When Pigs Fly Breads

| Posted in Openings

York-based bakery When Pigs Fly (website, facebook, instagram) opened their Portland retail shop this week. They’re open 10 am – 6 pm daily.

The shop is located at 65 Hanover Street in West Bayside. It carries the full range of the breads they produce at their central bakery as well as other baked goods like cookies, muffins, and scones, and oils, jams, butter, and other pantry items that pair well with their breads.

The bakery was founded by Ron Siegel in 1993. When Pigs Fly has retail shops in Kittery as well as Somerville, Jamaica Plain, Lexington and Brookline in Massachusetts.

Maine Food & Dining News

| Posted in Maine

Here are some updates from around the state:

  • Ancho Honey owner Malcolm Bedell has announced he’s leased a space in Thomaston where he plans to open Honey’s. The menu at Honey’s (website, instagram) will feature the fried chicken sandwiches that Ancho Honey has become a destination for. It will be located at 153 New County Road in the space formerly occupied by China Fortune. Bedell has listed Honey’s on MainVest where people can support the launch of the restaurant. Ancho Honey is located in Tenants Harbor. Bedell formerly operated the ‘Wich, Please food truck in Rockland.
  • Mainebiz has published a report on Main Street Provisions which recently opened in Waterville.
  • A new market called Poland Provisions (website, facebook, instagram) opened in late September. Owners Charles and Sheila Foley and their staff operate a cafe and general store Tuesday through Saturday. The business is located at 120 Maine Street.
  • Chef Jimmy Leftis began a chef residency program at Table Bar in Gardiner back in May. His Friday and Saturday night dinners have been so well received that the summer experiment will now be a permanent element at Table Bar. Starting in November you’ll find Leftis at the now 31-seat Table Bar Wednesday through Saturday nights.
  • A new wine bar called Good Wine Bar is under construction in Saco.
  • The Prentice Hospitality Group is taking over operation of The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth.

Good Wine Bar in Saco

| Posted in Under Construction


A new business called Good Wine Bar (instagram) is under construction at 172 Main Street in Saco in the space that was formerly the home of Unwind Cocktail Lounge.

Owners Sunny Chung and Kim Lully are hoping to launch the wine bar in November. In addition to wine, Good Wine Bar will also serve classic cocktails, local beers, and a menu of cheese, charcuterie, small plates, and desserts. Lully and Chung anticipate having biodynamic and organic wines on the list which will lean towards Old World wines.

Chung and Lully formerly ran the Korean restaurant Yobo, and were partners with Sarah Gabrielson and chef Tony Pastor in the launch of Main Street Steak & Oyster in Brunswick.

The owners of Unwind Lounge announced back in July that they had sold the business to new owners.

Radici Closing in November

| Posted in Closings

Washington Avenue pizzeria Radici has announced they’ll be closing in November. Their last day in business will be November 18th.

Over the next month we’re going to take a look back at some of our favorite pizzas like this Parsnip, Castelfranco and Lemon number because they’re delicious, and we’re feeling sentimental as we’ve decided to close Radici.

Owners Randy and Ally Forrester launched Radici on July 2, 2020. They had moved to Portland from Allentown, New Jersey where they had operated Osteria Radici which was a Jame Beard Awards semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant and Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region.

CBD Employees Seek to Unionize

| Posted in General News

The Press Herald reports that the employees at Coffee by Design are seeking to form a union.

Baristas at Coffee By Design’s three coffeehouses in Portland announced Tuesday that they will try to form a union.

The baristas say that 89% of the retail workforce in Portland signed cards authorizing Local 327 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America to seek voluntary recognition of a union.

Thistle & Grouse to Open in November

| Posted in Under Construction


Thistle & Grouse (instagram), the new restaurant that’s under construction on Cotton Street, is scheduled to open by the end of November. T&G has applied for their liquor license which provides a look at their draft menu and additional information.

Thistle & Grouse will be a gastropub with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. The bar program is slated to feature “a craft selection of gins and scotches, as well as a full selection of liquor, local beers, hand-crafted cocktails and wines.”

The space will have a large central bar and open kitchen with interior design inspired by the owner’s recent travel to Scotland. The two story dining room will have a combined capacity of 108 seats.

The 7-page menu (click on images below to see full size images) includes oysters and other raw bar options, cheese, charcuterie and sea-cuterie boards, small plates, mains and dessert. The Cornmeal Waffle (with crispy shiitakes, smoked corn butter, fermented pear, bonito) from the small plate menu sounds especially interesting as does the Heritage Pork Meatloaf (lemon grass, ginger and soy, tempura delicata squash, coconut sticky rice, nam chim chaeo glaze) from the main course section.

The restaurant is being launched by Kimberly Kraus and chef Bobby Will. Will has worked at restaurants run by well known chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Ken Oringer, and Jamie Bissonette. He was the executive chef at Saltaire Oyster Bar in Port Chester when the New York Times gave it a rating of Excellent in 2015. Also on the team are Julia Mcinnis who will be the general manager and bar manager Corey Schallek. All four worked together at Kraus’ and Will’s former restaurant Salt and Steel in Bar Harbor.

Upcoming Events & Thanksgiving List

| Posted in Events

Wednesday – La Gallera is holding a Puerto Rican pop-up featuring shrimp soup with mofongo, and Ten Mothers will be holding a hot dog pop-up at Lambs.

Friday – Evo is serving a dinner at the Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

Friday/Saturday –Wild Haven will be popping-up at Magnus on Water.

Saturday – Orchard Ridge Farm in Gorham is holding their 3rd Annual Pig Roast, and Waxwing Bakery will be holding a pop-up at Bumbleroot Farm in Windham.

Weekend – the Maine Fermentation Fair is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm.

October 25 – South Portland restaurants Judy Gibson and Lambs will be collaborating on a Burger Night.

October 25-28 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place.

October 26 – Bar Futo is hosting Roundtable, an event and dinner that “brings together chefs, organizers and neighbors for actionable discussion about social justice, mutual aid and sustainability.”

October 28 – Chefs Tracy Chang from Pagu, Ilma Lopez from the Ugly Duckling and Matt Ginn from Evo are collaboration on a dinner at the Ugly Ducking–sign-up for a Farmers’ Market Tour with the chefs and return in the evening for the dinner. The 18th Annual Veg Fest is taking place.

October 29 – The Cheese Shop is kicking off their cheese classroom series with a Cheese 101 class.

October 30 – Ore Nell’s North in Biddeford is holding a 5-course beer dinner.

November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

November 9 – Judy Gibson is serving a 4-course wine dinner featuring wines from Lauren Bonnois.

Thanksgiving – Restaurants, market and other food purveyors are just starting to share details on the Thanksgiving options. Will be adding them to this list as the information is made public. Drop us a line if you know of a Thanksgiving-themed offering not yet on the list.

  • Hanks (Scarborough) – is taking preorders for turkey, sides and desserts; order deadline on November 12th for pick-up on November 22nd.
  • Nina June (Rockport) – is taking preorders for their Everything but the Bird takeout menu of appetizers, sides, salads, desserts and drinks for pick-up on November 22nd.
  • Orchard Ridge Farm (Gorham) – is taking preorders for turkeys, ducks and ham.
  • Pat’s Meat Market – has a selection of meats available including turkeys, prime rib, duck, pork crown roast.
  • Rosemont Market – is taking preorders for turkeys, baked goods, prepared dishes and more; place your order by the 17th for pick-up on the 21st or 22nd.
  • Sea Glass (Cape Elizabeth) – the restaurant at the Inn by the Sea is serving a Thanksgiving dinner ($85/adult, $32/children 4-12yo), and also has a Thanksgiving dinner to go sized to serve 6-8 people for $275 plus tax & 18% gratuity (order deadline November 16th).
  • The Good Shepherd Food Bank plays an integral role in distributing food during Thanksgiving and all year round in Maine. See their website for information where to find food through their partner agencies in Maine or to make a donation.

November 30 – deadline for the public and industry professionals to submit recommendations to the James Beard Foundation to consideration for the 2024 Awards program.

December 7 – Secret Supper is holding a (sold out) holiday dinner in the Portland area.

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

Prentice Buys The Good Table

| Posted in Under Construction

The Prentice Hospitality Group has announced their purchase of The Good Table (website, facebook, instagram) in Cape Elizabeth. Prentice is planning some light renovations of the building and then to reopen The Good Table early next year. The press release from Prentice shared this about their approach,

As the new steward of this cherished local establishment, PHG aims to thoughtfully preserve the traditions and warmth that have made The Good Table a beloved gathering place for so many patrons over the past 38 years. “We’re honored to carry on the legacy of this exceptional neighborhood treasure,” said Casey Prentice, CEO of Prentice Hospitality Group. “The Good Table aligns perfectly with our commitment to delicious food, community-focused hospitality, and showcasing local ingredients. Our goal is to nurture the spirit of The Good Table for the next 30 years.”

Tony and Lisa Kostopoulos opened The Good Table in 1986 and their niece Jessica Kostopoulos became a partner and the Good Table’s chef in 2018. Lisa Kostopoulos shared in the press release,

“We have had the time of our lives here at The Good Table. The decision to sell didn’t come easily, knowing that PHG will honor our legacy and build upon it made the transition so much easier. We are thrilled that local folks will be serving our beautiful friends and neighbors for years to come. They are inheriting the best customers anyone could ever hope for. All good things to come for Matt, Casey and the rest of the crew. We can’t wait to come and sit at your table.”

The Prentice Hospitality Group operates, Evo Kitchen + Bar, the Chebeague Island Inn, Twelve and the 58 Culinary catering business.