A new eatery named Red Sea Restaurant is under construction at 30 Washington Ave in the space that had been occupied by Safari. According to a sign in the window they hope to open soon, perhaps by the end of March.
Q&A with Jason Loring
Knack Factory has posted a Q&A with Nosh co-owner Jason Loring.
What appeals to you about the industry now that you own your own places.
I think I am growing out of cooking and I like building businesses. That’s what I want to do. Sometimes I feel guilty about it because cooking… those are my roots. It’s what I did for so long. You’re there on Friday nights and you’re sweating behind the line. Now I sometimes feel like maybe I am not doing something [when I am not doing that], or like I should be doing something more.
This is the second interview in a series. The first was with Amber Dorcus who works at Local 188 and LFK.
Women in Maine’s Brewing Industry
Today’s Press Herald includes an article on the growing role women are playing in Maine’s brewing industry.
[In addition to Shonee Strickland] There are other women working in Maine’s booming craft beer industry, either as brewery owners or brewers, but their numbers are still tiny. Among the most notable: Heather Sanborn owns Portland’s Rising Tide Brewing with her husband, Nathan; she handles the business side of things while he makes the beer. Ashley Fendler does some brewing at Allagash Brewing Co. in Portland, while her primary job is to lead tours and educate customers in the brewery’s tasting room. Stasia Brewczynski, one of the founders of Maine Beer Mavens, holds a similar position at Rising Tide.
Petty Table Larceny
Today’s Portland Daily Sun reports on restaurant patrons who clear a table of items they can pocket for later use at home.
The elderly couple sitting at table 12 were either siblings or close cousins who had not connected in quite some time. They were sharing childhood stories and laughing about events that had obviously taken place well over 50 years ago. Also, they were swiping stuff off the table with no shame.
Launchpad: Holy Donut, Bixby, Litl’ Squirts
The Holy Donut, Litl’ Squirts and Bixby Bars are in contention to win $30,000 from Gorham Savings Bank as part of their Launchpad competition. The top five winners of the popular vote will get the chance to pitch their ideas to the judges.
Visit the Launchpad website to read their business plans and vote on your favorite.
If they win The Holy Donut plans to open a new store outside of Maine.
Under Construction: Otto in South Portland
The Forecaster has posted an update on Otto’s 2nd South Portland location.
According to Community Planner Stephen Puleo, approval would allow Otto to build a prep kitchen for storage of supplies and ingredients, as well as a 36-seat restaurant.
Food & Wine: People’s Best New Chef
Three Maine chefs are contenders in this year’s Food & Wine Best New Chef Competition:
- Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley from Hugo’s/Eventide
- Cara Stadler from Tao Yuan in Brunswick
You can see the full list on candidates and vote for the hometown favorites online.
Novare Res Uprising App
Justin Velgos, Mark Woollard and Billy Flaherty have produced an unofficial Uprising iPhone app (website, twitter) for people who have taken on the challenge of drinking their way through The Uprising beer list at Novare Res.
You can download it from the Apple App Store.
For more info on The Uprising and Novare Res’s Chalice Room see Active Beer Geek.
Under Construction: Foodworks Moving
Foodworks, the catering company and sandwich shop located at 47 India Street, is planning to move to 61 India Street—where the Blue Lobster Urban Winery was originally planning to locate.
This Week’s Events: A Place at the Table, PSO Wine Dinner, Vietti Dinner, Allagash Tasting
Monday — Space Gallery is screening the movie A Place at the Table which is about hunger in America. The film will be followed by a discussion led by Maine Hunger Initiative.
Wednesday — the 13th Annual PSO Wine Dinner (sold out) is taking place; this year’s dinner features Greek wines paired with dishes prepared by Emilitsa, Piccolo, Fore Street, Inn by the Sea and the Harraseeket Inn. Black Tie is teaching a cooking class.
Thursday — Wine Wise and Vignola are collaborating on a Vietti wine dinner, Eve’s is hosting a South American dinner featuring dishes from Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, and the Bier Cellar is holding an Allagash beer tasting.
Saturday — the Winter Farmers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory on Anderson Street.
American Sommelier Classes – the Maine chapter of American Sommelier is offering several wine education programs this year: monthly seminars on a wide range of topics, a 6-week foundation series on major grape varietals, and a 10-week series on viticulture.
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.