The Art Of Fine Dining

For those of you who haven't heard about the Kennebunkport Festival, your missing out on a really "Good" & fun event.  The "Good" is Taste Of The Nation Maine's - Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry program, which since 2006 has mobilized thousands of volunteers and raised over a quarter million dollars for anti-hunger programs across the state. The fun part comes from a dozen or so foodie events, over six nights,  in the Kennebunkport  area. Starting with An Intimate Evening at the White Barn Inn and ending with Bubbles, Brunch & Jazz at the Nonantum. But the heart of this festival is really the 13 intimate and elegant dinners prepared in private homes by some of the areas best chefs. This is where Portlandtown comes in as I was happy to be in the kitchen for two of these dinners on Tuesday & Wednesday evening.

Chef David Ross,  of Local 50,  in Kennebunk, stands behind a built to order La Cornue stove, the first French stove imported to the US, in the kitchen of Nicki Bongiorno, on the ocean in Kennebunkport.

Mike Farrell of Old Vines Bar & Tapas Restaurant, in Kennebunkport, provided the  wine pairings for   evening.

Tilly struts her stuff!

Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms / Dierberg Pinot Noir 2006

Local Scallops, parsnips, fennel, grapefruit, shellfish reduction / Graff Family Vineyards Viognier 2007

Pineland Farm Beef Tenderloin, Blackrock farm vegetables, horesradish potatoes / 2006 Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon

Artwork by Tollef Runquist

Chocolate Custard, expresso foam, cherries, pistachio crisp / Vinedo de los Vientos "alcone" Tannat NV

Local 50 / Kennebunk

Old Vines Bar & Tapas / Kennebunk

 La Cornue Stoves

Tollef Runquist Artwork

This year's Kennebunkport Festival is Produced & Promoted by Maine Magazine in cooperation with the Kennebunkport Festival Committee.

A larger group of photos from this event is posted on flickr

Evangeline Great Food/Great Cause

Come Celebrate Bastille Day With Us!

And Let the Children Eat Cake!

“After participating in Share our Strength Maine’s “Taste of the Nation®” benefit for the first time this year and learning about the positive impact the organization is making in our community, I decided I wanted to do more to help,” said Erik Desjarlais, owner and chef of Evangeline. “I’m also a new father and the knowledge that children in our state are going hungry really hit me hard, so I wanted to share my love of French food and raise money to benefit Share Our Strength. I hope this becomes an annual event at the restaurant.” 

Discover the Tastes of France will be held at Evangeline, located at 190 State Street. The event will start with an open house from 4 to 6 p.m., to feature a wine tasting by Ned Swain of Devenish Wines, French cheeses and delicacies created by Chef Desjarlais. The open house will be followed by a dinner at 6:30 p.m. The menu will include three courses of French favorites inspired by the summer. The evening will also feature a silent auction. Items include a dinner for two at Evangeline with an overnight stay at the Portland Harbor Hotel; a dinner for two at Bresca combined with a one-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn; and a private wine tasting for 10 hosted by Devenish Wines plus an overnight stay at the Eastland Park Hotel. All proceeds from the silent auction will benefit Share Our Strength Maine’s designated local organizations.
The open house is $20 per person, the dinner is $55; the cost for both events is $65. Evangeline is donating 20 percent of the event’s proceeds to Share Our Stren
gth Maine. Call 207-791-2800 for reservations.

Evangeline...  has earned distinction as one of the country’s best small French restaurants. Known for its quintessential French dining experience and modern bistro atmosphere. Meals are prepared using the highest quality ingredients with an abundance of naturally grown items from local Maine farmers, suppliers and producers. Since opening in 2008, the restaurant has received an impressive amount of press in national and regional outlets including, The New York Times, World Traveler, Sherman’s Traveler, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Portland Press Herald. In 2009, USA Today named Evangeline one of the 10 greatest places in the country to master the art of French eating, alongside nine masters of French food, including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Michel Richard and Hubert Keller. Follow the restaurant on Facebook. 

About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength is the leading national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. We weave together a net of community groups, activists and good programs to catch the children at risk of hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. We work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale®, Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit®, Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out®, and Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline®. Visit Strength.org to learn more.