Oak & Ember in Buxton

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

A farm-to-table gastropub and wine shop called Oak & Ember (instagram) is under development in Buxton. It will be located in the building formerly occupied by Buxton Common. Owners Chris Peterman and Shannon Keefe plan to host public wine tastings as well as special events and wine classes at Oak & Ember.

Peterman has extensive experience in the Portland restaurant industry including being part of the team that launched Central Provisions in 2014 and most recently as the wine manager at Via Vecchia. He’s a sommelier and the founder of the Hart & Harp Wines. Keefe has worked at several restaurants in Portland including as part of the opening bar team at Via Vecchia.

When it launches (hopefully in late summer) Oak & Ember will be open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.

Pho Huong Closing

| Posted in Closings

The owners of Pho Huong have announced they plan to close their restaurant. Pho Huong is located on the second floor of the Public Market House. Their last day in business will be April 21st.

With a heavy heart, we are announcing the closure of PHO HUONG, our last day open will be FRIDAY April 21st. It’s very bittersweet but I am excited for me & my family on our new chapter! I hope I get to see everyone before our last day! Thank you again for all the memories, laughs & friendships! I will miss you all.

Blue Spoon Closing

| Posted in Closings

Blue Spoon owners Liz Koenigsberg and Will Lavey have announced they’ll be permanently closing the restaurant on April 22nd.

Koenigsberg and Lavey are moving to the Midcoast. They’ve established a catering and pop-up business in Rockport and begun the search for a location to open a new restaurant.

Blue Spoon was founded by chef David Iovino in 2004. He sold the business to Koenigsberg and Lavey in 2018.

As one of the few restaurant spaces at the top of Munjoy Hill, Blue Spoon’s spot at 89 Congress Street is not likely to remain vacant for very long.

Upcoming Events

| Posted in Events

April 17 – There will be a meeting of the Portland Restaurant Sustainability Council.

April 18 – Avery Yale Kamila will be giving a talk on the 300 year history of vegetarianism in Maine in Buxton.

April 19 – Oga Suya is serving up a menu of Nigerian food at a pop-up taking place at Apres.

April 20 – The April Fun With Ferments meet-up is taking place at Mast Landing.

April 20-22 – Chef Johnny Spero from the Michelin-starred Reverie in Washington DC will be serving a 9-course dinner at Hugo’s.

April 21 – The Good Food Awards will take place, there are 12 finalists from Maine in the running this year, and the Thirsty Pig is hosting a Sand Hill Bagel pop-up.

April 21-30 – Maine Seaweed Week is taking place; visit seaweedweek.org for information on related events and participating restaurants.

April 22/23 – Magno Terra Cafe (instagram) is holding their grand opening, 8 am – 3 pm. They’re located in the Garmin Build in Yarmouth.

April 24 – Crispy Gai sous chef Amadeus Florendo will be holding a pop-up dinner serving contemporary Filipino cuisine.

April 24-27 – The National Seaweed Symposium will be taking place in Portland.

April 26 – It’s the first day of the summer Portland Farmers’ Market. The market was founded in 1768. If our math is correct that makes 2023 its 255th year in operation.

April 28 – Salli Wason of Rosanna’s Ice Cream will be holding a monthly pop-up at Two Fat Cats in South Portland. The ice cream will be available by the pint, scoop or a la mode. This months flavor will be Strawberry Oreo.

April 30 – The Casco Bay chapter of the American Culinary Foundation is holding their annual gala.

May 1 – Scratch Baking is teaching a bagel baking class, and the Garden Bar (instagram) is scheduled to open in Biddeford.

May 7 – Crispy Gai is holding a 5-course dinner in collaboration with chefs from Norimoto, Pho Huong, Little Brother Chinese, Golden Wat, Frying Dutchman, Thai Esaan, and Mitr. A special cocktail menu featuring Golden Wat Cognac will be available.

May 8 – Bar Futo is holding an 8-course dinner in collaboration with chefs Tracy Chang from Pagu; Christine Lau from The CLAU Group; Tim Ma from Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, Lucky Danger, and Chase the Submarine; Shuai Wang from Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ; Sang Lee from Sushi Sang Lee, and Nikhil Naiker.

May 11 – The film City of Servers will premiere at the Maine Mayhem Film Festival taking place at the Nickelodeon.

May 12 – The Daily Grind and The Sinful Kitchen/Pig Kahuna are holding a pig roast as a benefit for Brea Lu. The Westbrook cafe recently suffered a fire at the construction site for their new location.

May 17/18 – Percy’s and Disco Jalisco are teaming up to produce a pair of dinner.

May 20 – Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

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

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

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

July 23 – Maine 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 10 – Maine Cheese Festival.

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.

Dok Mali Review, Seaweed, Meat Inspections, Coletti’s

| Posted in General

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Dok Mali.

…But this Thai comfort-food restaurant, a first Portland restaurant for long-time local Nonglack Thanephonesy, deserves attention mostly for the quality of its cooking, especially classic noodle dishes like Pad See Ew and a funky, Laotian-style Mali pad thai. Moreover, the restaurant’s more unexpected dishes are terrific, plates like grilled okra skewers, salmon “salad” with chili and watercress, and a Massaman short rib curry that tastes so French, it ought to take a 23andMe…

The Food & Dining section in today’s paper also includes articles about: Coletti’s Pizza Factory in Biddeford, efforts to address meat inspection capacity constraints, and the growing Maine seaweed industry.

The Henry to Replace Bull Feeney’s

| Posted in Under Construction

A new restaurant called The Henry (instagram) is under construction in the former Bull Feeney’s building at 375 Fore Street and is expected to open by early July.

The Henry is billed as a “traditional American public house and tavern” and is named for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Randa Grace Vashon will be the general manager, and she is currently the director of operations at The Miranda Group.

The upstairs rooms will be designed around three themes: a tea room with tea service-inspired drinks, a gaming parlor and a library lounge. Overall the restaurant will seat 200+ people. Additional details around staff and menu are TBD.

The Henry is being launched by Josh Miranda and his company The Miranda Group which founded and operates Blyth & Burrows (2017), Via Vecchia (2020) and Papi (2023).

Update: The name of the restaurant has changed to Henry’s Public House.

Peng’s Pizza Pies in Biddeford

| Posted in Under Construction

A new pizzeria called Peng’s Pizza Pies (website, instagram) is under construction in Biddeford. Peng’s will be located at 128 Main Street in the storefront adjacent to Sweetcream Dairy. Primarily a takeout business, Peng’s will also have approximately 18 seats for indoor dining.

Owner Chris Daniels is building out Peng’s around his vision of a neighborhood pizzeria. He’ll be serving crispy thin-crust pies made with naturally leavened dough which stylistically he describes as New York meets New Haven. The daily menu will include six signature pizzas with the occasional special along with salad and a dessert. Peng’s will serve beer and wine license.

Daniels has been a professional baker since 2008—in the Maine he’s worked at Tandem Bakery, making pizza at Belleville and at Rover Bagel in Biddeford. The restaurant is named for Daniels’ father Bill who passed away in 2020 who’s nickname was Peng.

Construction has already begun and Daniels hope to open Peng’s sometime this summer.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.

Caballeras Opens Friday

| Posted in Openings, Maine

Caballeras (instagram) is scheduled to open Friday. The new bar from Nikaline Iacono is located in Brunswick within her existing business, Vessel & Vine, at 4 Pleasant Street.

The Caballeras menu (see below) is centered on oxidized and aromatized wines. Additionally, bar manager Charley Zimmerman has created an interesting selection of cocktails and there’s also wine by the glass/bottle, non-alcoholic drinks, beer, cider and shot-sized mixed drinks. The food options include snacks (oysters, citrus-marinated olives) and small plates like pork and veal meatballs (shown below), and a celeriac and onion tortilla. When you go consider a glass of the Tresmontaine Rancio Sec, or the Henriques and Henriques Seco Especial.

Indoor and outside seating is available. Caballeras will be open this week Friday and Saturday, 4-10pm. Next week they’ll be open Wednesday and Thursday 4-9 in addition.


T&L: Biddeford

| Posted in General News

Travel & Leisure has published a guide to Biddeford including a survey of the city’s drinks and dining options.

Located roughly 20 minutes south of Portland, Biddeford was once a bustling mill town with a robust textile manufacturing industry. The brick structures of these factory buildings line the historic downtown area and are now home to breweries, bakeries, restaurants, and other food and beverage venues. Recently featured in the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil and lauded as an up-and-coming culinary destination, the youngest city in Maine is drawing praise from local and national headlines. Here’s how to plan the perfect escape to Biddeford, Maine.

Room for Improvement Opens Thursday

| Posted in Openings

Room for Improvement (instagram) is scheduled to open Thursday. The concept for the bar is to be a modern take on a dive bar that balances being serious about cocktails without taking itself too seriously.

The beverage menu (see below) at Room for Improvement encompasses house takes on traditional cocktails, scorpions bowls, a trio of daiquiris, some “salad bar” savory drinks, mini shot-sized cocktails and a beverage called the Mind Eraser. There’s also a few packaged and draft beers and ciders and 3 “natty wines by the glass.” A small food menu includes red snapper hot dogs, soft pretzels and bags of ruffles potato chips.

Room for Improvement is being launched by Arvid Brown and Nick Coffin. Brown is a well-known Portland bartender who was the founding bar manager at Crispy Gai and before that at Baharat. Coffin is a native of Vermont and has been a partner and manager in bars in Colorado and California prior to moving to Maine.

The 36-seat bar and is located at 41 Wharf Street. It will be open Thursday through Monday, 5 pm to 1 am.