Campaign Schmear iston bakery Forage Market will expand into the former Creighton’s Flower Market at 123 Wash- ington Avenue. The bakery’s fire-blistered ba- gels have been ranked one of the best in the coun- try by Saveur magazine. Nearby, Union Bagel an- nounced it will open a second, larger location on Veranda Street to meet growing demand from wholesalers, though they’ll keep their cozy store- front on Cumberland Avenue. In Biddeford, Rov- er Bagels added to the city’s ever-expanding ros- FEBRUARY 3 Chef Summit The third annual Chef Summit at Sunday River brings 12 chefs and mix- ologists together for a unique evening of world- class food and beverag- es. Featuring dishes from Chef Josh Berry (Union), Chef Mike Wiley (Hugo’s), Chef David Turin (David’s) and more, it’s the foodi- est event of the year on the mountain. sundayriver.com 12 Beer Hearts Chocolate Allagash hosts a romantic beer and chocolate pair- ing event right in time for Valentine’s Day. A por- tion of the proceeds go toward benefiting the American Heart Associa- tion. How sweet is that? allagash.com 28 Incredible Breakfast Cook-off Kick Maine Restaurant Week off a few days early with the annual Incred- ible Breakfast Cook-off! Taste the best of what the city has to offer for morning treats from some of the area’s best restaurants. Who will win bragging rights? mainerestaurantweek.com 13 Mardi Gras WMPG hosts the 23rd Fat Tuesday party at the USM Woodbury Campus Center. There will be live Acadian and New Orleans music and local restau- rants will prepare their but not quite right. We think of the New York ba- gel like the New York slice–as the benchmark–but I actually don’t like a lot of the recipes from the iconic bagel makers. I’m a nerd for the traditional recipes and methods. It’s a matter of taste.” Looking like a slice of 1970s Lower East Side New York, Rose Foods on Forest Avenue (for- merly home to BreaLu cafe) is certainly tapping into our faith in the New-York-style bagel expe- rience. “I developed the recipe over the winter in my kitchen,” says Chad Conley, who also owns the popular Palace Diner in Biddeford. “I worked hard to develop the right texture: a crisp bite to the exterior and a light chewiness.” Conley grew up down the street from Rose Foods and recalls when dining out in the area involved a trip to Olive Gar- den. He fell for the idea of a tradition- al-style bagel shop while traveling to New York and Vancouver. Creations like the Luxe Lox–Nova lox, salmon caviar, and lox cream cheese–eat- en in the tiny, tiled deli-style shop–will almost transport you to downtown Manhattan. As will the price tag, $16. Elsewhere, Lew- C onsider the humble bagel. A grab- and-go staple of everyday life, it might seem an unlikely food hero. Mister Bagel set the bar locally in 1977 with Brooklyn native Rick Hartglass’s first shop on Forest Avenue. Over 40 years later, we’re experiencing the second coming of the old- school Jewish treat. Here’s hoping the trend doesn’t go the way of New York’s multi-col- ored, sugar-sprinkled ‘unicorn bagels’… “I think what we’re seeing now is a modern interpretation. Bagels today are a lot lighter and less dense, because that’s the taste now,” says Au- drey Farber as she serenely plaits a challa in the sun-washed second floor of Fork Food Labs on a weekday morning. Farber launched Bubbe & Bestemor bak- ing company last year to celebrate her Ashkenazi Jew- ish and Norwe- gian heritage. Hail- ing from New Jer- sey, she moved to Maine aged 12 with her family, including her father, a fervent bagel fan. “He’s doing a taste test of every ba- gel in Maine. He says they’re all good Hungry Eye 46 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine