According to a report on Maine a la Carte, Empire plans to open next week on September 12.
The menu, a press release sent out today says, will feature “truly authentic Chinese cuisine and Dim Sum. The menu of traditional and modern ‘Chinese soul food’ will feature local meats, seafoods, and seasonal produce. The kitchen will be headed by a Dim Sum Master Chef with 40 years’ experience creating specialty dumplings in world class kitchens around the world.”
Today’s Press Herald includes an article about the nearly 50-year old Harbor Fish Market,
Nick Alfiero, one of the three brothers who own Portland’s Harbor Fish Market, says that whenever anybody talks about their 47-year-old family business these days, they always throw out the word “iconic.”
How does that make him feel? Good, right?
“Old,” he said with a wry smile. “Old, to tell you the truth.”
and an article about the Portland Co-op’s plans to open a grocery store.
By early 2015, the Portland Food Co-op intends to open a grocery store in downtown Portland, a district dominated by Whole Foods, Hannaford and Trader Joe’s. The business plan calls for a much smaller store than the ones operated by the large chains, but with a full offering of organic and natural groceries, including beer, wine and prepared foods. The store will emphasize locally grown and produced food.
A new food vendor called Azure is under construction on the 2nd floor of the Public Market House. Azure “a salad company” is taking over the space formerly occupied by Pie in the Sky Pizza.
Sprudge has published a set of photos as well as a Q&A with Coffee by Design about their new roastery and cafe in East Bayside.
The triangular shape of the coffee bar is designed to highlight different coffee brewing method…A blending station will also be part of the coffee bar mix so customers have the opportunity to create their own blends from that roaster’s choice of origin coffees each week.
CBD expects to open the new cafe “sometime during the holidays”.
A new Dominican restaurant called Tipico is under construction at 646 Forest Ave, the former home of StarEast Cafe.
For a full list of projects under development see the PFM Under Construction list.
Gorgeous Gelato is in the early stages of planning a second location.
Portland Daily Photo has published a very nice set of images taken at Salvage BBQ (facebook, twitter, website), the new barbeque spot on Congress Street that’s set to open in the next week or so. Salvage is the creation of Jay Villani and his team at Local 188/Sonny’s.
Villani and crew are also building out Ideal Bakery just up the street across from the old Roma restaurant.
Austin Street Brewery (facebook, twitter) has leased the former Bull Jager space at One Industrial Way, the area of town that’s already home to Allagash, Geary’s, New England Distilling, Bissell Brother’s and Foundation Brewing. One Industrial Way was also the original location for both Rising Tide and Maine Beer Company.
Austin Street is owned by Will Fisher and Jake Austin is the new operation’s brewer. The two ran an event back in May, the tap menu from the event included a pale ale, a black IPA, a double IPA, a wheat beer, and a blond ale, as well as a porter, a stout, and a barleywine.
The Munjoy Hill News reports that Salvage BBQ should be open before the end of the month.
“It’s the calm before the storm,” said Garry Bowcott, of the lull before the opening of the Salvage Barbeque later this month. Salvage Barbeque, 919 Congress Street, is the third restaurant owned by the well-liked Jay Villani. And both Villani and Bowcott are confident it will be open by Labor Day and quite likely next week.
El Rayo (website, facebook, twitter) has leased a 4,500 square foot building on Route 1 in Scarborough’s Oak Hill neighborhood where they plan to open a second El Rayo restaurant. Owner Tod Dana tells me they’re planning to stay close to the concept that’s been a success in Portland with “a few twists and surprises” thrown in for good measure.
El Rayo hasn’t yet set an opening date for the Scarborough location, but hope to be up and running sometime in the Spring of 2014. Once the Scarborough location is open they’ll be looking for other towns where their restaurant would be a fit.
This news comes on the heals of yesterday’s announcement that Pom’s Thai Taste will be opening a branch in Falmouth, and an increasing number of restaurant opening in South Portland including an Otto Pizza.