Fore River Brewing(twitter, facebook, instagram) has started construction on their brewery. Their building is located in the Cash Corner section of South Portland across Veteran’s Memorial Bridge.
This Week’s Events: Mami, Nourish, Smuttfest, Barreled Souls, Palace @ Flanagan’s, Old Port Festival
Tuesday — Mami food truck is planning to launch on Tuesday. Vinland sous chef Jason Mathiason will be preparing a 5-course MOFGA benefit dinner, SoMe Brewing is holding a launch party for Mainely Pale at The Thirsty Pig, and the Bier Cellar is holding a bottle release for the Jolly Pumpkin’s “April Showers Bring Jolly Pumpkin Sours”.
Wednesday — the Monument Square Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Saturday — Slab is hosting a Barreled Souls tap takeover, Rosemont is holding a Rioja wine event, Smuttfest 2015 is taking place at Novare Res, there will be a wine tasting at the LeRoux Kitchen, and the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market is taking place.
Sunday — Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell from Palace Diner are the featured chefs at Flanagan’s Table, and the 42nd Annual Old Port Festival 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.
Review of Bao Bao
Down East has reviewed Bao Bao.
You are going to have dumplings — served either boiled or pan-fried — so start there. The pork and cabbage are the most traditional; the most imaginative are those stuffed with succulent lamb, black bean chili, and whole peanuts and served with a tomato sauce for dipping. Seasoning is generally subtle in the dumplings, but each table has decanters of black vinegar and soy sauce and a pot of arbol chili oil for mixing (in your own personal ramekin) a sauce tempered to your desired heat, saltiness, and umami.
High Roller Lobster Co.
Under Construction: Tempo Dulu, Scales, Portland Patisserie, Ramen Suzukiya
Here are some updates on four restaurants under construction in Portland:
- Tempo Dulu(facebook, website) will be opening on June 19th and is now taking reservations.
- Sam Hayward and Dana Street are planning to open their new restaurant, Scales, at the end of the summer. The “full-scale seafood emporium in the New England style” will have a 25-seat bar and the dining room will seat another 100-120 according to an article from Maine Travel Maven.
- In the same article the Maine Travel Maven also reports that Portland Patisserie(facebook), the new pastry shop from Steve and Michelle Corry, is planning to open in “mid-June”. Take a look at this instagram photo by Chris Kast captured this glimpse of the interior on Instagram.
- Ramen Suzukiya(facebook) needs to make some final renovations in order to get their Certificate of Occupancy from the city. If all goes according to plan they hope to open June 13, according the Eater Maine.
Mami Launching on June 9th
A new food truck called Mami(instagram) plans to launch on June 9th in Congress Square Park. Mami is run by chef Austin Miller and will specialize in “Japanese street food”.
MECA Culinary Arts Program
Here’s a list of this summer’s continuing education classes at MECA in Culinary Arts:
- Fish from Head to Tail taught by Lucas Myers from Browne Trading Co.
- The Spice is Right taught by chef Lee Farrington
- The Summer Pie taught by Andrea Swanson, owner of Foley’s Bakery
- Sushi + Sake taught by Seiji Ando, chef/owner of Benkay, and Lucas Myers
- Craft Brew: Grain to Glass taught by Noah Bissell, head brewer of Bissell Brothers
Review of The Honey Paw
Eat Maine has reviewed The Honey Paw.
The Honey Paw is like no other restaurant I know. The new Portland restaurant’s unique personality completely defies any attempts to group it into traditional restaurant categories or even vague ones like “contemporary American” or “fusion.” Its menu and ambience unapologetically combine a staggering number of elements into a streamlined dining experience while circumventing any kind of identity crisis by keeping the offerings as concise as possible.
Portland’s UNESCO Creative Cities Application
The City of Portland is submitting an application to UNESCO to be recognized for its culinary creativity as part of the UN’s Creative Cities program. If successful, Portland would become the 9th city in the world to be included in the Gastronomy category.
The Creative Cities Network aims to strengthen the creation, production, distribution, and enjoyment of cultural goods and services at the local level. It promotes creative expression and enhances participation in cultural life as well as integrates cultural and creative industries into local development plans.
The application deadline is in July and we should know by mid-December if it was successful.
The Telling Room’s Review Camp
The Telling Room is offering a summer program for children ages 11-15 that are interested to learn more about critique and review, including restaurant reviews.
Geared to aspiring journalists and critics alike, this camp will take full advantage of Portland being a city bustling with art, music, food, and entertainment. Together we’ll explore art galleries, food establishments, and check out some local music. Campers will delve into the art of critical observation and evaluation in the form of art, food, and music reviews. We’ll also meet local editors and journalists and take a tour of The Portland Press Herald.
The program is already at capacity but you can add your kid’s name to the wait list and learn more on The Telling Room website.