Anyone over 21 is welcome to attend. The event is free and is held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For reservations, call 207-347-6154 and be sure to check out the website for more information.

www.facebook.com/CantinaElRayo

If you’re looking for a casual dining experience with elegant appeal, Cantina El Rayo on 85 York Street in Portland is the place for you.

Featuring Latin American and Mexican dishes, this up-and-coming restaurant hosts a variety of fun activities for customers to enjoy – such as this Sunday’s Tom Brady and Madonna Lookalike Contest to win a $50 gift card!

Cantina El Rayo also serves late night Happy Hour beverages from 10 p.m. – Midnight, including $5 Margaritas & Rum Daiquiris, $2 Bud, Sol, Tecate, and $3 Dos Equis Draft.

Visit Cantina El Rayo for a fun, exciting dining experience! And be sure to check out the restaurant Facebook page here!

Restaurant Week

Dozens of restaurants in the area will be participating, offering dinners at $20, $30, or $40 depending on the restaurant. At some, there will be $15 lunches available as well. By making meals more affordable, food fans will be able to try out a variety of dishes in many different restaurants.

Below is the list of participating restaurants in Portland:

Back Bay Grill, Corner Room Kitchen and Bar, David’s Monument Square, DISTRICT, Eve’s at the Garden, Farmer’s Table, Front Room Restaurant & Bar, Great Lost Bear, Grill Room & Bar, Gritty McDuff’s, Local 188, Porthole Restaurant, Ri Ra Irish Pub, Sonny’s, Twenty Milk Street, Walter’s, Zapoteca Restaurante Y Tequileria

For more information about Restaurant Week, visit www.mainerestaurantweek.com

photo from cutcaster.com

If you’re gearing up for an awesome Super Bowl party, make sure you stop by Whole Foods on Saturday from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. The Beer Buyer there will share his favorite brews with you to make sure you have everything you need to host a fantastic event your friends will be talking about for a long time! The event is free, and for more information you can call 207-774-7711.

For the local sports fans, head to the Maine Mall in South Portland tomorrow to meet the Red Claws and get their autographs! The team will be at the mall from 3 – 5 p.m. While you’re there, you can make Valentines for your friends or for a senior in a local nursing home (the cards will be distributed on Valentine’s Day). This fun-filled event will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine.

photos from mainehomeandlifestyle.com

Portland Harbor Hotel’s famed Ice Bar is making its grand return in just a few short days, so get ready to try out all types of specialty martinis, wines, and beers in a unique setting!

With bars sculpted completely of ice, the Portland Harbor Hotel invites you to celebrate winter in a new way!

Inside the hotel, there will be complimentary hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment for guests to enjoy.

Tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets

This event is only open to ticket holders, so be sure to get yours early. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., January 26-28.

Don’t miss out on this creative and fun celebration!

And be sure to check out these videos of previous Ice Bars!

Ice Bar 2010
Ice Bar 2009

Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Seattle Mariners pitcher (and native Mainer) Charlie Furbush will also be attending the dinner, which takes place on Friday January 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sable Oaks Marriot in South Portland.

If you’d like the opportunity to help the cause and attend the event, tickets are $50 and are limited to 300. You can purchase the tickets in person at the Hadlock Field Ticket Office, by phone at 207-879-9500, or online at seadogs.com.

The Nonatum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine will serve brunch on four Sundays in October and November (October 9 & 16 and November 13 & 20, 2011) featuring the Matt Fogg Jazz Trio.

The picturesque setting overlooking the Kennebunk River is a wonderful spot to enjoy a great dining experience. The Sunday Jazz Brunch will run from 11am to 2pm at the Nonantum Resort, 95 Ocean Avenue, Kennebunkport, Maine. Reservations Requested. Plated Brunch. Open to the Public.

FMI, please visit: http://www.nonantumresort.com/reservations-packages/upcoming-events

I’ve personally been to a number of these events, and the Gritty’s one in particular and it was wonderful. A great opportunity to enjoy different food and drink combos while meeting great people.

This is a very popular event – reserve your seat today! Note: Chamber of Commerce members get PROPEL pricing! To register please visit Propel Eats Registration – Gritty McDuff’s

This fabulous event will feature culinary creations from Greater Portland chefs from DiMillo’s, Nosh Kitchen Bar, The Salt Exchange, Figa, Zapoteca, The Porthole, and Hannaford. You’ll enjoy wonderful wines paired with each food item.

The event will feature a number of great packages available for bid through a silent auction, as well as culinary auction packages in a live auction format.  Local sponsors include; Wright Express, ProSearch, Martin’s Point Health Care, Native Maine Produce, Living Wealth Partners, and Maine Magazine.

One hundred percent of funds raised will directly serve the March of Dimes and their mission to help moms have full-term pregnancies and fund research to solve the problems that threaten the health of babies. The Maine Chapter of the March of Dimes funds over $600,000 in research, local community grants, NICU Family Support at Maine Medical Center, and education projects across the state.

The event is a wonderful fundraiser for a great cause – The Amy St. Laurent Foundation which among other things underwrites the Portland Police Department’s Rape Agression Defense (R.A.D.) training class.

In addition to a silent auction, attendees will enjoy music from The Time Pilots and refreshments, along with a 1980′s theme for the event. Tickets are only $25 and support the RAD program, which continues to serve as a life changing event for many women who have taken the class. Right now, the class is offered several times a year, however, there is a demand for more.

For more information, please check out the Amy St. Laurent Foundation Facebook Fan Page