bar began with a hail of keystrokes. “I was posting pictures of my desserts online with the caption #gross, a nod to the sarcasm that runs rampant in professional kitchens. I started to get a positive response online, and the idea to open a dessert bar grew.” Gross Confection will serve a changing sea- sonal menu of sweet treats, “from large- format desserts for five to six people to in- dividual bites, plus a full bar that will spe- cialise in digestifs.” Is it really as simple as creating a cam- paign page to bring your dreams to life? “It’s a full-time job. You need to spend around two months planning everything out before you even go live,” says Dadale- enjoying the final results at a formal dinner. Not for the faint of heart, the Whole Hog workshop takes place over a two-day period at Nezinscot Farm in Turner, ME, led by the brother- sister duo of Castonguay Meats. Get ready to pig out. 225-3231. castonguaymeats.com 13 Maine Brewers’ Guild Beer Festival Celebrate Maine’s craft beer at the winter ses- sion of the annual Maine Brewers’ Guild Beer Fes- tival at Thompson’s Point in Brick South, featuring an extensive selection of Maine-brewed ales and lagers, as well as live music and plenty of grub from local food trucks to soak up the suds. mainebrewersguild.org 14 Cider Series Dinner #1 at Bolster, Snow & Co. Bolster, Snow & Co.–locat- ed within Portland’s newest boutique hotel, The Fran- cis–hosts Brian Smith of Oyster River Winegrowers for a four-course commu- nal dinner with cider pair- ings, including discussions about apple varieties and the re-emergence of arti- sanal cider-making prac- tices. bolstersnow.com 18-20 Ice Bar at Brunswick Hotel and Tavern Head north to the Bruns- wick Hotel and Tavern for their annual ice ares, who hit his target in October, pledg- ing everything from bon-bons to private parties as incentives to grassroots investors. “People are bombarded by information on- line. You need to be able to really capti- vate an audience. The campaign was a full- time job. I hadn’t expected that. You need to constantly work on your online presence, field questions. There were times I wanted to huck my phone down the stairs.” Other local businesses have used Kick- starter to take flight in recent years. David Levi launched Vinland in 2013 after raising over $45,000 on the platform, on which he shared a fervent 2,000-word manifesto on his locavore vision. Others include FORK Food Lab, Blake Orchard Juicery, Union Bagel, Bearded Lady’s Jewel Box, Strong Brewing, and the recent target-hitter Stars & Stripes Brewing. For the tech-savvy, strategic entrepre- neur willing to market themselves to the lo- cal scene, crowdfunding sites present a dip- lomatic entryway into the local food scene. No need to schmooze big investors or take out loans, but you will have to create the voice and vision to make your idea in a crowded, quickly diverted space. For those who don’t reach their target in the set time, none of the existing investment pledges will be honored. “I was very humbled to reach my tar- get,” Dadaleares says. “I remember look- ing up an investor whose name I didn’t know. It turned out to be a burlesque drag show team in Washington D.C. That was awesome.” W i nterg u i d e 2 0 1 8 4 3 from top: zack bowen (2); Courtesy photos Dadaleares’s “‘Brown Butter Spanish Bar Cake.’ My grandparents would always bring a Spanish Bar Cake when they visited us in Maine.I believe it originated at theA&P stores.It was basically a spiced raisin and applesauce cake with a cream cheese icing.I reimagined the recipe with heirloom apple jam,cream cheese mousse,pomegranate jus, coconut sorbet,and fennel seed tuile.”