Nominations are now open for the 6th Annual Press Herald Source Awards. The awards recognize “Mainers’ most promising, innovative and successful efforts – large and small – to combat climate change, and to otherwise protect, sustain and conserve our beautiful state, its resources and waters”. Numerous food and agricultural businesses have been recognized in past years.
You can nominate a sustainable initiative you admire online now through March 1st.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes an article on how kids are doing more home cooking during the pandemic.
Kids and teens have taken advantage of pandemic downtime to turn up the heat on their passions for cooking, say parents, as well as local and national cooking instructors. Some have used time at home to expand their interest in baking, grilling or cooking in general, while others are learning their way around the kitchen for the first time. The process for kids can be educational, and more parents these days are looking for constructive things for children to do at home, since most only physically go to school a couple days a week. Learning to cook can be a form of entertainment – something to do besides video games or watching TV – and take a bit of pressure off parents who during the pandemic have had to make three meals a day for the whole family.
A new business opened Friday on the second floor of the Public Market House. Coco Cones (instagram) serves fried chicken in a waffle cone with a choice of three sauces: MJ Maple, garlic lemon, and smoky Coco. They also offer a falafel sandwich.
Owner Casey Jabrawi also owns and operates Paella Seafood on Forest Ave. Coco Cones is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm.
The Press Herald has published an update on this year’s edition of Maine Restaurant Week which is taking place March 1 – 12.
Instead of offering the traditional Restaurant Week three-course menus, Maine restaurants – many of which are struggling financially – have simply been asked to come up with something creative to offer diners. And in another nod to the pandemic, Restaurant Week specials will be available for curbside takeout as well as indoor and outdoor dining.
The 9 pm closing time implemented in Maine to curtail the spread of Covid-19 has been rolled back, reports the Press Herald.
Beginning Monday, businesses that had been subject to the requirement may resume evening operating hours while continuing to follow other public health and safety requirements. Mills pointed to Maine’s declining rate of positive tests and fewer cases per million people to support her decision.
A new food truck called The Pink Waffle (instagram) is now under development, and owner Roux Kehoe hopes to have renovations completed in time for a launch on March 1st.
This Sunday you can try out their waffle-centric menu at a Pink Waffle pop-up taking place at Figgy’s on Walker Street (10 am – 1 pm).
The pop-up menu features a variety of waffle breakfast sandwiches, a vegan waffle breakfast sandwich, and a build your own waffle option with a variety of sweet and savory toppings.
Kehoe is a 2009 graduate of the culinary program at SMCC, cooked in Colorado for several years, and since moving back to Maine has worked in catering and in restaurants and helped launched the kitchen at Candy’s when it opened on Portland Street.
Bissell Brothers has leased the kitchen adjacent to their Thompson’s Point brewery. The kitchen was formally occupied by Locally Sauced. They’ve posted a want ad for an executive chef position and are in the very early stages of planning out the new food service component of their business. Stay tuned for more details as their vision comes into focus.
The Portland Regency has launched the Iron Side Whiskey Bar. The new drinking venue is located in the lobby of the Old Port hotel.
Rover Bagel (website, instagram, facebook) has opened their new takeout bakery in Biddeford. Place an order online for pick-up at 10 West Point Lane (the same mill building as Night Moves Bakery).
Owners Kim and Alec Rutter the previous version of Rover on Elm Street from November 2017 until December 2019.
The Portland Phoenix checked in with five businesses about the new ventures, locations, investment and strategies they’re deploying in 2021.
Some other local restaurateurs are also moving forward with plans to open new businesses in the coming months, while others are changing their business models to better navigate the pandemic after a year that saw the U.S. lose more than 110,000 restaurants, according to a recent study by the National Restaurant Association.
The article features Bam Bam Bakery, Belleflower Brewing, Cale Louis/Eaux, Little Giant/Sugar Giant, and Fork Food Lab.