Holiday Humbugs; Brewery Move; No Kid Hungry Dinner

PORTLAND — Natalie Ladd takes a flying leap down "the slippery slope of holiday eating/depression/doesn't-anybody-want-to-see-this-smashing black-dress damn it" to address the holiday craziness she sees as a restaurant server in her column for The Portland Daily Sun. Among them: "people who come in during the height of lunch to buy ten individual $15 gift cards" and "a phone reservation for ten people the kitchen took and forgot to write down."

FREEPORT — Maine Beer Co., which currently operates out of Portland, is moving its brewery to Route 1 in Freeport next spring, according to The Forecaster. The new facility will increase production from 3,000 to 5,000 barrels a year and owners David and Daniel Kleban say they are also adding a 25-seat tasting room.

ROCKPORT — At his restaurant Shepherd's Pie, chef Brian Hill hosts Krista Desjarlais of Bresca in Portland and Ravin Nakjaroen of Long Grain in Camden for a Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry benefit dinner on Sunday, Dec. 16. Tickets are $125 per person, 100% of which goes to Share Our Strength. For tickets: strength.org.

· Holiday Overeating From Both Sides Of The Table [PDS]
· Hopping Up To Freeport: Portland Microbrewer To Open Larger Brewery [TF]
· No Kid Hungry Dinner Rockport, ME [Official Site]

Appetizers by Mark and Patrick from Shepherd's Pie

1st course: wood roast sea urchin, cool cauliflower, lobster gelee

2nd course: Roman gnocchi, grilled butternush squash agrodolce, toasted walnuts, Gorgonzola dolce latte, brown butter, petite kale

3rd course: Juniper wood grilled flounder, calamari chou croute, bacon parsley broth

4th course: braised and grilled lamb ribs, lentil cucumber ajhad, curry

5th course: bittersweet chocolate panforte, grilled rosemary pears, toasted hazelnut semifreddo, olive oil crema