Scratch Baking has published photos (set 1 and set 2) of their intricate gingerbread rendition of the bakery in Willard Square.

The gingerbread house is currently on display in the lobby of the Downtown Residence Inn/Marriott on Fore Street. It’s an entry in a gingerbread house competition raising money for the Ronald McDonald House in Portland.

Photo Credit: Scratch Baking Co.

Portland was included on the Zagat blog’s list of 20 Awesome Winter Foodie Destinations (slide 18).

Rabelais and Tandem Coffee are co-hosting James and Caitlin Freeman, founders of Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco, to celebrate the release of their new book The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee, Growing, Roasting and Drinking, with Recipes. The event is taking place Sunday October 21, 1-3 pm at Tandem Coffee, 122 Anderson St in East Bayside.

Blue Bottle is one of the nations leading coffee roasters. Kathleen and Will Pratt, owners of Tandem, are alums of the Blue Bottle organization in San Francisco and Brooklyn. During the event you’ll have the chance to sample their coffee and tour their new coffee shop/roastery.

The Forecaster has published an article about Yarmouth’s new restaurant, Gather.

A new restaurant on Main Street hopes its commitment to regional farms and producers will have a lasting impact on the local food scene.

Gather, which opened in mid-September, is an 80-seat restaurant at the Route 1 Main Street exit. It has a focus on locally farmed food and community-centered, casual dining.

Natalie Ladd has written up some of the bad behaviors by restaurant patrons she’s witnessed in the past week for her weekly column in the Portland Daily Sun.

2) Camping Out. Most restaurants plan for one-and-a-half to two hours for a dinner reservation (more time is allotted if attending a meal consisting of many courses), and all are encouraged to relax and enjoy. However, once you’ve paid, finished your tawny port, and sat for a good fifteen minutes, hit the road if it appears other reservations have come in and are waiting. Move to the bar and finish your conversation because you are committing the double whammy of offending other patrons as well as hindering the profitability of the restaurant and servers.

Confirming what we in Portland have long known, OpenTable has included Bresca and Hugo’s in their 2012 national list of restaurants that are Fit for Foodies. The list is compiled based on ratings by diners who use the popular reservation service.

WMTW TV and the Forecaster covered the opening of Love Cupcakes in the Old Port yesterday.

Meanwhile, Love Cupcakes is preparing to celebrate its new location with menu additions, including coffee and a selection of fall-themed cupcake flavors. Spear said she is “optimistic” about the food truck’s future.

“Portland is such a great city,” she said, “and the addition of food trucks can only make it better.”

Margaret Hathaway and Karl Schatz were interviewed on 207 about their new book Portland Maine Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes From Casco Bay.

Margaret and Karl are holding a launch party for their book Wednesday at the Portland Museum of Art. The launch party will feature food from Back Bay Grill, Silly’s, Otto, the East Ender and The Farmer’s Table which were showcased in the book.

The UFF has recently leased a 5,000 square foot space adjacent to their operation on Anderson Street. Some of the the new space will be used for the UFF to expand but there’s also expanding the Bayside food ecosystem by subleasing out sections to other food producers. According to a note on their Facebook wall a cheesemaker is already on board and they’re seeking out other partners.

Today’s Press Herald includes a bar review of Rivalries.

Rivalries is hands-down a sports pub, but with flare. With black tables and chairs contrasted with light walls and exposed beams upstairs, the pub’s decor makes a nice place to gather and watch a game.

Also in today’s paper is an article on lobster pricing and the latest installment of the What Ales You column.

According to a report on Maine a la Carte, the owner of MDI Ice Cream will be appearing on ABC TV show The View on Tuesday.

Some additional info on Kushiya Benkay, the new Japanese restaurant under construction in Longfellow Square, has surfaced in documents filed with the Portland City Council.

As the name seemed suggest, Kushiya is indeed a sibling of Benkay on India Street. The draft menu (page 40) supplied with the liquor license application is available online. It includes a full traditional sushi menu as well as a list of Yakitori options.

Owner Hyon Kim is planning on an opening date in July.

Sebastian’s is now open. The restaurant is located at 345 Fore Street across the street from Rosie’s in Boothby Square.

Natalie Ladd’s weekly column in the Portland Daily Sun explores the “on-going debate of charging the customer for splitting an entree, plate charges for people who want to bring their own cake or dessert, and wicked long fingernails on servers.”

Today’s Press Herald includes a review of China Taste,

The bottom line: If you’re looking for a place you can run into and grab some quick, American-style Chinese takeout for dinner — and you’re not too fussy — China Taste will suit your needs just fine.

a bar review of Empire Dine and Dance,

There’s something about Empire that I just find relaxing. The broad wooden tables, art on the walls with some connection to music, dim lighting and dark color scheme just put you in a laid-back mood.

and the latest installment of the What Ales You column.