I am excited to team up with Vinland Restaurant as a part of their guest chef pop up series. Vinland is owned and operated by David Levi who has boldly crafted a menu that reflects the Maine landscape. With the exception of some beverages, all the ingredients used for the menu are sourced from Maine. There's no simple salad dressings made with olive oil, no last minute squeezes of lemon juice to add just the right pop, and certainly no waiter coming over to see if you want black pepper freshly ground over your pasta.
What is available is reduced whey, sourced from Swallowtail Farm & Creamery in Whitefield, and pasture raised chickens from Serendipity Acres. Harbor Fish Market delivers fresh, wild caught seafood daily. What Chef Levi lacks in ingredients is made up by the fact that he has direct relationships to nearly every ingredient he works with in his kitchen. How many chefs can say that?
Our privileged ability to eat just about any ingredient any time of the year has made it possible for distributors to source their ingredients from anywhere in the world which in turn, loses sight of the connection to the local landscape, the seasons, and the ingredients that are prepared at their peak nutrition. I applaud David Levi and his staff for getting back in touch with the seasons and the beautiful array of ingredients that Maine so kindly offers.
On May 5th, I will serve a menu that also utilizes ingredients sourced around my home in Thorndike, Maine. Ingredients I've harvested and processed over that past 4 seasons will make their way onto the menu and combine with Maine staples like shellfish, poultry, root vegetables, and fresh raw dairy.
This is an exciting opportunity for me to showcase my experience and love for cooking in a restaurant that I feel is in alignment with my core beliefs and mission, which is to serve the highest quality ingredients in a simple, yet flavorful way. I hope to see you there!
Sign up for this 7 course tasting dinner with Frank at Brown Paper Tickets here, or call Vinland 207-653-8617.
Vinland, 593 Congress St, Portland, Maine