The Great Lost Bear

The beer bar and restaurant we know today as The Great Lost Bear was founded in 1979 by Dave Evans, Weslie Evans and Chip MacConnell. Now after more than four decades in business, ownership of The Bear is being handed off to the next generation. Longtime managers Michael Dickson, Mary Dickson and Andrew Pillsbury signed paperwork Monday and became the new owners of the iconic Forest Ave establishment.

The Great Lost Bear launched in the pre-craft beer era in Maine. Geary’s was Maine’s first modern craft brewery and it sold its first beer in 1986. Gritty’s opened in 1988, and Shipyard and Allagash didn’t launch until the middle of the next decade. A very early beer list at the Bear consisted of Heineken, Saint Pauli Girl, Molson, Bass, Ballantine, Michelob, Miller Lite, Guiness, Miller and Budwiser and few draft beers. Now clocking in at ~70 taps of craft beer, the original Great Lost Bear draft line consisted of just four taps.

As the local brewing industry has developed, The Great Lost Bear has been a witness and essential supporter of the Maine craft beer industry. Here are some thoughts from Allagash founder Rob Tod,

The folks at the Great Lost Bear were the first to take a chance and put my beer, Allagash White, on tap. And since then, they’ve been institutional in supporting and expanding the popularity of the beer scene here in Maine. I’m glad to see that I’ll be able to enjoy a pint at the Bear for many years to come.

Weslie and Dave Evans moved to Portland from North Conway where they worked in the restaurant industry—Dave as a cook and Weslie in the front of house. When they decided to launch their own business they moved to Portland and eventually found a location on Forest Ave in what had been the Bottoms Up rock club. At the time the back half of the building was home to Nappi’s Bakery. The Evans’s and MacConnell leased their half of the building for $800/month.

Dave Evans was the first chef of the restaurant and over the years the menu has grown from a four page list to the behemoth it is today. While a lot has changed over the years, there a few dishes—and Weslie Evans’ wonderful illustrations and lettering—that have been constants including the French Onion Gratinee, Spinach Salad, and the I’ve Never Haddock Like This.  The vegetarian section (Carnivore’s Beware!) made it’s appearance in 1981.

See below for a look at the cover art (cropped to fit) of GLB menus from the very early days through the version in use today. You’ll notice the first in the series uses the name The Grizzly Bear which was the original name of the business. It was changed, after a legal challenge from an pre-existing West coast operation called Grizzly Bear Pizza in 1981 to the new (and much better) moniker we use today.

Best of luck to the new owners as they steer The Great Lost Bear forward in the years to come.

 

Twist Twirling into Monument Square

Melissa Lombardi, the owner of the Twist (instagram) ice cream food truck, has leased a first floor space at the Public Market House. The new location will be the home of a year-round business named Twirl.

Twirl will offer an expanded menu of shakes, cakes, pints, and other grab and go treats such as ice cream sandwiches in addition to the made-to-order ice cream creations that have been available from the food truck since it launched in 2019.

Lombardi hopes to have Twirl open in time for Father’s Day on June 18th.

2023 Portland Wine Week

Portland Wine Week 2023

The 2023 Portland Wine Week (websitefacebookinstagram) is taking place this summer June 12th to 18th at various locations across the city. There are 56 events and weeklong offerings on the calendar—be sure to check out the 33 events in the Women in Wine track.

Listed here are some of the highlights, see below or visit the Portland Wine Week site to see  the full list of events.

Portland Wine Week Schedule

Upcoming Events

MondayTuramali is serving a 4-course Mexican dinner at Cabana.

Thursday – the second Maine Food Convergence session is taking place.

May 29Wilson County Barbecue is holding a pig roast.

May 29 – Chefs Cara Stadler and Leon Vuong are collaborating on a Memorial Day Brunch at Tao Yuan.

May 30GMRI is leading an Alewife Migration Walk at the Mill Brook Preserve, and Vena’s is leading a Tiki Cocktail Workshop at Liquid Riot.

June 2Liquid Riot is celebrating their 10th anniversary, and Full Plates is holding a Haute Lunch event at the Yarmouth High School.

June 4 – the Casco Bay Seafood Festival is taking place in Brunswick.

June 5 – The James Beard Awards ceremony will take place. Nezinscot Farm will receive an American Classics award and The Quarry in Monson will learn if they have won in the Outstanding Hospitality category.

June 9 – Chef Josh Berry and Mast Landing are collaborating on a 4-course beer dinner at The Maker’s Galley.

June 11Big Tree Hospitality is holding a farm to table dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

June 12-18Portland Wine Week is taking place with events at restaurants all over the Portland area.

June 22-24 – the Holy Trinity Church is holding their annual Greek Festival.

July 23Maine Open Farm Day 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.

September 10Maine Cheese Festival.

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

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

October 8Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

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

Tally’s at Stevens Square

Tally’s Kitchen (website, instagram) has opened a second location in the Stevens Square Community Center. The new Tally’s serves the same menu (see below) as their original location on Marginal Way which includes breakfast sandwiches, bakery items, salads, wraps and lunch sandwiches. It features seating in the entry courtyard and in a sunny balcony overlooking the cafe.

Tally’s Kitchen was founded by Julie Taliento Walsh in 2018. The Stevens Square Community Center is a new mixed use development located in the former Catherine McAuley High School.

The Stevens Square Tally’s is open 7 am – 3 pm (and until 6 for prepared meal pickup and 2DineIn meal deliveries) on weekdays and 9 am – 3 pm on Saturdays.

Tasting Table: Room for Improvement

Tasting Table has included Room for Improvement in their list of the 17 New US Bars You Can’t Miss In 2023.

All that said, it’s difficult to nail down what kind of experience imbibers are looking for these days, but for these newcomers on the U.S. bar scene, the common thread is clear: A heavy pour of nostalgia with your Negroni cocktail. Whether it’s a low-lit spot that recalls jazz-age NYC, disco ball-adorned digs, vinyl-stocked revivals of the Japanese listening bars of the ’50s and ’60s, or hideaways that look like your parents’ basement in the best way, the spots on our list range from classy to cheeky. No matter what your preferred sipping style is, you’ll find a bar where you’ll want to pull up a stool.

Cherished Possessions & Pub

A new business is under development in Allen’s Corner. A group of owners led by Samuel Eakin from Cherished Possessions plan to launch a diner and pub in 1,805 sq ft space at 64 Auburn Street.

The 40-seat establishment (see floor plan below) will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast and lunch will be modeled after Bayou Kitchen in Woodfords Corner. Eakin has reached an agreement with Bayou Kitchen to license their recipes and name for the daytime service (6 am to 2 pm), and Bayou will be providing training to the CP staff as part of the deal. In the afternoon and evening (2 to 10 pm) the pub will offer drinks and a menu inspired by Eakin’s home state of Louisiana.

Renovations to the building are underway. The final space will include general table seating and a bar. Furnishings from Cherished Possessions are being incorporated into the room’s design. Part of the yard facing Auburn Street will be landscaped to provide a spot for outdoor seating. The menu will be also be available for takeout.

When it opens later this year the restaurant will be open Wednesday through Monday, 6 am – 10 pm. Live music at the pub is part of the plan for weekend evenings.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday – La Gallera is holding a Puerto Rican takeout pop-up from the Belleville kitchen door on North Street.

Thursday – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner, and the first Maine Food Convergence session is taking place.

FridayOnggi will be hosting Hana Makgeolli for a makgeolli brewing workshop.

SaturdayMaine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

SundayJudy Gibson is serving a 4-course dinner featuring wines from Italy.

May 21Coffee By Design is hosting coffee importer Jean Christophe Rustatira, owner of Umoko Coffee for a tasting and a talk and later in the day CBD is holding a tasting of three African coffees from Ethiopia, Burundi and Congo.

May 22Turamali is serving a 4-course Mexican dinner at Cabana.

May 25 – the second Maine Food Convergence session is taking place.

May 30GMRI is leading an Alewife Migration Walk at the Mill Brook Preserve.

June 4 – the Casco Bay Seafood Festival is taking place in Brunswick.

June 5 – The James Beard Awards ceremony will take place. Nezinscot Farm will receive an American Classics award and The Quarry in Monson will learn if they have won in the Outstanding Hospitality category. Scratch Baking is teaching a (sold out) bagel baking class,

June 11Big Tree Hospitality is holding a farm to table dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

June 12-18Portland Wine Week is taking place with events at restaurants all over the Portland area.

July 23Maine Open Farm Day 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.

September 10Maine Cheese Festival.

September 24The 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 8Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

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