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Press Accolades | News Releases | Media Contact

PRESS ACCOLADES

The Portland Press Herald profiles Cinque Terre Sous Chef Chris Geer as part of Oakhurst’s Salute to Sous campaign. (Read the clip)

On the Menu hosts Ann and Peter Haigh discuss the joys of Ligurian cuisine with Chef Lee Skawinski. (Listen to the clip)

Good Day Maine talks with Chef Lee Skawinski about working closely with local farmers in getting the best ingredients for Cinque Terre and Vignola as well as the upcoming Harvest Dinner and Eco Appetito. (Watch the clip)

Maine Ahead sits down with Chef Lee Skawinski in September issue's Chef to Chef feature: "Cinque Terre in Portland is a long way from the Italian Riviera, but it’s easy to forget once you taste that first bite." (Read the clip)

Portland Monthly profiles Cinque Terre mixologist Scott Doherty. (Read the clip)

GQ recommends Cinque Terre as one of its sites for Soil to Table Inspiration: "In all of eating, there is no better idea than [Chef] Lee Skawinski's: Apply the principles of small-town Italy to an American restaurant..."
(Read the clip)

Central Maine Radio Stations interview Chef Lee Skawinski about Cinque Terre's own Grand View Farm in Greene, ME, and recent GQ coverage.
(Tune in here)

Taste of the Seacoast features Chef Skawinski in Winter/Spring 2009 issue: "At Cinque Terre, in Portland, Maine, Chef Lee Skawinski honors the Italian tradition of using what is available in the garden that day."
(Read the Clip)

Tasting Table, National Edition features Maine Lobster and Crispy Lobster Tail recipe from Cinque Terre/Vignola Chef Lee Skawinski.
(Read the Feature)

National Culinary Review features Cinque Terre's crowd-pleasing Crab Cannelloni with Fresh Tomato Sauce.
(Read the Clip)

The American Farm to Table Restaurant Guide features Cinque Terre and Vignola Chef Lee Skawinski.
(Read the Clip)

Gourmet magazine’s August issue names Cinque Terre to its list of “Favorite Farm-forward Restaurants”: “Snuggled into a ship chandlery in Portland’s maritime district, native New Englander [Chef] Lee Skawinski’s eight-year-old restaurant is like something straight out of Liguria.”
(Read the Clip)

US Airways Magazine includes Cinque Terre Chef Lee Skawinski in "Welcome to Portland - Now Let's Eat" Feature:
(Read the Clip)

Epicurious names Cinque Terre to its list of the "Top 10 Farm-to-Table restaurants in the U.S."
(Read the profile)

Gourmet magazine's Caroline Bates gives Cinque Terre raves: "The Portland I knew is ancient history. It intrigues me to eat a Northern Italian dinner [at Cinque Terre] cooked by native New England chefs from ingredients grown or produced primarily in Maine...the opening fricos - fried Montasio cheese stuffed variously with potatoes, zucchini, and house-made peperoncini - tell us the kitchen is in good hands. And so do the robustly flavorful salads of beets and fennel with shaved Pecorino. We rave about tender trenette with corn, zucchini, and oyster mushrooms."

National Geographic Traveler highlights Chef Lee Skawinski's cuisine: "For lamb that never tasted better, Diane Hudson, Portland food writer, goes to Cinque Terre. 'Each plate is a novel twist on traditional Italian.' "

The New York Times points visitors to Cinque Terre: "[The Restaurant] serves northern Italian specialties in a former ship chandlery on a cobblestone alley. Among the options: grilled vegetables served with local goat cheese, and grilled king salmon with arugula and a two-olive tapenade."

"Wine and Dine Radio" gets the scoop from Chef Skawinski on Cinque Terre's 1st Annual "Eco-Appetito - Good Eating for a Good Earth" food celebration.
(Tune in)

TIME magazine's John Cloud visits Cinque Terre's Grand View Farm for his "What America Eats" column: "Today the farm-to-table ideal has spread across the nation...the restaurateurs operate farms themselves."
( Read the feature)

USA Today seeks the advice of Chef Lee Skawinski in their summer wine column "Sips: It's summer, and time to get a little color."
(Read the profile.)

StarChefs.com profiles Cinque Terre Chef Lee Skawinski in "This Week's Chef" feature.
(Read the profile)

James Beard Foundation praises Cinque Terre's authentic Italian cuisine: "Many guests find it hard to remember they’re in Portland, Maine, as they tuck into chef Lee Skawinski’s 'casually elegant' Northern Italian specialties at Cinque Terre. Skawinski not only crafts an authentic Italian menu, he aims to create a truly Italian dining experience...To really take you away, the meal can be augmented with wine from the restaurant's award-winning, all-Italian wine list. What makes the whole thing sing, though, is the logic behind the magic. Located on the cobblestoned Wharf Street in the heart of the city’s Old Port, Cinque Terre is smack in the middle of a vibrant seaside community, reminiscent of its namesake region...So remember, despite what your atlas says, Cinque Terre, Maine, makes perfect sense."

Yankee magazine spotlights Cinque Terre Chef Lee Skawinski: "Chef Lee Skawinski and his partner, Dan Kary, are so committed to local foods that they farm most of the produce on their menus themselves...Lee puts his food, not his ego, at the center of the plate..."
(Read the profile)

Gannett News: "Here, local ingredients are transformed under the watchful eye of Chef Lee Skawinski into spectacular dishes. Fine hospitality and thought are reflected in every aspect of the food and service — from our server's extensive hospitality background to the produce grown just for their menu at Grand View farm in Greene, Maine."
(Read the feature)

Life by Design features Cinque Terre Chef Lee Skawinski's Grilled Scallops with Parsnips: "This dish is sure to leave you...with a strong desire to stop over in Portland and partake in a meal at Cinque Terre."
(Read the feature)

Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine profiles Chef Lee Skawinski in summer 2008 issue: "Bringing 'Local' from Italy to Maine: Lee Skawinski is a chef with one foot firmly planted on the coast of Maine and the other on the coast of Italy."
(Read the feature)

Down East magazine highlights Cinque Terre's unique dining experience and use of high-quality ingredients to present "dishes full of simple, intense flavors."
(Read the profile)

PIZZA Magazine interviews Chef Lee Skawinski: "Northern Italy, by way of New England: The people behind Portland, Maine's Cinque Terre saw a gap in the market, and jumped to fill it."
(Read the profile)

Maine Home + Design covers Cinque Terre's annual Harvest Dinner at Cinque Terre's Farm: "Chef Skawinski's touch in the kitchen was inspired...Experiences like Cinque Terre's harvest dinner remind us that we need not be wistful of al Old World traditions - for some aren't as far away as we might imagine."
(Read a profile)

Where to Eat: Boston spotlights Cinque Terre Chef Lee Skawinski in Summer 2008's "Chef's Dish" feature.
(Read the Profile)

About.com: "Cinque Terre...has received rave reviews for its northern Italian dishes featuring Italy's finest cheeses, olive oils, and cured meats that compliment hand-made pastas, fresh seafood, and select meats. They've also received the coveted Wine Spectator award for their excellent wine selection."

The Phoenix "Best Italian Restaurant: Voters love Cinque Terre for its food, a northern-Italian style not all that commonly thought of when most of us consider Italian food, especially in Portland. Cinque Terre does itself proud from the moment you step into the two-level dining room, with a wooden boat-frame model suspended from the ceiling. Sure, it has the open kitchen that’s become all the rage in boutique restaurants, but more important is its cellar, rarely viewed, but brimming with an unbelievable set of wines that make its wine list one of the best in southern Maine...If you’re up for the challenge of eating — and drinking — like a real Italian, you’re home."

Food in Portland "I must admit, I enjoyed the food at Portland's Cinque Terre even more than anything we had in the real Cinque Terre. They have managed to grasp the feeling of true Italian dining, something which was quite a shock at first to all of us from two-course America."

My Gourmet Connection gathers suggestions from Chef Lee Skawinski on ideal Super Bowl cheese and wine pairings: "Chef Lee Skawinski of Portland, Maine's Cinque Terre and Vignola restaurants worked with McCalman's Super Bowl Sunday Fromage Plate to suggest the ideal beer pairings. Skawinski recommends a wheat beer or a classic stout, such as Hefeweizen or Guinness, to pair with the Mimolette."
(Read the Clip)

Travel Lady: An Italian Dining Masterpiece in Portland, Maine -
"Just off the main drag in historic Portland’s waterfront district, surrounded by trendy shops, tasteful contemporary art galleries, hip bars and Old Salt pubs, hides the delightful Cinque Terre Ristorante, one of the city’s finest dining options...The northwest Italy six-course menu attracts serious dining enthusiasts...Italian desserts compete for our favor against the best of the world's cuisines' classic sweets. Cinque Terre's dolce are no exception...We were particularly impressed by Cinque Terre’s Wine Spectator-recognized wine list."

The Phoenix "Like a well-crafted film or play, a truly great restaurant takes you out of your world, and transports you to a place created by someone else’s imagination and artistic energy. Cinque Terre, a restaurant in Portland specializing in the cuisine of Italy’s Liguria region, does just that. At a recent dinner at Cinque Terre on Wharf Street, I felt as though I had been swept away to the Italian Riviera — a place where food is prepared with great care and respect, where olive oil is fruity and peppery, the seafood is exquisitely fresh, pasta is homemade, and the service is warm but professional."

Tripz.com: Portland Favorites - Cinque Terre: "Outstanding Northern Italian cuisine served in a rustic brick, wood beam and copper setting in Portland's Old Port. Great food, great wine, great location."

NEWS RELEASES
(click on articles to view PDF)

December 2, 2010 - Cinque Terre to Host Christmas Eve "Feast of the Seven Fishes"

November 3, 2010 - Portland's Vignola to Hold Annual Allagash Beer Tasting Dinner

September 7, 2010 - Portland's Cinque Terre to Host Third Annual "Eco Appetito" Tasting to Benefit Ferry Beach Ecology School

September 1, 2010 - Cinque Terre and Vignola to Host Sixth Annual Harvest Dinner

November 12, 2009 - Cinque Terre Dinner Celebrates Slow Food Movement

June 23, 2009 - Cinque Terre Launches Nightly Prosecco Happy Hour

February 25, 2009 - Cinque Terre to Hold Second Annual "Eco Appetito" Event for Ferry Beach Ecology School

July 30, 2008 - Cinque Terre and Vignola to Host Fifth Annual Harvest Dinner at Grand View Farm

May 21, 2008 - Maine Chef Lee Skawinski to be Featured at New York's James Beard House for September 17th Dinner Presentation Event

May 15, 2008 - Epicurious Names Maine's Cinque Terre to "Top Ten Farm-to-Table Restaurants in the U.S.A." List

March 4, 2008 - Cinque Terre Hosts First Annual "Eco Appetito - Good Eating for a Good Earth" Event

August 29, 2007 - Cinque Terre to Hold 4th Annual Harvest Dinner September 9 at Grand View Farm

February 15, 2007 - Chef Lee Skawinski to Host "Tastes of the Veneto," Venetian Wine Reception and Dinner at Portland, Maine Restaurants

January 24, 2007 - Cinque Terre in Portland Maine Earns Slot on Jerry Shriver's "Dishes of the Year" List in USA TODAY

For further information, downloadable photos, or to schedule an interview with Chef Lee Skawinski, contact:

Jen Beltz
Front Burner PR
Ph: 207.699.5502
jen@frontburnerpr.com


or

Thom Householder
Front Burner PR
Ph: 207.699.5501
thom@frontburnerpr.com

   

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