Congratulations are due to Grace and their architect Dean Bingham for winning the People’s Choice award from the American Institute of Architects’s Restaurant Design Awards competition.
Taste of the Nation Photos
PortlandTown has posted a beautiful set of photos from yesterday’s Taste of the Nation. The annual food tasting and auction raises money to fight hunger in Maine.
Photo Credit: Michael Barriault
Greek Festival
The Blueberry Files has published a report on her visit to the Portland Greek Food Festival.
It’s like Sophie’s Choice in there, deciding what to order. Fortunately, you can do like I did and just get one of most everything. With the Greek fest happening once a year, why pick?
This Week’s Events: Latte Competition, Rum Tasting, etc.
Tuesday — Blue is holding a wine and cheese tasting.
Wednesday — a rum tasting is taking place at The Salt Exchange, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.
Thursday — Bard Coffee is hosting a latte art competition for professional baristas and amateur coffee enthusiasts. Wine tastings are taking place at Browne Trading and the Brighton Ave Rosemont and chef Frank Giglio will teach a cooking class at the Public Market House.
Friday — the West End Deli is holding a wine tasting.
Saturday — the 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.
Photos of Zapoteca & Gingko Blue
PortlanTown has posted photos of Zapoteca and Gingko Blue which are just a couple short blocks away from each other on Fore Street.
Museum Cafe Now Open
The new Museum Cafe is opened on Thursday. This new iteration of the museum’s cafe is run by Aurora Provisions and is formerly styled the Museum Café by aurora provisions. You can see a detailed menu online.
Profile of Blue Mango
The Portland Phoenix has published a profile of Blue Mango makers of the near ubiquitous veggie burger.
Lallo didn’t set out to make veggie burgers; he isn’t even a vegetarian, but his eclectic clientele and lack of purchasable options forced his hand. “There wasn’t a veggie burger on the market that I liked — most of them were heinous — so I started throwing together my own recipe,” he says. The burger is made with seven ingredients: onions, black beans, bread crumbs, spinach, rice, and spices. Before he knew it, people were coming in asking for the veggie burger.
Zapoteca Opening Today
Zapoteca is set to open today at 4:30. They aim to be Portland’s answer for the intersection of Mexican food and fine dining. At last count they were planning on offering 80 tequilas at the bar.
I’m especially looking forward to trying the Ceviche Veracruzano which the menu describes as “Fresh, locally caught whitefish marinated in tangy lime juice with tomato, tomatillos, jalapeño, manzanilla olives & avacado. Fresh tortilla chips.”
According to the floor plan the restaurant will seat up to 80 people.
Review of The Porthole
The Golden Dish has published a review of The Porthole.
In daylight or dark, this little square wood-frame building looks like it’s on the verge of collapse. But that would be a shame because it’s a lovable old spot, offering a sense of place, pretty good food, and a welcome respite from otherwise precious dining alternatives elsewhere in the city.
Jan Mee Review, Taste of the Nation, Brewery Charitable Donations
The Press Herald has published a review of the buffet at Jan Mee.
I filled my plate twice, so clearly something made me happy. The only thing that held me back from visiting a third time was the thought of my trainer, calculating the number of planks, deep-knee thrusts and burpees I would have to do to work off another steaming plate of lo mein.
Today’s paper also includes a What Ales You column on the charitable donation programs set-up by local breweries, and an article about this weekend’s Taste of Nation fundraiser to fight hunger in Maine.