Urban Eye has posted an update on the new El Rayo under construction on Free Street.
A former stationary shop on Free Street is getting the El Rayo touch. By the end of July, tacos and tequila replace pens and paper at El Rayo’s new Portland taqueria in the heart of the city.
Down East magazine has published their Best of Maine issue. Editors choice food and drink selections include Palace Diner (best diner), Maine & Loire (best wine shop), Thomas Malz from Custom Deluxe in Biddeford (best new chef), East Ender (best brunch) and Allagash (best brewery).
There are a number of Portland area favorites in the reader’s choice list as well: Maine Craft Distilling, Novare Res, Allagash, Coffee by Design, The Holy Donut, Amato’s, Otto Pizza, Harbor Fish Market, RSVP and Gelato Fiasco.
The article isn’t available yet online.
Tuesday — chef Fred Eliot is serving a 6-course French dinner at The Honey Paw, Local Sprouts is hosting the monthly local foods networking breakfast; a session at this week’s Maine Start Up & Create Week conference is focused on preventing food waste.
Wednesday — the Old Port Wine Merchants are holding a wine tasting, and the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Thursday — it’s the first day of the Greek Heritage Festival.
Friday — it’s the second day of the Greek Heritage Festival.
Saturday — the 2016 Craft Brew Race is taking place, as is the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market, and it’s the last day of the Greek Heritage Festival.
Sunday — Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti are the featured chefs at the first Cultivating Community Twilight Dinner of the season, and the weekly Crofters & Artisan 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.
The Maine Sunday Telegram and Portland Magazine have published reviews of Scales.
…Cocktails, especially the dry and slightly savory Maine Wharf, and the sweet, effervescent Jewell Island ($10) are first-rate and a fine way to start your meal, especially if you order hot appetizers like the cracker-crusted whole belly clams or a cup of the lobster bisque (both wonderful). When you’re ready to order main dishes, don’t be put off by the sometimes baffling team service concept in the restaurant; ask anyone, they are all your servers. Stick to entrees like roasted lobster, served with an oniony cornbread muffin and cole slaw, or the classic shellfish stew. Steer clear of the scallops with sausage, and definitely don’t waste 4 bucks on two stingy (and subpar) Parker House rolls. But do order dessert, like a slice of the chiffon cake, dusted with strawberry milk and plated vertically next to a scoop of ice cream and a pool of crème anglaise. [MST]
The new Petite Jacqueline is now open at 46 Market Street.
Owners Steve and Michelle Corry closed the original location in Longfellow Square and have merged Petite Jacqueline and Portland Patisserie into a single location in the Old Port.
Tiqa Cafe, located in the “castle” in Deering Oaks Park, is now open. Tiqa’s owner’s, Deen Haleem and Carol Mitchell have renovated the space and built a deck adjacent to the building. They plan to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner year round.
Pierre’s of Exchange has moved out of 104 Exchange Street and demolition of the space has begun. The building permit confirms this is the future home of the Portland Meatball Company.
The LemonCycle(twitter, facebook) bicycle powered food cart launched this past weekend.
The business was funded in part by a $2,500 Kickstarter campaign last summer.
For their new episode Great Beer Adventure interviewed Vena’s co-owner Steve Corman on his personal journey to be becoming a bartender and about beer cocktails.
As we explore beer cocktails, we learn (yet again) that we should be willing to take more risks in our beer drinking. Steve Corman of Vena’s Fizz House joins us to teach us a thing or two about adding booze to our beer. (Really it’s all about the bitters.)
Chefs Damian Sansonetti and Ilma Lopez have applied for a liquor license for Caiola’s. The couple are in the final stages of purchasing Caiola’s from owners Abby Harmon and Lisa Vaccaro.
Harmon and Vaccaro opened Caiola’s nearly 11 years ago. They’re immediate plans after the sale call for some much deserved time off.
Lopez and Sansonetti are co-owners of Piccolo. They don’t plan to make any dramatic changes to Caiola’s on taking over.
For additional information, read this article from the Press Herald.