A group of 5 “seasoned and passionate artisan bakers” are launching a new bagel bakery in Portland called the Union Bagel Company. Their stated goal is “to bring traditional bagels to Portland, and to create a successful enterprise that is both supportive of and dependent upon a strong regional economy.”

They’ve launched a website, set-up a Facebook page and are now raising $7500 in start-up funds on KickStarter. If you’ve wanted to see the Portland bagelverse continue to expand then you might want to visit their fundraising page, watch the video and consider helping them out with a donation.

For this week’s episode, the Maine Culinary Podcast has published an interview with Tom and Shannon Bard from Zapoteca.

Wednesday — to kick-off Maine Restaurant Week the organizers have planned a cocktail and pastry competition at the Portland Harbor Hotel. Also taking place that night are a 4-course rabbit and Austrian wine dinner at Grace, a kimchi workshop at the Urban Farm Fermentory, and Pilot Beer Night at Sebago Brewing.

Thursday — the opening day of Maine Restaurant Week which runs March 1-10; see the MRW’s website for a full list of participating restaurants. As part of MRW the culinary team from Cinque Terre and Vignola will be offering a multi-course tasting menu at the Danforth Inn. Also on Thursday, The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beer from Redhook Brewery.

Friday — there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli and a bourbon tasting at The Salt Exchange, and the tasting menu at the Danforth Inn will be available for a second night. First Friday Art Walk is taking place and MRW week continues so restaurants will be packed so be sure to make your reservations soon.

Saturday — the Peaks Island Gastro Society is holding their March Dinner (6 courses including Pinot Noir braised Montana Antelope and a Terrine of Maine Goose & Oregon Truffles), there will be a sake tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, Wine Wise is holding a wine walk in the Old Port, it’s the final night of the tasting menu at the Danforth Inn, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Irish Heritage Center.

Sunday — Maine Restaurant Week continues.

All Month — Starting on Thursday and running throughout the month of March, Grace, Miyake, Pai Men Miyake and the Foreside Tavern in Falmouth will make a donation to fight hunger in Maine for every 3- or 7-course meal you order. “The idea that there are children in our state the are hungry is simply unacceptable to us. When we learned that each dollar raised connects a child with ten meals we knew we could make an impact right here in our own community.” said Anne Verrill, owner of Grace & The Foreside Tavern.

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.

The annual food issues of Maine and Down East magazines came out this week.

The March issue of Maine magazine includes:

• Joe Ricchio’s take on the state’s 6 best cookies (personally I’d add the sea salt chocolate chip at Aurora Provisions)
• An article on healthy eating
• A profile of forager Evan Strusinski
• A “cross-section of Maine’s most interesting chefs [and] the foods they really care about”
• Interviews with restaurant managers at 555, Francine Bistro and Zapoteca
• An article about Maine Maple Sunday
• A profile of Jarrod Spangler who works as a butcher at Rosemont
• A great cover photo of Steffi and Brian Davin, owners of Schulte & Herr

and in Down East you’ll find:

• An extensive guide to cheap eats across the state
• An article about Maine Maple Sunday with tasting notes from a dozen sugar houses
• An article about Moxie
• An article about the Maine eel fishery

Neither magazine has published their articles online yet (hint hint!) but the magazines should be available at your favorite local bookstore.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Blue Spoon.

For a main course I chose what’s known as chicken under a brick and my partner had the seafood stew. My last encounter with this preparation occurred recently at the uninspiring Macaroni Grill. Needless to say the two interpretations are worlds apart. Blue Spoon’s take reveals beautifully seasoned and extremely moist white and dark meat served over a mass of seared Brussels sprouts with addictively delicious caramelized fingerlings. But the real prize is the resounding bacon and mustard sauce that elevates this dish to a higher realm indeed.

SheWired has published an interview with Kate Squib. (via Edible Obsessions)

What’s your philosophy on food?
Like I said, I grew up in a large family where food was the center of everything. It kept our family close. Food brings people together, so why not make everything — from its preparation to its consumption — an enjoyable experience for everyone to share? And don’t let anyone ever tell you not to play with your food. That’s the best part! Play with your food. Learn what it’s capable of, and what you’re capable of.

Joe Ricchio has written a review of Harmon’s Lunch for Maine magazine’s blog.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that very few things satisfy the soul like a great burger, and Harmon’s Lunch has stood the test of time by consistently offering one of Maine’s best.

Who needs Happy Meal toys, anyway?

The Bring Food Trucks to Portland Facebook page is making the case for broadening the membership of the Food Truck Task Force.

This Task Force may be highly problematic; the members are almost all representative of interest groups who gain by maintaining the status quo. Contacting Councilor Ed Suslovic (edsuslovic@portlandmaine.gov) and suggesting other stakeholders (food bloggers, Buy Local, et al) be included would be helpful. Otherwise, the task force is likely to implement only a very limited vision of what food trucks might be in Portland and make it very difficult for a viable food truck operation to survive…

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Marcy’s.

The sausage at Marcy’s is a step up from the typical chewy diner links — you get something fatter, more tender, and less bluntly salty. The new owners have also upgraded the bacon, which is thicker and has a better mouthfeel. “Homefries” are really hashbrowns of the simple shredded potato variety — a big pile whose brief time on the grill imparts every possible potato texture — from soft and tender to hard and crisp. French toast is simply and nicely done, with a flavor more eggy than sweet. Either the French toast or big fluffy pancakes can be included with your egg breakfast to create a huge meal for less than seven bucks.

Today’s Press Herald reports on the opportunity for food carts to operate in city parks this Summer,

The city will accept bids through Tuesday. Dumais said there’s no minimum bid, although a $100 deposit is required. A license for a push cart costs $295 and the application fee is $35.

“We’re hopeful that someone will find a good spot and make a go of it,” Dumais said.

The openings are in Deering Oaks, Lincoln Park, Harbor View Park, Back Cove Trail, the Western Promenade and the Kiwanis Pool.

and an article on school kids learning about food preservation.

Children learned how pickling developed as a method of food preservation long before modern refrigeration, and how it still plays a role in keeping foods edible and tasty.

Kate McCarty, one of the master food preservers, explained how ship captains often served pickled foods, which are high in vitamin C, in part to keep passengers and crews from getting scurvy and dying on long trips across the Atlantic.

This week’s Forecaster includes a report on a Cultivating Community program that doubles the purchasing power of shoppers at the farmers market who use food stamps.

Washington was confused, until Czifrik explained that the market doubles the amount of any Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) spending up to $20. Hence, the pile of tokens that filled the plastic sandwich bag in Washington’s hands.

The Portland Daily Sun has published an interview with the owner of Matt’s Wood Roasted Coffee about the coffee shop he’s opening on Congress Street,

“We’ll be doing some interesting stuff with coffee, some different ways of brewing it. We have an interesting espresso machine,” he said.

“There will be a coffee lab in the back of this space, with a sample roaster, I’ll be doing some sample roasting on site,” Bolinder said.

and an article about the number of coffee shops in Portland.

Yet some worry that, like a second pot of coffee brewed from old grounds, the market may be weakening. Are customers facing too many choices without adequate demand?

“I’ve got seven on my block, and they never used to be here,” complained one proprietor about the sudden emergence of coffee shops in a small stretch of downtown Portland. “So everybody wants to be in the coffee business.”

Today’s Press Herald includes a profile of Jake Castonia,

Castonia decided to say good-bye to the standard American diet and instead fill his dinner plate with plants. At the same time he made the switch to vegan foods, he began exercising regularly.

At first, he could barely make it through 10 minutes on an elliptical machine. But he stuck with it, and by the time he could exercise for a full hour straight, he had shed 50 pounds.

an article about this year’s crop of Maine semi-finalists in the JBF awards competition,

Maine had an especially strong showing in the Best Chef: Northeast category. Maine chefs, remarkably, make up a third of that category, which bodes well for at least one of them making the list of finalists next month.

and an overview of Maine Restaurant Week.

The Forecaster has published a report on Portland’s new Food Truck Task Force.

“You’ll see it happen,” said Steve DiMillo Sr., a restaurateur who is concerned about the way the city regulates food trucks on two fronts:

Loosely regulated food trucks could set up near his DiMillo’s restaurant on the waterfront, bringing direct competition.

And DiMillo is also considering moving into the new market. “We’re talking about … a Dimillo’s mobile operation,” he said.

“It makes sense for a lot of us operators to diversify and open up other arms of our operations, especially because we could do a lot of the prep work in our kitchens,” DiMillo said.

Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Sonny’s.

Sonny’s turned out to be a great double-date night spot. The striking red brick walls are loaded with big, bold art, while the bold and colorful flavors were served up on bright white plates. The ambiance is superb, and the service is fantastic. This is an upscale establishment, but it doesn’t feel stuffy in the least. The wait staff is alternatively clad lending even more depth to the vibrant and eclectic atmosphere of the space. If you haven’t gone yet, GO! If you don’t like the food order another cocktail. If you don’t like the cocktails, you should probably just move out of the state.