Angoor Wine Bar Update

| Posted in Under Construction

Construction is well underway at Angoor Wine Bar (website, instagram). Owners Sangeeta Nasiff and Rafael Dones hope to wrap up the final stages of the buildout and be open for business in late spring.

Angoor will be a self-pour wine bar. Customers will be able to dispense 2, 4 or 6 ounce pours from one of 32 different wines. In addition, they’ll also be offering a range of whiskeys and draft beers.

Nasiff and Dones will initially be sourcing the food from local shops and restaurants including The Cheese Shop, Sugarcane, Empanada Club, Two Fat Cats and Hi Bombay.

Angoor is located at 100 Fore Street in the newest WEX building. You can read more about the bar and its owners in this article in Portland City Lifestyle magazine.

Trudy Birds Property for Sale

| Posted in General News

The owners of Trudy Birds have announced that the property of the North Yarmouth restaurant is for sale and that the restaurant itself will shut down when a buyer is found, “As of right now the future of Trudy Birds is unclear but we will continue to operate as normal and keep making memories until the sale of the building. We hope this is only the end of a chapter in our book with many more left to write.”

Jonathan and I, along with our amazing staff have worked tirelessly and endlessly to make this restaurant concept a success and are damn proud of what we have accomplished over the last 16 months. However, in an effort to try and provide the best dining experience in an updated, refined setting we ran into cost and time overruns that have proven to be too difficult to overcome.

Trudy Birds opened December 9, 2022. It serves Scandinavian-style food. A highlight of the bar program is their extensive list of domestic and imported aquavit.

For more information the property, take a look at this listing.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

April 3-21 – See a performance of Clyde’s at Portland Stage. The synopsis of the play reads, “It may seem like a run-down truck stop diner, but for the formerly incarcerated staff of Clyde’s, it’s a place where they can find community, support, and a second chance at life. Their quest to create the perfect sandwich keeps them motivated to access their full potential and move on to bigger and better things, even when Clyde tries to keep them right where they are. A savory comedy that shows us what we can achieve with patience, dedication, and a little thyme.”

Tuesday – The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs is holding a FoodTech Maine Showcase at USM. Jean Christophe Rusatira, founder of Umuko Coffee Importers, will be speaking at Coffee by Design on Diamond Street.

April 15 – Magnus on Water and Matchbook Distilling are collaborating on a spirits/cocktail event.

April 16 – Award-winning chef and restaurant owner Marilou Ranta from The Quarry in Monson will be taking part in a Maine Voices Live interview at One Longfellow Square. Tickets are now on sale.

April 17 – Wayside Tavern is holding an Alpine Food & Wine Dinner.

April 19-28 – The 6th annual Maine Seaweed Week is taking place.

April 20 – It’s the first day of the summer session of the Portland Farmers’ Market. The market will be in Deering Oaks Park on Wednesdays and Saturdays (7 am – 1 pm).

April 27 – Portland Chowderfest is taking place.

April 28 – The Casco Bay Chef’s Association is holding their 2024 annual dinner.

April 29 – The Good Food Awards winners will be announced. Eight Maine food producers are finalists in the 2024 Good Food awards program.

May 11 – CiderFeast, an “all-inclusive tasting event celebrates craft ciders from some of the top cider makers in New England and beyond” is taking place.

May 18 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

May 19 – Fork Food Lab and Mayo Street Arts are collaborating to hold the Taste of Nations Food Festival.

June 10-16 – Portland Wine Week is taking place.

June 17 – The 3rd Annual ChopTails Competition will be taking place at Batson River.

June 22 – The Great Falls Brewfest is taking place in Lewiston.

June 26 – Secret Supper (instagram) is holding a dinner in the Portland area.

June 29 – The 3rd Annual Mast Landing Wavy Days Festival is taking place.

July 25/26 – The Kneading Conference is taking place in Skowhegan.

August 30 – September 1 – Maine Apple Camp is taking place.

September 20-22 – The Common Ground Fair will be taking place.

Ocotillo Opening Thursday

| Posted in Openings

Ocotillo (website, instagram), the new brunch restaurant being launched by the owners of Terlingua, is scheduled to open this Thursday. Ocotillo is located at 211 Danforth Street in the space formerly occupied by The Danforth. The space has undergone a renovation, changing the color palette, adding skylights and a variety of other touches that have made it a brighter lighter room in keeping its new mission as a brunch restaurant.

As you can see from the menu (see below), like Terlingua, Ocotillo is taking its culinary cues from the flavors of Mexico and Texas. An agave-focused beverage program with coffee and agua frescas align with a menu that includes a selection of breakfast tacos, sandwiches, churros, chilaquiles and more. See the bottom image below for the dietary restrictions version of their menu.

The restaurant will initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 8 am – 3 pm. They expect to launch their outdoor patio later this spring.

Ocotillo is joining Ugly Duckling, Ruski’s, Zu Baker, Smalls and Oh No Cafe which collectively are establishing this part of the West End as Portland’s Brunch District.

Review of Kuno

| Posted in Reviews

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a review of Kuno.

A few Thai dishes – a legacy of Yee’s time cooking at Boda – remain on the menu, but the restaurant’s true highlights are its Peranakan/Malaysian dishes. Highlighting umami-forward flavors, spice and smoke, and noodles galore, Kuno’s menu is small and charming, just like the restaurant itself. 

Kuno (website, instagram) is located at 166 Cumberland Ave and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 5 – 11 pm.

Restaurant Real Estate: April 2024

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the April 2024 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

West End/Parkside

867 Congress St – the 3,200 sq ft former church that had been slated to be a new home of Vena’s is for sale for $775,000.

Arts District

553 Congress St – the commercial kitchen in the former Five Fifty Five space (now leased by the Core Cannabis Museum) is available to a co-tenant for $2,000/month (MG).

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space with hood for $2,301/month (NNN).

594 Congress St – the 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper H. H. Hay Building formerly occupied by Starbucks is available for $35/sq ft (MG).

600 Congress St – for lease signs are in the window of the ground floor space at the corner of High and Congress. The Schwartz Building has been under renovation for a decade. For more info call (207) 773-7100.

25 Forest Ave – Portland Stage is looking for a restaurant partner to co-develop a 2,700 sq ft restaurant space in their Forest Ave building; $19.50/sq ft (MG).

44 Oak St – 4,347 sq ft of space in a beautiful historic building at the corner of Oak and Free Streets is available for $4,000/month (NNN).

Bayside/Inner Washington

73 Cove St – a 5,519 sq ft industrial space in East Bayside is listed for $35/sq ft; it’s expected to become available later this year.

46 Elm St – this 385 sq ft corner space in the parking garage at the corner of Elm Street and Cumberland Ave. It’s available for $500/month (MG).

52 Hanover St – On the first floor of a new building will be 1,500 – 4,500 sq ft retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has earmarked for a coffee shop.

178 Kennebec St – 2,644 sq ft of space are available in a newly constructed Bayside building for $25/sq ft (NNN).

52 Washington Ave – the 1,020 sq ft space formerly occupied by Radici (and before that by Terlingua) is for lease for $3,500/month (NNN). Text/call (207) 400-0405 to learn more.

55 Washington Ave – this 7,815 sq ft space is in the Nissen Bakery building right in between Cong Tu Bot and Hardshore Distillery. It’s available for $13,715/month (NNN).

Old Port

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

185 Commercial St – a new building under construction will include 2,334 sq ft of ground floor retail space that will be available in 2024 for $55/sq ft (NNN).

215 Commercial St – 2,327 sq ft of retail space near the corner of Commercial and Dana Streets is available for $65/sq ft (MG).

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

201 Federal St – 2 retail spaces will be available in the new 18-story building under construction at the corner of Temple and Federal Streets. The 527 and 2,300 sq ft spaces are listed at $40/sq ft (MG).

420 Fore St – the space formerly occupied by the Old Port Slice Bar is for lease. The 1,100 – 2,600 sq ft space is available for $55/sq ft (MG).

446 Fore St – a 1,600 sq ft space on the corner of Fore and Union Streets is available for $30/sq ft (MG).

477 Fore St – the 1,134 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available for $25-30/sq ft (MG).

40 Free St – a 1,511 sq ft space in the new building constructed by JB Brown is available for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).

28 Market St – the 850 sq ft space formerly occupied by Lucky Juju is available for lease for $2,250/month (MG).

46 Market St – the 2,100 sq ft space formerly occupied by Petite Jacqueline is for lease for $42/sq ft (NNN).

55 Market St – this 3,700 sq ft space on Market Street was formerly occupied by the Big Easy. It’s available for $18/sq ft (NNN).

121 Middle St – a 2,482 sq ft retail spot is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

157 Middle St – 1,091 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

5 Milk St – this 2,199 sq ft former hair salon is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

1 Monument Square – 1,500 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

28 Monument Square – with the opening of their new location this year, the Mr. Tuna space in the Public Market House will become available.

25 Pearl St – 1,689 sq ft former Subway space available for $30/sq ft (MG).

66 Pearl St – 5,796 sq ft of space—the former Bull Moose retail shop—is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

24 Preble St – the original Arcadia space is available. The 2,835 sq ft storefront near Dutch’s and Slab is listed for $20/sq ft (NNN).

3 Spring St – the space currently occupied by Stage Cannabis is for lease; 2,000 sq ft for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

144 State St – 2 retail spaces are available in the former Mercy Hospital building on State Street. The 1,100 and 2,566 sq ft spaces are available for $20-24/sq ft (MG). Chocolate Passions occupies the 3rd commercial space in this new development.

23 Temple St – a 947 sq ft retail space in the Temple Street garage is available for $26/sq ft (MG).

53 Wharf St –a 1,600 sq ft space on the corner of Wharf and Union Streets is available for $30/sq ft (MG).

India Street Area

144 Fore St – the former VA building is near the Portland Foreside development and adjacent to several new office buildings off Thames Street. It has 1,560 – 10,620 sq ft of space available for $22-29/sq ft (NNN).

Outer Forest Ave

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 4,500 – 9,500 sq ft of space available for $10/sq ft (NNN).

634 Forest Ave – this former garage is located at the center of Woodfords Corner near Bayou Kitchen, Woodford Food & Beverage, and Bird & Co. The 1,305 sq ft building has had a change of use to allow for a restaurant use, and comes with room for 8-12 parking spaces. It is available for $2,750/month (NNN).

701 Forest Ave – 3,147 – 6,405 sq ft of space in a former Walgreens building is available for $16/sq ft (NNN). The building has its own parking lot.

Deering

164 Veranda St – the 1,000 sq ft former location of Other Side Deli is available for $2,500/month (Gross).

476 Stevens Ave – the Elsmere BBQ building in Deering Center is for sale for $1,395,000; the sale includes all FF&E inventory.

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Elsewhere in Portland

Northgate Shopping Center – 2,000 to 3,500 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease at $18-40/sq ft (NNN).

Other Spaces – some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for the latest information.

Outside of Portland

Trudy Birds, North Yarmouth – The business, land and both building are for sale for $1,925,000.

188 Lincoln St, Lewiston – this 2,371 – 5,554 sq ft former fire station has been renovated for use as a retail/restaurant space. It’s listed at $5-14/sq ft (NNN).

Fuzzy Udder Creamery, Whitefield – the business and property are for sale for $595,000.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – an 8,684 sq ft turnkey restaurant in Wells is for sale for $2,450,000.

Billy’s Chowder House – both the building and business of Billy’s Chowder House in Wells is for sale. The ~200 seat restaurant comes with a 62-car parking lot and sits on Mile Road which connects Route 1 with Wells Beach.

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.

Botanically Curious Now Open

| Posted in Openings

Botanically Curious (website, facebook, instagram) held their grand opening on Friday. The herbal apothecary and mocktail bar is located at 419 Congress Street in the first floor of the Masonic building.

The mocktail menu (see below) includes a drink called the Hibiscus Rose shown above. It’s made with cranberry infused chia seeds, sparkling hibiscus tea, dandelion tincture and a raspberry garnish served on the rocks. The multi-use space is set-up to host workshops, has a selection of herbal products for sale, and a library seating area.

Botanically Curious will initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 11 am – 7 pm.

Maine Food & Dining News: Thomaston, Houlton, Veazie, Waterford, Biddeford, Ogunquit

| Posted in Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

  • Malcolm Bedell launched his new restaurant Honey’s (website, instagram) this week. The menu features a variety of fried chicken sandwiches (shown above is the Classic) as well as fries, chicken tenders, snacks and sides. Honey’s is located in Bird Plaza in Thomaston. It will be open Monday through Saturday,  11 am – 7 pm.
  • A new restaurant called Katahdin Kitchen (instagram) is scheduled to open next week in Veazie. The team at Katahdin Kitchen are taking “a fresh approach to Indigenous and American comfort foods with local ingredients.” The menu includes dishes like a wild rice bowl and a Sisters Salad made with roasted corn, beans, squash, beets, herbs and scallions served over greens. Katahdin Kitchen is located at 1492 State Street.
  • Chef Brandon Montes has joined the team at The Waterford Inne. Innkeeper Kember Vanderblue shared that she and Montes “will continue to focus the spotlight we shine on our homegrown produce and that of hyper-local farms, but Brandon brings with him knowledge of sustainable wild foods, and invasive species coming from both the oceans and deep woods of Maine” that will further develop the culinary program. Montes most recently worked with chef Bowman Brown at Elda and Jackrabbit. The inn’s restaurant Tallulah’s (website, instagram) is open seasonally serving pre fixe dinners on Fridays/Saturdays. Vandeblue expect to expand the days open and range of events and menus in the coming year.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a new restaurant called A Different Point of Brew Bistro is under construction in downtown Houlton. Owners Shyann Miller and Shelby Fitzpatrick plan to offer coffees, teas and energy teas as well as soup, salads and sandwiches.
  • A team from The Dunn Bar in Biddeford are launching a new Italian restaurant called Vin Santo in the space adjacent on Washington Street.
  • Coastal Wine in Ogunquit is relaunching today as Coastal Alchemist adding cocktails, draft beer, and a new food menu to their existing wine program.

Pizza Joint to Close

| Posted in Closings

Pizza Joint (website, facebook, instagram) has announced plans to close both their Portland and South Portland locations this month.

Hello pizza friends,
It is with great sadness that we have made the tough decision to close Pizza Joint.
Our last day of operation will be Sunday, April 14th. This date is subject to change depending on how much crew we have in the last few days.
Get it while you can, folks.
Thank you all for your loyalty and kindness over 47 great years. We couldn’t have done it without you. ♥
-The Pizza Joint

2024 Beard Awards Nominees from Maine

| Posted in Reviews, Maine

UPDATE: you can watch the awards presentation via this Youtube Livestream.

The list of final nominees for the 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards season has been released. 4 of the 10 chef and restaurant semifinalist announced in January are 2024 nominees. Congratulations to:

  • Outstanding Bakery – ZU Bakery, Portland (Barak Olins, bottom right photo)
  • Outstanding Hospitality – Woodford Food & Beverage, Portland (upper left photo)
  • Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker – Atsuko Fujimoto, Norimoto Bakery in Portland (bottom left photo)
  • Best Chef: Northeast – Jake Stevens, Leeward (upper right photo)

The 2024 award winners will be announced on Monday June 10th in Chicago.

Related information: