Category: Under Construction

A new craft cocktail bar called the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club (website, blog) is currently under development with a target opening date in March 2013. No lease has been signed yet but owner Andrew Volk is actively seeking out the right space for the business.

Here’s how he describes his vision for the Hunt & Alpine Club,

The Portland Hunt and Alpine Club will feature craft spirits from Maine and around the world. Their ever-changing cocktail menu will reflect Andrew’s experience and passion in the industry. Along with cocktails there will be a beer and wine menu, and small plates from local purveyors. Customers can expect a relaxing atmosphere that pays homage to the outdoor spirit of Maine while remaining modern and current. The Portland Hunt and Alpine Club will also provide continuing education for those curious about spirits. This program will include bringing in bartenders and industry experts from around the world to Maine.

Volk’s resume includes time as a bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon. In addition to launching the Hunt & Alpine Club, he’s also working as a consultant to Caledonia Spirits in Hardwick, VT.

Hella Good Tacos is planning to scale up their successful food cart operation into a brick and mortar restaurant. Owner Josh Bankhead is raising $25,000 online to start up this new venture. If you’re a fan of Hella Good, then head on over to Peerbackers.com to learn more about his plans and make a pledge to help him out.

Online crowd-funding has been an increasing popular model for local food businesses to raise funds. Food Coma TV, Union Bagel, Roost are a few of the ones that have successfully used this approach to get the financial backing they needed to start-up.

Erika Joyce, co-creator of the Cloak & Dagger supper club, has announced Chinese Laundry, “Portland’s first dim sum pop-up”.

At the moment, the Chinese Laundry is ran by two folks from ‘Nam, myself included.  We’re hoping to start popping up in the late winter, early spring.  If you are interested in getting involved- ie, making dumplings/buns, donating space, marketing, etc., shoot me an email, as we hope to get more hands to aid ours!

Chef Damian Sansonetti is working on launching a new restaurant in Portland. Until recently Sansonetti was the Executive Chef at Bar Boulud in New York City. He’s been scouting locations in Portland and in the meantime is running a series of pop-up dinners.

The next pop-up is scheduled for October 30th; interest in the dinners has been quite strong and an additional dinner in early November is likely. For more information on the dinners or to make a reservation email sonnetpopup@gmail.com.

According to a report from the Munjoy Hill News, Three Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille is under construction at 111 Cumberland Ave in the space formerly occupied by Buffalo Wings-N-Things.

East Enders will soon have another restaurant option from which to select according to Nikole and Bill Holler, owners of the soon-to-be Three Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille.  The location is at the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Washington Street – the site of the former Buffalo Wings restaurant.  That’s where mhn.com met them early this afternoon.

According to a report by the Munjoy Hill News, Jay Villani plans on opening a third Portland restaurant this Spring.

“I’m going to be opening a new restaurant next spring.  It’ll be a chicken barbeque place and it’ll be on lower Congress Street,” said Jay Villani Saturday afternoon.

This will be Villani’s third restaurant and fourth food venture in Portland after Local 188, Sonny’s and Bunker Brewing.

Maine a la Carte has published an interview with David Turin about his new restaurant, David’s Opus 10. Turin plans on repurposing the private dining room in the back of David’s in Monument Square to launch Opus 10.

“David’s Opus 10” will be an 18-seat restaurant with its own independent, open kitchen and a fixed price, multi-course menu. Seven courses will be served Tuesday through Thursday, and nine courses on Friday and Saturday. Turin is hoping to open the place by the first week in November, depending on how well renovations go.

Bo Byrne, currently the chef de cuisine at David’s 388, will be moving to David’s to cook with Turin at the new place. Carlos Tirado, who has been sous chef at the South Portland restaurant for the past two-and-a-half years, will take Byrne’s place there.

Whaddapita has announced that they’re moving from Forest Ave to a location in South Portland.

The PitaMan has BIG NEWS: we’re moving and will re-open soon in our new South Portland location. Stay tuned here on our facebook page for updates on our GRAND RE-OPENING.

The Press Herald reports that a Frosty’s Donuts is under construction in South Portland and provides an update on Tony’s Donuts plans to open a second store in South Portland.

When it comes to doughnuts, Mainers can’t seem to get enough.

Now there’s word that Frosty’s Donuts, a mainstay on Brunswick’s Maine Street since 1956, will open a South Portland store this month. Soon after, Tony’s Donuts of Portland will open a shop about a mile farther down Broadway. They join a handful of other local bakeries known for their doughnuts, such as The Cookie Jar in Cape Elizabeth and The Holy Donut in Portland.

According to the Forecaster, Buck’s Naked BBQ is planning to open their 3rd location in the Old Port at the former site of Havana South.

The Caisses said they had been looking for a new space for about 13 weeks.

“We’re highly motivated to get it open for the holidays,” Alex Caisse said. “All the guts are there, we just have to put our touch on it.”

Their existing restaurants, in Freeport and Windham, are each specialized to accommodate the clientele of the area, and the Wharf Street location will follow suit, they said.