Category: Under Construction

Miyake/Wolfe Neck Farm Collaboration

| Posted in Under Construction, Farming

The Root is reporting on a new collaboration between Masa Miyake and Wolfe Neck Farm and a Q&A about Miyake Diner.

SK: How will the new restaurant differ from the two existing ones? How is the food different from the food at the other restaurants?
WG: Miyake Diner will differ from the existing restaurants in a couple of ways. First the menu. We will be serving items that could be considered Japanese comfort food in many ways. This will consist of curry, doria, pork cutlet, udon, shabu-shabu, okonomiyake etc. Though seemingly simple dishes we will strive to have a menu that is concise yet dynamic in a manner that we will be offering authentic Japanese fare that Portland residents have not had the opportunity to sample in not only our current restaurants but also in Maine.

Interview with David Levi

| Posted in Under Construction, People

Frontier Psychiatrist has published an interview with David Levi about his background and his upcoming restaurant Vinland.

FP: So, the burning question: what is the food going to be like?
DL: Wild foods are the ultimate for me. We are biologically wild animals, we evolved to eat wild foods, wild foods are more nutritious, they are more unusual and exciting and varied than anything we can buy, and they connect us in the most fundamental way to our landbase. I’m really interested in fermentation, especially wild fermentation (as in, fermenting without a starter culture, just relying on wild bacteria and yeast), so there will be lots of fermented ingredients and lots of foods that can be stored through the winter. Clearly, I won’t be using any food ingredients I can’t get in Maine. So, no olive oil, no black pepper, no lemon. This is where creativity comes in.

Under Construction: Daigle Baked Goods

| Posted in Under Construction

daiglebakedgoods_logoEvan Daigle is launching a new business called Daigle Baked Goods. The bakery will specialize in producing sweet (apple, blueberry, black and blue, and mixed berry) and savory hand pies for wholesale. Daigle has leased commercial kitchen space at 154 Saint John Street, which coincidentally is also the base station for Wicked Good Street Kitchen.

For more information, you can reach Evan Daigle at daiglebakedgoods@gmail.com or 207-331-0167.

Under Construction: Loring/Spangler Butcher Shop

| Posted in Under Construction

Nosh’s Jason Loring, former Rosemont butcher Jarrod Spangler and others are working on a project to launch a new butcher shop in Portland.

Loring tells me he’s still in the funding stage for the venture and is looking for the ideal spot to locate the business on the peninsula. He and his partners “really want to change the landscape of local, all natural meats” in Portland.

In a separate project Loring is collaborating with Stephen Lanzalotta to launch a bakery/pizza shop called Slab.

Under Construction: 211 Danforth

| Posted in Under Construction

vespuccis

211 Danforth Street, the current home of Vespucci’s Market, is under contract for sale and hopeful new owner, Keith Hickman has submitted a zoning variance request for a change of use to a restaurant. If approved, Hickman intends on opening a 64-seat restaurant and bar called 211 Danforth. Josh Kaplan will be serving as the chef at 211 Danforth.

Here’s an excerpt from Hickman’s application:

We firmly believe that there is a need and a market available for a quality and affordable neighborhood dining option in this area. Furthermore, we are confident that 211 Danforth Restaurant will be welcome addition to the West End and surrounding neighborhoods.

211Danforth_bp

211 Danforth would add to the growing cluster of restaurants currently anchored by Ruski’s (1982), Ohno Cafe (2004), Outliers (2013) and Omi’s (2013). There are other spaces in the neighborhood that would also lend themselves well to further additions to the food and dining options in the area.

Update: For additional reporting see Maine a la Carte.

Under Construction: New Spanish Restaurant

| Posted in Under Construction

Maine a la Carte reports that the owners of Zapoteca, Tom and Shannon Bard, are planning to open a Spanish restaurant in Portland next year.

Tom Bard confirmed today that he is working on a location and hoping to open in early summer, 2014. Depending on the space, he said the atmosphere could either be quite casual (he mentioned Boston’s super-hot Toro as a reference), or somewhat more upscale than Zapoteca, the Bards successful Mexican restaurant in Portland.

Under Construction: Vinland

| Posted in Under Construction

Chef/owner David Levi has submitted his liquor license application for his restaurant Vinland (website, facebook, twitter) to the Portland City Council. A sample menu includes some interesting choices like the “potato risotto with daylily pollen and black trumpet mushrooms” and “grilled aged beef with roasted marrow, seared cauliflower, currant and yarrow” entrees.

According to the cover letter (page 221) Levi plans to open sometime in November. The restaurant is currently under construction at 593 Congress Street immediately adjacent to Congress Square Park.

vinland_menu