The Portland Phoenix has kicked-off their 2012 Best of Portland readership poll.  The Phoenix readership poll is a 2 step process:

• Step 1 which just started, nominate candidates you think are an especially good fit in any or all of the categories
• Step 2, next month the Phoenix will publish a ballot summarizing the top nominees from each category for us to vote on

There are a plethora of food and drink categories (Bagels, Bars, Barbecue, Beer Selection, Brewpubs, Brunch, etc) to make nominations in there’s even one for food blogs. A list of the 2011 winners is available online as a reference.

If the 2012 polls follows the same schedule as past years then the final results will be made public in April at a live event at the Port City Music Hall.

Monday — the Portland Pie Council is hosting the 3rd Annual Portland Pie and Art Gala in celebration of National Pie Day. The Pie Council has also just issued the Official Portland Pie Council 2012 Cookbook. Erin Lynch, kitchen manager at Rosemont, and Ned Swain from Devenish Wines will be on Good Day Maine (Chanel 13 WGME) to talk about National Pie Day.

Wednesday — Wine Wise the Chadwick Bed & Breakfast are collaborating on a Pork and Pinot Noir wine dinner.

Thursday — it’s the first night of the Ice Bar at the Portland Harbor Hotel, Bard is hosting the monthly latte art competition, the Urban Farm Fermentory is teaching a Kombucha workshop, there will be wine tastings the Public Market House and at Browne Trading and the 13th Annual Brewpub Cup is taking place at The Great Lost Bear.

Friday — farmers from around the state will be convening in Freeport for the annual Maine Farmers Market Convention, there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton, and it’s the second night of the Ice Bar at the Portland Harbor Hotel.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is being held, the Maine Farmers Market Convention continues in Freeport, and it’s the last night of the Ice Bar at the Portland Harbor Hotel

Sunday — Julie and Julia is on the schedule for movie night at Petite Jacqueline and the Urban Farm Fermentory is teaching a kimchi workshop.

Vinland Cooking Classes — Chef David Levi will be offering a pair of classes that focus on “cooking and preparing food as an expression of place and season in Maine”. The classes are taking place January 31 and February 1. More information is available on the Vinland website.

Valentine’s Day — memories of New Year’s Eve are just fading and it’s already time to start making plans for Valentine’s Day. Here are the first few V Day options I’ve heard of. Post a comment with if there re any others I should add to the list.

• Bar Lola, $45, 5-course dinner with optional wine pairings
• Peaks Island Gastro Society, $100 6-course prix fixe with wine pairings on Saturday February 11
• Petite Jacqueline, $65 4-course dinner with optional wine pairings
• The Salt Exchange has posted their Valentine’s Day menu

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.

BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe received 3 stars from today’s review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Service was acceptable and unerring, and the atmosphere quiet during our stay. While the food here may not blow your mind with creativity and flamboyance, Bibo’s (pronounced Bee-bo’s) is primed to get you to the show on time.

The restaurant also offers a leisurely and satisfying dining option in Portland’s arts district. And it’s a good spot for post-theater dessert and coffee.

The Official Portland Pie Council 2012 Cookbook is now on sale. The cookbook includes pie recipes, pie poetry, pie history and more. Profits from the cookbook will be donated to the Preble Street Resource Center.

You can also pick up a copy of the cookbook at the 3rd Annual Pie Gala taking place at the Mayo Street Art Center on Monday.

Gelato Fiasco’s new Portland location opened yesterday.

MPBN aired a piece earlier this week on a report from the Muskie School about food insecurity in Maine.

One of the findings from the research that stands out is about food insecurity, which refers to households that don’t always know where their next meal is coming from. The report found that Maine is the most food-insecure state in New England, and the ninth most food insecure state in the nation.

Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Blue Spoon.

Overall, this is a great little lunch spot. It’s a little more expensive than your usual sandwich joint, but the quality is far superior, so higher prices are to be expected. So, pop in sometime you are up on Munjoy Hill for a nice sit down lunch. After all, you’re probably getting sick of getting Colucci’s sandwiches all the time anyway.

Vin et Grub has published a review of Cinque Terre.

Having been quite disappointed with the entrees, I hoped dessert would be considerably better– as my own philosophy regards dessert as the pinnacle of every meal, I tend to have quite high expectations.  And they were met.  I ordered the banana date cake, and oh my god, it did not disappoint.  The flavor affinity of banana, caramel, and rum always appease my taste buds.  The cake, which had a nice like marscapone vanilla bean frosting, was light and airy.  The flavor of banana, in the cake, and then paralleled with the caramelized bananas on the side, was very present, thus I was a happy camper.  I was glad that Cinque Terre was able to end the meal on a good note…

Serious Eats has published a review of Schulte & Herr.

The carbs were equally good. Potato pancakes are light—almost souffleéd inside—with a crisp crust. A basic order ($5) comes with thimbles of sour cream and, thanks to being cooked with the skins, rose-colored housemade applesauce. Better yet, upgrade to the entrée-worthy version ($9) with wide ribbons of silky house-cured gravlax, capers, cornichons, julienned radish, and more of that tasty horseradish cream.

The Maine magazine blog has published a review of Sabor Latino.

… I will definitely return in hopes of sampling the variety of soups (only served on weekends), the chicharron, tongue tacos, and of course, the Cuban element. This is a small, family run establishment that, in its first week of being operational, is a welcome addition to the Latin American food scene here in Portland.

Vrai-lean-uh has published a review of RSVP.

…Inside, however, they have a really good selection of products (including local beers and hard ciders) and a completely wonderful and adorable saleswoman who has taken my ridiculous questions and given thoughtful recommendations.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Ruski’s.

Dinner at this neighborhood bar was quick, easy and inexpensive, and I’ll be sure to try their breakfasts, which get high marks from regulars. But what I’m looking forward to on my next visit is to order my very own burger, especially if it does turn out to be the best in town.

Instant Portland has published a review of Port Bean on Commercial Street.

My first surprise was how large, sunny, and comfortable the space was. With free Wifi, their seating area is designed for either a quick bite or a longer work session. (They even have high chairs!) The high ceilings, white walls, and coastal art makes the space feel a bit like a gallery rather than a coffee shop.

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Little Seoul.

The durp-bop, which sounds a bit like a K-pop phenom, lacks the colors of its cousin bi bim bop, with soft egg mingled with multigrain rice, onion, and pieces of chicken. Spotted throughout were interesting little sesame seeds that were dense and chewy. Its many interesting textures benefited from a dollop of thick, hot red chili sauce.

Both Novare Res and The Great Lost Bear have made it on to Draft magazine’s 2012 list of America’s Best Beer Bars.