BIDDEFORD

Rabelais puts books on sale for one day: July 27

Rabelais, a store that specializes in books on food, wine, farming and gardening, will hold a summer sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 27.

Hundreds of books will be on sale for $1, $3 or $5. Everything else in the store that is under $200 will be 25 percent off, and everything $200 and over will be 20 percent off.

A new feature of this annual sale is a special table of “reading copies” of rare cookbooks in “less than collector’s condition,” including many 19th-century cookbooks.

Boxes will be available, or you can bring your own shopping bags. Early birds will not be admitted.

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For more information, call 602-6320. Rabelais is located at 2 Main St., in the North Dam Mill.

CAPE ELIZABETH

Bastille Day observance Sunday at Turkey Hill Farm

Celebrate Bastille Day on Sunday by practicing your French at a special dinner at Turkey Hill Farm, 120 Old Ocean House Road.

The Language Exchange in Portland is organizing the event as a fundraiser for the non-profit group Cultivating Community. The dinner will be catered by Jennie Gwilym of Catering to You. Desserts will be provided by Standard Baking Co.

The outdoor dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and costs $50. After the food is paid for, all funds will go to Cultivating Community.

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For more information, go to immersionprograms.com/info.php?s=1.

 

Twilight Dinners lined up for a month of Thursdays

Cultivating Community has several of its popular Twilight Dinners coming up. The casual three-course dinners, held in the orchard at Turkey Hill Farm, feature a different southern Maine chef every week.

The dinners cost $40 per person and are BYOB. The lineup of chefs over the next few weeks includes:

Thursday: Jonah Fertig of Local Sprouts.

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July 18: Mitch Gerow of East Ender Restaurant.

July 25: Brad Messier and Erin Lynch of Rosemont Market & Bakery.

Aug. 1 : Josh Potocki of Bread and Butter Catering Co.

Turkey Hill Farm is located at 120 Old Ocean House Road. For more info, call 761-4769. For tickets, go to brownpapertickets.com/event/385071.

PORTLAND

Compass Rose now serving on Fore Street

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Compass Rose, a new restaurant at 339 Fore St., opened on July 4.

The restaurant, owned by chef Tony Kratovil and his wife Rose, will serve a variety of classic steak and seafood dishes.

“We will be serving lunch and dinner and probably brunch on Sunday,” Rose Kratovil said. “We’ll do a light-fare menu late afternoon, from 2 to 5. We’re serving hand-cut steaks. Everything’s done on-premises.”

She said they hope to be open for lunch Thursday, but “if it’s not a lunch menu, it will be at least a light-fare menu … which will include a couple of sandwiches and appetizers.”

Dinner will be served from 5 to 10 p.m. Appetizers on the menu include oysters Rockefeller, escargots and seafood crepes. Dinner entrees include such classics as a 2-pound baked stuffed lobster, a 14-ounce prime rib (served with a homemade popover), steak au poivre with peppercorn brandy sauce, baked stuffed haddock and surf & turf.

Rose Kratovil said her husband has been a chef for about 38 years. They are originally from Kennebunkport and once owned a restaurant called the Peppermill Steak House. Most recently, she said, they handled all the functions at the Sanford Country Club.

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Distillery now open for business in East Bayside

The latest boutique beverage business to set up shop in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood is Maine Craft Distilling at 101 Fox. St.

Maine native Luke Davidson started building the distillery a year ago, constructing the stills, grain silo, wooden fermentation vats and floor malting space to follow historical distilling methods. He uses Maine-grown barley in his spirits, three of which are currently available: Alchemy gin (see related story, page C1), Ration rum and Black Cap vodka. Four others — 50 Stone Whiskey, Blueshine (moonshine made with Maine blueberries and maple syrup), QueeQueg spiced rum and Chesuncook botanical gin (distilled from carrots) — will be available soon.

Maine Craft Distilling’s tasting room is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and noon to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

 

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Craft brewers pour their stuff at Maine State Pier

Love local brews? The Maine Brewers Guild will hold its third annual beer tasting and fundraiser, “Craft Beer Comes to Maine State Pier,” from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Maine State Pier is located at Franklin and Commercial streets.

More than 90 beers from 24 Maine breweries will be available for tasting. There will also be a selection of German foods, such as bratwurst and wood-fired pretzels, to enjoy with the beers. A silent auction will include private tours and the chance to become “brewer-for-a-day” at some local breweries.

Guests at the event include Victory Brewing Co., based in Pennsylvania, and Charlie Papazian, president of the National Brewers Association and author of “The Complete Joy of Home Brewing.”

General admission is $50, which includes beverages, food and a commemorative tasting glass. VIP tickets, are $75, and include entry to the event at noon and tastings of exclusive specialty brews. Designated driver tickets are $25. All of the proceeds from the festival will go to the Maine Brewers Guild.

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Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available at Rising Tide in Portland, Baxter Brewing in Lewiston, Gritty’s in Portland, D.L. Geary Brewing in Portland, Sebago Brewing in Portland and Maine Beer Co. in Freeport. They are also available online at brownpapertickets.com/event/360745.

For more information, contact events@mainebrewersguild.org or go to mainebrewersguild.org

 

Foragers invited to swap July 18 at Rising Tide

If you like to grow, make or forage your own food, share what you’ve created with others at a Portland Food Swap on July 18.

The swap will be held at 5:30 p.m. July 18 at Rising Tide Brewery, 103 Fox St. Bring homemade, home-grown or locally foraged foods. Bring four or more items, packaged in swappable containers, to trade. They can all be the same item, or a mixture of things.

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Register for the event at tinyurl.com/0BR9W36, or visit the Portland Food Swap Facebook page.

 

Sample Rosemont food and Devenish wines

Rosemont Market & Bakery is hosting a free sampling of the foods made in its kitchen, as well as summer wines from Devenish Wines, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Rosemont Produce Co., 5 Commercial St.

Eli Cayer of Urban Farm Fermentory will also be there offering tastings of his kombucha.

 

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Sommelier to lead ‘wine sails’ beginning Sunday

Wine Wise is hosting several “wine sails” on Casco Bay this summer on board the 74-foot topsail sloop Frances.

The educational trips are led by sommelier Erica Archer. Each of the sails leaves from the Maine State Pier on Commercial Street, next to the Casco Bay Lines ferry. These trips often sell out, so it’s best to buy tickets in advance if possible:

• 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, white wines of Europe paired with fresh-shucked oysters, $75 in advance, $85 day of event (if available).

• 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. July 28, Maine lobster and wine pairings with chef Tim Labonte of Eve’s at the Garden, the restaurant in the Portland Harbor Hotel. Labonte will prepare four Maine lobster dishes. This event costs $85 in advance or $95 the day of the sail.

• 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2, “The Many Styles of Pinot Noir,” $65 in advance or $75 the day of the sail.

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Dean’s Sweets introduces Moxie-flavored truffle

Dean Bingham, owner of Dean’s Sweets, will debut a Moxie-flavored chocolate truffle at the Moxie Festival this weekend in Lisbon.

The truffle combines white chocolate, Moxie and a splash of Cold River Vodka, and is dipped in 70 percent dark chocolate.

The truffle will be available at the Dean’s Sweets Portland store, 82 Middle St., beginning Wednesday.

SACO

St. Demetrios to hold Greek Festival Friday to Sunday

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If you missed the annual Greek Festival in Portland, don’t despair. The St. Demetrios Greek Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The festival is organized by St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 186 Bradley St. (Route 5). It features homemade Greek food and pastries, a book store, a food store, church tours and live dancing Friday and Saturday evenings.

Admission is free, and the event is handicapped-accessible. A free shuttle bus will run from 5 to 10 p.m. from the Saco Parks & Recreation Center and Shaw’s Plaza.

For more information, call 284-5651, or go to stdemetriosmaine.com.

ROCKPORT

Saltwater Farm Cafe & Market to host Bastille Day party

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If you live in the midcoast — or even if you don’t — you can celebrate Bastille Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Saltwater Farm Cafe & Market

Sip a glass of rose, listen to French-Canadian tunes and feast on French cuisine at the event, which costs $25 in advance or $30 at the door. There will also be a cash bar. To reserve tickets, call 236-0554.

Salt Water Farm is located at 24 Central St.

 


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