I was walking down Congress Street past the Eastland Park Hotel the other night when I snapped this shot. Broadcasting Eatland into the dark night sky, it looks like it could be intentional. A neon homage to our James Beard awarding-winning chefs and our culture of sustainable, organic food.

Because it's required for residents of Eatland, I spend a lot of time eating in restaurants. But the past two days have been different, because I've made my lunch dates online. Here I am with the Maine Vegan Meetup group at Silly's for lunch on Saturday. Silly's has a huge vegan menu, vegan desserts, vegan beers and daily vegan specials. The eatery also whips up Soy Silkshakes, and I ordered one with chocolate, peanut butter and coffee. It was rich and oh so delicious.

There are other Maine Meetups dedicated to dining out, including the Portland Dine and Wine Meetup and the Portland Out and About Meetup. It's free to join, and once you're a member the group's organizer will email you info about upcoming get togethers that you can opt to attend or not.

Another way to meet new people and explore Portland's restaurant scene is by signing up for Green Lunches. This off-shoot of the wildly popular Greendrinks parties allows you to sign up for social networking lunches with other people who are nearby at noontime.

I had the pleasure of joining these fun folks for a Green Lunch at the Dry Dock on Friday. It was a beautiful day, and we got to be among the first people to break in the restaurant's lower deck for the season. As we ate, we talked about all the excellent green initiatives moving forward in Maine right now. It was a good time, and a great example of how food and technology can bring people together. Especially here in Eatland.