The annual CSA Fair is taking place today at locations across the state. The fair gives you a chance to meet farmers and compare various CSA options to find the one that’s right for you.
The Portland CSA Fair is taking place 1-4 pm, at Woodfords Church, 202 Woodford St.
Category: Events
Maine Restaurant Week News Coverage
The start of Maine Restaurant Week just a couple days and news coverage continues to be strong. Today there were a pair of articles in the Portland Daily Sun on the Bartenders Bash cocktail competition, and about the origins of MRW,
…the event is owned and operated by a private public relations company with deep connections into the high-profile eateries that made the promotion almost instantly credible when it launched last year.
and a piece in the Examiner which sets a list of 10 recommendations in verse. Here’s the first of 2 stanzas,
Bar Lola, Blue Spoon, or Brian Boru
That’s no Bull Feeney, we’re telling you true
Three courses of food – a bargain at that…
Five Fifty Five or the oddly named, Duckfat.
Unibroue Tasting
Appetite Portland has published a report on Thursday night’s Unibroue tasting at Novare Res.
Edition 2005, mahogany colored with a rich head of foam, was my favorite of the anniversaries. Paired with a Tuscan ham and blue cheese, the beer’s dark spice and cinnamon balanced the bite of the blue. Adam preferred the Unibroue 17, an intensely malty dark ale with mocha accents. We both loved the Seigreuriale — as did everyone else in the room. Its subtle notes of citrus and apricot tamed the salty salami and pungent New Hampshire landaff.
Latte Art Competition
Barista Brittany Feltovic was victor at Thursday night’s latte art competition at Bard Coffee. 14 amateur and professional baristas participated in the event. This month’s competition was a benefit for Haitian relief efforts. A rematch is scheduled for next month on March 25th.
Red Tide & Bartender Bash Reports
Today’s Press Herald has a report about scientific research on predicting the severity of red tide in the Gulf of Maine this summer.
Sea-floor sampling for the seed-like cysts of Alexandrium fundyense, the organism that causes red tide, shows a 60 percent increase compared with the substantial bloom of 2005, researchers with the Gulf of Maine toxicity project reported Wednesday.
Thursday’s paper also has an article about next week’s Bartender’s Bash, a cocktail competition that’s part of Maine Restaurant Week.
The rules are simple. Each participating mixologist was given two instructions: Use Cold River Vodka and adhere to the theme of ”Celebrating the Spirit of Maine.” Beyond that, the bartenders’ imagination is the only limit.
Maple Syrup, Breakfast Challenge and Vegetarian MRW
Today’s Press Herald includes an article about this year’s maple syrup season,
Warmer-than-normal days and cold nights are combining to create ideal conditions to get maple syrup season off to one of its earliest starts ever, said Keith Harris of Harris Farm in Dayton.
a piece about next week’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off,
The Porthole’s eggs Florentine, smothered in a smoky bacon cream sauce, will be the chefs’ entry into the Incredible Breakfast Cook-off March 5 at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in South Portland. Their version of the breakfast classic has “always been a hit” with customers, no matter where they worked, Cross said.
and a listing of all the vegetarian options to be found on the Maine Restaurant Week menus.
This Week’s Events
Monday — Stephen Lanzalotta is teaching a Piatto per Tutti cooking class, and chef Jennifer Flock from Browne Trading will be teaching a Sicilian cooking class sponsored by the Institute for Italian Studies; the Old Port Sea Grill is holding a showing of art work by restaurant workers.
Wednesday — Five Fifty-Five, Local 188 and David’s are teaming up on a multi-restaurant dinner for The Telling Room; The Salt Exchange is holding a beer and bacon themed dinner.
Thursday — there are wine tastings at Browne Trading, Leavitt & Sons and Black Cherry Provisions, as well as a pair of Unibroue VIP tasting sessions at Novare Res.
Friday — Cinque Terre is holding a Tuscan wine dinner.
Saturday — the indoor Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place, and Lou Ekus will be speaking at the Museum of Art on his working teaching media skills to celebrity chefs.
Sunday — the 2010 CSA Fair is taking place at many locations across the state including Woodfords Church in Portland; Sam Hayward from Fore Street will host a showing of the movie Mostly Martha at the Museum of Art.
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.
Winter Market Off to a Good Start
The new indoor Winter market got off to a good start yesterday. Attendance was strong and as you can see from the links below, Portland bloggers were also out in force:
- Commune Tested, City Approved – reportage on the last minute licensing snafus and photos of the event
- Portland Daily Photo – photos of the market
- Food for Thought – “Despite the best efforts of the City of Portland to thwart the Winter Market from happening, stronger forces prevailed and the Portland market began with great gusto.”
- LocalRootZ Project 2010 – an overview of the market and vendors as well as photos of the event and items purchased.
Winter Farmers' Market Opens Today
After jumping through some last minute hurdles, the new indoor Winter Farmers’ Market will debut today. The market is taking place at 85 Free Street from 10 to 1.
Chili & Chowder Challenge Results
Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes a report on the 16th Annual Chili & Chowder Challenge that took place over the weekend. According to the article, Fire & Ice, Fish & Chop House at the Marriott Hotel took home both the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice for Chill, Gilbert’s was the judge’s preference for chowder but the attendees preferred the chowder from Free Range Fish and Lobster. The article in the Sun focuses on the family back story behind Free Range’s lobster stew recipe.
Geoff Denley said his family had a hand in inventing the doughnut. More recently, the Denleys and business partner Joe Ray introduced a family recipe for a lobster stew that wowed crowds at the 16th annual Great Chili and Chowder Challenge in Portland.
Also in the Wednesday Sun is an article about the business challenges being faced by the owner of the Back Cove Deli on Ocean Ave.
Two weeks ago, Chris Dougherty’s financing fell through and the Back Cove deli owner was back at square one.