This Week’s Events: Oxbowzakaya, Cocktail for a Cause

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – The 8th Annual Oxbowzakaya is taking place at Pai Men Miyake.

Wednesday – Evo is hosting Cocktail for a Cause as a benefit for the Animal Refuge League, and Luke’s is marking the opening of scallop season with a special “meet the fleet” scallop tasting event.

Thursday – Authors Margaret Hathaway and Karl Schatz will be speaking at the Jewish Community Alliance about their book The New Portland, Maine Chef’s Table.

Saturday – the Winter 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.

Review of Vena’s

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has reviewed Vena’s Fizz House.

Eventually, I pried my friend’s drink out of her hands and took a sip, at which point all I could think was “liquid Christmas!” It somehow managed to combine all the flavors in exactly the right amounts, resulting in being able to taste, first, one element, then another, then another, never forgetting that Santa had just delivered you a stocking full of tequila.

Jef Wright: New Chef at Sur Lie

| Posted in People

Sur Lie has hired Jef Wright as the restaurant’s new executive chef.

Wright is a Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy graduate. In 2019 he’s been the sous chef as part of the team assembled by Christian Hayes to launch The Garrison. Wright is originally from Florida and for several years he worked in Atlanta with chef Richard Blais, “focused on molecular gastronomy as a means to reimagine and refine traditional southern dishes.” Wright has also worked for a 2 Michelin star restaurant in New York, and worked in the Philadelphia.

According to the release,

His style is best described as heavily influenced by traditional French and Spanish cuisine with a love for upscale Southern always focusing on refined techniques…Jef is thrilled to be stepping back into the role of Executive Chef and leading the kitchen at Sur Lie. He looks forward to sharing his excitement and passion for delicious, sophisticated cuisine with Portland.

Wright will be taking over the position held by Emil Rivera since Sur Lie opened in 2014. You’ll recall word spread that Rivera was moving to a new roll back in October. The long notice has enable Rivera to be involved with the recruitment and interviewing of his replacement in conjunction with Sur Lie owners Tony and Krista Cole.

Wright takes over starting December 21st and the restaurant has indicated, “Sur Lie fans can expect to see his imprint on the menu becoming more clear as the new year progresses.”

Nielsen Joins Magnus on Water

| Posted in Under Construction, People

Magnus on Water (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) has announced they’ve hired chef Ryan Nielsen.

Nielsen has spent the last year working for chef Bowman Brown at Elda and prior to that was the executive sous chef at Armsby Abbey in Worcester, Mass.

Nielsen shared that he finds inspiration in Latin American cuisine but that we should also expect to see notes of Nordic and Japanese/Asian influences on the Magnus menu as well.

Magnus on Water is in the final stages of construction and is expected to open early next year.

Maine Street Steak & Oyster

| Posted in Under Construction

The owners of Yobo, Kim Lully and chef Sunny Chung, are working with Sarah Gabrielson and chef Tony Pastor to launch Maine Street Steak & Oyster (instagram).

The 38-seat restaurant will be located at 148 Main Street in Brunswick, and will serve “local steaks and a first class raw bar featuring Maine oysters and seafood” and is expected to open sometime in early January.

Neighborhood Market Coming to Veranda Street

| Posted in Under Construction

Jamie Brichetto has leased 46 Veranda Street, the long time home of Pizza Time and more recently a 2nd location of Union Bagel Company.

Brichetto is renovating the space where she plans to open Je’s Neighborhood Store. Je’s will serve prepared food, market staples and will have a dedicated candy section. Brichetto lives in the neighborhood and working to tune the offerings of the market to unmet needs of the community.

Brichetto hopes to open Je’s sometime in January.

This Week’s Events: Danilo Marcucci, Winter Farmers’ Market, Figgy DiBenedetto, Erin French

| Posted in Events

Wednesday – Old Port Wine Merchants is holding their Twelve Wines of Christmas Wine Tasting.

Friday – Italian natural winemaker Danilo Marcucci will be at Vinland for a 5-course wine dinner.

Saturday – the fist Winter Farmers’ Market of the season is taking place; the market is being held at 631 Stevens Ave, 9am – 1pm. Chef Figgy DiBenedetto will give a talk at the Print Bookstore.

Erin French – Erin French, chef/owner of The Lost Kitchen will be in Portland on December 18th on stage at Aura for a conversation with Chamber CEO Quincy Hentzel “about the journey of creating The Lost Kitchen, the many talented hands involved, and why we feel such a pull toward the lifestyle of genuine human connection that The Lost Kitchen provides.” Online Registration.

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.

Restaurant Bubble?

| Posted in General News

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram examines whether the Portland restaurant industry is a bubble about to burst.

“Portland was undergoing a little restaurant boom,” Guy Hernandez recalls, “and people were already saying that there were too many restaurants in the city.”

Things haven’t changed much in the past 13 years. Every year, it seems, locals have worried about a pending “restaurant bubble” that, when it bursts, will result in restaurants and bars furiously closing their doors like a stack of dominoes. This year was particularly troubling to city residents who saw a lot of favorites close – places like Silly’s, Lolita, Walter’s, Vignola Cinque Terre, Local Sprouts Cafe, the Irish pub Brian Boru and Andy’s Old Port Tavern. And yet, roughly twice as many other restaurants and bars have opened to take their place. This was the year we welcomed Flood’s, Gross Confection Bar, CBG, Other Side Diner, Royale Lunch Bar, Maiz, Bird & Co, two cider houses, a whiskey bar, a cocktail bar and several smaller eateries.

For a little historical perspective see this PFM post in 2010 about a 1977 Maine Times article. It’s so funny to think anyone would think Portland had reached a tipping in 1977. I suspect they’ll feel the same way about our 2019 concerns from the perspective of the mid 21st Century.