Clam Bar Opening Today (Updated)

| Posted in Openings

The Clam Bar (website, facebook, instagram) is scheduled to open today. The new seafood shack is located at 199 West Commercial Street on the site that was the longtime home of Benny’s Famous Fried Calms.

The initial menu (see below) covers all the seafood shack classics like steamers, fish and chips, a lobster roll, and fried clams each prepared with a little bit novel twist. The Clam Shack has a full liquor license and is serving cocktails, beer and wine. The adjacent Beer Garden shed has a selection of Maine draft beers.

Owner Garrett Fitzgerald has completely renovated the property to include Clam Bar, draft beer shed, the Royale Kitchen (instagram) food truck (opens daily at 8 am), indoor seating, picnic tables all connected by a set of wooden decks.

Clam Bar is open daily for lunch and dinner, 11 am – close.

Update: There was such an enthusiastic response over the weekend, the Clam Bar is taking Monday to prep and will re-open on Tuesday.

 

Maine Food & Dining News

| Posted in Maine

Here are some food and dining highlights from around the state:

Bite Into Maine Opens Today

| Posted in Openings

The new Bite Into Maine (website, facebook, instagram) in East Bayside is opening today. The 26-seat counter service cafe is located at 31 Diamond Street. A 14-seat deck and takeout window are in the final stages of being completed as well.

The menu (see below) includes their line-up of lobster rolls (try the Picnic) as well as a growing roster of sandwiches, soups, sides and whoopie pies for dessert. The cafe is BYOB.

Also under construction at 31 Diamond Street are Orange Bike Brewing, a gluten-free brewery, and Freedom’s Edge, a cider company headquartered in Albion, Maine. Both plan to open later this year.

Owners Sarah and Karl Sutton launched the Bite Into Maine food truck in Fort Williams Park in 2011. They also have a second truck at the Allagash Brewing tasting room. The cafe’s kitchen is serving as the production kitchen for both locations.

The East Bayside cafe will initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 11 am – 8 pm.

Lido’s 2 in the Old Port

| Posted in Under Construction

This week’s Portland Phoenix includes an update on Lido’s 2, the new Old Port restaurant being developed by the owners of Cong Tu Bot.

It will be a multilevel restaurant and will have a takeout counter during the day. They plan to serve grilled items and hotpot in the dining room, and “Chinatown-style baked goods, boba and rice plates” at the takeout counter, according to a press release.

Joining Cong Tu Bot co-owners Jessica Sheahan and Vien Dobui in the business will be Bounahcree Kim. Kim will be a co-founder/GM and will be the chef at the new restaurant.

See this earlier report for additional details on the location, layout and name inspiration for Lido’s 2, and visit the Nu Market site to contribute to their crowdfunding campaign.

Update: Since this article was published the prospective name of this business has been changed to Oun Lido’s.

Vena’s to Forego Congress Street

| Posted in Under Construction

Vena’s Fizz House (website, facebook, instagram) has decided not to proceed with opening their bar and retail shop. They had been working since late 2021 to renovate the church at 867 Congress Street in Parkside. Their announcement on instagram reads, in part:

We have always had the intention of eventually returning and reopening a physical venue and went about purchasing a property on Congress St. in Portland. However, we have come to realize that much has evolved since we last closed our doors on Fore Street in Portland. The hospitality industry itself has undergone significant changes, and we have also undergone our own transformation. Our priorities, both personally and professionally, have been reshaped by our current focus. The transition to an ecommerce business has provided us with the opportunity to achieve a healthier work-life balance. Just as the ingredients in a beverage are adjusted to cater to individual preferences, the adjustments we have made to our business model have helped clarify our priorities.

Upcoming Events

| Posted in General

Monday – Little Pig (website, instagram) is transitioning from pop-up mode to being fully open Monday through Saturday, noon – 8 pm.

Tuesday – Little Brother and Smalls are collaborating on a pop-up dinner with a menu that includes Dan-dan Noodles (pork or vegan options), Chicken Spring Rolls, a summery Celery Salad (v), and Chili Crisp Sundaes.

Wednesday – it’s the Frying Dutchman’s last day in business.

Thursday – Absolem Cider in Winthrop will be hosting chef Justin Smillie for a pizza pop-up called Slow Fires. Absolem will be serving a special line-up of cider, cocktail, and wine for the night and the crew from Table Bar is DJing the event. Petite Jacqueline will be serving 7-course chef’s tasting menu.

Thursday-Saturday – The Kneading Conference and Maine Artisan Bread Fair will be taking place in Skowhegan.

Saturday – The Festival of Nations is taking place in Deering Oaks Park, and the East Bayside Block Party is taking place.

August 3-5 – the Wavy Days beer festival and associated events are taking place. The beer festival itself will feature beers from 55 breweries and take place on Thompson’s Point.

August 5/6 – Wild Blueberry Weekend is taking place—visit a wild blueberry farm is a county near you.

August 6/7 – Chef Amy Kayne from 2Gether is serving a pair of candlelight dinners on House Island in Casco Bay.

August 7 – Ramona’s will be hosting Liberty Kitchen (instagram) from Philadelphia for a BYOB pop-up dinner.

August 12/13 – The Saint Peter’s Italian Bazaar is taking place.

August 23 – An Outstanding in the Field dinner is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm with guest chef Neil Zabriskie from Regards.

August 25-27 – chefs Sam Hayward, Evan Mallett and others will be leading Take a Bite out of Appledore: An Eco-Culinary Island Retreat.

September 10 – the Maine Cheese Festival is taking place.

September 24 – The Saltyard is holding a cocktail brunch at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

September 30 – Tender Table is holding their 3rd annual food and art fair in Congress Square Park.

October 8 – Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

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

Maine Food & Dining News

| Posted in Openings, Maine

Here are some food and dining highlights from around the state:

  • Scandinavia takeout bakery Fika (website, instagram) has opened for business in Saco. Fika is located just a few steps off Main Street at 17 Storer Street. Their menu included breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, cardamom buns, galettes, olive oil cake and other pastries plus coffee from George Howell Coffee. They’re open Friday/Saturday 7:30 am – 2 pm, and Sunday: 8 am – noon.
  • The Lincoln County News has a pair of updates from Round Pond. Dot’s Bakery has closed after 40 years in business., and the Round Pond Coffee has launched an evening wine bar. The new wine bar is called The Common House (facebook) serves wine, beer and meat and cheese boards Friday through Monday, 4 – 8:30 pm.

Bon Vivant Now Open in Lewiston

| Posted in Openings, Maine

Sonder & Dram in Lewiston has launched their new restaurant Bon Vivant (website, instagram) which is located at 133 Lisbon Street just upstairs from the cocktail bar. The ~50-seat restaurant features a long orange banquette along the left wall as well as central table seating and a cocktail bar and lounge area.

The beverage menu includes a selection of classic cocktails as well as New World and Old World wines by the glass and bottle, and a pair of draft beer from Oxbow Brewing and Definitive Brewing. Chef and co-owner Michael Gosselin is has put together a menu of contemporary small plates, steaks and entrees. Creme brulee, a lemon sabayon tart and a chocolate eclair are available for dessert along with a selection of after dinner cocktails, madeira and port.

The restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday and on Monday, 4:30 – 9 pm. Reservations are available on Resy. For additional reporting on Bon Vivant read this article from the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Vuong Joining Tao

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

The Press Herald reports that Frying Dutchman chef/owner Leon Vuong will be closing down his business to fully devote his time in a new direction. Vuong will be working with Cara Stadler as a head chef and a business partner in the relaunch of Stadler’s Brunswick restaurant Tao Yuan.

Vuong, who has fine-dining cooking experience including at the Barbara Lynch restaurant Menton in Boston, said he’ll retire most of his Frying Dutchman dishes along with the venue itself. At Tao Yuan, Vuong said he expects they’ll keep some of the signature dishes from the pre-pandemic restaurant, but about 50 percent of the small plates and tasting menu dishes will be new, like a bahn mi savory eclair course he’s been fine-tuning.