Craft/Craft Curbside Under Development

| Posted in Under Construction

A new restaurant called Craft is in the early stage of  development with plans to be located in Windham. In the near term, co-owners Chase Rochon and Dylan Duran Stafford are launching Craft Curbside (instagram) a “hyper locally sourced prepared food and cocktail mixer shop”.

Rochon is  the front of house manager at Liquid Riot where he works with Stafford who is the bar manager. Joining them will be chef Tyler Reinhart who is Johnson & Wales graduate and a Liquid Riot alum.

Craft will be a restaurant with craft cocktails and a catering arm. Rochon is a Certified Cider Professional and plans to work with Maine cider makers on some special house blends.

 

Growing Interest in CSAs

| Posted in Farming

Maine Public reports an increased interest in CSAs at Maine farms.

With the depletion of certain items on grocery store shelves and the disruption to the supply chain, there is one thing the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted, and that is the importance of locally grown food. In Maine and around the country, small farms in particular are seeing a surge of interest in what they have to offer, and membership sales in community supported agriculture are especially attractive right now.

Hi Bar Bakery Food Truck

| Posted in Under Construction

Hi Bar Bakery is in the process of building out and launching a food truck. Hi Bar launched in 2018, and is one of the businesses operating out of Fork Food Lab. They hope to have their food truck out on the road in July.

DSO Creative is working on converting a truck to Hi Bar’s needs. The plans include “[n]ew service windows and awnings going in first followed by new interior paneling, new kitchen layout, counters, hood installation and various other new additions.”

Byers & Sons Long Island Bakehouse

| Posted in Openings

Mainebiz reports that new owners have bought the Long Island Store on Long Island and have renamed it Byers & Sons Long Island Bakehouse.

The operation will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May to October. It will offer breakfast and lunch, daily baked goods, such as hand-cut cinnamon donuts, muffins, scones, whoopee pies and cookies. Take-home meals such as lasagna, chicken pot pie, lobster pot pie and lobster quiche are also in the plan.

The plan is to use as many local suppliers as possible, to install a lobster tank and buy from island lobstermen, and to offer local beer, wine and produce, she said.

Interview with Emily’s Oysters

| Posted in People, Fisheries

Femidish has interviewed Emily Selinger about her aquaculture business and oyster CSA, Emily’s Oysters.

Femidish is a new Maine podcast that seeks to “Elevat[e] the stories of women and their unique abilities to nourish themselves and one another. Conversations about food through a feminist lens.”

Emily’s Oysters was founded in 2018 in Freeport. Their oysters are available via a CSA, and at the Wednesday Portland Farmers’ Market.

So What Happens Next?

| Posted in Openings

The Bangor Daily News has taken a look at what’s in store as restaurants begin re-opening their doors for in-house dining over the next few weeks.

In a public health crisis, many restaurant owners are not seeking a path back to normalcy, but they are forging ways to evolve that may bring lasting change. They are wary of a spike of disease. They also fear that missing a vital summer season will destroy their livelihoods.

Rusurgam Mag

| Posted in Openings

A new Maine food publication Resurgam Mag (website, instagram) has published their first issue online.

Resurgam is the creation of Josh Lemay, Harper Fendler, and Sean Connerty as “an attempt to document and celebrate the prolific food community of Maine while giving back to those in need”. Resurgam is written and created by people from the hospitality industry.

Copies of Resurgam can be purchased on their website on a donation basis. “[A]ll proceeds will go to benefit unemployed hospitality workers. Pay what you feel comfortable giving and know your donation will go to support others in need”

This Week’s Events: Eventide, Tandem, Luke Davidson, Three of Strong, Solo Together

| Posted in Events

Monday – Eventide re-opened for takeout yesterday, and as part of incremental restart they are also doing takeout today.

Wednesday – Luke Davidson from Maine Craft Distilling will be part of a panel discussion on adapting their business services in light of the pandemic, and  the weekday Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.

Thursday – the Portland Symphony Orchestra is holding Solo Together, a virtual wine dinner and performance.

Friday – Tandem Bakery is re-opening for takeout on Friday and Saturday, and Three of Strong is holding a virtual release party for their new rum Nightwater.

Saturday – The weekend 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.

Pizzeria Radici Opening This Summer

| Posted in Under Construction

Randy and Ally Forrester are making progress on renovating the former Terlingua space. If the remaining work goes as plans they’re on track to open Pizzeria Radici (website, instagram) by the end of June.

The word “radici” means root in Italian and indicates the restaurants intent to pair ancestral food traditions with the “sustainability and versatility of Maine’s harvest from the land and sea”. The Forresters hope to open the pizzeria this coming summer.

The Forresters moved to Portland from Allentown, New Jersey where they operated Osteria Radici. Osteria Radici was a James Beard awards semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2018, and Randy Forrester was a semifinalist for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic in 2019.