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Gastronomic MAGIC!
With its farmers, fishermen, and five-star chefs, cutting-edge culinary artistry is now Maine’s calling
card. If food is the way to your heart, then you need to make your way to Maine this year.
Photo from left: courtesy Zapoteca, Harvest on the Harbor/Focus Photography
With five James Beard Award-winning
chefs, and more in contention for the
prestigious award this year, it’s partly
the culinary scene awaiting you that
makes this part of Maine such a unique
experience. It’s also the freshest of
ingredients, including lobster and
fish right off the boat. And farm fresh
vegetables and herbs, bursting with
natural flavor.
Farm-to-table, sustainable seafood,
community-supported agriculture—in
Maine these aren’t trends, they’re
traditions. The New York Times named
Maine “one of the best places to eat in
the Northeast” and
The Huffington Post
dubbed Portland one of the “13 Greatest
Destination Food Towns in America.”
From the bounty of our locally grown
and harvested foods, to our high-quality
specialty products, to our creative chefs,
the time is ripe to taste how much
Maine has to offer.
You can’t walk down the street in
Portland without bumping into several
ways to treat your taste buds, which is
why Maine Foodie Tours now offers
culinary walking tours, so you can
sample delectable foods while getting
a behind-the-scenes look at the craft
makers and their industry. Maine Beer
Tours and the Maine Brew Bus will
drive you to drink samples of Maine’s
local breweries, distilleries and wineries,
and you can join Sommelier Erica
Archer on an educational Wine Wise
walk, sail, or harbor cruise featuring
world-class wines and delicious scenery.
Of course Maine is legendary for
lobster, and you can have it any way
you like—steamed with butter and
corn, in rich chowder or bisque, or
packed into a toasted roll. Certainly
indulge in the succulent crustacean
but also experience the new tastes
of Maine seafood. In affiliation with
organizations such as the Gulf of Maine
Research Institute and the Maine
Aquaculture Association, our chefs
have the luxury of working directly with
local harvesters to provide the freshest
products while knowing they are
featuring abundant, under-utilized, and
responsibly harvested seafood. This
partnership has provided new seafood
products for our menus, opportunities
for diners to learn new ways to prepare
delicious dishes, and needed resources
for our fishermen, all the while jointly
working to create a more sustainable
fisheries industry.
Food festivals are a particularly tasty
way to experience the flavors of Maine.
Traditional lobster and clam fests
have been augmented by Portland’s
annual Harvest on the Harbor, several
days of food and beverage tastings,
dinners, and events that showcase the
sophistication and talent that set the
state’s culinary scene apart. Join us on
the Portland waterfront October 19-23,
2016 to see what all the fuss is about.
Whether you come to Maine primarily
for the beautiful scenery or for the
fabulous food, you’ll enjoy both once
you arrive, often at the same time!