If you’re a fan of the Maine Italian, head to Monument Square on Thursday to get a bite of what is being billed as the World’s Largest Maine Italian Sandwich. At least nine local sandwich shops plan to meet there at 11 a.m. Each will construct 16 feet of its own signature Maine Italian. Together, they hope to build a finished sandwich that is 144 feet long.

The event is designed to bring attention to the opening event of this year’s Harvest on the Harbor food festival. “Different Roads,” scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 18, aims to show how Maine food has been influenced by immigration over time.

Botto’s Bakery is supplying the 12-inch rolls for the sandwiches, and participants are providing their own traditional ingredients. The sandwich shops that have confirmed so far are A&C Grocery, Anania’s, Pat’s, DiPietro’s, Sister’s Gourmet Deli, Deb’s, Old Port Sandwich Shop, Leavitt & Sons Deli and the Otherside Delicatessen.

So, will this sandwich actually be the World’s Largest? Jim Britt, one of the owners/producers of Harvest on the Harbor, says they checked with Guinness World Records, and it turns out there already is an Italian Meat Sandwich record – but it is a completely different sandwich. Britt says they were advised to go forward with Thursday’s event to see if they could do it – then send in details, and Guinness will consider creating a new category. The contest would have to be held again next year, with a Guinness representative present.

Britt expects it will just take 20 minutes to build the sandwich, so if you want to sample it, don’t be late.

A ROSEMONT FOR FALMOUTH

Rosemont Market & Bakery is expanding once again, this time to a 2,000-square-foot location in Falmouth.

The new store, scheduled to open in early winter at 231 Route 1, will be the seventh Rosemont Market to open since 2005 and the second largest. Co-owners John Naylor and Scott Anderson already have four stores in Portland, one in Yarmouth, and one in Cape Elizabeth. The last opened less than a year ago. The existing stores, all known for selling locally sourced produce, house-made breads and other baked goods, soups and sandwiches, take-home meals, and meats and cheeses, collectively employ just under 100 people.

The new Rosemont will have a full deli with a cheese counter and house-prepared cold cuts, an all-local butchery, and a wide selection of wine and beer. Like some of the other Rosemont locations, the store will also sell seafood from Harbor Fish Market.

The store will be located in a former Pratt-Abbott Cleaners near the intersection of Route 1 and Depot Road. Once the space is remodeled, only the 2,500-square foot Rosemont at 580 Brighton Ave. will be larger. The likely hours of operation in Falmouth will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

In announcing the new project, Naylor said, “We’ve known for a long time that Falmouth would be an ideal town for such a market. Our whole reason for being is to connect our neighbors to the farmers, fishers and other food producers we love working with, and so we’re really excited to bring those relationships and that spirit to Falmouth.”

BAKERS SQUARING OFF

Two Kittery bakers are scheduled to appear Saturday on “Bake It Like Buddy,” a new Discovery Family Channel baking competition show featuring “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro and what they describe as “America’s best baking families.”

James Dyer and his husband Owen Dyer, lifelong Kittery residents and owners of Confection Art, will appear on an episode titled “Galaxy Cakes,” battling against a couple from New York to create a cake in just four hours that resembles the galaxy. The episode will air at 9:30 p.m.

The show is filmed at Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. Contestants range from professionals to passionate weekend bakers, and they must be family members. In each episode, Valastro gives a pair of bakers a challenge, then judges their work with help from his own family and the Carlo’s Bakery staff. Each creation is judged on design, flavor, technique, finish, and how well the contestants followed the theme.

ERIN GO BEER

I suppose it was only a matter of time, given the growing beer scene here in Portland. The Maine Brew Bus has announced it’s putting together a “beercation” to Ireland next year – and if you go, you’ll be there for St. Patrick’s Day.

The tour, called “Insider Experience: Ireland,” is scheduled for March 13-20 through a company called Independent Ireland. The tour is limited to 20 people, and costs $1,499 per person, based on double occupancy.

The tour will visit the Guinness Storehouse, St. James Gate and Gravity Bar in Dublin; the Jameson Distillery in Midleton; the Cliffs of Moher, the sea cliffs in County Clare; and lots more, including, of course, lots of breweries.

Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:

mgoad@pressherald.com

Twitter: MeredithGoad