PORTLAND

Congress Street restaurant picked in cherry promotion

Northwest Cherries, an industry group representing cherry growers in Washington, chose one restaurant in each state to create a dish featuring Rainier cherries during the week of July 11, which is “National Rainier Cherry Day.”

Maine is being represented by Five Fifty-Five, 555 Congress St. The pastry chef will be making a white chocolate cherry souffle.

Local produce market starts Monday outside Whole Foods

Every summer Whole Foods Market invites Fresh Start Farms to sell its locally grown produce in front of the store at 2 Somerset St. This year the market will begin Monday and will be held from 2 to 6 p.m.

Fresh Start Farms is a program of the nonprofit group Cultivating Community. It provides land and resources for new immigrants, primarily from Central America and East Africa, to start their own farm-based enterprises.

The market will continue each Monday through the growing season.

YORK

Farmers market now open on Thursdays for the season

The first Thursday farmers market of the season will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday in the lot behind the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce off Route 1.

The market will feature fruit and vegetables, seafood, herbs, desserts, breads, sandwiches and prepared foods, pottery and crafts. For details on the vendors, go to www.gateway farmersmarket.com

The Thursday market will run through Sept. 1. A Saturday market that is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. began June 4 and will run through Oct. 8.

For more information, contact Stephanie Oeser at the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce at 363-4422 or email her at stephanie@yorkme.org

Restaurant’s special: Dinner with holistic health reading

Clay Hill Farm restaurant is hosting three nights of “feeding and reading” in July with international holistic healer Ruth Kramer.

Kramer does “holistic energy reading.” Each evening (Monday, July 18 and 25) will begin with a meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. followed by a three-course dinner with holistic reading entertainment throughout the meal.

The cost for both dinner and reading is $35 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 361-2272.