Category: Profiles

Dispatch has published an article about MJ’s Wine Bar.

The space itself is nothing short of inviting. It would’ve been incredibly easy to f[***] up the feng shui when introducing so many different levels of seating. The large granite bar top, a communal table at the same height, lower tables, a casual leather couch set up and an outdoor patio miraculously don’t clash at all. The room is open and designed to take you on a journey to every place their products were birthed.

MJ’s is holding their Grand Opening Party this Friday.

Today’s Press Herald reports on Maine island dining including the Chebeague Island Inn and Diamond’s Edge here in Casco Bay.

The Bangor Daily News has published an article about Otto Pizza.

“We started very barebones with all used equipment,” said Keon, who leased a 300-square foot space at the corner of Congress and Forest streets for their first slice shop. “It was very minimal.”

Four years later OTTO Pizza has 215 employees working in five thriving shops in Portland and Boston. Two more stores will open by summer’s end in South Portland and Lynnfield, Mass., and in the next few weeks OTTO will hire 50 more people.

The Forecaster has published an article about Vena’s Fizz House.

Vena’s, which opened July 10 at 345 Fore St., serves more than 35 varieties of all-natural, freshly made soda concoctions. They include pina colada, pomegranate limeade and even “Dim and Stormy,” which uses ginger beer and spiced tonic water to create a non-alcoholic version of a Dark and Stormy cocktail.

“This is a modern version of the old-fashioned soda parlor,” said Johanna Corman, who founded Vena’s with husband Steve and manages its operations. “We think we’ve found a niche.”

Allagash, Novare Res, Eventide, Tandem Coffee, Small Axe, UFF, Bunker Brewing, Rising Tide, Duckfat, In’finiti, Two Fat Cats and Bar Lola were all mentioned in an article about Portland that appeared in the Montreal’s French language publication La Presse.

Portland Magazine featured Coffee by Design, Harbor Fish, Pat’s, Micucci’s, Rosemont, K. Horton’s and Browne Trading in an article about Portland’s “Exotic wholesalers with a genius for retail chart the middle ground”.

Thursday’s Portland Daily Sun includes an article on the back story behind Vena’s Fizz House.

Pondering the name, a family member suggested [owner Johanna Corman] name it Vena’s Fizz House. Vena was Johanna’s great-grandmother, who turns out to have been very active in the late 1920s and early ’30s with the Maine Woman’s Christian Temperance Union here in Portland.

The Forecaster has published an interview with Anna Turcotte about Love Cupcakes and the challenges of running a food truck in Portland.

The newly remodeled truck has the same color scheme of the little trailer and will be located in a parking lot at Fore and Center streets. They plan to be open dessert hours, 7-10 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays and most Saturdays, if they don’t have an event to cater.

Turcotte said the new truck will give her more freedom and mobility to cater events like weddings and bridal showers, which have been much more successful, but previously required her to have more help.