Category: Under Construction

A pair of Under Construction list updates surfaced on Tuesday:

• Local 188 have announced their decision to name their new bakery at 742 Congress Street Ideal Bakery.
• According to an article in The Forecaster, the Zoning Board of Appeals in considering an application by Birch Shambaugh and Mary Fayth Preyer to open a restaurant at 34 Vannah Ave. ‘ “Our hope is to put a classic neighborhood eatery in Woodfords Corner,” Shambaugh said Monday. But he declined to say what type of cuisine would be served or even what the restaurant’s name might be.’

Aurora Provisions broke ground yesterday for an addition to their kitchen.

The Portland City Council meets Monday when two new restaurants will be asking for approval of their liquor license applications:

• Central Provisions, Chris Gould’s restaurant, is under construction at 414 Fore Street. Gould just closed on the property earlier this week. Central Provisions plans on serving “seasonally inspired small plates that will be accompanied by local draft beer, a variety of wine and craft cocktails.” You can see the draft menu for Central Provisions on pages 59-60 of the meeting materials. Floor plans for the restaurant are on the subsequent two pages.
• Compass Rose is under construction at 339 Fore Street in the space formerly occupied by Siam Grill, Shima, Apsara and Sebastian’s. Compass Rose aims to be a “quick service, casual style restaurant that specializes in authentic homemade meals and serve cocktails with flair.” A rough draft of the menu is on pages 83-85. A more finished looking copy is posted in the window of the restaurant.

Portland Hunt & Alpine Club is planning a Scandinavian theme for their food menu.

It’s influence is Scandinavian boards, cured fish and meats, brown breads, rye crackers, open-face sandwiches, a pickle program and much more.

In Sweden it’s called smörgäsbord, in Norway it’s koltbord and in Finland it’s voileipäpöytä.

We’re calling it Scandinavian Gastropub.

A few under construction updates:

• Bresca and the Honey Bee, Krista Kern Desjarlais’s snack shack in New Gloucester, has passed inspection and is scheduled to open on Saturday with a limited menu.
• A sign at 865 Forest Ave, the former home of Venue, indicates that a new Mexican restaurant is slated for that space.
• Black Cat Coffee has selected Matt’s Wood Roasted Coffee for their new shop on Stevens Ave.

According to a report from Mujoy Hill News,

Mike G. Fink, owner of MIKE’s, said today that his restaurant is under contract to sell to two young men who want to start up a co-op at the popular 437 Congress Street address. 

Liquor licenses for several new business were on the agenda for last night’s meeting of the Portland City Council:

• Mi Sen is the name of the a new Thai “small portion noodle soup” bar under construction in the former Korea House space. The restaurant is the creation of Darit Chandpen whose family runs Sala Thai. A draft menu is on page 75 of the meeting materials.
• You can see the floor plan for MJ’s, the wine bar slated for One City Center, on page 90 and a draft menu on page 95.
• Portland & Rochester Public House is under construction in the old G&R DiMillo’s space in Bayside. The draft menu can be found on pages 115-117.

There’s also info on the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, an Oxbow event being run by Nosh, as well as incremental adjustments to other licenses in the meeting materials.

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a feature article about Harding Smith and his fourth “Room” restaurant, Boone’s Fish House and Oyster Room.

This has been Smith’s life the past few months, as he juggles managing his three Portland restaurants while trying to open a fourth: Boone’s Fish House & Oyster Room, a new seafood place on Custom House Wharf.

In a year with an unusually large number of restaurant openings in the works in Portland, Boone’s is one of the most anticipated. It’s a project that will give Smith an unprecedented fourth restaurant within the city limits, and revitalize the late-19th-century waterfront building where it’s said Alexander Boone first served baked stuffed lobster.

Food writer Meredith Goad has also put together a series of sidebars on four other up and coming restaurants that are set to launch this year: Chris Gould’s restaurant on Fore Street, Bresca and the Honey Bee, Sonnet and Vinland.

A new food truck called Urban Sugar Mobile Cafe is under development. Owners Valeri and Kevin Sandes will be serving a range of made to order sweet and savory mini gourmet donuts both traditional and more innovative flavors.

Their 70’s vintage ice cream truck (aka Rosie) is currently undergoing renovations. The Sandes plan to launch sometime in the beginning of July and operate on a year-round basis both on the streets of Portland and for catered private events.