The Harvest on the Harbor festival began anew this year, with its two new principles in charge, Stefanie Manning, the marketing and circulation manager at the Portland Press Herald (and whose husband is Tom Manning, owner of The Miss Portland Diner) and Gabrielle Garofalo, a New York City media consultant who owns Gabrielle Garofalo Inc. Consulting & Creative Energy. These two have changed it all around. For better or worse? Were the crowds as robust as before when the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau ran the show all these years? In fact, it was run very well.
Sustainable Seafood Dinner at O’Maine Studios
What was notably different were several events that bit the dust. The fabulous Buñuel-esque style feast that had played in prior years on the stage of Merrill Auditorium was replaced by a barn-style dinner in the cavernous space of O’ Maine Studios where a dinner of sustainable seafood was the centerpiece.
Crowds piling in, Lobster Tasting at 58 Fore St.
Always the big draw was the Grand Tasting and the Lobster Competition held in the dramatic space of the Ocean Gateway Terminal, with its stunning views of the harbor. This year the lobster competition gave way to a lobster tasting held in the gargantuan event space 58 Fore St., the old Sprague complex that will in the coming years be an incredible waterfront enclave set for residential, hotel, marina and retail–plus a public waterfront park. This was a packed event and perhaps more magnanimous than the hoity-toity lobster regalia of past years. See for yourself in the photo essay below.
Lobster Tasting
Lobster tasting at 58 Fore St., with chef stars David Turin (Center) of David’s, et al); upper right, Matt Ginn of Evo; lower right, Nick Krunkkala of Liquid Riot) and Harding Lee Smith of The Rooms
Lobster bites galore at Lobster Tasting
The gathering crowd at Lobster Tasting
Sustainable Fish
This event came off very well with local distilleries providing the wine and liquor and a bevy of chefs making some terrific hors d’oeuvres and main courses. At the sit-down dinner, my favorite fish preparation was from Andrew Chadwick of Sea Glass at The Inn By the Sea. It was so good that I’m going to Sea Glass in the coming weeks to learn more about how he cooks.
Upper left, chef Andrew Chadwick of Sea Glass; the main dining room at O’Maine Studios and various hors d’ oeuvres
Packed house at O’Maine Studios for Sustainable Fish Dinner
The three main fish courses at the dinner: Clockwise: Chef Andrew Chadwick,miso glazed pollock; Chef Melissa Bouchard (DiMillo’s), herb rubbed dogfish and Kyle Robinson’s (Five Fifty-Five) Maine scallops.
Sunday Brunch
Just ride around Greater Portland on a Sunday and catch the crowds lining up inside and out at our most popular brunch eateries. I went back to Stone’s Cafe and Bakery in North Yarmouth for corned beef hash with honey corn bread, then stopped by afterwards at Tandem Coffee and Bakery to buy coffee beans, which, by the way, are the most expensive batch in town at $18 for 12 ounces.
Clockwise: Stone’s Cafe brunch crowd on Sunday; Brunch at Tandem Bakery and corned beef hash at Stone’s
Dining Preview
See this Friday’s review of one of the most exciting dinners that I had in Portland, fabulous food, setting and place. Here’s a preview.
