Jennifer Flock, a Certified Sommelier, is teaching a class this evening on food and wine pairings. The weekly Food and Drink Trivia Contest is at Bull Feeney’s tonight. On Tuesday, the next Wine Flight 5k Training run is taking place. Black Tie Bistro is teaching a cooking class on Wednesday. On Thursday there’s an Allagash Brewing showcase at The Great Lost Bear. Wine tastings are scheduled for Friday at the West End Grocery and Saturday at Leroux Kitchen. The 36th Annual Old Port Festival is taking place on Sunday. Sunday evening, Evangeline’s Erik Desjarlais is the featured chef at the Food Film Series presentation of Babette’s Feast. Farmers’ Markets are being held in Monument Square on Wednesday and at Deering Oaks Park on Saturday. For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
Bear Garden
Shown in the photo above is Craig Howard hard at work tending The Great Lost Bear‘s new rooftop vegetable garden. Howard has beans, tomatoes, tomatillos, shallots, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, and a variety of peppers as well as lemongrass, and mint under cultivation—all destined for use in the GLB’s kitchen. If the rooftop concept works out, the hope is to expand it in the coming year.
Paciarino Review
Paciarino received 4 stars in this week’s Taste and Tell review from the Maine Sunday Telegram.
The impeccable, fresh pasta at Paciarino, compelling Italian recipes and the fine Italian wine make dealing with a noisy dining room very much worth your while.
Reception Report
Portland Fodder was part of kitchen crew that cooked for the wedding reception recently held at Grace, and he has published a report on the food at the event:
Passed items included Truffled Grilled Cheese, Gougeres, Chicken Confit Tartlet, Braised Duck Tacos, Oysters with Blood Orange Mignonette, Fried Clams with Chorizo Mayonnaise and several other finger foods. Also a carving, crudite, dipping and chef manned pasta station were setup throughout the dining room for guests to choose from. The flavors and aromas acheived were amazing! The flavor of the chicken confit was hands down the best chicken I have ever had!
Public Market House Expansion
The Public Market House on Monument Square is moving ahead with plans to expand to the second floor with space for 4-5 new shops and an eating area, according to an article in today’s Press Herald.
[Kris] Horton said the expansion will include a second floor and four or five new shops – averaging 380 square feet of space each – as well as new public restrooms and eating areas looking out over the square.
Horton and her partners are meeting with potential businesses.
Horton said they hope to fill the space with businesses that sell locally grown and produced products.
A butcher, a flower shop, a home-made clothing shop and a soup restaurant have shown interest, she said, and the space will be available by midsummer.
Hill[y]to[wn]p Cookie Review
Hilly Town has published another installment in it’s weekly cookie review series. This week Hilltop Coffee Shop‘s peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie was the focus.
Hilltop’s PBCCC contained a goodly amount of salt, which suits my personal taste, and despite its age the insides were wonderfully soft and chewy. However, the bottom was greasy and the edges ever so slightly sandy, two minor design flaws that I will blame on the peanut butter. And peanut butter, as you know, is delicious, as long as you are not one of those poor people who is allergic.
The Food Switch
The latest edition of The Maine Switch includes articles about Cultivating Community “a Portland-based nonprofit that connects people to the earth, their food and one another through agriculture” and about Grown@Home which provides “weekly maintenance and new plantings throughout the growing season” for your home garden. There’s also an article by Harding Smith about barbecuing and additional piece about local barbecue sauce manufacturers. Especially interesting in this edition is a piece by Avery Yale Kamila as she tries to establish which watering hole is truly Portland’s oldest bar.
Pugsley's Porter Wins 2nd Place Finish
Shipyard Brewing‘s Imperial Porter won 2nd place at the 10th West Coast Beer Fest earlier this month.
Pugsley’s Porter Wins 2nd Place Finish
Shipyard Brewing‘s Imperial Porter won 2nd place at the 10th West Coast Beer Fest earlier this month.
Wedding at Grace
More photos of the interior of Grace have surfaced. This set is from a wedding reception that was recently held there. The restaurant is scheduled to open to the public sometime in late June.