Category: Under Construction

Construction crews are making big strides in completing renovations at Hugo’s. The restaurant announced last week on Facebook that they’re now taking reservations for dates starting on July 8.

Several other businesses on the Under Construction list have been sharing photos and status updates recently:

• The Portland & Rochester Public House has posted a set of construction photos.
• Black Cat Coffee has posted a photo of the newly painted space.
• Carman’s has posted a set of 15 construction photos and news that they’ll be sourcing their coffee from Matt’s/Speckled Axe.

A new venture called Maine Fodder (website, facebook, twitter) is currently under development in Portland. It’s a “collaboration of a Farmer/Chef and a Dietitian” that will be tap into their connections with local farmers and their own work experience in cooking, farming and nutrition to launch a food truck and educational program.

The truck will be serving a dual purpose both as a food truck serving prepared foods and as a mobile farmers market that brings vegetables, fruits, meats and cheeses from many of the areas smaller farms to retail customers and restaurant kitchens in the area.

The owners hope to launch by mid-summer.

You can read more about the food truck on the Farm Truck  page on their site.

Chef David Levi has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the launch of his restaurant Vinland. Levi has leased 593 Congress Street and is in the process on renovating the space—watch the video for a glimpse inside.

At Vinland Levi will be dedicated to using 100% local products, foregoing the typical ingredients common in most restaurants in favor of innovative locally foraged, grown and raised alternatives.

Vinland will forge a distinctly Maine cuisine. Drawing from indigenous food traditions along with those of the Acadians, New Englanders, and other peoples of the North Atlantic, the cuisine of Vinland is an expression of our place and history. Yet the mission is as much about ecology, building the local economy, and teaching good nutrition as it is about great food. We see these four elements as inextricable and mutually reinforcing…[read more]

Visit the Vinland page on Kickstarter if you’d like to help fund the project.

Mainely Burgers have announced that they’re launching a third food truck. The new truck will specialize in dessert and operate under the name Mainely Treats. Owners Ben Berman and Jack Barber hope to launch the new truck on July 1st.

Introducing Mainely Treats, a food truck serving gourmet ice cream sandwiches, floats, and sundaes. It’s a dream come true for us; this is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. To make it happen, we’re working with some incredible local businesses including Mount Desert Island Ice Cream and Blue Rooster Food Co. Believe us, Mainely Treats is going to be serving some of the best treats around.

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.