Category: Openings

I’m happy to announce the release of the 2019 PFM Printed Pocket Guide. This handy paper reference provides a compact list of the best restaurants, bakeries, breweries, coffee shops, cocktail bars, and cafes in Portland. It also includes highlights of a few places to dine elsewhere in the state worth the drive. Portable, collectible, and always offline, the Pocket Guide helps you narrow down and answer that all important question — “where should I go for my next meal.”

Many thanks to the wonderful Pocket Guide sponsors for their generous support, which enabled Portland Food Map to produce and print this resource:

• The Press Hotel
• Evergreen Credit Union
• The Boulos Company
• Wine Wise
• Maine Food for Thought

While supplies last you can pick-up your very own copy of the guide at these local businesses: Rose Foods, Maine & Loire, Rising Tide, Little Woodfords, Belleville, Giant Cafe, or the Portland Trading Company.

A limited number of pocket guides also are for sale in packs of 25 if you’d like to use them for your business. Whether that’s as a handout to Airbnb guests, to distribute to business clients, or for some other purpose where you need more than one personal copy. Contact anestes@portlandfoodmap.com for details.

The 2019 pocket guide wouldn’t be as good as it is, in fact it wouldn’t exist at all, without help from the extended PFM team of Dawn Hagin from Rare Brick Strategic, and from graphic designer Sofija Razgaitis. My thanks to both of them for all their hard work on the project.

Eighteen Twenty is releasing a new wine in honor of Portland Wine Week. Fête, a 11.5% ABV “off-dry wine with balanced acidity” was produced using rhubarb grown by Spiller Farm in Wells and Doles Orchard in Limington.

The label image is based on the gaff-rigged topsail cutter, The Frances, which operates in Casco Bay with rhubarb leave sails.

You  can try Fête at the Eighteen Twenty tasting room on Anderson Street starting this weekend, and it was also be on the menu for the Women Winemakers Luncheon on June 17th, as well as the Rose Wine Sail taking place on June 21st.

Boston.com has published an article on Wednesday’s opening of Luke’s Lobster.

The seafood spot, which will soft open for dinner on Wednesday, is a major milestone for the lobster company that first launched in Manhattan in 2009. Started by Cape Elizabeth native Luke Holden, Luke’s Lobster debuted in New York City’s East Village, and went on to make its mark in 10 cities across the U.S. — including three locations in Boston — plus Japan and Taiwan.

A new food cart called A&C Food Factory (instagram) is scheduled to launch on Tuesday at Austin Street Brewing. According to their press release,

A&C Food Factory builds on the success of the Luncheonette at A&C Grocery on Washington Avenue. After two years of almost non-stop road work, A&C has proven that its reputation for quality, value and deliciousness continues to attract discerning customers with great taste. With A&C Food Factory the battle is over! Starting Tuesday, June 4th, A&C Food Factory will allow more folks to enjoy the A&C experience at both popular destinations and at the finest Breweries in Portland, Maine.

The A&C Food Factory is a collaboration between A&C Grocery owner Joe Fournier, chef Ben Slattery and Joe’s brother Mike. Slattery was formerly the garde manager at Chaval.

A new food truck called Poke Maine (instagram) plans to launch next week. You will be able to find them on Tuesday through Thursday, 10 – 2, on Spring Street. Here’s a look at their menu.

Greg Mitchell’s new restaurant Flood’s (website, instagram, facebook) opens today (4pm for drinks, 5pm for food). The 50-seat restaurant is located at 747 Congress Street in the West End.

Rebel Cheesesteaks has announced plans to launch their food cart on Thursday.

Owners of Quiero Cafe (website, facebook, instagram) have announced plans to open their new Bramhall Square location on Monday. Quiero will be located at 3 Deering Ave in the space most recently occupied by Trattoria Fanny.

Quiero serves a menu of “Latin American cuisine” featuring “Empanadas, Burritos, and Tamales. We also serve several kinds of coffee, smoothies, and Tropical juices”.

India Street neighborhood wine “shop and tasting lounge” Grippy Tannins (website, facebook, instagram) opened for business yesterday at 16 Middle Street.

Blue Spoon Cafe & Catering (instagram) is scheduled to open Thursday morning at 7 am. The new cafe is located at 64 Pine Street in the former location of Aurora Provisions.

Liz Koenigsberg and her husband chef Will Lavey, the couple who bought Blue Spoon last year, have leased the space from Tom Landry who purchased the building at auction earlier this year.

Blue Spoon Cafe & Catering will be a casual breakfast and lunch cafe with coffee service (Speckled Ax) and foods to go. It will also be a home base to expand Blue Spoon’s catering service.