Alex Steed and friends are working on a documentary about craft brewing in Maine called Kind of Like Surfing. Film crews from KoLS and WCSH were filming Tuesday at Bunker Brewing. The piece for WCSH is expected to air on Sunday.
Month: August 2012
L’Espalier Dinner at Five Fifty-Five
Five Fifty-Five will be hosting Matthew Delisle, chef de cuisine from L’Espalier in Boston, for a special dinner on September 12. The 7-course meal with wine pairings is $150 per person.
Dalliances, Bread, Crystal Light
In today’s Portland Daily Sun columnist Natalie Ladd provides her insider’s view on what goes on behind the scenes and stories of customers behaving badly.
I also had to half-jokingly remind the guy to punch out when heading to the love nest, which he shared with the fuse box, some cleaning equipment, and the Christmas decorations. The restaurant community adopted, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, long before the military and there are hundreds of stories equally as amusing (and fundamentally as inappropriate) as this one, which always makes me smile.
Interview with Eli Cayer
The Bangor Daily News has published a text and video interview with Eli Cayer from the Urban Farm Fermentory.
The biggest-selling products UFF makes are its kombucha — a sweet but tangy tea fermented with bacteria and yeast, renowned for its properties for detoxification — and its hard cider, which is dry, tart and miles away from the sugary, mass-produced ciders you might find at the grocery store. There’s mead, too. Aside from the drinkable stuff, however, Cayer has a broad, ambitious vision for UFF.
Photo Credit: Bangor Daily News
Tandem Coffee Roasters Opening on Wednesday (UPDATED)
Tandem Coffee Roasters on Anderson Street in East Bayside is will open for business late Wednesday morning at 7 am.
Tandem is co-owned by Will and Kathleen Pratt. The Pratts and staff member Vien Dobui are all former employees at Blue Bottle Coffee, one of San Francisco’s leading coffee roasters.
For more on Tandem view their Tumblr, visit them on Facebook or read this article in Sprudge.
Zen Chinese Bistro Opening Today
Zen Chinese Bistro is opening today. Zen is in the location that was formerly occupied by District on Danforth Street.
This Week’s Events: Austrian Wine Dinner, Muddy Boots, Dinner of the Gods
Monday — Giffords, Hannaford, LL Bean and Oakhurst dairy are holding a “consumer event and press conference” to launch the sale of Gifford’s Muddy Bean Boots Ice Cream. The muddy boots flavor honors the 100-year anniversary of L.L. Bean.
Tuesday — Local Sprouts is hosting the monthly Local Foods Networking Breakfast, and it’s Growler Nite at Bunker Brewing.
Wednesday — the Cloak & Dagger is putting on a 21-course Dinner of the Gods, the Bier Cellar is holding a beer tasting featuring Lagunitas Brewing, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.
Thursday — Cultivating Community’s eighth Twilight Dinner of the summer is taking place at their farm in Cape Elizabeth (tickets available online), and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beer from Slumbrew and Nosh is showcasing beer from Lagunitas.
Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.
Sunday — The Well in Cape Elizabeth is holding an Austrian Wine Dinner.
Upcoming Events — registration for Kitchen & Cork’s pie and cupcake baking contest is now open, call 207-885-5727 to enter the contest. Tickets are now on sale for the Common Ground Fair taking place September 21-23 in Unity. There are only 13 seats left for the next Pocket Brunch. Food Day 2012 is taking place October 24, Maine Food Day coordinator Sharon Kitchens is asking that anyone interested in running a Food Day event contact her at kitchens.sharon@gmail.com.
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.
Under Construction: More on Chef Gould’s Upcoming Restaurant
Maine a la Carte has published an interview with chef Chris Gould about the small plate restaurant he’s planning on opening this Spring in Portland.
“It will be like tapas-style small plates, but it’s not going to be necessarily Spanish or French or Italian,” Gould said. “It will be kind of chef’s whim, and the menu will change every day, depending on what’s available, what’s fresh. And it will be anything from pastas to sashimi dishes, fresh oysters, all from Maine. I’m using a lot of local products, whether it’s veal and lamb in the spring or braised short ribs or beef cheeks in the winter. But all small plates, all good price points, anywhere between $5 and $20 – mostly right around $12 a dish.”
Flavors & More on Portland
Flavors & More magazine has published an article on their culinary adventures in Portland. The article mentions Local 188, J’s Oyster Bar, Standard Baking, Portland Lobster Company, Two Fat Cats, Eve’s, and The Lobster Shack.
At first glance, Portland, Maine reminds me of a mini Portland Oregon – very few chain restaurants, mostly sustainable kitchens, authentic bakeries and trendy cafes, coffee bars and serious burger joints. Locally-grown ingredients preferred. Guests sit at high tops and couches and almost everyone is sipping local craft beers, a pride factor in this area of Maine. And yes, the tradition of lobster joints is still abundant and a lesson in how to preserve an honored New England tradition of lunch on the pier.
Dining Highlights from the MST
In lieu of a restaurant review, in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram restaurant critic Nancy Heiser has decided to “highlight a few things that we’ve found particularly noteworthy around the state.”
The cannelloni at Caiola’s, the fried chicken at the East Ender, the “unfailingly gracious service” at Vignola/Cinque Terre, Back Bay Grill and the Sea Grass Bistro, the buttermilk panna cotta at Bresca, and the Red radishes sauteed in duck fat at Bar Lola were all called out in the article.