Flavors of Freeport

I had so much fun at this event. I loved mingling with the vendors and seeing wha concoctions they had created.
The distilleries (Cold River, Wiggley Bridge, and New England Distillery) did a great job with their tasters. I would have like mini cocktail tasters as well because drinking straight alcohol became a little difficult after a while (boo hoo, right?).
I had a great time as a judge for their annual FOF best presentation and best taste contest. Petrillo’s knocked it out of the park with this prosciutto wrapped date bite and very close was Bow Street Market with a dinner/​desert combo. Both excellent and both worth going to outside this event.
There were a few things I would have changed to improve to overall experience. It would have been great to have more room to set down your plate and enjoy the food bites. At one point he place was so crowded you could barely move. I was also surprised by the amount of places in Freeport that weren’t represented. Tuscan Bistro, Jameson Tavern, Azure Café, Conundrum Wine Bar, just to name a few. Lastly, there were a few places that ran out of food, despite the statement on the website of that not happening, it happened.
Overall, this was a fun event and evening with an ice bar and outside dancing to cap off the evening.

Flavors of Freeport is one of the best food festivals in Southern Maine. It offers a great opportunity to get out of the house, try something new, and beat the winter blues. Several local restaurants, specialty food stores, and small batch alcohol producers shared their tasty offerings. There is even live music and an ice bar! I was fortunate and received complimentary tickets.
My favorite alcoholic drink was from Cold River Gin. They offered generous gin pours served with lemon basil ice cubes/​frozen sorbet. All the savory samplings offerered at Flavors of Freeport were tasty, but my personal favorite was from Petrillo’s. They served a duck prosciutto wrapped date with marscapone. Frosty’s had a variety of light and fluffy donut holes which paired well with one of Coffee by Design’s blends.
If you decide to go to this event, it is best to come early. The space for the vendors is small and some vendors may run out of food.

I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary ticket to this event. I arrived a little before opening time and there was already a decent crowd forming and waiting to get in. Before entering the actual function area, we walked through a beautiful little patio area that was set up with an ice bar, DJ, ice sculptures, and a fire pit. Given the unseasonably warm weather, this was a perfect set up. I could have spent the night just hanging here and chatting with friends. Alas, the main event was inside… so on, I went.
There were about 15 different food vendors and an additional 6 adult beverage options. Having been to several other food events in the past similar to this, I will say that this one definitely wasn’t lacking on the food. Most every place had plenty of samples, allowing for guests to go back an indulge maybe 2, 3 or even 4 times (not that I did that…).
I think my favorite was the mascarpone stuffed date wrapped in duck prosciutto from Petrillo’s. It was a little bit of heaven. Drinks wise — I could have drank the Cold River Gin with that lemon basil ice ball all night long. Oh, and of course dessert — there were so many and it is my favorite course, so choosing a winner here is just not possible. But, that turtle sundae, even in its melted state was amazing!
My only critique of the event is that the space was just a bit too cramped for the number of people in the room. You often had to duck and dodge in order to get to the table. And, more than once, I was bumped into while carrying something, spilling bits of food and drink here and there. A little more space would be a big plus for this event.
Overall, I left full and happy — and wih a small Coffee By Design to go for my drive home. Thanks Flavors of Freeport for a great evening.

What a terrific break to the winter routine. The band was terrific on Friday, as were the costumes of the attendees. The food at the Saturday event was also excellent and we enjoyed getting to know our local chefs and business owners. We were also very pleased to see Unilocal in attendance and learned a lot about the application. Good job Unilocal.
My only critics my was that the line at the ice bar was always too long to make it convenient. We would have consumed more if there was not a 20 minute wait.

Soooo much food. I am doing this review so soon because I just can’t move. The spectrum of food was so wide I just couldn’t say no to anything.
Lobster mac&cheese, bacon with sauces, olives, mini lobster rolls, frosty’s donuts, crusty breads with olive oils, eclairs, and many more.
Drinks were plenty too! I tried some rums and vodkas, different wines, hard ciders, and mixed drink that features black raspberry lemonade and vodka. All very nice.
The crowd was intense. So many people were milling about in these tight quarters that there were several spills and close calls with my food and drinks. I wish they had opened up the other part of this room so the vendors and the guests could have had more space to move and eat.
I really enjoyed this event. It really gave a taste of so many different places I have and have not tried in the area. I will definitely be bookmarking a few spots to hit up in the near future and look forward to next year.

This event was fun and I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed meeting Steff and being introduced to Unilocal.
I liked the ice bar display, it was very pretty. I was under the impression that the ice bar drinks were going to be free but they were not. My boyfriend had a mixed drink for 8 $ which we thought was reasonable, however the drink itself was not very good. (I did not drink alcohol at this event but my boyfriend did)
Aside from the ice bar drink the other food and beverages offered were excellent. I enjoyed the different selections offered by the vendors and thought they were all very friendly. My only suggestion would be that I would have liked a few more non-​alcoholic beverage choices. But I was probably one of the few who were not drinking at the event, so I can understand why. Overall a great event and will definitely be attending again next year.

Quite festive. I liked the variety of restaurants and alcohol that you got to sample. The food was ok. Some good some not so good. The alcohol samples were very small but a great variety. The drinks at the ice bar were quit costly, 5 buck for a beer, 9 bucks for a mixed drink, and this was on top of the 52 dollars we already paid to get in. The event was oversold considering the space it was in, very crowded and hard to move. Sorry, not on my list for next year.

What a lovely event and fun way to showcase local chefs! There was a vast amount of variety in the selection of vendors – distilleries, wine distributors, British eats, beer cheese, ahhhhh!
I really appreciated some of the creativity in these dishes. Some of the highlights include: hot carrot cake (like hot chocolate but carrot cake flavored) from the Muddy Rudder, miso fish from Azure Café, blueshine (blueberry moonshine) from Maine Craft Distillery, and BBQ carrot sliders and kale cheesecake (yes, kale cheesecake!) from Haraseeket Inn. There are so many other wonderful flavors I can mention but then this review would go on for days.
This was my first ice bar experience and it was really cold but I guess that’s to be expected. The signature drink with ginger, maple, and barley brew was delicious. Kind of pricy ($ 8) but it tasted like a ginger margarita so I loved it.
The venue was nice and the hotel added some nice touches but it got quite crowded (and warm) inside. I also wish there was more excitement/​celebration for the winners. They were quickly announced on the PA system and I’m sure half of the attendees didn’t hear it.
I would attend this event again. It was a good time!

Had a great time. Lots of food and drink to sample. Great to see the local distillery’s. All were excellent. Definitely putting on the calendar for next year!

Wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by the event. The variety of food vendors was vast, and every single bite I had was absolutely delicious. From the meatball skewers, to the lobster puffs, sliders and my personal favorite… grilled sandwiches with creamy tomato soup (I am a simple creature).
I loved that in addition to savory items there were also quite a few sweets, at some events there is favoritism towards one or the other, but at Flavors of Freeport it was a great balance. My personal favorite, the chocolate of course and Whoopie Pies (also chocolate base… big surprise there).
My favorite though was the ice bar and ice throne — and after sitting in it I am now convinced that not only do I need a throne at home, but that to get through the winters I really need one made of ice so that I can sip my martinis from it.
As for the crowd — there was a mix of all ages from 21 – 60, which made the vibe really fun and welcoming. Everyone that we ended up chatting with was really nice and we got some great tips on places to try this spring and summer in Freeport.
Thanks Unilocal