Today’s Press Herald features an article about the new restaurant Vinland, and chef/owner David Levi’s dedication to local ingredients.
“For me, (this) is not coming from a puritanical mindset,” he said. “To me, it is about creating a beautiful and interesting form within which to work, which happens to also maximize our local support to farmers and fishermen and foragers, to cheese makers and artisans.”
Tuesday — Tandem and Rosemont are collaborating on holding a wine bar in East Bayside.
Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.
Sunday — Oscar’s New American is holding their first Sunday Jazz Brunch and its the first day of the 12 Stouts After Christmas at Novare Res.
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.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a report on food insecurity among Maine’s senior citizens.
Across Maine, there’s an increasing number of people like Jim and Nancy Pike of Alfred, seniors whose declining health and limited finances have put them among the so-called ‘food insecure.’ ‘They are the hidden hungry … and they don’t want anybody to know.’
For more information on hunger and Maine or if you want to make a donation, visit the Good Shepherd Food Bank website.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Hugo’s.
The dining experience is unique and exceptional with a changing menu of dishes served nightly. Some recent standouts have included local pheasant, mussel salad, cornmeal mousse, glazed parsnip, lamb leg and cauliflower risotto. The dessert menu offers such enticing choices as Maine apple, chocolate and beets and puff pastry with custard and caramel. The comprehensive wine list offers distinctive choices from all of the major wine regions.
The Portland Phoenix has published an article about the burgeoning Maine cheese industry.
Maine-made cheese is having a moment. The Maine cheese industry is one of the fastest growing in the country and produces award-winning varieties. While we don’t make near as much as cheese-loving states like Wisconsin and Vermont, Maine has 73 licensed cheese makers today, up from ten a decade ago. Thanks to like prominence of local cheese at retailers like the Portland Farmers’ Market, K. Horton’s Specialty Foods, Rosemont Market, and Whole Foods, curd-loving customers are familiar with local creameries and cheese styles like never before.
For more information on Maine cheese consult the Maine Cheese Guild website.
Rabelais and The Root collaborated on a two part series on classic cocktail books and the archive of an early 20th century company as they dealt with the impact Prohibition had on the liquor import business.
Serious Eats has reviewed Empire Chinese Kitchen.
As much as Portland, Maine, has become an unlikely destination for Thai food, ramen, and sushi over the past few years, I continued to mourn the city’s absence of good Chinese food. But it was only a matter of time before that changed.
Tickets are now on sale for two events during this year’s Maine Restaurant Week: the Incredible Breakfast Cook-off, and the Signature Event Cocktail and Dessert Competition.
The Bollard has reviewed the Portland Pottery Cafe.
My daughter and I both chose the New Englander Wrap ($9.95), a wheat tortilla stuffed with corned-beef hash, homefries, scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese. We found it immensely satisfying and perfectly seasoned, with crispy bits of beef, onion and flecks of carrot throughout.
Several Maine venues made it on to the Star Chefs list of the best cocktails and dishes of 2013:
Top 10 Cocktails: Firecracker
Cold River Vodka, Lime, Royal Rose’s Three Chile Simple Syrup from Mixologist Andrew Volk from Portland Hunt & Alpine Club
Top 10 Cravable Dishes
Pig Heart Pastami, Arugula-Parsley Salad, Caperberries, and Herb Vinaigrette from Chef Melissa Kelly of Primo
Top 10 Savory Dishes: Drunken Pad Ke Mao
Rice Broad Noodles, Onions, Shiitake Mushrooms, Spicy Chiles, and Thai Basil from Chef Ravin Nakjaroen of Long Grain