Via Vecchia to Open on Friday

| Posted in Openings

 

Via Vecchia (instagram, facebook, website) is scheduled to open on Friday with options for both indoor and outdoor seating. Via Vecchia is a new restaurant and bar from Blyth & Burrows owner Joshua Miranda.

Located at 10 Dana Street in the 3,900 sq ft space formerly occupied by Vignola/Cinque Terre, Via Vecchia will be serving a menu of Italian food (think pizzettes, house-made pasta, polenta fries, etc), classic and creative cocktails, and Italian wines.

The Via Vecchia design team have created a beautiful space that draws its inspiration from pre-WWI European bistros. The front room features a circular bar. The back dining room has  seating in the mezzanine and a table for larger parties on the ground floor.

Reservations for Via Vecchia are available on Resy.com.

A Farm for the Somali Bantu Community of Maine

| Posted in Under Construction

The Somali Bantu Community Association in collaboration with the Agrarian Trust has launched a crowdfunding campaign so the association can acquire a 107-acre farm in Wales, Maine. The goal is to raise $367k by December 1st. Donors have already contributed $57,875.

For more information and to make a contribution online visit agrariantrust.org

“Old School” Taiwanese Food Truck

| Posted in Under Construction

A new food truck called Liu Bian Tan (instagram) is under development. Owner Chung Heng Liu hopes to launch sometime this fall serving a menu of  “old school” Taiwanese street food such as house-made noodles, buns, pancakes, dumplings.  Liu wants to “share often overlooked Taiwanese flavors” and recreate the comfort foods remembered from growing up in Taiwan.

Liu had 20 years+ of experience working in the family Chinese restaurant before moving to Portland three years ago. The name of the food truck is a mash up between Lu Bian Tan which means street stalls in Mandarin and Liu’s last name.

Devenish Raises Money for Restaurant Workers

| Posted in General News

Ned Swain from Devenish Wines has launched an effort to raise money for restaurant workers impacted by the pandemic. Inspired by the Depression Era WPA project arts initiative, he commissioned four artists to produce designs for t-shirts which are now on sale online.

The four artists are Kimberly Convery, Ryan Adams, Hannah Hirsch and Emma Lucille.

Devenish Wines will be donating profits by this initiative to the Restaurant Worker’s Community Foundation, who are “working to provide resources and advocacy for the hospitality workers we know and love–along with the many who too often go unrecognized and for whom the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a pre-existing quality of life crisis.”

You can see the designs and order a shirt now through July 1st at devenishwine.com/shop

Interview with Leigh Kellis

| Posted in People

Mumbai to Maine has posted a podcast interview with Leigh Kellis, owner of The Holy Donut.

Back in 2011, Leigh started The Holy Donut, with nothing but a few simple ingredients in her pantry and a whole bunch of love and permission to indulge in her cravings. She was also going through a pretty tough time in her personal life. But soon donuts became more than a distraction. They became an obsession. She made batch after batch on her kitchen stove tinkering with recipes and finally landed on ‘The Holy Donut’!

United We Cook

| Posted in Openings

Chef Ilma Lopez, co-owner of Chaval and Piccolo, is one of 100 chefs who have contributed a recipe to a United We Cook. Lopez provided recipes for Coq au Vin, and Chocolate Budino.

Editor Nadia Mashar has gathered food and cocktail recipes from restaurants in 37 US cities and 24 states.

The digital cookbook is available online, and “100% of proceeds go to participating restaurants & local food banks”.

Indoor and Outdoor Dining, and Takeout

| Posted in General News

With the changes in state regulation restaurants are evolving the services they offer. With that in mind Portland Food Map now maintains two lists to help you decide where to eat:

Please let me know if you know of any establishments in Portland that may be missing from either list.

Black is Beautiful Beer Collaboration

| Posted in Beer

A growing number of Maine breweries including Allagash andd Bissell Brothers are participating in the Black is Beautiful international beer collaboration project. They are joining 800+ breweries from 50 states and 13 countries in producing a beer recipe developed by Weathered Souls Brewing in Texas.

Maine breweries participating so far are Allagash, Atlantic, Austin Street, Bissell Bros, Blaze, Definitive, Fogtown, Mast Landing and Orono. Check with the individual breweries on their release schedule and the local organization to which they’ll be donating proceeds to.