Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a four star review of Dara Bistro in Cumberland.
…Dara Bistro is a cozy, under-the-radar treasure in Cumberland. Chef/owner Bryan Dame has been preparing buzzworthy breakfasts, brunches and lunches in the space since 2017, but it wasn’t until last summer that he began serving a dinner menu inspired by New England, European bistro cooking and Southern food. The combo works delightfully…Absolutely worth a drive.
The Press Herald has a report on the Seagriculture Conference that took place in Portland this week.
Johnson was among 300 attendees at “Seagriculture,” the second annual International Seaweed Conference USA, held this week at the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel. The two-day event featured presentations by global leaders in seaweed innovation exploring its production and various uses, including food, bioplastics, medicine and sustainable economic development.
Here’s a link to the program for the conference.
Here are some recent food and dining highlights from around the state:
StarChefs has released their list of Rising Stars in the Costal New England region.
In New England, cold, snowed-in nights turn into long, sunny beach days. In our over 100 editorial visits across Rhode Island, Maine, and the Massachusetts Islands, we found a group of industry professionals defying the odds of seasonality, embracing the unique challenges of an economy that burns hotter than the summer sun, and understanding how to keep themselves and their teams stimulated and engaged in the winter months. There is a serious focus on agriculture, aquaculture, as well as innovations in showcasing what is fished and farmed locally. From the Narragansett to the Casco, StarChefs is proud to welcome in our newest class of Rising Stars.
A number of Portland area chefs, restaurateurs and bartenders are on the list. Congratulations to all the honorees:
Read more about the Rising Star Awards Program on the starchefs.com website.
Mainebiz has published an interview with Sarah and Karl Sutton, the owners of Bite Into Maine.
MB: How did you finance your startup costs?
Karl Sutton: In 2011, after yet another failed loan application, the loan officer looked at me and suggested we seek out the three F’s for financing. The three F’s? I hadn’t heard of this. He explained: Friends, Family and Fools. It was pretty clear we had to figure it out on our own. After maxing out our credit cards, liquidating 401ks and borrowing $4,000 from Sarah’s father, we were up and kinda running.
Hardshore Distilling (website, facebook, instagram) is launching a line of bourbons under the brand name Shorebird Whiskey.
The initial line-up of three whiskeys are a 4-year old Small Batch, a 5-year old Single Barrel, and a 6-year old Master Distiller’s Series Bourbon. Harshore began the production of the bourbons not long after the distillery launched in 2016. They’re now available for pre-order for release in the second half of October.
Additionally, Hardshore has been building out an enlarged tasting room at their location on Washington Ave. Their updated construction schedule has the new seating area to open to the public in mid-September.
The Press Herald has published an update on Petite Jacqueline.
See last week’s announcement from the Corry’s for further information.