Category: Openings

The new Eaux (website, instagram) food truck is set to open this Thursday at 4 pm. Eaux will be located  in the Oxbow/Hardshore parking lot. Here’s an advance look at the menu:

Chicken and Waffles – with Steen’s cane syrup, pickled fresno chiles, fried sage and apples.

“Hen” and Waffles – Maitake mushrooms, Steen’s cane syrup, pickled fresno chiles, fried sage and apples.

Pimento Cheese and Firecrackers – Smoked Gouda, roasted garlic, pimento peppers and crystal hot sauce, served with baked and seasoned saltines.

Khmer Kitchen (facebook) opened last week initially serving a selection of Cambodian sandwiches. Shown above is a delicious Pork Belly sandwich from the opening week menu.

The menu has been expanding and starting Tuesday, chef/owner Khanya Mimande will begin serving three different types of Katiew soup (Phonm Penh, Sach Ko, Sach Muon), a beef stew with noodles, and Bah Bor which is a rice porridge dish served with chicken, fried garlic and sprouts.

Khmer Kitchen is located on the 2nd floor of the Public Market House in Monument Square. Their hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 9 pm.

Owl & Elm (website, facebook, instagram) in Yarmouth has transitioned to a new set of owners and is scheduled to open next week, Tuesday through Saturday, 4 – 9 pm. The restaurant sports a cozy neighborhood restaurant vibe and has outdoor seating along Main Street and on a back deck.

There is a full bar with a set of house designed cocktails like the Hey Jealousy (Barr Hill Gin, Strega, Cynar, Lemon and Honey Syrup, Saline), mocktails, wines by the glass and draft and packaged beer. The menu of apps, salads, entrees and desserts includes a number of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options as well as the option of kids-sized portions for the entrees.

The new team from Scorched Earth Hospitality are Alli Bibaud, Jenna Croteau, Adam Croteau, and Christopher Doughty who bought the restaurant from its founders.

Owl & Elm was founded by Caitlin Henningsen and Keith Johnson in 2016. Henningsen has recently launched Little Bird (instagram) a gluten-free bakehouse in Yarmouth.

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

Tally’s Kitchen (website, instagram) has opened a second location in the Stevens Square Community Center. The new Tally’s serves the same menu (see below) as their original location on Marginal Way which includes breakfast sandwiches, bakery items, salads, wraps and lunch sandwiches. It features seating in the entry courtyard and in a sunny balcony overlooking the cafe.

Tally’s Kitchen was founded by Julie Taliento Walsh in 2018. The Stevens Square Community Center is a new mixed use development located in the former Catherine McAuley High School.

The Stevens Square Tally’s is open 7 am – 3 pm (and until 6 for prepared meal pickup and 2DineIn meal deliveries) on weekdays and 9 am – 3 pm on Saturdays.

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.

Room for Improvement (instagram) is scheduled to open Thursday. The concept for the bar is to be a modern take on a dive bar that balances being serious about cocktails without taking itself too seriously.

The beverage menu (see below) at Room for Improvement encompasses house takes on traditional cocktails, scorpions bowls, a trio of daiquiris, some “salad bar” savory drinks, mini shot-sized cocktails and a beverage called the Mind Eraser. There’s also a few packaged and draft beers and ciders and 3 “natty wines by the glass.” A small food menu includes red snapper hot dogs, soft pretzels and bags of ruffles potato chips.

Room for Improvement is being launched by Arvid Brown and Nick Coffin. Brown is a well-known Portland bartender who was the founding bar manager at Crispy Gai and before that at Baharat. Coffin is a native of Vermont and has been a partner and manager in bars in Colorado and California prior to moving to Maine.

The 36-seat bar and is located at 41 Wharf Street. It will be open Thursday through Monday, 5 pm to 1 am.

Bread & Friends (website, instagram) is now open. The bakery and cafe is located at 505 Fore Street in the building formerly occupied by Pizzarino. The entire space has been redesigned by Mey & Co. The side dining room has a large glass wall that looks directly into the bakery and kitchen.

The 24-seat counter service cafe is open Thursday through Monday, 8 am – 2:30 pm. The menu (see below) includes croissants, morning buns, cookies and other treats. There are also plated options for breakfast and lunch like the crispy potato, sunny side egg, chorizo and green chermoula dish shown below.  They serve wine and beer as well as a full coffee program featuring Bolt Coffee and teas from the Rare Tea Company.

Co-owners Maggie and Tanner Rubin and Jessica Rattey and Jeremy Broucek launched their bakery in 2021 initially selling at Farmers’ Markets and wholesaling their breads and baked goods. They moved to Portland from the Bay Area where they worked in bakeries and restaurants including Tartine, State Bird Provisions and The Progress.