Category: Openings

Chef Cara Stadler‘s new restaurant, Lio (instagram) had their soft opening last night. The wine bar/restaurant serves ‘modern European food and wine’. The main room features a large side looped counter as well as more traditional tables. Friends and I tried the Tortellini en Brodo (bottom right), Chicken Galantine (upper right) and Strawberry Semifreddo (bottom left).

Lio is waiting to receive their liquor license (expected Wednesday) and in the meantime is BYOB. The restaurant is located in a new restaurant space at the corner of Spring and Cross Streets.

The Uncle Billy’s Bar-B-Que (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) Pop-up in the former Abilene space at 539 Deering Ave in Woodford’s Corner opened for business last night.

Uncle Billy’s plans to operate this pop-up restaurant through the end of the Summer while their permanent location 166 Cumberland Ave is under construction.

When I spoke with Uncle Billy’s back in April, the plans were for a scaled back version of the menu that will eventually served on Cumberland Ave.

Here are a few pictures from last night’s soft opening at Sagamore Hill (website, instagram). Sagamore is planning to hold their grand opening this Friday.

 

The Duckfat Frites Shack (instagram) opened yesterday. The takeout window is located off of Washington in the courtyard outside Oxbow Blending and Bottling.

The frites shack will be in soft opening mode through Saturday, and will be open 5 days a week starting Wednesday.

Two more openings are scheduled for this weekend:

• Owner Greg Norton has announced plans to open the new Bier Cellar in Gorham Friday at noon.
• The Greeks of Peaks (instagram) food truck will be launching this Saturday.

Here’s a few pictures from the friends and family preview of Eaux (website, facebook, instagram), the new New Orleans inspired restaurant set to open on Wednesday at 90 Exchange Street.

Eaux (facebook, instagram) is scheduled to open this Wednesday May 23rd. It is located at 90 Exchange Street in the space formerly occupied by Crooners & Cocktails.

Chef/owner Evan Richarson will be serving a menu of “New Orleans and Southern inspired food…in a bistro setting” including Pork Belly Cracklin’, Chicken and Waffles and Gumbo Yaya.

Eaux will be open Wednesday through Monday, 11:30 am to 1 am.

Mainebiz has published a report on the Cape Whoopies/Rwanda Bean bakery cafe in South Portland that is set to open on Friday.

Definitive Brewing Co. (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) has announced plans to open this Saturday.

Definitive is now located at 35 Industrial Way across the street from Allagash.

Definitive is launching with a “15-barrel brewhouse and four 40-barrel fermenters, which is enough to make more than 1,000 gallons a week.”

A new food cart called Vantage Point Chowder (facebook, instagram) recently launched.

Owner Garrett Patteson serves clam chowder by the cup or bowl. You can generally find him and his cart on Commercial Street near Custom House.