Robbins at Tribal Nations Summit

| Posted in Events, People

Maine chef Joseph Robbins has been invited to cook at the 2024 White House Tribal Nations Summit taking place on December 9th. He’s planning to prepare what he refers to “indigenous sushi” for the summit’s welcome event. Robbins’ dish will make use of rice from the Red Lake Nations in Minnesota, smoked salmon from Cowlitz Indian Tribe in Washington State, and a reduction sauce of apple juice and maple syrup flavored with chili peppers.

Robbins is Penobscot and is one of a growing number of chefs across the country raising the visibility of Indigenous American cuisine. He was a 2024 Beard Awards semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in General

Saturday – It’s the first day of the indoor Portland Farmers’ Market. It will once again be located at 631 Stevens Ave, and will run from Dec 7th through Apr 12, 2025. Leisure Time Cocktail is hosting a pop-up with Slab Pizza and the Sauce & Destroy pasta sauce company. As you may recall Slab closed their Preble Street restaurant in early October.

December 13 – Hanukkah Mexicana is taking place in Bath. The event will include food inspired by the Mexican Jewish cookbook, Sabor Judio, and a talk by authors Ilan Stavans and Margaret Boyle.

December 14 – Natalie’s at the Camden Harbor Inn will be holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner  in collaboration with Browne Trading Company and Barton Seaver.

December 15 – A gingerbread house decoration event is taking place at the Hilton Garden Inn. The event is a fundraiser for Portland Firefighters Children’s Burn Foundation.

December 16 – Bissell Brothers will be holding a (sold out) Feast of the Seven Fishes.

December 18 – Sacred Profane will be holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes at their location in Biddeford.

December 24 – Via Vecchia is holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner.

December 31 – It’s New Year’s Eve. We’ll be building a list of NYE special dinners and food/drink events here.

February 2 – Rafael Zimmerman from Magnus on Water⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 2 – Sara Jenkins, Dustin Martin, and Lauren Radel from Nina June will be the guest chefs at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

May 17 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.
25-packs of the Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now available on our online store.

Community Plate & Review of Lucky Cheetah

| Posted in Reviews, Profiles

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes an article about Community Plate,

This is Community Plate’s 25th story-sharing potluck supper in the 18 months since Schatz and his wife, Margaret Hathaway, launched the nonprofit group in an effort to build community and combat loneliness statewide. Community Plate’s moveable feast has been held so far in 12 of Maine’s 16 counties, reaching as many as 700 people.

and a review of Lucky Cheetah.

Co-owners Wills Dowd and Jared Dinsmore (who together also own Bird & Co.) view their “dumpling lounge” as a destination for celebrations, champagne, cocktails and small plates. It’s easy to imagine the semi-subterranean space playing host to some seismic revelry. Bar manager Ben Bozeman’s cocktails are absurdly good, including non-alcoholic concoctions like the sparkling cherry-miso Double Zero. Service still has some kinks to iron out, as does the menu, which shines bright in some places — a custardy egg tart served with a scoop of malty black tea ice cream and crisp Wagyu top-round egg rolls wrapped in brittle sheets of phyllo dough are two highlights.

Restaurant Real Estate: December 2024

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the December 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/Valley/Libby Town

87 Brackett St – the 1,077 sq ft former OhNo Cafe is for lease for $2,700/month +utilities (MG). The space also includes a 825 sq ft basement area. It is available as of February 1, 2025.

919 Congress St – the 9,540 sq ft former Salvage BBQ building is available. Lease terms are negotiable.

270 Saint John St – a 2,714 sq ft space in Union Station Plaza is available for $17/sq ft (NNN).

211 Valley St – a 1,260 sq ft former garage and the .13 acres it is on are for sale on Valley Street for $1,300,000.

235 Vaughan St – the former Vaughan Street Variety storefront in the West End has been completely renovated. The 620 sq ft space is available for $2500/month (MG). Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

511 Congress St – the 2,875 sq ft former Golden Lotus space is available for $16.50/sq ft.

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space for $17.04/sq ft (NNN).

555 Congress St – the 1,908 sq ft former 555 dining room and mezzanine are available to lease for $20/sq ft (NNN).

594 Congress St – the 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper H. H. Hay Building formerly occupied by Starbucks is available for $28/sq ft (MG).

602 Congress St – The ~1,500 sq ft ground floor space at the corner of High and Congress is available to lease. The Schwartz Building has been under renovation for more than a decade. For more info contact Joe Atwood at (207) 899-7373.

77 Free St – the space previously occupied by the Free Street restaurant and bar is available. The 8,500 – 17,000 sq ft space is for lease for $5/sq ft (NNN). Call (207) 761-6500 for additional details.

Bayside/Inner Washington

52 Hanover St – On the first floor of the Armature is 1,500 – 3,000 sq ft of 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).

114 Preble St – The building formerly occupied by Coals is for sale for $1,475,000.

186 Washington Ave – the 7,620 sq ft Am Vets building is for sale for $1,600,000. See the listing for photos of the bar and seating area.

Old Port

0 Canal Plaza – the 1,350 sq ft former Nosh Taco build in Canal Plaza is for lease for $60/sq ft (NNN).

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).

15 Chestnut St – the building that was home to Grace restaurant is for sale. It includes the property, business assets and all FF&E. The restaurant seats 175 and features a large circular bar on the first floor of the former church. The building has 14,358 sq ft of space. It’s for sale for $2,595,000.

185 Commercial St – a new building on Commercial Street has a 2,334 sq ft ground floor retail space that is available for $55/sq ft (NNN).

266 Commercial St – a 6,689 sq ft retail space is available in this new construction building for $20-22/sq ft (NNN).

327 Commercial St – the 6,981 – 7,981 sq ft space currently occupied by Tiqa is available for lease or to buy. The lease rate is $30/sq ft (NNN). The sale price is $3,500,000.

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).

10 Cotton St – Thistle & Grouse closed in September. The business is now for sale for $975,000.

8 Exchange St – 1,800-3,600 sq ft of space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $34.99/sq ft (MG).

85 Exchange St – The space that had previously been the home of Dobra Tea is back on the market. The 1,350 sq ft space is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – a 2,300 sq ft space in the new 18-story Casco building is available for $40/sq ft (MG). The building owners are looking for someone who wants to open a market in that space.

340 Fore St – a 932 retail space at the corner of Fore and Silver Streets is available to lease for $35/sq ft (MG).

433 Fore St – a 930 sq ft space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

477 Fore St – the 1,361 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available for $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).

127 Marginal Way – the 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $35/sq ft (NNN).

100 Middle St – a 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (MG).

115 Middle St – the 2,065 sq ft space formerly occupied by Beach Boys Cannabis is for lease for $6,840/month (MG). Back in the 1970s it had been the home of Model Food Importers which retailed wine, cheese and other imported foods.

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

157 Middle St – 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

184 Middle St – this newly renovated space was formerly occupied by Blanche & Mimi. It includes 1,169 sq of first floor retail and 808 sq ft of basement storage space all for $48.43/sq ft (MG).

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

1 Monument Square – 1,530 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

15 Monument Square – the former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease. Contact Core at (207) 744-3084 for more information.

28 Monument Square – a number of spots on the first and second floors of the Public Market House are available.

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

66 Pearl St – the 5,796 sq ft space that was formerly the home of Bull Moose is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

35 Silver St – The North Point closed in October. The business is now for sale for $75,000.

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

54 York St – a 1,605 sq ft space is available for $30/sq ft (MG). It’s located in the same building as the new Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Old Port Bar – an undisclosed 1,160/sq ft bar/restaurant in the Old Port is for sale for $195,000.

India Street Area

239 Congress St –the 780 sq ft space formerly occupied by Tiny Tims is available for $2,500/month (Absolute Gross). It’s nearby Cocktail Mary, The End of Portland, Quanto Basta and LB Kitchen.

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

332 Forest Ave – two spaces (1,992 and 1,962 sq ft) in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave are available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $10-15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

630 Forest Ave – a 1,440 sq ft retail space in Woodfords Corner is available for $17 (NNN).

1871 Forest Ave – the former Tortilla Flats is for sale. The 8,771 sq ft building is on 3.43 acres of property and is listed for $1,750,000.

Deering

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

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 – 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease 1,440, 3,800 and 5,000 sq ft. The lease rates are negotiable and the property owner has a strong interest in finding a restaurant tenant for the shopping plaza.

Other Spaces – some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for insights on where those opportunities may be.

South Portland

449 Main St, South Portland – The former Rudy’s Diner and an adjacent home are for sale for $849,000.

60 Ocean St, South Portland – The restaurant space currently occupied by Taco Trio is for lease. The 6,006 sq ft space is available for $19.98/sq ft (NNN).

145 Ocean St, South Portland – The BenReuben’s building in South Portland will become available with the closure of the knishery in September. The ~1,000 sq ft space is for lease for $3,000/month (MG). Contact Josh at (207) 408-3879 for more information.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – the 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $895,000.

Elevation Burger, South Portland – the business franchise, infrastructure, equipment and lease for 2,600 sq ft space are for sale for $250,000. Call (207) 838-2274 for more information.

Elsewhere in Maine

The Downs – A 2,019 sq ft restaurant space is for sale in The Downs mixed use development.

881 Route 1, Yarmouth – Shared kitchen space formerly utilized by MaineFlavor before they moved to the West End is available.

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). See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

449 Main St, South Portland – The former Rudy’s Diner and an adjacent home are for sale for $849,000.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bed room apartment are for sale for $2,095,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

358 Main St, Yarmouth – The building that had housed a collection of gluten-free baking businesses is for sale for $440,000.

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. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $875,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

Bayley’s Seafood, Scarborough – This 3,018 sq ft turnkey seafood restaurant is available to lease for $24/sq ft.

1200 Portland Rd, Arundel – An undisclosed turnkey 9,938 sq ft restaurant is for sale for $2,500,000.

1575 Bridgton Rd, Westbrook – the former Pine Tree Bakery building is for sale for $470,000. The 1,620 sq ft building is on 7.32 acres and has a 20+ spot parking lot. Visit ateammaine.com for additional information.

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.

Looking Back at November 2009, 2014, and 2019

| Posted in History

The Portland Food Map archive  provides a chronicle of the past 17 years of the Portland restaurant scene. While a lot of the reporting here is about what’s happening now and coming next, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back each month at the news from 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

Here’s some notable news from November 2009, 2014 and 2019:

  • James and Andre Tranchemontagne launched their new multi-roaster coffee shop, The French Press Eatery, in Westbrook and construction got under way for Yordprom Coffee in the West End.
  • The 3rd Annual Portland Beer Week took place in  November 1-7, 2014.
  • James Schwartz became the new Maine Sunday Telegram restaurant critic and for his first article reviewed the dinner service at Artemisia Cafe.
  • Dutch’s opened for business on November 11, 2014.
  • Frank Anderson and Rebecca Ambrosi launched a dinner series called The Hunter’s Bend.
  • Northspore launched as a mushroom CSA.
  • Oxbow Brewing opened their tasting room on Washington Ave. Word also broke in November of 2014 that a new wine shop called Maine & Loire was slated to open just a few doors down. The opening of Oxbow, Maine & Loire and also Terlingua in 2014 and 2015 were early milestones in the development of the inner Washington Ave we enjoy today.
  • Angello Ciocca and chef William D’Auvray launched Ebb & Flow at 100 Commercial Street in the space that’s been the home of Solo Italiano since 2016.
  • Maine Shrimp season was cancelled for a second year.
  • The Salt Exchange closed.
  • The organizers of the excellent Pocket Brunch series in collaboration with the Maine Brewers Guild and Down East held a game dinner called Pocket Feast.
  • The Portland Food Co-op opened on November 19, 2014.
  • Bartender Paul Russell took steps to establish a Portland chapter of the US Bartenders Guild.
  • In November 2019, Food & Wine magazine recognized Little Woodfords as one of the Best Coffee Shops in America.
  • Cocktail Mary, Uncharted Tea, Anoche and Nura all opened for business in November 2019.
  • Chef Ryan Hickman took over the former JP’s Bistro space with plans to open a new restaurant called The Knotted Apron.

A Taj Thanksgiving

| Posted in General News

The Press Herald has published a report on the free Thanksgiving meal program that Taj restaurant has run for the last four years. This year the owner Sai Guntaka and his family were on track to hand out 1000+ meals.

The restaurant was providing food for all on Thursday, whether customers could pay or not. By early afternoon, owner Sai Guntaka said Taj was on track to give away between 1,000 and 1,200 free meals by the end of the day, in addition to the hundreds of meals they served to paying customers.

Maine Food & Dining News: Rockland, Freeport, Scarborough, Brunswick, Searsport

| 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:

  • Ruckus Donuts has launched a $20k crowdfunding campaign to help purchase a food truck.
  • Stacks Pancake Company has launched their second location at 183 US Route 1 in Scarborough. It’s open 6 am to 2:30 pm daily. The Papanikoleau family opened the original Stacks on Riverside in July 2021.
  • The Times Record reports that the owner of the Jameson Tavern in Freeport has closed the restaurant with hopes to reopen the tavern in Windham.
  • The Abbey in Brunswick has launched a Sunday brunch service. The menu includes options like a Cider Sausage Porridge and a Turkish egg and tomato dish called Menemen.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that the former Tozier’s Market has reopened under new ownership with the new name of Edwards Brothers Supermarkets. The Edwards brothers Jason and Jeremy have other markets located in Unity, Trenton and Dover-Foxcroft. Tozier’s had gone out of business this summer after more than two decades in business.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

Big Tree @ Local 188

| Posted in Under Construction

Big Tree Hospitality will be leasing the former Local 188 which they plan to use as an event space and a kitchen for their catering operations.

Big Tree Hospitality is excited to announce that they will be the new stewards of the Local 188 space at 685 Congress St. in Portland which will be used as an event venue and home base for Big Tree Catering. Jay Villani’s Local 188 has been a beloved food and beverage institution since 1999 and many of Big Tree’s family and friends, including co-owner Arlin Smith, worked for Villani during that time. “This opportunity is especially meaningful to us, and we’re honored to carry the torch, preserving this iconic space while creating a new venue to celebrate weddings, host pop-ups, guest chef dinners, and give our catering team a home of their own.” says Smith.

Local 188 chef/owner Jay Villani will be working with Big Tree to help them adapt the space. He shared, “I’m excited to help Big Tree Catering preserve the elegance and warmth of this vibrant room and gently transform it into a dynamic setting that retains the communal feel of Local.” Renovations will be taking place over the winter. Stay tuned to the Big Tree Catering instagram account for updates.

Big Tree Hospitality launched Eventide in 2012 and The Honey Paw in 2015. They also operate three local markets South Freeport, Scarborough and Falmouth. The Big Tree team is led by Arlin Smith and James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Taylor.

Local 188 closed earlier this year after 25 years in business.

Cocktail Mary 2.0

| Posted in Under Construction

Cocktail Mary (website, instagram) has announced plans to move the cocktail bar to a new larger location in Portland. Founder Isaac MacDougal has launched a $100k campaign on NuMarket—a platform that specializes in helps food and beverage businesses—to finance the move. Contributors to NuMarket campaigns are granted a business credit—for every $100 you commit to Cocktail Mary you’ll  get a $120 credit at the new location.

We have officially outgrown our current location and are looking for the community to invest in the future of Cocktail Mary. A place where we have the space to throw the dance parties of all of our dreams! We are always looking for ways to provide to our community with more and have so many exciting things in the works but need your help. This is a bit of a heavy lift but we are looking to raise $100,000 in order to complete the build out of a the new space. We’re reaching out to you, our awesome community members, to help with this growth we so desperately need and are so excited to give you something in return. 

On a separate track, MacDougal and a set of business partners are launching a new establishment at 441 Congress Street called Supper Club Cocktail Lounge which is expected to open by the end of March.