Taste Maine’s Future at the Chef Summit 2019

Taste Maine's Future Deli January 25, 2019

Chefs, food and beverage producers and culinary and hospitality leaders from Maine and around the world come together to ignite new ideas and stimulate industry growth with a series of panels topics and food tours. 

Chef Summit 2019 is expanding its industry, network, and mentor inspired format by offering six full days of activities, bringing together food and beverage innovators from around Maine, the country, and the world.

Now in our fourth year, the Chef Summit has evolved to include inspired panel discussions, breakout workshops, and culinary demonstrations led by chefs and successful food enterprises.

Chef Summit Schedule for Wednesday January 30th 9AM to 3 PM

Day One Industry Themes:

Keynote/Food Writers/Seafood & Aquaculture/Product Innovators

Keynote – “Fixing the Energy Crisis in the American Workplace; a Look at the 12 Natural Laws of Business” by Ari Weinzweig, CEO & Co-Founder of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses of Ann Arbor, Michiganand ZingTrain’s expert in their business growth model. 

Food Writers/Storytellers – Writers, reporters and bloggers share their insights on finding and creating stories that captivate! 

Chef Summit Expert Demonstrations – 

  • Mike Wiley/Eventide Oyster Co. leads demonstration of how a seafood charcuterie, using emerging sustainable products, can create menu innovation and profit.  
  • Jack Lombard/Browne Trading Company leads a caviar tasting and conversation, exploring the many varieties of sturgeon and the vast origins of their aquaculture throughout the world.
  • Andrew Taylor/Hugo’s leads an innovative demonstration of Glidden Point’s pioneer product, Maine farm-raised scallops.
  • Jonathan Romano/Norwegian Top Sushi Chef demonstrates the uses and techniques involved in creating the perfect Yellowtail Kingfish sashimi.

Market Makers & Breakers – Innovative Chef, Product producers discuss how culinary partnerships change convention and open new food and beverage markets.

Networking Reception – Industry Only Event for Attendees – 3 PM to 4 PM Consumer/Industry Culinary Celebration – SashiME and Seafood Rising – 6 PM to 9 PM

New England Chefs, Farmers and Fishermen come together for inspired seafood tasting event that showcases break through recipes. The goal is to elevate and showcase sustainable & emerging Maine produced farm & sea products with a cross section of innovate chefs. Also featuring wine pairings and craft cocktails.

Chef Summit Schedule For Thursday January 31st 

9AM to 3:30 PM

Day Two Industry Themes:

Flavor Innovators/Craft Cheese/Food Tourism/Food Town/New Americans  

Flavor Is King – In a sea of sameness, the innovators of flavor demonstrate how their approaches reinvent the market. 

Food Town – How highly committed and community-minded food and beverage entrepreneurs inject new energy and financial growth through clustered food and culinary enterprise.  This year Chef Summit focuses on Lewiston.  

Trends in Craft Cheese – Cheese mongers and producers discuss how New England’s cheese businesses positively impact their local communities and reveal trends in the US cheese market. 

Destination Eat & Drink – Iconic food and beverage leaders come together to discuss culinary tourism, notable success stories, challenges and opportunities.

Chef Summit Expert Demonstrations –  

  • Erik LeVine, the Chef at Bigelow Brewing Company, will share the “stage” with Mousam Valley Mushrooms, demonstrating creative ways to utilize Maine’s abundant mushroom varieties.
  • Brian & Brad Wasik of Wasik’s Cheese Shop in Wellesley, MA will be leading a cheese demo to educate restaurant and retail participants on ways to simplify the craft cheese sales pitch to their customers by better understanding the 8 cheese families, production of each cheese, flavor and attributes.

Networking Reception – Industry Only Event for Attendees – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM Consumer/Industry Culinary Celebration – Cheesedom Fondue Party- 6 PM to 9 PM

Chefs, Cheesemakers, and Cheesemongers from near and far mix up their favorite cheesy recipes for the ultimate Cheesedom celebration that includes Shipyard beer and craft cocktails. 

Other Chef Summit Events 

Monday January 28th – 5:00 to 8:00 PM

“The Art of Business” An Evening with Ari Weinzweig

Book Signing, Parmigiano Reggiano Wheel Cracking & Wine Tasting  

Join us for special visit to Portland by a food industry innovator, speaker and writer Ari Weinzweig, CEO & co-founder of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, to share his newly released pamphlet “The Art of Business”. Ari will share his latest thinking on business, art and how the two can be brought together to make for more positive and meaningful outcome for all!          

Guests will enjoy an interview style format with Q&A followed by book signing with Ari, social networking and Roger’s Collection cracking of a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano and wine tasting. 

Taking place at the Maine Historical Society, guests will have the chance to view the last few days of the “Maine Eats” exhibit showcasing Maine’s colorful food & beverage history https://www.mainehistory.org/museum_overview.shtml

Hosted by Rogers Collection, Maine Historical Society & O’Maine Studios

Monday Jan 28th, 5:00 to 8:00 PMat the Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street **Ticket includes Ari’s Art of Business Pamphlet, a selection of wine tastings, cheese tastings, and a chunk of Parmigiano to go! 

The Grand Tasting – Feb 1st & 2nd at Sunday River

Chef Summit’s annual finale Tasting Event – A showcase of 12 top Chef teams &

Mixologists, from Maine and abroad, cooking & mixing their inspired recipes for 250 NE Food Fans. This popular Chef Summit event has sold out every year since its inception! 

Schedule for Sunday River at the Jordan Hotel

  • Friday Feb 1st – Chef Summit Industry Networking Reception 6 PM to 8 PM
  • Saturday Feb 2nd – Chef Summit Grand Tasting 6 PM to 9 PM

Chef Summit Attending Culinary & Producer Mentors & Innovators Returning Alumni

  • Andrew Taylor/Owner/Chef: Big Tree Hospitality – Portland, ME
  • Arlin Smith/Owner/GM: Big Tree Hospitality – Portland, ME
  • Carrie Blakeman/Owner: Rogers Collection – Yarmouth, ME
  • Danielle Walker/Owner/GM: Walkers Maine – Cape Neddick, ME
  • David Turin/Owner/Chef: David’s Restaurants – Southern Maine
  • Harding Smith/Owner/Chef: The Rooms – Portland, ME
  • Josh Belanger/Events & Mixologist: Black Point Inn – Scarborough, ME
  • Josh Berry/Chef: UNION at The Press Hotel – Portland, ME
  • Justin Walker/Owner/Chef: Walkers Maine – Cape Neddick, ME
  • Kerry Altiero/Owner/Chef: Café Miranda – Rockland, ME
  • Matt Ginn/Chef: EVO – Portland, ME
  • Melissa Kelly/Owner/Chef: Primo – Rockland, ME
  • Mike Wiley/Owner/Chef: Big Tree Hospitality – Portland, ME
  • ProStart Student Chef Team – Multiple Towns, ME
  • Sara Rademaker/Owner: American Unagi – Walpole, ME
  • Sean Doherty/Owner/Chef: The Rooms – Portland, ME

Chef Summit Attending Culinary & Producer Mentors & Innovators New Participants

  • Adeline Druart/CEO: Vermont Creamery – Websterville, VT
  • Alex Chilton/Chef: Sea Dog – South Portland, ME
  • Ali Waks Adams/Chef: The Brunswick Inn – Brunswick, ME
  • Allen Smith/Owner: Forage Market – Lewiston & Portland, ME
  • Allison Lakin/Owner/Cheesemaker: Lakin’s Gorges Cheese – Waldoboro, ME
  • Amy Rowbottom/Cheesemaker: Crooked Face Creamery – ME 
  • Ann Bossi/Cheesemaker: Sunset Acres – ME 
  • Ari Weinzweig/CEO: Zingerman’s Deli & Zingtrain – Ann Arbor, MI
  • Avery Richter/Chef: Black Tie Company – Portland, ME
  • Bob Bowen/Cheesemaker: Sunset Acres – ME 
  • Brad Wasik/Co-owner: Wasik’s Cheese Shop – Wellesley, MA
  • Brian Wasik/Co-owner: Wasik’s Cheese Shop – Wellesley, MA
  • Caroline Ham/Cheesemaker: Kennebec Cheesery – ME 
  • Carrie Whitcomb/Cheesemaker: Springdale Farm – ME 
  • Chris Charland/Chef: Federal Jacks – Kennebunkport, ME
  • Chris Follari/Chef/Culinary Director: Sodexo – Globally
  • Chris Hamilton/Cheesemaker: Hamilton Farm – ME 
  • Christine Burns Rudalevige/Food Writer: Green Plate Special – Brunswick ME Christopher Hahn/Cheesemaker: 3 Level Farm – ME 
  • Damian Zedower/Senior Chef: Sodexo – North America
  • Deb Hahn/Cheesemaker: Hahn’s End – ME 
  • Deb Webster/Fine Cheese Expert: Hannaford Supermarkets – Maine
  • Diane Fredrikson/Cheesemaker: Fredrikson Farm – ME 
  • Dorothee Grimm/Cheesemaker: Silvery Moon Creamery – ME 
  • Eben Miller/Cheesemaker: Springdale Farm – ME 
  • Ed Fredrikson/Cheesemaker: Fredrikson Farm – ME 
  • Emily Sharood/Head of Marketing & Sales: Mousam Valley Mushrooms – Springvale, ME
  • Erik Heim/President: Nordic Aquafarms – NORWAY & Belfast, ME
  • Erik LeVine/Chef: Bigelow Brewing Company – Skowhegan, ME
  • Heather Donahue/Cheesemaker: Balfour Farm – ME 
  • Heidi Parent/Chef/Instructor: Capital Area Technical Center – Augusta, ME
  • Ilma Lopez/Co-owner/Chef: Piccolo and Chaval – Portland, ME
  • Jack Lombard/CEO: Browne Trading Company – Portland, ME
  • Jared Auerbach/Owner: Red’s Best – Boston, MA
  • Jason Voye/Chef: Sea Dog – Topsham, ME 
  • Jess English/Chef/GM: Sea Dog – South Portland, ME
  • Jessie Dowling/President: Maine Cheese Guild – Rockport, ME
  • Jill Dutton/Owner: The Cheese Iron – Scarborough, ME
  • Jonathan Romano/Owner/Chef: Omakase – Oslo, NORWAY
  • Jordan Rubin/Owner/Chef: Mr. Tuna – Portland, ME
  • Josh Burkett/Chef: Sea Dog – North Conway, NH
  • Karl McElligot/Food & Beverage Director: UNION Restaurant – Portland, ME
  • Kate Landry/Co-owner: Fish Bones American Grill – Lewiston, ME
  • Luke Holden/Founder/Owner: Luke’s Lobster – Portland, ME
  • Luke Livingston/Founder/President: Baxter Brewing Co. – Lewiston, ME
  • Lynne Rowe/Owner: Tortillería Pachanga – Portland, ME
  • Mateo Kehler/Co-Founder: Jasper Hill Farm – Greensboro, VT
  • Matt Moretti/Co-owner: Bangs Island Mussels – Portland, ME
  • Matt Stiker/CMO: Garrand Moehlenkamp – Portland, ME
  • Matt Wickert/Owner: Northern Union – Ogunquit, ME
  • Matthew Brown/Director of Sales & Purchasing: Brown Trading Co – Portland, ME
  • Meg Wilcox/Writer & Photographer: Freelance & Civil Eats – Boston, MA
  • Michael Sanders/Founding Editor: Zest Maine & Edible Maine – Midcoast Maine
  • Mike Dostie/Board Chair: Downtown Lewiston Association – Lewiston, ME
  • Nancy Harmon Jenkins/Food Writer/Speaker/Authority – Maine & beyond
  • Paolo Laboa/Chef: Solo Italiano – Portland, ME
  • Patrick Armstrong/Chef: Sea Dog – Exeter, NH
  • Patti Hamilton/Cheesemaker: Hamilton Farm/ Barred Owl Creamery – ME 
  • Paul Landry/Co-owner/Chef: Fish Bones American Grill – Lewiston, ME
  • Polly McMichael/Co-owner/Chef: Rolling Fatties – Kingfield, ME
  • Romann Dumorne/Chef: Northern Union – Ogunquit, ME
  • Ryan McPherson/Owner: Glidden Point Oyster Farms – Edgecomb, ME
  • Sam Richman/Owner/Chef: Sammy’s Deluxe – Rockland, ME
  • Sara Jenkins/Owner/Chef: Nina June – Rockport, ME
  • Sarah Hach/Owner: Maine Food For Thought – Portland, ME
  • Sarah Spring/Cheesemaker : Spring Day Creamery – ME 
  • Sarah Wiederkehr /Cheesemaker: Winter Hill Creamery – ME 
  • Shawn Paciulli/National Account Manager: Browne Trading Co – Portland, ME
  • SMCC Culinary Arts Student Team – South Portland, ME
  • Stephanie Skinner/Owner/Editor: Culture Cheese Magazine – Boston, MA
  • Thomas Ardia/Mixologist: Sonder & Dram – Lewiston, ME
  • Vince Maniaci/Owner: The Cheese Iron – Scarborough, ME
  • Wes Philbrick/Chef: Black Point Inn – Scarborough, ME 

…And more being added every day!