Category: Events

Press Herald food blog Maine a la Carte reports that Chef Tony Mantuano will be coming to Portland in July for a special wine dinner at Carmen at the Danforth. Mantuanu is the chef at Spiaggia in Chicago.

The critically-acclaimed Spiaggia has been called one of the best Italian restaurants in the country. It was nominated for “Outstanding Restaurant in America” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, 2007 and 2010. In 2005, Mantuano was named James Beard’s Best Chef: Midwest. Spiaggia is a favorite dining spot for the president and first lady, who celebrated Obama’s presidential election victory there in 2008. Oprah Winfrey has also been a frequent guest.

Portland restaurants cleaned up at last week’s Maine Hot Wing Cook-Off Challenge. The Great lost Bear won in the Hottest of the Hot category, the Asylum took the honors for the Best Traditional Wing Sauce, and Congress Bar & Grill won the People’s Choice Award.

The event was sponsored by Shipyard Brewing. It raised $2,800 for the Relay for Life.

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — esteemed wine importer Peter Weygandt is collaborating with Caiola’s on a 6-course wine dinner ($70pp, 772-1110), Miyake is holding a sake tasting, there will be a wine and cheese tasting at the Public Market House, and a wine tasting at Aurora Provisions, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing beer from Founders Brewing.

Saturday — Novare Res is holding the 2012 Smuttfest celebrating Smuttynose Brewing by offering 25 of their beers on tap, RSVP is having a Founders Brewing beer tasting and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Taste of the Nation — looking out a couple weeks, the Taste of the Nation fundraiser to fight hunger in Maine is taking place on June 24 on Great Diamond Island. Many of Portland’s best restaurants are participating. You can learn more and buy tickets online at Share Our Strength website.

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.

Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — the 1st Annual Maine Hot Wing Cook-Off Challenge is taking place, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from the Brooklyn Brewing.

Friday — Think Tank is screening the movie Blue Gold, and Novare Res will be showcasing beer from Greenflash Brewery.

Saturday — Wine Wise is leading a wine walk featuring trendsetting European Whites, there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont on Brighton, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — it’s the 39th Annual Old Port Festival.

Twilight Dinners — tickets are now on sale for Cultivating Community’s Twilight Dinners. The dinners have proved so popular that they’re now a weekly occurrence starting July 5.

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.

Wednesday — the 3rd Cloak & Dagger dinner is taking place, there will be a wine tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Bard Coffee is hosting this month’s Thursday Night Throwdown latte art competition, Bresca is holding a vegetarian wine dinner, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from the Tuckerman Brewing.

Friday — wine tastings are being held at Rosemont on Brighton and the West End Deli, The Salt Exchange is holding a Bourbon Tasting and it’s the First Friday Art Walk.

Saturday — there will a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — it’s Maine Lemonade Day.

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.

Tuesday — Sea Change Cooking is holding an olive oil tasting at the Woodlands Club in Falmouth.

Wednesday — Frog & Turtle is hosting a beer dinner and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — there will be a wine tastings at Rosemont on Brighton and at Browne Trading, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from the Sixpoint Brewery.

Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

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.

Tuesday — Local Sprouts is hosting the monthly Local Foods Networking Breakfast.

Wednesday — there will be a sake tasting at Old Port Wine Merchants, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — there will be a wine tasting at the Public Market House, and The Great Lost Bear is showcasing a selection of beers from Magic Hat Brewing.

Friday — there will be a beer tasting at the West End Deli

Saturday — the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — Po’Boys & Pickles are holding a Parking Lot Crawfish Boil.

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.

Monday — Speckled Ax, a new coffee shop from the folks at Matt’s Wood Roasted Coffee is scheduled to open this morning at 567 Congress Street.

Tuesday — both the East Ender and Vignola/Cinque Terre are hosting wine dinners.

Wednesday — there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.

Thursday — Gashsaroo is taking place at Novare Res, they’ll have 23 Allagash beers on tap. The Great Lost Bear is showcasing Shipyard’s new beer called Monkey Fist.

Saturday — it’s the opening day for the new Rabelais Books location in Biddeford, Rosemont is holding an event to showcase Spanish wine from C & P Wines (reservations required), Aurora Provisions is holding a tasting of cider, mead and kombucha from the Urban Farm Fermentory, Wine Wise is leading a wine walk in the Old Port, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — it’s Mother’s Day, one of the busiest restaurant days of the year. The Farmer’s Table and Wine Wise are collaborating on a Mother’s Day wine dinner.

Vinland Cooking Classes — the next session of chef David Levi cooking class series is scheduled to start on May 15. More information is available on the Vinland website.

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.

Instant Portland has posted a set of images captured last weekend at the first Saturday farmers market of the season.

So, it’s possible that I might have gushed mentioned that the first Saturday Farmer’s Market in Deering Oaks took place last Saturday, which to me is as much a hallmark of the start of summer as baseball opening day or the first robin of spring. The thing I love most about the market is how it inspires me: on Saturday I bought whole-wheat flour (grown and milled in Maine), super-fresh Mozzarella, a leek, some scallions, and some green eggs, and was inspired to make leek and bacon pizza (including using the mozzarella) and it was every bit as good as it sounds. I wonder what I’ll be inspired to make next weekend?

For additional reporting see The Golden Dish.