SKOWHEGAN

Gifford’s Ice Cream wins two awards at N.J. festival

Gifford’s Ice Cream recently took home two awards from the eighth annual New Jersey Ice Cream Festival.

For the third year in a row, Gifford’s Old Fashioned Vanilla won first prize in the Best Vanilla Brand competition. The company’s Chocolate Lovers Chocolate won “People’s Choice.”

Gifford’s also just announced its seasonal ice creams for the fall: Quarterback Crunch – vanilla rippled with caramel and packed with nutty cookie crumbles and chocolate flake – pumpkin and apple pie.
The flavors will be available through the fall.

WESTBROOK

French Press Eatery adds to menu, opens for dinner

The French Press Eatery, 855 Main St., has expanded its lunch menu and opened for dinner, offering a selection of “funky diner food” prepared by its new chef, Jeremy Donovan.

The new menu also pays tribute to Carbur’s Downeast Feast, a popular sandwich place in Portland back in the 1980s.

CAMDEN

Kitchen tour will feature eight home kitchens in area

It’s that time of year when you can peek into someone’s kitchen without them calling the police.

The annual Merryspring Kitchen Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 4 and feature eight home kitchens in the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville area.

Local chefs will prepare food to sample at every stop, and Elinor Klivans will sign her new cookbook at another.

Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased at Once a Tree, Party Fundamentals or Stonewall Kitchen in Camden; the Market Basket in Rockport; Atlantic Baking Co. in Rockland; Dot’s Market in Lincolnville; the Good Table in Belfast; and the Well-Tempered Kitchen in Waldoboro.

Tickets are also available by e-mailing info@merryspring.org or calling 236-2239.

Tickets also may be purchased for $30 the day of the event at any of the tour stops. Proceeds from the event benefit the Merryspring Nature Center and its year-round nature and environmental education programs.

Merryspring Nature Center is located on Conway Road.

PORTLAND

Sake & Sushi Tasting event will take place Thursday

It will be first-come, first-served at the third annual Sake & Sushi Tasting on Thursday at Browne Trading Market, 262 Commercial St.

Chef Seiji Ando from Benkay Japanese Restaurant will make the sushi, and there will be new sakes introduced as well as some old favorites on hand to sample.The event is free, and no reservations are required.

Latte Art Competition will contribute to Coffee Kids

Home baristas can go head-to-head with the pros Thursday night at the Throwdown Latte Art Competition at Bard Coffee, 185 Middle St.

The competition begins at 8 p.m. and is free to those who just want to observe.

Participants are asked to contribute a $5 donation to Coffee Kids, an organization that helps impoverished children in coffee-growing regions.

Drinks will be judged according to Specialty Coffee Association Guidelines, and prizes will be awarded.

For more information, call 899-4788.

Corner Room now taking lunch, dinner reservations

No more long waits. Bowing to customer demand, the Corner Room Kitchen & Bar is now taking reservations for lunch and dinner.

There is also new outdoor seating on the Federal Street side of the restaurant.

The Corner Room is at 110 Exchange St., on the corner of Federal and Exchange.

Reservations can be made by calling 879-4747.