Thanksgiving 2010 Resource Guide

| Posted in Events

Some restaurants plan on serving a Thanksgiving dinner. Here are the Portland area ones I know about so far:

The United Way and 2 churches are hosting dinners on Thanksgiving (via About Town):

  • United Way Community Dinner, 11:30 – 1, at the Portland Club 156 State St, they’re looking for volunteers
  • Woodfords Congregational Church Thanksgiving Dinner, 2 – 3:30, 202 Woodford St
  • Immanuel Baptist Church Thanksgiving Dinner, 5 – 6:30, 156 High St

There are also a few vendors are selling pies, cakes and even entire meals to take home:

  • Aurora Provisions is selling a full dinner for two, $68.99 as well as soups, starters, entrees and desserts to jump start your preaparations
  • Rosemont Market, pre-order your free-range turkey (sourced from Maine-ly Poultry and Serendipity Acres) by Nov 20; Rosemont is also selling pies, rolls, quick breads, and other items which you’ll need to pre-order by the 19th.
  • Standard Baking on Commercial Street, Scratch Baking in South Portland, and many of the other bakeries in the area are good sources for pies, breads, etc. They probably produce some holiday themed options in addition to their usual offerings.

Events and other resources:

  • The Blueberry Files has published an excellent Portland area turkey buying guide complete with price per pound stats and details on how they were raised.
  • Wines; Tasted! has published a set of Thanksgiving wine recommendations, as has  the Appel on Wine column in the Press Herald.
  • The Press Herald also published recommendations on where to get locavore equivalents of corporate food Thanksgiving standards.
  • At the November 17 Wine Wise class you can taste some Thanksgiving wine recommendations so you can a “have a great list to take with you to the stores for your shopping trip”.
  • November 18, Browne Trading’s wine tasting will feature “wines suited for the Thanksgiving Feast” as will a wine tasting at Aurora Provisions.
  • On November 21, you can taste 20 different Thanksgiving wines at the 20/20 wine charity event.

Is there a local restaurant, market or bakery that’s missing? Post a comment with the info and I’ll add them to the list.

This Week's Events: Kacher, Belgian Beer, Caviar, and 10th Anniversary Dinners

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — the Bar Lola is holding a Spanish/Portuguese wine dinner.
Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place, there will be wine tastings at Old Port Wine Merchants and RSVP, and Wine Wise are holding wine class on Syrah/Shiraz.
Thursday — Sea Glass restaurant is hosting a Belgian Beer Dinner, and The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beers from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Friday — Robert Kacher, a luminary of the wine world, will be a special guest at Havana South for a wine dinner and there will be a Spanish wine tasting at the East End Rosemont.
Saturday — Linda Greelaw will be a special guest at the 6th Annual Caviar Dinner, Vignola is serving a Spanish tasting menu, the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place, and wine tastings are taking place at Black Cherry Provisions and Rosemont on Brighton and there will be an olive oil tasting at Rosemont earlier in the day.
Sunday — Slow Food Portland is having a potluck dinner at Local Sprouts and Hugo’s is celebrating their 10th anniversary with a special 8-course tasting menu. If the $150 price tag is giving you pause but you’d still like to eat at Hugo’s this week then go Tuesday through Saturday for their two-for-one tasting menu. Also, Steve Corry will be appearing on the Thanksgiving episode of the Cooking Channel tv show Food(ography).
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.

This Week’s Events: Kacher, Belgian Beer, Caviar, and 10th Anniversary Dinners

| Posted in Events

Tuesday — the Bar Lola is holding a Spanish/Portuguese wine dinner.

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place, there will be wine tastings at Old Port Wine Merchants and RSVP, and Wine Wise are holding wine class on Syrah/Shiraz.

Thursday — Sea Glass restaurant is hosting a Belgian Beer Dinner, and The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beers from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Friday — Robert Kacher, a luminary of the wine world, will be a special guest at Havana South for a wine dinner and there will be a Spanish wine tasting at the East End Rosemont.

Saturday — Linda Greelaw will be a special guest at the 6th Annual Caviar Dinner, Vignola is serving a Spanish tasting menu, the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place, and wine tastings are taking place at Black Cherry Provisions and Rosemont on Brighton and there will be an olive oil tasting at Rosemont earlier in the day.

Sunday — Slow Food Portland is having a potluck dinner at Local Sprouts and Hugo’s is celebrating their 10th anniversary with a special 8-course tasting menu. If the $150 price tag is giving you pause but you’d still like to eat at Hugo’s this week then go Tuesday through Saturday for their two-for-one tasting menu. Also, Steve Corry will be appearing on the Thanksgiving episode of the Cooking Channel tv show Food(ography).

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.

Brewer's Fest, Gateless Trader Joe's, Maine Farmers

| Posted in General News, Events

The Maine Sunday Telegram includes a report on the 17th Annual Maine Brewers Festival,

The festival draws beer drinkers and beer makers from around the state. Ticket-buyers get a glass and tickets for up to 12 four-ounce tastes from brewers such as Shipyard, Allagash, Sheepscot and Geary’s.

and on the lack of a gate between the Bayside Trail which runs adjacent to Trader Joe’s.

Peter Quesada, whose Fore River Co. owns the land on Marginal Way, said his company “made a business judgment” to put up the fence between the trail and the store. He declined to say what that business judgment was based on.

Yesterday’s paper reported on the potential impact that a growth in farming can have on the state’s economy.

Seven panelists at an annual economic development forum told about 45 people in Maine business and government that agricultural development is key to a bright economic future. They also emphasized that more people are starting farms in Maine.

From 2002 to 2007, the number of farms jumped by nearly 1,000, to 8,136, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Brewer’s Fest, Gateless Trader Joe’s, Maine Farmers

| Posted in General News, Events

The Maine Sunday Telegram includes a report on the 17th Annual Maine Brewers Festival,

The festival draws beer drinkers and beer makers from around the state. Ticket-buyers get a glass and tickets for up to 12 four-ounce tastes from brewers such as Shipyard, Allagash, Sheepscot and Geary’s.

and on the lack of a gate between the Bayside Trail which runs adjacent to Trader Joe’s.

Peter Quesada, whose Fore River Co. owns the land on Marginal Way, said his company “made a business judgment” to put up the fence between the trail and the store. He declined to say what that business judgment was based on.

Yesterday’s paper reported on the potential impact that a growth in farming can have on the state’s economy.

Seven panelists at an annual economic development forum told about 45 people in Maine business and government that agricultural development is key to a bright economic future. They also emphasized that more people are starting farms in Maine.

From 2002 to 2007, the number of farms jumped by nearly 1,000, to 8,136, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Review of Local 188

| Posted in Reviews

The Bowdoin Orient has published a review of Local 188.

Can’t get into Fore Street? For a dinner in Portland, Local 188 offers a delicious and fun meal that takes you slightly off the beaten path. You might almost forget that you are in a city smaller than many colleges.

Local 188’s food is great and it’s atmosphere is even better. So, listen to me (and my mom) and check it out.

Fun, Fearless and Discreet in Portland

| Posted in Uncategorized, Profiles

Boston food blogger Fun and Fearless in Beantown was recently in Portland and has posted articles on Nosh, Sebago Brewing, Dean’s Sweets and The Salt Exchange.
Another out of town blogger, the Discreet Hedonist, has posted photo/haiku combos for Bintliff’s, Beal’s, Novare Res, Duckfat, Otto, Coffee by Design, Local 188 and The Great Lost Bear.