Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram takes a look at how some restaurants are changing concept and business models to adapt to staffing and other challenges.
Featured in the article are Dila’s, Radici, Baharat/Full Turn and East Ender.
BiziBuns Food Truck in Brunswick
Chef Bijan Eslami is planning to launch a food truck called BiziBuns (instagram) in Brunswick this spring.
Eslami will be serving a menu of buns and rice bowls. Options will include dishes like a lamb bun with sumac, onions and tahini, and rice bowls such as Persian green curry (ghorme sabzi) and a sour chicken with barberries and pickled sour grapes.
Eslami is currently the chef at Jing Yan where his cooking helped earn the restaurant 4 stars from Maine Sunday Telegram restaurant critic Andrew Ross. Watch the Jing Yan instagram account for word of a BiziBuns pop-up which will take place in February.
Eslami plans to locate BiziBuns on the Main Street Mall in Brunswick and be open through dinner hours closing at 10 pm.
Ruby’s Moving to 642 Congress St
Owners Matt and Corrinna Stum plan to move their West End restaurant Ruby’s (website, instagram) to 642 Congress Street to the storefront that was formerly occupied by Ada’s. The last service at the Pine Street Ruby’s West End will be on January 29th.
The Stums have put together a team that includes chef Garret LeClair, baker Nee-Nah Hall, barista Aly Shannon and bartender Ethan Cory. Ruby’s will be serving brunch, lunch and dinner.
The menu for the 40-seat restaurant is still under development with the working theme of “Maine roots, French inspired”. Some classic French dishes like cassoulet, duck confit, coq au vin, and loup du mer are expected to be part of the dinner menu as well as vegan and vegetarian options. Lunch and brunch menus will expand with options for soup, salads and sandwiches.
The team hope to open the new Ruby’s in February. They plan to initially be open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 am – 9 pm.
The Stum’s opened Ruby’s West End in April 2021 at 64 Pine Street, and recently launched a new restaurant called Back River Bistro in Wiscasset.
New LB Kitchen Now Open
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The new LB Kitchen (website, instagram) is now open. Owners Bryna Gootkind and chef Lee Farrington purchased the building on the corner of Congress and Smith Streets back in February and have completely renovated the corner unit to move and expand LB Kitchen into. The new LB will feature a 28-seat dining room, a retail market and a dedicated space for takeout pick-up.
LB Kitchen will be open everyday 8 am – 3 pm with their regular menu (food, drinks, children’s). Then from 3 to 6 pm they’ll be serving beer, wine, cider snacks and small plates during what they’ve dubbed Golden Hour (menu).
The original LB Kitchen storefront is being converted to serve as a brick and mortar location for Quanto Basta.
Bake Maine Pottery Cafe
Portland Pottery Cafe on Washington Ave will be reopening under new ownership as the Bake Maine (instagram) Pottery Cafe. Owners Doug Perry and Kristen Perry have been doing some light renovations and hope to reopen as soon as this weekend.
The menu (see below) includes a variety of sandwiches, wraps, toasts and baked goods for breakfast—yes, the raspberry scones will continue to be available—and soups and sandwiches for lunch.
The Perry’s grew up in Wells, Maine. Before taking over the Pottery Cafe they operated the 1690 House Bakeshop and Cafe and subsequently A Cafe and Bakery, both of which are in Wells. Kristen Perry had previously worked at both Flour Bakery and the Tatte Bakery in the Boston area.
Baked Maine will be open seven days a week, 8 am – 3 pm.
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Upcoming Events
Thursday – Urban Farm Fermentory is kicking off their monthly Fun with Ferments potluck.
January 28 – Sam Hayward is teaching a virtual cooking class to benefit the Oasis Free Clinic in Brunswick.
February 11 – Ali Waks Adams is teaching a virtual cooking class to benefit the Oasis Free Clinic in Brunswick.
February 14 – Broken Arrow will be serving a Valentine’s Day dinner.
February 20 – Scratch Baking is teaching a bagel baking class.
March 1-12 – Maine Restaurant Week.
March 18 – Chris Toy is teaching a virtual cooking class to benefit the Oasis Free Clinic in Brunswick.
April 21 – The Good Food Awards will take place, there at 12 finalists from Maine in the running this year.
June 12-18 – Portland Wine Week.
July 23 – Open Farm Day.
September 10 – Maine Cheese Festival.
October 8 – Maine Open Creamery Day.
The Grill Room Expanding
Portland Old Port reports that The Grill Room will be expanding into the adjacent storefront vacated by Swiss Time.
Portland chef and restaurateur Harding Lee Smith, and his partner and wife Sarah Smith will be undertaking a new expansion project called The Side Bar.
Maine Mead Works Closing
Maine Mead Works has announced plans to permanently close down operations as of January 31.
It is with a heavy heart that Maine Mead Works announces that we will be closing our doors on January 31st. The last fourteen years have been a wonderful adventure and we are so grateful for all of the friends that we made along the way. Please stop into our tasting room on Washington Ave before so we can offer our thanks in person! We will be open Fridays (12-6) Saturdays, (12-7)and Sundays (12-6) through the end of the month as wells as Monday January 16th. (Hours subject to change).
Maine Mead Works was founded in 2007 by Ben Alexander and Eli Cayer. Alexander has been the sole owner for more than a decade.
Omi’s Closed
Omi’s Coffee Shop in South Portland has gone out of business. A sign in the window reads,
Due to very difficult circumstances we have had to permanently close Omi’s.
We worked very hard to keep it open as long as possible.
We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers and very much appreciate your support over the years.
We did not intend to close suddenly and there is another side to the story.
In the last couple months Little Woodfords and Hilltop Coffee have announced closures, and Dobra has become an online business until they find a new location for their tea shop.
75 Best and 15 Essential
The Press Herald has published their list of the Best 75 places to eat and drink in Greater Portland. The list is assembled by restaurant critic Andrew Ross. The top 10 section includes: Cafe Louis, Cong Tu Bot, Elda/Jackrabbit, Fore Street, The Garrison, The Honey Paw, Isa, Judy Gibson, Norimoto Bakery, and Nura.
Eater Boston has released their list of 15 Essential Restaurants in Portland which includes: Jing Yan, Cong Tu Bot, Izakaya Minato, Eventide, Fore Street Schulte & Herr, Central Provisions, Evo, Leeward, Miyake, Asmara, Boda, El Corazon, Bao Bao and Chaval.