Discount Halal closed their shop on Washington Ave. The space is now for rent.
Taqueria Tequila has gone out of business. The space at 249 Saint John Street is for rent.
Eating Portland Alive reports that chef Austin Miller plans on launching his Japanese food truck, Mami, by the end of May. The izakaya truck will be located in Congress Square Park.
Tuesday — there will be a wine tasting at Maine & Loire, and an Alsatian wine dinner at Petite Jacqueline.
Wednesday — Sur Lie is serving a 6-course beer dinner in collaboration with Maine Beer Company, GMRI is hold a Seafood Celebration, Black Tie is teaching a cooking class, and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Thursday — Sur Lie is serving a 5-course wine dinner featuring Gloria Ferrer Winery, there will be a wine tastings at Aurora Provisions and Rosemont on Commercial, and Tandem Bakery is hosting a Latte Art Competition.
Friday — it’s the first night of the 7th Annual Belgian Biere Fest at Novare Res, and for First Friday The Bearded Lady’s Jewel Box is hosting a gallery showing of contemporary condiment utensils and jewelry.
Saturday — Wine Wise is leading a Bourbon Walk, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday — there will be a screening on In Organic We Trust at USM.
Rum Riots — tickets for this year’s Rum Riot events are now on sale. The four day event runs from May 30 to June 2, and includes a class on bar technique by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, a lecture on the history of cocktail books by Don Lindgren & John Myers and a chartresuse dinner at Piccolo. Visit mainerumriots.com/schedule.html to buy tickets and to see the full schedule.
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.
Tandem Bakery has submitted an application for a liquor license. Once approved at Monday night’s City Council meeting, Tandem will be joining the ranks of Gorgeous Gelato and Vena’s Fizz House—businesses that were formerly ethanol-free but now have the option to incorporate it into their menu.
Natural popsicle maker Pure Pops is launching a food cart this year.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram reports on Mayor Brennan’s Initiative for a Healthy and Sustainable Food System.
Those are some of the more visible projects being worked on by a wide-ranging group of Portlanders who have joined the Mayor’s Initiative for a Healthy and Sustainable Food System. Mayor Michael Brennan formed the initiative in 2012 after participants in a casual community food forum expressed a desire for a council that could work on the city’s food policy and on increasing residents’ access to local foods.
For more info on the Initiative visit the HSFSI website.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Tiqa.
Bright, attractive and busy, Tiqa is a large “pan-Mediterranean” restaurant on the western edge of the Old Port. With dishes and recipes inspired by the foods of southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, there’s a broad range of lunch and dinner options, from flatbreads and skewered meats – the chicken merguez kefta is excellent – to pan-seared Egyptian-style fish and memorable braised oxtail from Sicily. Avoid the fried food: fried broccolini (fritto misto) and chickpea fritters (falafel) here both fall flat. And take advantage of the free valet parking (after 5 p.m.), the opportunity to sample wines before ordering and the superb fruit sorbets made daily. Those sorbets blend silky texture with intense flavor for a deeply satisfying finish to a meal.
A new “small cafe & retail chocolate shop” called Lively is under construction at 54 Washington Ave; the space is adjacent to Terlingua and was formerly occupied by Falmouth Flowers and Gifts.
For the past 5 years owner Paul Olaf Lively has been the chef/owner of Chef Paul’s Truffles & Catering in Brewster, MA. He won the Best Truffle award earlier this month at the 29th Annual Chocolate Lovers’ Fling.
Lively plans to serve soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch (draft menu on page 178) in the evening they also plan to serve “desserts and lighter fare”. The 31-seat cafe will also be selling truffles and prepared food to go. They hopes to open the cafe sometime in early June.
Visit the PFM Under Construction page for the most complete list of food businesses under development.