Silver Street by Taj

| Posted in Under Construction

Taj’s owner and bar manager, Sai Guntaka and Jim Baldi, have leased the former North Point space in the Old Port where they plan to open  Silver Street by Taj (instagram) this spring.

The ~40-seat cocktail bar will serve a range of cocktails as well as wine, and local draft beer including the Sai Lager produced in collaboration with Oxbow Brewing Company. Cody Brann will be head bartender and will developing the beverage menu.

The food menu is still under development but expected to include some popular dishes from the Taj menu like their samosas as well as egg rolls, tacos, and cheese boards.  Desserts such as creme brullee and chocolate mousse will round the menu. Customers looking for the full Taj menu and takeout will find their needs met at the South Portland restaurant.

The 1,000 sq ft space is under renovation and will have a touch of the look from the Taj restaurant design in a more casual overall feel. Guntaka shared that their aim is to create a moderately priced hangout spot for locals and people who work in the Old Port.

Guntaka and Baldi plan to use a portion of the profit from the Silver Street bar to fund Taj’s ongoing efforts to feed people in need.

Phoever Moving to Portland

| Posted in Under Construction

PhoEver Maine (website, facebook, instagram) has purchased the former Ananaia’s building  on Congress Street. The Huynh family plans to renovate the 4,000 sq ft building and move their Vietnamese restaurant to there from its current space on Larrabee Road in Westbrook. They hope to open the new restaurant by summer.

The Huynhs launched the PhoEver in 2013. The menu includes banh mi sandwiches, appetizers like spring rolls, beef skewers and shrimp toast, rice and noodle dishes, salads and, of course, several versions of pho. Several of the menu items reference names of famous Mainers like a pair of Margaret Chase Smith Soups (wonton soup and crab egg drop soup) or the George Mitchell rice plates. The new location will serve a similar menu along with some additional new items.

The lease, space and equipment for the restaurant in Westbrook is for sale for $125,000. Anyone interested can contact Jen Hunynh at (207) 807-6178 for more information or for a tour of the property.

Anania’s owners Ed and Barbara Anania shared their plans to retire and sell the building late last year. The Anania family had operated markets in Portland since 1963.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Friday – The Flavors of Freeport tasting event, Fare & Ice, is taking place with 20+ restaurants, bars and shops taking part.

Saturday – Vagabundo will be holding a tamale pop-up at Lucky Pigeon Brewing. Dough Maine will be holding a pop-up at Lay Day Roasters.

February 28 – Bissell Brothers is serving a 5-course vegetarian dinner.

March 1-12 – Maine Restaurant Week is taking place.

March 2 – Sara Jenkins, Dustin Martin, and Lauren Radel from Nina June will be the guest chefs at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner. Duckfat and Oxbow are holding a chili competition as a benefit for Maine Needs.

March 6 – Chaval is holding a Vegan wine dinner featuring wines from Italy.

March 6-8 – The traveling Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy will be in Portland for three nights.

March 11 – Barak Olins and Atsuko Fujimoto are the featured guests at a Maine Voices Live event at One Longfellow Square.

March 23 – The Casco Bay Chef’s Association is holding their annual dinner.

April 26 – SeaFest will be taking place in Westbrook.

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

May 30 – June 1 – The Maine Fungi Fest is taking place.

September 14 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 19-21 – The Common Ground Country Fair is taking place in Unity.

October 12 – The Maine Open Creamery Day 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.

 

Sunday Snow Day List

| Posted in Events

Many restaurants and food businesses have announced snow day closures for Sunday, but a number of spots are or plan to be open today. We’re maintaining a list here with links to their social media posts for further details:

Reynolds Joining Team at Bar Futo

| Posted in People

Cyle Reynolds is joining the team at Bar Futo (website, facebook, instagram) as a co-owner and as the restaurant’s chef de cuisine.

“We are excited to have Chef Cyle join the team at Bar Futo,” said Jordan Rubin. “Cyle’s menu at Crispy Gài has been a clear success since we opened in 2021. His passion for Asian cuisine and dedication to community align perfectly with our mission to provide an exceptional dining experience that reflects both global influences, local flavors and creative Japanese-American dishes that are playful and delicious like the new BEC Okonomiyaki (bacon, egg and cheese). We also have worked well together for the last 4 years and know when a shift is needed to adapt to consumer dining habits and the seasonal market we’re in – we think Cyle leading this new menu change of improving pricing and plate portions will excite a lot of Bar Futo – and Crispy Gài – fans.”

Reynolds resume includes time working in Thailand as an apprentice at a knife shop and cooking at the Michelin-starred restaurant Canvas. When he returned to the United States he worked at Restaurant Ukiyo in New York before moving back to Maine.

Bar Futo has a calendar of upcoming events with guest chefs including chefs Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores from Kasama in Chicago, Sai Guntaka from Taj in South Portland and Nikhil Naiker from NIMKI in Providence. Stay tuned to their instagram account for full details and schedule.

Jordan Rubin and Marisa Lewiecki launched Bar Futo in December 2022. They are partners with Cyle Reynolds and Sasha Brouillard in the operation of Crispy Gai.

 

Maine Food & Dining: Lewiston, Waterville, Kennebunk, Belfast, Eliot, Houlton, Windham, Bangor, Brunswick

| 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:

  • Born Yesterday Bakery (website, instagram) has announced plans to open a bakery in Lewiston. Owner Syd Coty is leasing space in the former fire station at 188 Lincoln Street where Born Yesterday will be co-located along with a wood worker, and a fitness studio. To help fund this next step in the bakery’s development they’ve launched at $30k NuMarket campaign—supporters have already over $4k since it launched on Thursday. Coty shared “We believe food should be thoughtful, nourishing, and connected to the people and places around us. Every ingredient we use is sourced with intention—from the organic grains we mill in-house to the eggs, milk, and vegetables grown by local farmers we know personally. This bakery isn’t just about making great bread and pastries—it’s about creating a space that supports the people who grow our food and a community that values real, honest ingredients.” Born Yesterday began as a home kitchen bakery and now sells at farmers markets, to wholesale accounts and at pop-ups. When the new Lewiston location opens Coty plans to sell breads, pastries, coffee (with beans from Blind Tiger Coffee in Bangor) and will eventually expand the offerings to include a menu of toasts.
  • Mainebiz has a report on two new chefs taking over kitchens in Maine. Mary Dumont is the new chef at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, and Matthew Zita is the new chef at Front & Main in Waterville. Zita is expected to launch a new menu at Front & Main this spring. Dumont was a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2006.
  • The Midcoast Villager has published a profile of Gary Cooper, the chef at Dos Gatos Gastropub in Belfast.
  • Enzo Benzo (website, instagram) have opened their new bakery in Eliot. They serve Italian pastries, donuts and other baked goods. Enzo Benzo is located at 987 Route 236 in Eliot and their winter hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 6 am – 3 pm.
  • The Bangor Daily News has published an article about the The County Co-op & Farm Store in Houlton which launched in 2013.
  • Pop’s Place in Windham has gone out of business. In their announcement on Facebook the owners shared, “The lack of quality and qualified workers, increasing prices and decreasing demands are some of the factors that have contributed to this decision. Also, as a small family business, the business of “Life“ has gotten in the way and therefore we have collectively, and individually decided to move on to other pursuits and spend more time with our Families, as we have lost too many this past year.”
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a new wine, specialty foods and kitchenware store called Sunbury’s (website, facebook, instagram) has opened in Bangor. They’re located at 86 Hammond Street in the space formerly occupied by Bangor Wine & Cheese. Their hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm and Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm.
  • The Times Record has published an article about The Abbey in Brunswick which is a 2025 Beard Awards semifinalist in the Best New Bar category.

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

New Restaurant Critic

| Posted in General

The Press Herald has announced that their food reporter Tim Cebula will be serving as the paper’s restaurant critic moving forward. Cebula replaces Andrew Ross who left the position earlier this year after eight years on the job.

The announcement also shares that reviews will be published every other week and they will now wait two months rather than three before reviewing a restaurant.

10 Essential Bars of Portland

| Posted in Reviews

Wine Enthusiast has published their list of the 10 Essential Bars in Portland, Maine.

Portland has entered a modern drinking era, where luxe cocktail bars sit alongside classic, beloved breweries and a new generation of drink makers expand the local palate. We tapped the industry professionals creating this infectious energy around Portland’s drinking scene for their picks of the best bars in town. 

The list features: Room for Improvement, Lambs in South Portland, Maine & Loire, Regards, Papi, The Jewel Box, Bubba’s Sulky Lounge, Blyth & Burrows, Five of Clubs, and Maine Beer Company in Freeport.