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A new business called Luna Shawarma and Falafel is now open on the second floor of the Public Market House in Monument Square.
Owner Eve Alrashidi and her team are serving a menu (see below) that includes shawarma (beef or chicken), falafel sandwiches, cheeseburgers, hummus plates, salads and hot dogs. Luna will be open daily 11 am to 8 pm.
Monday – an all-star line-up of female chefs from Maine are collaborating on a multi-course Fabulous Femmes dinner to benefit MOFGA and to highlight Maine women in farming. Chefs Ashleigh Shanti from Good Hot Fish in Ashville and Jordan Rubin from Mr. Tuna are collaborating on a 6-course dinner at Bar Futo. Little Brother is serving a pop-up dinner at Hunt & Alpine. Nina June is serving a (sold out) dinner at the Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
Wednesday – Peng’s Pizza Pies (website, instagram) is opening for business. See this article for more information on Peng’s.
Friday-Sunday – The Common Ground Country Fair is taking place in Unity.
Saturday – the Latino Food Festival is taking place.
Sunday – The Saltyard is holding a cocktail brunch at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
September 24-30 – Maine Lobster Week is taking place.
September 30 – Tender Table is holding their 3rd annual food and art fair in Congress Square Park, and Biddeford is holding an Oktoberfest celebration. The Maine Needham Festival is taking place in Wiscasset.
October 4 – MOFGA is holding an apple tasting at the Maine Heritage Orchard in Unity.
October 5 – Inside Wayside, a fundraising food event for the Wayside Food Programs is taking place.
October 7 – Oxbow is holding their annual Goods from the Woods event in Newcastle.
October 8 – Dandelion Spring Farms is holding a Harvest Dinner, and Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.
October 15 – Twelve is holding a Harvest Party. Tickets go on sale on September 15th.
October 20 – Evo is serving a dinner at the Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
October 25-28 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place.
November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
December 7 – Secret Supper is holding a (sold out) holiday dinner in the Portland area.
June 26 – Secret Supper (instagram) is holding a dinner in the Portland area.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a four star review of Papi.
The first thing you notice when you walk into Papi on Exchange Street is the sensational design of the space, which went from plain white box to ravishing tropical maximalist fantasy, with 42 seats and a craft cocktail menu designed by co-founder LyAnna Sanabria. It’s hard to go wrong with any of her beverage offerings, but if you want something boozy, the Sadie Pop is a tart, East Village-meets-Vieques winner…The true measure of the restaurant’s creativity, though, is the savory-sweet Manchego flan with oil-tossed green olives and a cracker crumb topping. It’s a modern, cocktail-friendly iteration of traditional Puerto Rican flavors. Come to think of it, that’s also a good way to describe Papi itself.
Monday – Little Pig (website, instagram) is transitioning from pop-up mode to being fully open Monday through Saturday, noon – 8 pm.
Tuesday – Little Brother and Smalls are collaborating on a pop-up dinner with a menu that includes Dan-dan Noodles (pork or vegan options), Chicken Spring Rolls, a summery Celery Salad (v), and Chili Crisp Sundaes.
Wednesday – it’s the Frying Dutchman’s last day in business.
Thursday – Absolem Cider in Winthrop will be hosting chef Justin Smillie for a pizza pop-up called Slow Fires. Absolem will be serving a special line-up of cider, cocktail, and wine for the night and the crew from Table Bar is DJing the event. Petite Jacqueline will be serving 7-course chef’s tasting menu.
Thursday-Saturday – The Kneading Conference and Maine Artisan Bread Fair will be taking place in Skowhegan.
Saturday – The Festival of Nations is taking place in Deering Oaks Park, and the East Bayside Block Party is taking place.
August 3-5 – the Wavy Days beer festival and associated events are taking place. The beer festival itself will feature beers from 55 breweries and take place on Thompson’s Point.
August 5/6 – Wild Blueberry Weekend is taking place—visit a wild blueberry farm is a county near you.
August 6/7 – Chef Amy Kayne from 2Gether is serving a pair of candlelight dinners on House Island in Casco Bay.
August 7 – Ramona’s will be hosting Liberty Kitchen (instagram) from Philadelphia for a BYOB pop-up dinner.
August 12/13 – The Saint Peter’s Italian Bazaar is taking place.
August 23 – An Outstanding in the Field dinner is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm with guest chef Neil Zabriskie from Regards.
August 25-27 – chefs Sam Hayward, Evan Mallett and others will be leading Take a Bite out of Appledore: An Eco-Culinary Island Retreat.
September 10 – the Maine Cheese Festival is taking place.
September 24 – The Saltyard is holding a cocktail brunch at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
September 30 – Tender Table is holding their 3rd annual food and art fair in Congress Square Park.
October 8 – Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.
November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
Portland city councilor and the former co-owner of the Little Woodford coffee shop, Andrew Zarro, has announced he’ll be running to become the mayor of Portland.
For additional reporting see articles in the Portland Phoenix, Press Herald, and Bangor Daily News.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Dok Mali.
…But this Thai comfort-food restaurant, a first Portland restaurant for long-time local Nonglack Thanephonesy, deserves attention mostly for the quality of its cooking, especially classic noodle dishes like Pad See Ew and a funky, Laotian-style Mali pad thai. Moreover, the restaurant’s more unexpected dishes are terrific, plates like grilled okra skewers, salmon “salad” with chili and watercress, and a Massaman short rib curry that tastes so French, it ought to take a 23andMe…
The Food & Dining section in today’s paper also includes articles about: Coletti’s Pizza Factory in Biddeford, efforts to address meat inspection capacity constraints, and the growing Maine seaweed industry.
Today’s Press Herald looks at the increasing interest and supply of low alcohol beers in Maine.
And customers are drinking it up, especially this month. Whether it’s to reset after a holiday season of overindulgence or a pause for the “sober curious” to explore their relationship with alcohol, Dry January has become a busy month for brewers and the stores that offer non-alcoholic options.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a 4½ star review of Cafe Louis.
The food: Exceptional. Chef/owner Evan Richardson, whose restaurant Eaux closed during the pandemic, moved across the bridge to South Portland, gutting the former RJ’s Pub and transforming it into a restaurant that deserves national attention. Nearly everything I ate on a recent visit was memorable, from mussels in coconut green curry and stewed yuca, to cheesecake-like rhubarb-rosewater flan, to an insanely inexpensive and insanely tasty cabbage salad topped with puffed wild rice and pineapple vinaigrette ($5).
Wednesday – Gulf of Maine Research Institute CEO Don Perkins will be sitting for a live interview with the Press Herald.
Friday – it’s the opening day of Fake Restaurant #2 at the Washington Baths. The month long pop-up will be “slinging traditional ((and not-so-traditional)) versions of Greek cuisine” on Fridays and Saturdays during the month of July.
July 5 – Terlingua is hosting Leroy and Lewis from Austin, Texas for a BBQ dinner.
July 14 – KitNA is holding a tasting event at their West Bayside location.
July 15-17 – the Yarmouth Clam Festival is taking place.
July 21 – Magnus on Water chef Ben Jackson will participating in the Outstanding in the Field series with a dinner at Glidden Point Oyster Farm in Edgecomb.
July 23 – Chaval chefs Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti will be participating in the Outstanding in the Field series with a dinner at Dandelion Spring Farm in Bowdoinham. The Wavy Days Beer Fest is taking place.
July 25 – 30 – the Kneading Conference is taking place.
August 13 – the 91st Annual Saint Peter’s Bazaar.
August 19 – 21 – the 2022 edition of the Maine Apple Camp is taking place.
September 3 – Tender Table is holding their 2nd Annual Food & Art Fair in Congress Square Park.
September 19 – 25 – Maine Lobster Week is taking place in Skowhegan.
September 23 – 25 – the Common Ground Fair is taking place in Unity.
October 9 – the Maine Cheese Guild is holding Maine Open Creamery Day.
Congratulations to Via Vecchia and Might & Main for their wins in the Hospitality Design Awards in the Visual Design category.