Under Construction: Walter's

| Posted in Under Construction

PortlandTown has published photos of the new Walter’s on Union Street which will re-open next week.

The bar area will feature a wall of wine at the far end. They plan on two private dinners on sunday and monday evenings for their contractors and family & friends as a shake out before opening to the general public on tuesday.  For those of you who ate at the old place on Exchange street, this space will be a real shock.  It has not only a totally different feel but also a different feel to any other space in Portland.

Havana & Siano's

| Posted in Under Construction

The new issue of Mainebiz has also published an article about Havana and the new Siano’s Pizzeria that’s slated for the space formerly occupied by Una.

Just down the street, another restaurateur team plans to bring a version of Havana, their fine dining eatery in Bar Harbor, to the Old Port. Michael Boland and Cassady Pappas have leased 8,000 square feet at 44-52 Wharf St. to open Havana South, according to broker Nate Stevens of CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Co.

Havana & Siano’s

| Posted in Under Construction

The new issue of Mainebiz has also published an article about Havana and the new Siano’s Pizzeria that’s slated for the space formerly occupied by Una.

Just down the street, another restaurateur team plans to bring a version of Havana, their fine dining eatery in Bar Harbor, to the Old Port. Michael Boland and Cassady Pappas have leased 8,000 square feet at 44-52 Wharf St. to open Havana South, according to broker Nate Stevens of CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Co.

Trader Joe's, Wharf St, Bucket Lists, etc

| Posted in General News

Today’s issue of the Portland Daily Sun includes articles on the online effort to persuade Trader Joe’s to come to Portland (see also this earlier post)

Portland foodie activists are taking to the Web by the thousands in hopes of luring supermarket chain Trader Joe’s to Southern Maine.

At least two simultaneous Internet campaigns aimed at convincing the company to open a store in Greater Portland are under way, including a Facebook group and an online petition, each drawing more than 2,000 participants.

about Havana’s plans for a Wharf Street restaurant and renovations taking place at 51 Wharf

On a well-traveled stretch of cobblestone street that includes The Merry Table Crêperie on one end and Beal’s Ice Cream on the other, the owners at the 51 Wharf restaurant and lounge are reinvesting in their business, while across the street a Latin American-inspired casual fine dining restaurant is coming in to replace a defunct furniture store.

and Margo Mallar’s culinary bucket and wish list for 2010. Here’s a taste,

An understanding that the Mediterranean is much more than Italy and Greece. There’s a real dearth of North African, Middle Eastern, Turkish and Balkan food.

2nd Floor Visit

| Posted in General News

About Town paid a visit to the new 2nd floor of the Public Market House and posted a report on the newly expanded market.

Chairs and tables look out over Monument Square, making it a prime people-watching location (and the yet-to-be-completed glass elevator, also overlooking the square, will only heighten the experience).

“All of a sudden I’m beginning to feel this is really what I hoped it would be,” Horton says of the endeavor, which she sees not just as a public market for fresh foods and produce, but also as an “incubator for businesses.”

Chicken and Scallops

| Posted in Farming, Fisheries

Today’s Press Herald includes an article on new rules that would regulate small scale chicken farms

[Organic farmer Rick] Stanley is among a number of small poultry producers planning to speak against the proposed rules at a hearing at 10 a.m. today in Room 208 at the Cross Office Building in Augusta. The issue highlights how the booming demand for locally grown and produced food can collide with the regulatory framework set up to ensure its safety.

The newspaper also reprinted a piece from the Bangor Daily News about the Maine scallop industry

“When the water is warm, they swim right through the water like Pac-Man,” he said, referring to the classic video game. “This year, I’ve seen quite a few small scallops. You know, little guys, 1-inch, 2-inch scallops. I’ve heard from other people around the state that they’re seeing some small scallops, which we haven’t seen in many, many years.

“I hope it bodes well for the future,” he added.

This Week’s Events

| Posted in Events

Monday—PortlandTaps.com has organized a Solstice Pub Crawl. the Maine Ambassadors of Food and Drink are running the weekly Foodie Trivia Contest at Bull Feeney’s, and Stephen Lanzalotta is teaching a cooking class.

Tuesday—Port Sports is facilitating a second Mead Crawl. The event starts with a tour at Maine Mead Works, wends it way through the city and ends up at Novare Res.

Thursday—Cinque Terre is serving a traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve. There’s also a Christmas Eve dinner taking place at Grace.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

If you are holding a local area food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.