Category: Under Construction

Dutch’s (facebook, instagram, twitter) is making good progress and co-owners plan to open on Tuesday November 11th.

They’ll be serving breakfast and lunch from their new store at 28 Preble, right next to Arcadia and across the street from Slab. Here’s a look at the sandwich section of the menu.

Co-owners Lucy and Ian Dutch have have spent the early part of their career working in fine dining and as a private chefs. According to a recent article from Urban Eye,

Together the 30-year-olds have two decades of culinary experience and kitchen star credentials. Ian has worked for top chefs like Todd English and the couple helped open Market for global chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the W Hotel in Boston.

And here’s a few of the wonderful set of photos that Zack Bowen from Knack Factory shot Monday at Dutch’s.

A new night club and music venue called Studio 55 Mixology Show Lounge is under development on Market Street in the location that formerly housed the Big Easy. According to the cover letter supplied with the lounge’s liquor license they plan on serving a creative cocktail program,

“With a wall full of containers of unique products from fresh herbs, dried herbs, flowers, exotic fresh fruits and an amazing mixologist on our side why just get a plain old cocktail these days.

Studio 55 is owned by Joseph Richards and managed by Marcus Verrill who run Styxx as well as restaurants in Sanford (Fresco Mexican Grill) and Ongunquit (Let’s Get Bacon).

Studio 55 plan to open in November.

Maine Today, Urban Eye and Eater Maine have all published photos and background details on Ebb & Flow.

D’Auvray’s partner is Angelo Ciocca, longtime proprietor of Nova Seafood, a Portland-based wholesaler who has supplied D’Auvray’s previous restaurants for years. Most recently, D’Auvray was the chef at Thasos Greek Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A native of Los Angeles, he helmed kitchens in Raleigh, North Carolina, including two of his own — the seafood restaurant Fins and the international street food eatery bu.ku — before moving to Florida. In 2008, Fins was named one of the 10 best seafood restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit. [Maine Today]

Ebb & Flow (website, facebook, twitter, instagram) received all their final permits licenses earlier this week. They’re now in the final stretch to an opening night. Ebb & Flow plans on holding some friends and family dinners next week and should be opening to the public soon after that—the specific date hasn’t been released yet.

Malcolm Bedell, who along with his wife Jillian run the Maine food blog From Away, is in the process of launching a food truck. ‘Wich, Please(website, facebook, twitter) will serve a focused mostly sandwich-based menu year round on the streets of Rockland.

Malcolm has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $25,000 for the food truck.

Next month Malcolm will be competing at the World Food Championships in the sandwich category. He plans to open ‘Wich, Please in April and at an as yet unreleased location near Main Street.

For more information or to contribute to the campaign visit the ‘Wich, Please Kickstarter page.

Isa, the new restaurant under construction at 79 Portland Street, has applied for a liquor license. Owner Suzie Saint Pierre is converting the former New World Kitchens building into a “40-seat bistro serving casual and affordable fare”.

Saint Pierre has 15 years of experience in the industry as a server, bartender and manager. She hopes to open Isa in December.

 

Tiqa, the restaurant under construction in the new Marriott on Commercial Street, has applied for a liquor license. As we reported back in August, Tiqa will be serving Mediterranean cuisine. Owners Deen Haleem and Carol Mitchell have included a description of the menu (page 63) in the materials submitted for review.

In total Tiqa will be able to seat 276 people: 57 in the lounge/bar, 35 on the patio, a 15 at the chef’s bar, 58 in the dining room and 111 in the private dining room. Haleem and Mitchell hope to open Tiqa in early next year.

A new wine bar calling itself UnWINEd is under development at 569 Congress Street. They plan to serve “local and imported fine wines, artisan craft beers, appetizers and petite plates.”

Here’s the concept as described by owner Jared Lawrence Rice in his liquor license application cover letter,

As Portland’s first bar-less bar, unWINEd will spotlight a relaxed atmosphere, with calming acoustic music, leather couches and scattered tables and chairs. Our Goal is to provide Portland with a calm, relaxing environment where people can gather and unWINEd.

Here’s the draft menu:

 

Dedicated fans of chef Cara Stadler lined up on the sidewalk in the rain last night outside Bao Bao (facebook, twitter, instagram) for a table at the soft opening. Recipients of the email invitation were asked to “be prepared to show a copy of this email at the door” and to “please refrain from sharing this information with the press”.

A firm public opening date hasn’t been set yet.

The Bangor Daily News has published an article about the Portland Food Co-op and the new retail store they have under construction on Congress Street.

A demo kitchen is being built for cooking and wellness classes. A 24-foot bulk wall dispensing grains, nuts and dried fruit anchors one zone. A full-scale cafe will offer grab and go breakfasts, soups, coffee and sandwiches. Locally grown produce, harvested meat and fish get top billing.

“The fundamental mission is to build the local food movement by having as many relationships with farmers and food producers as possible,” said Curran Apse. “We are shooting for in the hundreds.”

According to the article, the Co-op is hoping to have a “soft opening before Thanksgiving”.