Winter Farmers Market

| Posted in Farming

Today’s Press Herald includes an article by Avery Yale Kamila on the new Winter Farmers Market in East Bayside.

She attributes the increased sales to the fact that shoppers can purchase baked goods and prepared foods from the food hub tenants.

“It’s more social,” said Pignatello, an herbalist who also runs the Swallowtail Farm Cottage Apothecary in the food hub. “People can still get their really high-quality farm food and have a coffee and buy a bagel. Everyone benefits – the (food hub) businesses and the farmers alike.”

Ocean Approved Kelp Farm

| Posted in Farming

The Root has posted a report on the Ocean Approved kelp farm in Casco Bay.

Kelp is a winter crop, it grows best when the water is cold and sunlight is low. Dobbins commented on how resilient and adapted to the Maine environment the kelp is. “We left some surplus 1mm long kelp sporelings lying in the snow on a dock during a seeding day,” he said. “At the end of the day, we threw them in the back of an open pickup, drove about an hour back to our nursery and just to see what would happen, put them back in a tank. They thrived and were out planted in the open ocean about a week later. Nature is determined that this species is going to survive.”

Profile of Zapoteca

| Posted in Profiles

The Latin Kitchen has published a profile of Zapoteca.

Almost immediately, the orange-spiced aroma grabbed me as I gazed into the steaming squash soup. It was topped by a slowly melting square of chocolate brittle that was filled with pumpkin pepitas. I put my spoon in, careful to fill it with both equal parts soup and chocolate. The taste: sublime, both with earthy squash and rich cacao flavors, and savory, with crunchy and smooth textures. 

I choked on my words, turned to my friend and said, “Have you ever tasted anything like this? It’s insanely wonderful.”

Under Construction: The Jewel Box

| Posted in Under Construction

A new cocktail bar called The Jewel Box is under construction at 644 Congress Street, the former home of the Meg Perry Center. Nathaniel Meiklejohn, aka The Bearded Lady, is heading up the project. Meikeljohn is a freelance batender, and worked with Bread and Butter Catering helped coordinate the Pocket Brunch series.

Meiklejohn tells me that his ideal customer is someone who “let go their expectations and be adventurous”. He’s planning a seasonally driven drinks menu that will change on a near daily basis. Meiklejohn just signed the lease for the space last Thursday and so it will probably be a while before the bar is up and running. In the meantime you can occasionally find him behind the bar at SPACE Gallery.

nathanielandcaroline

Find Eat Drink Top 50: Piccolo

| Posted in Reviews

Piccolo has made it on to the Find Eat Drink list of the top 50 restaurants they “want to eat at in 2014”.

Aptly named (piccolo translates to small) with a handful of seats, chef Damian Sansonetti is cooking rustic Italian cuisine from Central and Southern Italy and using all local ingredients. Sansonetti worked as the chef de cuisine at Bar Boulud in New York and his wife, Ilma Lopez, is the pastry chef and worked at Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Cafe Boulud and Le Bernardin. “It’s delicious Italian food and desserts in an intimate setting we love. This is one of our favorite date nights in town,” says Andrew Volk of Portland Hunt & Alpine Club.

Food Co-op Announces New Location (Updated)

| Posted in Under Construction

The Portland Food Co-op (website, facebook, twitter) held a press conference today and announced the location of a “storefront location for a full-service grocery store”. The new store will be located at 290 Congress Street. They hope to open this Fall in September.

According to a press release from the co-op,

The Portland Food Co-op will be a grocery store, owned by members and open to the public, that will offer a wide selection of high quality and fairly priced local, organic, and natural foods and household products. PFC is dedicated to supporting local farmers and producers, serving the community and building the local economy.

Update: See these articles from the Press Herald and Bangor Daily News for more info.

Small Axe Phase 2

| Posted in Under Construction

smallaxe_truck

After a very successful first year running their food truck, owners Karl Deuben and Bill Leavy looking to take the next step in the evolution of Small Axe (website, facebook, twitter) and open a restaurant. A brick and mortar business will provide them with the opportunity to serve a larger and more diverse menu year-round, as well as provide a base of operations for Small Axe Truck.

Deuben and Leavy are currently looking for the right space and neighborhood to locate.They’re also looking for investors to help fund the new venture. To learn more or to contact them about investing or a potential location, you can reach them at info@smallaxetruck.com.

Small Axe launched June 15, 2013. A Small Axe restaurant opening in 2014 would demonstrate the role food trucks can play as business incubators for more traditional brick and mortar food businesses.

Deuben has worked at Alinea, Hugo’s and Miyake, and Leavy’s resume includes time in the kitchen at Back Bay Grill, Hugo’s and Miyake. Deuben was the guest chef for the October 2012 Pocket Brunch at Broadturn Farm.

Vinland

| Posted in People, Profiles

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.”

This Week’s Events: Tandem/Rosemont Wine Bar, Oscar’s Jazz Brunch

| Posted in Events

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.