Category: Events

Monday — The 3rd Annual Maine Restaurant Week continues through the rest of the week.

Tuesday — WMPG is hosting the 16th Annual Fat Tuesday Cajun Cookin’ Challenge; last year’s competition resulted in a tie between Silly’s and Bayou Kitchen. Old Port Wine Merchants is holding a (wine tasting and) Etouffee-Off between OPWM owner Jacques de Villier and Doug Watts from SoPo Wine. Here’s the latest from the OPWM Facebook wall, “Make sure you come by and watch the debacle as Doug from SoPO learns that like his ponytail his Ettouffe is old and long gone and while talk is cheap it takes money to buy land and he’s broke.”

Wednesday — there will be a wine tasting at RSVP.

Thursday — The 6th Annual Slow Food Portland Writers Night is taking place at SPACE Gallery. Speakers include Melissa Coleman, author of This Life Is In Your Hands, One Dream, Sixty Acres and a Family Undone; John Mariani, author of How Italian Food Conquered the World; and Manny Howard, author of My Empire of Dirt. There will be a cupcake baking demonstration at LeRoux Kitchen and Th Great Lost Bear is showcasing beers from Victory Brewing.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Irish Heritage Center.

WSET Wine Class — The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, will be offering their Intermediate Level 2 certificate class in Portland March 26-27. The class is being taught by Adam Chase from Grape Experience. The program is aimed at anyone “who works in wine, wants a career in the wine industry or has a serious interest in the subject”. See the WSET website for a more detailed explanation of what the course covers. For more information contact Adam Chase at adam@grapeexperience.com or Marc Doiron the bar manager at Street & Co.

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.

Nosh beat out 158 Pickett Street Cafe, District, Duckfat, East Ender, El Rayo, Havana South, Sonny’s, and The Cheese Iron to win the Cuban Sandwich Smackdown held Sunday afternoon. This is the first of what Cheese Iron co-owner and Smackdown organizer Vincent Maniaci (shown above) hopes to be a regular monthly event. Next month the Smackdown participants will convene at Nosh to determine who can gets to take home the trophy for the best Taco.

The Good Table won Maine Restaurant Week’s The Incredible Breakfast Cook-off for the second year in a row with their entry of Creme Brulee French Toast. PortlandTown was there taking photos (including the one you see above), and the Press Herald has posted a short video as part of their coverage of the event.

Photo Credit: Michael Barriault

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, will be offering their Intermediate Level 2 certificate class in Portland March 26-27. The class is being taught by Adam Chase from Grape Experience. The program is aimed at anyone “who works in wine, wants a career in the wine industry or has a serious interest in the subject”. See the WSET website for a more detailed explanation of what the course covers.

For more information contact Adam Chase at adam@grapeexperience.com or Marc Doiron the bar manager at Street & Co.

The Food & Wine section in today’s Press Herald features an article about Maine Restaurant Week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off. The event is taking place Friday morning in South Portland. Tickets are available online.

Last year’s cook-off sold out, and some folks drove from a couple of hours away just to sample dishes such as the Creme Brulee French Toast from The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth. The “bring you to your knees delicious” French toast, smothered in fruit, took top honors and will be back this year to defend its title.

Monday — two competing cocktail events are taking place: the 2nd Annual Cold River Bartenders Bash and Maine Restaurant Week’s The Signature Event. Tickets for both events are still available and if you time it just right you can make it to both events.

Tuesday — The 3rd Annual Maine Restaurant Week starts today. Visit the MRW website for a complete list of participating restaurants and the MRW menus they are offering. Also on Tuesday,  Cheryl Lewis, the chef at El Rayo, is teaching a Latin cooking class at Stonewall Kitchen.

Wednesday — Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class and Grace is holding their monthly wine club.

Thursday — Rabelais and Grace are co-sponsoring a book signing and wine dinner with Gabrielle Hamilton the author of Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef. Hamilton is the award-winning chef/owner of Prune restaurant in NYC. Also on Thursday, The Great Lost Bear will showcase the beer from Baxter Brewing in Lewiston.

Friday — Maine Restaurant Week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off is taking place at Sea Dog Brewing in South Portland, there will be a wine tasting at the West End Deli, all 25 taps at Novare Res will be dedicated to pouring beer from Marshall Wharf Brewing in Belfast and First Friday Art Walk is taking place.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place, there will be a wine tasting at LeRoux Kitchen and Wine Wise is teaching a class on Aromatic White Wines of Europe.

Sunday — the annual CSA Fair is taking place at locations across the state including Woodford Church on Woodford Street. This is your chance to meet the farmers in person and sign-up for a CSA.

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 — the Urban Farm Fermentory is offering a class on growing mushrooms and there will be a wine & cheese tasting at Blue.

Wednesday — Wine Wise is teaching a Wine 101 class.

Thursday — an Asian Seafood cooking class is taking place at Stonewall Kitchen, the Sea Glass restaurant is holding an Argentine wine dinner and Bard is hosting a Latte Art Throwdown for baristas and coffee enthusiasts.

Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — the annual CSA Fair is taking place at locations across the state including Woodford Church on Woodford Street. This is your chance to meet the farmers in person and sign-up for a CSA.

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.

Valentine’s Day — Many restaurants that would usually be closed on Monday are staying open tonight. If you’re still stumped on where to go read through all the advice from the Portland food blogging community. Also several have announced special menus for tonight:

• Bar Lola — 5-course dinner, $45 per person.
• Bresca — 3-course dessert menu for $18 per person
• David’s — 5-course dinner
• East Ender — 4-course dinner, $30 per person.
• Five Fifty-Five — 4-course dinner, $75 per person or a 3-course menu at the bar for $60 per person
• Grace — 7-course dinner
• Havana South — 4-course dinner, $49 per person
• Miyake — 3-course dinner for $38 per person, 5 courses for $50, or 7 courses for $75
• Novare Res — beer and chocolate pairing menu.
• Season’s Grille — 4-course dinner, $55 per couple
• The Frog and Turtle — 3-course dinner, $40 per person
• The Inn on Peaks Island — 3-course dinner, $55 per couple
• The Salt Exchange — serving a special Valentine’s Day menu
• Vignola — 4-course dinner, $44 per person

Wednesday — Bresca is holding a sparkling wine dinner, Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class, Havana South is hosting their monthly wine club event and Sebago Brewing’s Full Moon Cask Beer Night is taking place at their brew pub in Scarborough.

Thursday — Black Tie is holding a wine tasting and Sunday River Brewing is the focus of the weekly beer showcase at The Great Lost Bear.

Saturday — a series of chef-led cooking demonstrations are on the schedule for the Maine Home, Remodeling and Garden Show, and the Winter Farmers Market is taking place.

Sunday — the next 20/20 wine charity event is being held at the East Ender, mushroom expert and author David Spahr will be giving delivering a lecture at the Urban Farm Fermentory, and the 2nd day of chef-led cooking demonstrations are on the schedule are taking place at the Maine Home, Remodeling and Garden Show.

JBF Semi-Finalists — If the past few years are any guide then this is the week that the James Beard Foundation will announce the semi-finalist nominees for this year’s JBF Awards. I’ll post info on any Maine semi-finalists once they’re announced.

Maine Foodie Tours — Maine Foodie Tours continues to operate their Old Port culinary walking tour each Saturday during the Winter months.

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.

Bob Harkins of Maine Distilleries and Joe Ricchio appeared on the Fox morning show yesterday to talk about the Cold River Bartender’s Bash.