Month: April 2023

Review of The Danforth and Vegan Dining Advice

| Posted in General News, Reviews

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a review of The Danforth.

The Danforth is buzzy for good reason. Opened last July by the owners of New York’s Death & Co. bar, this lounge/restaurant is decorated sumptuously, taking midcentury modern tropes and inflecting them with a hint of ’70s mod glam. It is an exceedingly appealing restaurant to stare at from a seat in the plush lounge. Drinks are a bit hit-or-miss, but the bar staff knows how to shake up a tasty nonalcoholic drink, so order a gingery Artificial Light and ask for a food menu. Here, The Danforth is on solid ground, thanks to executive chef Michael Boomhower’s menu of comforting “Americana” classics.

The paper also includes guidance to date-night worthy restaurants with vegan food options.

The End of Portland Now Open

| Posted in Openings

A new bar called The End of Portland (instagram) opened this week. It’s located at 229 Congress Street in the space formerly occupied by Saint Joe’s Restobar. The bar’s name is a nod to being located across the street from the Eastern Cemetery.

The bar has been launched by Johnny Althoff, Andrew Roseman, Celeste Parke, and Benbazi.

As you can see below the menu includes a line-up of house cocktails, a couple of snacks, beer, wine, cider and some “extra curriculars” modified beer drinks. They’re also serving Allen’s Coffee Brandy cupcakes from Clementine Cake Company.

Ore Nell’s Barbecue in Biddeford

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

Kittery-based Ore Nell’s Barbecue (website, facebook, instagram) is opening a second location in Biddeford. The restaurant will be located at 42 Franklin Street in the building formerly occupied by Louie’s Pizza.

Ore Nell’s serves Texas-style barbecue that’s a reflection of chef Will Myska’s Houston upbringing. The menu includes brisket, ribs, pulled pork, house made sausage, chicken and and BBQ tofu. See orenellsbbq.com for the full menu.

Ore Nell’s launched in 2018 as a collaboration between Myska, David Vargas from Vida Cantina in Portsmouth and restaurateur Jay McSharry. Kyle Chauncey is joining the founders in launching the Biddeford location. The team hopes to open the new Ore Nell’s by the end of June.

Fine Fried Chicken

| Posted in People

Crispy Gai chef/owner Cyle Reynolds is featured in a Washington Post article about fine dining chefs making the leap to fried chicken.

It’s easy to forget, but chefs are consumers, too. Cyle Reynolds recalls frequently going out to eat Thai-style fried chicken after his shift at Canvas, a fine-dining restaurant in Bangkok that he helped open in 2016. In Maine a few years later, when his plan to sign a restaurant lease fell through — on March 30, 2020, no less — Reynolds turned to happier memories of fried chicken. He now runs a Thai-style fried chicken restaurant called Crispy Gai in downtown Portland, Maine, with two business partners.

Taste Bud Travel Guide

| Posted in Reviews

The Taste Bud Travel Guide has posted an eating guide to kid-friendly dining destinations in Portland.

Rocky and beautiful, this city by the sea is ready to roll. More than just lobster (although don’t miss that either) the tide is rolling in on Portland, which was named Restaurant City of the Year in 2018. We’re rounded up the top eats, bakeries and fine dining in Forest City for Food Adventures that will delight Taste Buds big and small.

More photos on instagram.

Night Mares on Romasco Lane

| Posted in Under Construction

A new neighborhood bar called Night Mares (instagram) is under development on Romasco Lane. Night Mares will co-occupy the same space as the Prairie Baking Company’s cafe now under construction by Night Mares co-owner Elizabeth Rzoska.

We intend to operate a small, neighborhood-oriented bar that respects and reflects Portland. We’re all Portland residents who’ve worked here in various capacities and live just a short walk from our business’ proposed location. We’re excited to contribute to the dynamic, delightful food and beverage scene in this City, hopefully carving out our own niche.

Owners Louis Masi, Elizabeth Rzoska, Devan Marr, and Christian Roadman hope to open the new establishment by July. The draft menu included with Night Mares’ liquor license application include cocktails like Fog Cutter and The Last word, beer, wine, cider as well as food options like soup with focaccia, salad, cheese boards, gougeres, a vegan board and a beet bruschetta.

Rzoska is the owner of Prairie Baking Company. Masi will be curating the cocktail menu, both Masi and Devan Marr currently work at Jing Yan. Roadman has previously worked in the restaurant industry in Chicago and is now a urban planner.

The name of the bar is meant to “acknowledge the serious, refined aspects of a bar slightly mysterious and intriguing with a lighthearted, welcoming touch.” The team hopes to “earn a beloved reputation over time minimizing noise and hype while maximizing warmhearted quality.”

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.

Upcoming Events

| Posted in Events

April 21-30 – Maine Seaweed Week is taking place; visit seaweedweek.org for information on related events and participating restaurants.

April 24 – Crispy Gai sous chef Amadeus Florendo will be holding a pop-up dinner serving contemporary Filipino cuisine.

April 24-27 – The National Seaweed Symposium will be taking place in Portland.

April 26 – It’s the first day of the summer Portland Farmers’ Market. The market was founded in 1768. If our math is correct that makes 2023 its 255th year in operation.

April 27 – the first of three webinars to food and beverage webinars delivered by Score and Fork Food Lab.

April 28 – Salli Wason of Rosanna’s Ice Cream will be holding a monthly pop-up at Two Fat Cats in South Portland. The ice cream will be available by the pint, scoop or a la mode. This months flavor will be Strawberry Oreo.

April 30 – The Casco Bay chapter of the American Culinary Foundation is holding their annual gala.

May 1 – Scratch Baking is teaching a bagel baking class, and the Garden Bar (instagram) is scheduled to open in Biddeford.

May 4 – Chaval is holding their annual May the Fourth Star Wars dinner.

May 7 – Crispy Gai is holding a 5-course dinner in collaboration with chefs from Norimoto, Pho Huong, Little Brother Chinese, Golden Wat, Frying Dutchman, Thai Esaan, and Mitr. A special cocktail menu featuring Golden Wat Cognac will be available.

May 8 – Bar Futo is holding an 8-course dinner in collaboration with chefs Tracy Chang from Pagu; Christine Lau from The CLAU Group; Tim Ma from Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, Lucky Danger, and Chase the Submarine; Shuai Wang from Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ; Sang Lee from Sushi Sang Lee, and Nikhil Naiker.

May 11 – The film City of Servers will premiere at the Maine Mayhem Film Festival taking place at the Nickelodeon.

May 12 – The Daily Grind and The Sinful Kitchen/Pig Kahuna are holding a pig roast as a benefit for Brea Lu. The Westbrook cafe recently suffered a fire at the construction site for their new location.

May 17/18 – Percy’s and Disco Jalisco are teaming up to produce a pair of dinners.

May 20 – Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

May 30 – GMRI is leading an Alewife Migration Walk at the Mill Brook Preserve.

June 5 – The James Beard Awards ceremony will take place. Nezinscot Farm will receive an American Classics award and The Quarry in Monson will learn if they have won in the Outstanding Hospitality category.

June 11 – Big Tree Hospitality is holding a farm to table dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

June 12-18 – Portland Wine Week is taking place with events at restaurants all over the Portland area.

July 23 – Maine Open Farm Day is taking place.

August 23 – An Outstanding in the Field dinner is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm with guest chef Neil Zabriskie from Regards.

September 10 – Maine Cheese Festival.

September 24 – The Saltyard is holding a cocktail brunch at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

September 30 – Tender Table is holding their 3rd annual food and art fair in Congress Square Park.

October 8 – Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

Restaurant Required to Replace Doors

| Posted in General News

Today’s Press Herald reports that Papi is being required to replace their front doors with ones more in keeping with the architectural history of the Old Port.

The doors simply don’t meet historic district standards, said Evan Schueckler, the city’s historic preservation program manager.

“They’re much more ornate and have a different shape than the doors that would have originally been on that building,” Schueckler said. “They’re sort of creating what we would call a false sense of history, where they’re trying to represent a design and historic character for that building that isn’t authentic to it.”