Two Maine Beard House Dinners

| Posted in Events

Two more Maine dinners at the James Beard House in NYC have been scheduled:

  • April 3 – Maine Power Couples
    Chris and Paige Gould from Central Provisions and Tipo, Damian Sansonetti and Ilma Lopez from Piccolo and Chaval, Danielle and Justin Walker from Walkers Maine
  • April 5 – Maine Escape
    Andrew Chadwick from the Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth

Chef Emil Rivera is already on the Beard House calendar for a dinner taking place on March 24th.

This Week’s Events: American Unagi, Drifters Wife, Proper Cup, Kombucha Workshop, Pasta with Paolo

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – the Other Side Deli on Veranda Street is holding a wine tasting focusing on budget wines, 5-7pm.

Thursday – American Unagi founder Sara Rademaker will be giving a lecture at GMRI, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing Good Fire Brewing.

Friday – It’s the opening night for the new Drifters Wife (online reservations) at 59 Washington Ave, there will be a beer and cheese tasting at Foundation Brewing and a Jack’s Abby tap takeover at Slab.

Saturday – It’s the opening day for The Proper Cup (website, facebook, instagram) coffee shop at 500 Forest Ave, Higher Grounds is teaching a kombucha workshop, LeRoux is holding a wine tasting, and the 2nd dinner of the Oakleaf series is taking place.

Pasta with Paolo – Solo Italiano chef Paolo Laboa is kicking off a monthly pasta making class starting February 26th. The class will “teach the ins and outs of making a various styles of pasta, as well as its history, before you create two portions of one style yourself. At 5pm, the first portion, plated and served by Paolo himself, will be enjoyed alongside a uniquely paired glass of wine in the shared company of your classmates. The second portion will be yours to take home for your own attempt at re-creation or experimentation.”

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.

Public Market House

| Posted in Under Construction

The number and diversity of vendors operating in the Public Market House has expanded significantly since they opened. It’s now home to Ameera Bread, Big Sky, Bow Street, Crepe Cafe, Daily Greens, Kamasouptra, Maiz, Pho Co, Sticky Sweet.

The mix and layout is set to change again. Bow Street is soon to move out to their new building at 495 Forest Ave and Cafe Crepe is making room downstairs for Maine Squeeze to move from the second floor. Those changes will free up two spots in the Market for new vendors.

Reviews: Benkay, Tuscan Table

| Posted in Reviews

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Benkay, and

Despite the solid food and strong menu, Benkay now has a totally different aura specifically because the inside is much more upscale. It looks beautiful and feels very comfortable because of that. It’s not hard to imagine sitting at either bar and spending some time ordering lots of sushi or maybe a sampling of libations. It would be difficult not to have an enjoyable stay, especially if you want like to sprawl out in a place with some class.

the Press Herald has reviewed Tuscan Table.

If you can get over the idea of coming to the Mall for an incredible bar and dining experience (and really, you should get over that), Tuscan Table will be an amazing night out. The food extended beyond typical Italian fare, and the drinks are cleverly designed and expertly mixed. You will not regret your choice to drink or dine at this beautiful establishment.

PPPE has also posted a report on the new bar menu at Emilitsa.

Stella Hernandez on Wine

| Posted in Wine

Wine & Spirits checked in with Stella Hernandez at Lolita about how some of the selections on her wine list.

Stella Hernandez and her husband were working as architects until 12 years ago, when they left St. Louis for, Maine. Despite the fact that they barely had enough experience to get insurance and the city’s restaurant scene hadn’t exploded yet, they opened a small restaurant, Bar Lola. “It was like the wild west,” says Hernandez. Four years ago, they closed Lola to open Lolita, an even smaller place with the kitchen, wine and ingredients on display. Just one block from their original spot, the duo have been introducing Portlandians to bottles from both hemispheres.

Beer Releases from Bissell and Oxbow

| Posted in Events, Beer

Two new beer releases are taking place this Saturday:

  • Bissell Brothers is releasing Preserve & Protect, “a 7.8% IPA built off the blueprint of our 4th-anniversary one-off. This beer gives us a chance to utilize the pineapple flavors of Denali on a larger base, with background support from Citra and Vic Secret. The label features an illustration by Heidi Geist featuring our father, recently retired as director of Baxter State Park”.
  • Oxbow is releasing Blacklight, “a 6% European hopped dark Farmhouse Ale brewed with oats and midnight wheat, called Blacklight”

Valley Chinese Closed

| Posted in Closings

WCYY has reported that Valley Chinese Cuisine on Forest Ave has gone out of business.

This will come as some fairly shocking news for lovers of the Chinese food favorite. So why is it closing? Well, sources tell us, the owners just want to retire. For those that frequent the establishment, they know it has been a family owned and operated restaurant. You could pop in for lunch or dinner at any hour and see the same faces behind the counter. The long hours and strenuous seven-days-a-week schedule led the owners to decide that it’s time to move on.