Kennebunkport Festival: Notes From Days One And Two

Maine's food, wine and art groupies are getting their groove on at the second-annual Kennebunkport Festival, which began on Tuesday evening and continues through Saturday. And the bloggers are dishing. Meredith Goad, on The Portland Press Herald's Maine ala Carte blog, details her evening at one of the festival's big-ticket events - the "Art of Dining" dinners, held in private homes. "Dinner in the Nude," featured a menu of raw food by Leslie Oster of Aurora Provisions in Portland. Hosts Brad and Donna Maushart went so far as to have a clear Plexiglass table and chairs made just for the event; floating candles and goldfish swimming in clear glass continued the theme.

The third course was my favorite, and judging by the raves around the table, one of the most popular dishes of the night. It consisted of three beautiful dayboat scallops sweetened a touch with raw honey from Oster's friend Karla, and served with chanterelle dust made from mushrooms that had been dried and pulverized.

Joe Ricchio, food editor for festival sponsor Maine Magazine, got a running start on Monday night with a "warm up" of margaritas at Pedro's in Kennebunkport, he writes on the Eat Maine blog. Ricchio, who makes no secret of his love for libations, spent the KF's inaugural evening first at the kick-off cocktail party at One Dock, then at the $225/plate "Intimate Evening" dinner at The White Barn Inn with the winemaker from Domaine Carneros as co-host.

Passed appetizers include tuna maki rolls, Chinese-style sweet and sour pork meatballs, and house crab cakes. I take a few sips of “Life is Good,” One Dock’s signature concoction of Patron Reposado, Cellardoor blueberry wine, and strawberry infused rum, before initiating what later becomes a marathon of wine consumption.

· Dinner In The Nude [PPH]
· And So It Begins ... The 2012 Kennebunkport Festival, Day One [EatMaine]
· The Kennebunkport Festival: Where The Chefs Are [EaterMaine]
· Kennebunkport Festival 2012 [Official Site]