Summer Fare #45

David Levi

David Levi is a chef, writer, teacher, and activist.  After studying history at Dartmouth and earning his MFA in poetry at Bennington, David worked in New York restaurants before becoming a full-time tutor and, later, a high school history and English teacher.    In 2010 & 2011, David staged with the great Tuscan butchers Stefano Falorni and Dario Cecchini, at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Perry St. in NYC, at Noma in Copenhagen, and at Fäviken Magasinet in the northerly region of Jamtland, Sweden.  In 2011, David returned to Portland, ME and began teaching a series of cooking classes, based on local foods and the nutritional wisdom of indigenous societies, Weston Price, and Gary Taubes.

David is now working on opening his Portland restaurant, to be called Vinland.  Vinland may be the first fine-dining restaurant anywhere to use 100% local foods, with a special emphasis on wild foods, and produce zero waste.  The aim to benefit ethical local food producers as much as possible.

Rafael Adams

Rafael Adams, owner of SOPOSUP South Portland, Maine is the first store in New England to sell exclusively stand up boards, paddles and accessories. Stand Up Paddleboarding is now the fastest growing water-sport in the world. It is being done on oceans far from shore, in lakes, rivers and ponds, down rapids, across bays and on waves big and small by women, men, mothers, fathers, children and grandparents.

Anita Demetropoulos

Anita Demetropoulos and her husband Jim are the owners of Island Treasure Toys, a local toy store that is beloved by the residents of Yarmouth, Freeport, and much of Southern Maine. Anita has lived in Maine for twenty years and currently resides in Yarmouth on Littlejohn Island. She is the proud mother of four daughters.

Ten years ago she and husband Jim began Island Treasure Toys as an online business run from their home; they had to unload shipments onto their porch and enjoyed having their children “test-drive” new toys! However, the business soon outgrew the space of their house and they opened their first store on Main Street in Yarmouth.  Anita quickly became known as a toy expert and Island Treasure Toys was relied on as a destination for unique, high-quality toys that encourage imaginative play and will last a lifetime. A generous supporter of local organizations, Anita has been able to utilize the business of Island Treasure Toys to sponsor children’s museums, schools, and other groups that center on children and education. In the past couple of years, Anita has gone back to school to pursue a business degree, and in 2011 Island Treasure Toys expanded into a second store on Bow Street in Freeport.