The former location of Wyler’s Gifts on Maine Street in Brunswick is now a holiday pop-up store with products by two dozen artists and crafts people. Sande Updegraph / For The Forecaster
The corner of Maine and Pleasant streets (the former location of Wyler’s Gifts), is now home to a holiday artisan pop-up store featuring close to 25 local artists and crafts people. This may be the substitute for the seasonal craft fairs that we are all missing these days.
Sande Updegraph lives in Brunswick and is a longtime food writer. She can be reached at sandeupdegraph@gmail.com.
One of the featured items is chocolates from La Nef Chocolate in Bath. Mandy and Dylan Metrano founded the company two years ago on Monhegan Island and have built it with a commitment to conservation and sustainability.
They also support their community, local artists and nonprofits through collaboration.
The pop-up store will also offer products related to food and cooking such as table linens from Pretty Flours in Portland, glassware from Tandem Glass, pottery by Rebecca May Verrill, cutting boards and products made from wood. The store is festively decorated and is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Oasis Free Clinics in Brunswick may provide free medical and dental services to uninsured adults in the Midcoast area, but there is a food and beverage connection: To raise funds to support their services, Oasis is offering virtual cooking classes with some of Maine’s best chefs.
The schedule is:
• Jan. 27 – Sam Hayward (Fore Street Restaurant), cooking duckling: breast, leg and nasty bits
• Feb. 10 – Ali Waks Adams (Willie & Chet’s Food to go), pan-roasted chicken, preserved lemon and olives
• March 27 – Nikaline Iacono (Vessel & Vine), stirred cocktails
• Apr 24 – Christine Burns Rudalevige (food writer & Edible Maine editor), spring seafood stew
• May 1 – Isabella Mastroianni (Sanctuary Baking), chestnut gnocchi with gorgonzola cream, pancetta and walnuts
All classes are over Zoom with one login per ticket. The price is $75 a class and you will receive the recipe and ingredient list in advance. You can cook along with the chef or watch, learn and ask questions. Reserve at cookingwithoasis.org.
Embark on Maine is a new venture in the former Henry & Marty space on Maine Street in Brunswick. According to the alcoholic beverage application before the Town Council, it is owned by the Saxton family, who also owns the Dolphin Marina & Restaurant in Harpswell. Scheduled opening is sometime in November. More details next week.
The Maine Brewers’ Guild offers a handy online guide to which breweries are open, which have dining in or out and those that offer delivery and curbside service at mainebrewersguild.org/visit-breweries/plan-your-route. The site is also current on CDC guidelines.
Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolatier features a Cozy Cottage Kit, which is like a gingerbread house but made of chocolate. The kit includes chocolate pieces, melting chocolates for assembly and candies to decorate. The kit can be ordered, but must be picked up at a Wilbur’s location in Freeport or Brunswick. $29.95, wilburs.com/product/cozy-cottage-kit.
Maine Beer Company’s Prince Percy Pilsner and Wolfe’s Neck IPA have been named Good Food Awards finalists. They are among 336 food and drink crafters throughout the country that have been recognized for responsible and sustainable production. Maine Beer is one of nine companies across 16 categories from Maine. Winners will be announced Jan. 22 at a virtual ceremony.
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