Harvest on the Harbor

The Harvest on the Harbor festival began anew this year, with its two new principles in charge, Stefanie Manning, the marketing and circulation manager at the Portland Press Herald (and whose husband is Tom Manning, owner of The Miss Portland Diner) and Gabrielle Garofalo, a New York City media consultant who owns Gabrielle Garofalo Inc. Consulting & Creative Energy.  These two have changed it all around.  For better or worse?  Were the crowds as robust as before when the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau ran the show all these years?  In fact, it was run very well.

Sustainable Seafood Dinner at O'Maine Studios

Sustainable Seafood Dinner at O’Maine Studios

What was notably different were several events that bit the dust.  The fabulous Buñuel-esque style feast that had played in prior years on the stage of Merrill Auditorium was replaced by a barn-style dinner in the cavernous space of O’ Maine Studios where a dinner of sustainable seafood was the centerpiece.

Crowds piling in, Lobster Tasting at 58 Fore St.

Crowds piling in, Lobster Tasting at 58 Fore St.

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The week that was Harvest on the Harbor showcased Maine food and dining in stunning display.  But of all the events the one that cast the widest net was the Stage Dinner at Merrill Auditorium.  It’s where some of the region’s best chefs cooked a six-course dinner for a seated crowd–but this time we were not there sitting in the audience but rather participating at tables set up on stage. It virtually allowed everyone to experience the cooking from six restaurants all in one fell swoop.

Top: participating chefs, left to right--Guy Hernandez, Shannon Bard, Josh Berry, Isaul Perez

Top: some of the participating chefs, left to right–Guy Hernandez; Shannon Bard with sous chef;  Isaul Perez with Mike St. Pierre and Chris Basset

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