Looking Back at September 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 fun to take a look back each month at what the hot topics were from 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

Here’s are highlights from September 2009, 2014 and 2019:

  • Geo’s Patisserie on Forest Ave closed in 2009, as did Barava on Congress St.
  • Julia Moskin penned an article for the New York Times about the Portland food scene, “In the last decade, Portland has undergone a controlled fermentation for culinary ideas combining young chefs in a hard climate with few rules, no European tradition to answer to, and relatively low economic pressure and has become one of the best places to eat in the Northeast.”
  • A company called Ocean Approved received a lease to farm kelp in Casco Bay.
  • As a result of the NYT article Rabelais started getting calls for reservations from people who had mistaken the bookstore for a restaurant.
  • Gourmet magazine included Fore Street in a national list of 125 restaurants “you can trust to provide exceptional food and a memorable experience every single time”.
  • Peace Food Market opened for business.
  • The popular Congress Street bar The White Heart closed in 2014. The space eventually would become the home of Nosh.
  • Arcadia opened for business at their original location on Preble Street, Dean’s Sweets on Fore Street and Golden Lotus opened, Sur Lie opened on Free Street, and so did Huong’s Vietnamese Restaurant on Saint John Street. The email newsletter Eat Drink Lucky launched in 2014.
  • The owners of Piccolo celebrated the first anniversary of the restaurant with a 20-course feast.
  • The Pepperclub closed in September 2014 and Sangillo’s filed an appeal of in the denial of their liquor license renewal.
  • Nathaniel Meiklejohn opened his Arts District cocktail bar The Jewel Box.
  • Sticky Sweet opened their plant-based ice cream shop on Cumberland Ave in 2019.
  • Word broke that Maria’s Ristorante was planning move into the Espo’s space at 1335 Congress Street.
  • Mast Landing expanded into a 20,000 square foot space in Westbrook.
  • Word broke that Randy and Ally Forrester were moving to Portland to open what would become Radici.
  • JP’s Bistro owner John Paul Gagnon made the decision to move his restaurant from Woodford Street in Portland to Falmouth.

Ohno Cafe Closing

| Posted in Closings

The owners of Ohno have announced plans to close their West End cafe “just before Thanksgiving.”

As many of you know, this year is Ohno’s 20th anniversary. Today we must announce it will be the last. Years of caring for ill and aging parents while trying to cobble together a staff in the post-pandemic world have left us tapped out. For our own well-being and our family’s, we plan to close just before Thanksgiving.

They’re seeking someone who might want to take the business over: “If any of you love the Ohno as much as we do and think you’d like to take it on, we are open to proposals.”

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – It’s the opening day of Maine’s Untold Vegetarian History at the Maine Historical Society museum. The exhibit is curated by Avery Yale Kamila the Vegan Kitchen columnist for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and vegetarian history researcher John Babin. Old Port Wine Merchants will be holding a Bartlett Wine tasting.

Friday – Edible Communities is holding their Waves of Change event in Portland.

Saturday – Maine PoutineFest is taking place on Thompson’s Point.

Sunday – Maine Apple Sunday is taking place at orchards across the state.

September 17 – Le Mu Eats in Bethel is hosting a Mexican food pop-up with chef Alan Arciga.

September 19 – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.

September 20 – the first day of a week long 3-course menu at Union that features honey from the rooftop hives at the Press Hotel.

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

September 22-29 – Maine Lobster Week is taking place.

September 26 – The Calamity Jayne neighborhood cookout is taking place at Ocotillo.

September 28 – The Maine Needham Festival is taking place in Wiscasset. The African Festival is taking place.

October 3 – Wayside Food Programs is holding their annual fundraising event Inside Wayside.

October 10 – Apres is holding their annual Apple Tasting.

October 13 – The 16th Annual Open Creamery Day is taking place.

October 24 – Great Maine Apple Day is taking place in Unity.

October 23 – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.

October 24-26 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place.

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.

Carey Brothers and Review of Linden+Front

| Posted in Reviews, People

Today’s paper includes a feature about Ryan and Richard Carey, the twin brothers who operate two of the city’s barbecue restaurants,

If you learned that the owner of one of Portland’s most acclaimed barbecue joints has a fraternal twin brother who is the general manager at another highly respected barbecue restaurant in the city, you might assume their relationship would be a little fraught with competitive tension.

The paper also includes a review of Linden + Front, a new restaurant that opened in Bath in February.

Bath’s newest neighborhood restaurant, Linden + Front, bills itself as “a modern table,” a slogan that signals its eclecticism. But really, this new venture by restaurateurs Khristine and Zac Leeman is a bistro through and through, with a menu that seems to revel in classics that are only slightly updated. And that’s not a bad thing.

Maine Food & Dining News: Damariscotta, South Portland, Belfast, Saco

| 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:

  • A fire has destroyed Schooner Landing in Damariscotta. The fire started overnight on September 1st. Fire crews from Bremen, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, and South Bristol aided in putting out the blaze. See reports from The Lincoln County News, the Bangor Daily News and the Times Record for additional information. The owners plan to rebuild the restaurant, and a benefit for the restaurant employees is planned for September 22nd.
  • Food & Wine has highlighted the Knightville neighborhood in South Portland as “Maine’s Next Big Dining Destination.”
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that Chocolate Drop Candy Shop in Belfast will be closing down at the end of September. The owner’s announcement on facebook reads in part, “Downtown Belfast is thriving, in fact our store has had one of our best years ever. While there are several reasons we are closing, lack of business is not one of them. The truth is running a busy candy store for 15 years takes a ton of time and effort. We look forward to the next chapter in our lives.”
  • Finestkind (website, instagram) opened in Saco on Thursday.

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.

Finestkind Opens Thursday

| Posted in Openings

Finestkind (website, instagram) is scheduled to open on Thursday. The 26-seat breakfast and lunch cafe is located at 17 Pepperell Square in Saco. It’s being launched by Victoria and Tom Barthelmes along with their business partners Chris and Paige Gould.

Finestkind will serve (see menu below)  a wide range of house-made baked goods like Pumpkin Cake, Mudslide Cookies and the Tiny Debra’s. Breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, salads and other cafe dishes are available all day. Shown above is the Maine Grains bowl (warm farro over cabbage, charred corn, shishitos, cherry tomatoes, pepita, salsa verde vinaigrette) topped with crispy chicken. Finestkind is serving Tandem Coffee, as well as beer, wine, brunch cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

Pastry chef Kim Rodgers has joined the team at Finestkind. Rodgers is a cofounder of Little Spruce Baking Company was previously the executive pastry chef at Big Tree Hospitality. The Goulds are the owners of Central Provisions and Tipo. Victoria Barthelmes was the GM of Tipo and remains the wine director of both restaurants. Tom Barthelmes has transitioned to fully focus on Finestkind from his position as the kitchen manager at Central and Tipo. The Barthelmes met when attending The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and worked together at the Apple Pie Bakery Café. In New York City, Victoria worked in the pastry department at Lincoln Ristorante where she produced pastry for the Metropolitan Opera and wedding cakes for the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Tom worked at Lincoln before moving to Per Se where he worked for Thomas Keller.

Finestkind will be open Thursday through Monday, 7:30 am – 2 pm.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – Yardie Ting (website, facebook, instagram) is opening their restaurant on the first floor of the Public Market House in Monument Square.

Friday-Sunday – The 4th Annual Mycology Outside mushroom retreat is taking place.

Sunday – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 10 – It’s the opening day of Maine’s Untold Vegetarian History at the Maine Historical Society museum. The exhibit is curated by Avery Yale Kamila the Vegan Kitchen columnist for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and vegetarian history researcher John Babin.

September 13 – Edible Communities is holding their Waves of Change event in Portland.

September 14 – Maine PoutineFest is taking place on Thompson’s Point.

September 15 – Maine Apple Sunday is taking place at orchards across the state.

September 16 – The African Festival is taking place.

September 19 – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.

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

September 22-29 – Maine Lobster Week is taking place.

September 26 – The Calamity Jayne neighborhood cookout is taking place at Ocotillo.

September 28 – The Maine Needham Festival is taking place in Wiscasset.

October 3 – Wayside Food Programs is holding their annual fundraising event Inside Wayside.

October 10 – Apres is holding their annual Apple Tasting.

October 13 – The 16th Annual Open Creamery Day is taking place.

October 24 – Great Maine Apple Day is taking place in Unity.

October 23 – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.

October 24-26 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place.

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.

Maine’s Untold Vegetarian History

| Posted in Events

The Maine Historical Society will launching an exhibit this month that explores the vegetarian history of Maine.

Riots, activist newspapers, corporations, and the back-to-the-land movement are connected to Maine’s vegetarian history. Reaching back 300 years, Maine’s Untold Vegetarian History features stories of Mainers who changed what vegetarians eat and opened access to plant-based foods. Canned and packaged foods, historic manuscripts, books, menus, maps, and photos illustrate vegetarianism’s deep roots in Maine in this first-of-its-kind exhibition that explores this untold story.

The exhibit has been co-curated by Avery Yale Kamila, the Vegan Kitchen columnist for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and vegetarian history researcher John Babin.

Maine’s Untold Vegetarian History will open to the public on September 10th and be on exhibit through May 17th. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm.

Restaurant Real Estate: September 2024

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the September 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.

Arts District

547 Congress St – the 1,582 sq ft space formerly occupied by Broken Arrow is for lease for $3,800/month (NNN).

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 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 $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 a decade. For more info contact Joe Atwood at (207) 899-7373.

Bayside/Inner Washington

219 Anderson St – Blue Lobster’s former tasting room in the Rockingham Electric building is available; 2,700 sq ft for $16/sq ft (NNN).

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.

147 Cumberland Ave – the Union Bagel Co. space is available to lease for $1,750/month (MG). Over all the building has ~600 sq ft of space between the first floor and basement. It also features a fenced in back deck area that can seat 20+ people. Some equipment from the bagel bakery is also for sale. For more information contact unionbagelco@gmail.com. Union Bagel has moved their production facility to Falmouth.

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).

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 $13,708/month (NNN).

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

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 $2,985,000.

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).

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).

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).

89 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.

420 Fore St – the space formerly occupied by the Old Port Slice Bar is for lease. The 2,600 sq ft space is available for $40/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).

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

111 Middle St – the 1,622 sq ft former Cabana building is for lease for $3,500/month (NNN). See this post on instagram for more information about the property and its history.

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 becomes available in August. It 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 – 1,500 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

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

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

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

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

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).

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 1,400, 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 the latest information.

Outside of Portland

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

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.

372 Cottage Rd, South Portland – the building that formerly was home to Omi’s Coffee Shop is for sale for $675,000. Contact Gail Bruzgo at 372maine@gmail.com for more information.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – the former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bed room apartment are for sale for $2,095,000.

449 Main St, South Portland – the former Rudy’s Diner and an adjacent home are for sale for $975,000.

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.

Joshua’s in Brunswick – Joshua’s Tavern at 121 Maine Street is closing at the end of this month and the 4,500 sq ft restaurant is available to lease for $20-25/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.

Trudy Birds, North Yarmouth – The business, land and both building are for sale for $1,450,000.

358 Main St, Yarmouth – the building that had housed a collection of gluten-free baking businesses is for sale for $475,000.

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

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.

Portland When Pigs Fly Has Closed

| Posted in Closings

The When Pigs Fly (website, facebook, instagram) retail shop at 65 Hanover Street in West Bayside has closed. A sign in the door reads,

Good Morning!
Thank you for stopping by When Pigs Fly!
Due to unfortunate circumstances, the Portland When Pigs Fly store has permanently closed.
We thank the Portland Community for supporting us, and encourage all to visit us online at www.sendbread.com

The York-based bakery opened their Portland location last October.