Under Construction: Lazzari

| Posted in Under Construction

Restauranteur Tom Barr has submitted a liquor license application for Lazzari, a new Italian restaurant he has under development at 618 Congress Street, the former location of Mesa Verde. The space has been completely renovated and the kitchen now includes a wood-fired pizza oven.

Barr has submitted a draft menu (pages 156-157) with the application. Here’s a section of it:

Under Construction: Mami

| Posted in Under Construction

Austin Miller and Hannah Tamaki have applied for a liquor license for their new brick and mortar restaurant Mami. Miller and Tamaki have operated Mami Food Truck since June 2015 and this restaurant represents the next step forward for there business.

Mami restaurant will be located at 339 Fore Street in the former Mainely Wraps space. They hope to open this Spring.

Here’s a look at the draft menu for the restaurant:

Under Construction: Yobo

| Posted in Under Construction

A 35-seat Korean restaurant called Yobo under construction at 23 Forest Ave in the space formerly occupied by BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe has applied for a liquor license.

Owners Sunny Chung and Kim Lully plan to create an atmosphere that is “intimate and casual, with all the comforts of dining with good friends.” They formerly operated a farm to table restaurant in Concord, New Hampshire called Sunny’s Table. They hope to open Yobo in the April/May time frame.

here’s a look at a draft menu:

2017 Beard Award Semifinalists

| Posted in Events

The semi-final list of nominees for the 2017 James Beard Foundation awards were released today. There are 12 semifinalist nominees from Maine:

  • Best New Restaurant – Drifters Wife
  • Best Chef: Northeast – Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide; Keiko Suzuki Steinberger, Suzuki’s Sushi Bar; Ravin Nakjaroen, Long Grain; and Brian Hill, Francine Bistro
  • Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional – Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Co.
  • Outstanding Restaurant – Fore Street, and Chase’s Daily in Belfast
  • Outstanding Bar Program – Portland Hunt and Alpine Club
  • Outstanding Baker – Alison Pray, Standard Baking
  • Outstanding Pastry Chef – Ilma Lopez, Piccolo
  • Rising Star of the Year – Cara Stadler, Tao Yuan

The final list of nominees will be released on March 15th, and the awards ceremony will take place on May 1st in Chicago.

Related information:

Writing a Wine List & Local Market Resurgence

| Posted in Under Construction, General News

Today’s Press Herald includes the second installment in a series by Stella Hernandez on managing a wine list at Lolita,

Putting together our wine list for Lolita was the closest I’ve come to understanding what writers do. It’s less mechanical than you’d think. You have to choose your story line, craft that story, and then there’s the continual editing process. When I gave my first draft to a friend to review, I felt as if I were handing off my first novel. I had handed over something very personal.

and an article about the resurgence of local markets in Portland.

Now the Portland area is experiencing another little growth spurt. In December, Andrew and Briana Volk, owners of the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, opened Little Giant, an upscale market in Portland’s West End that will complement the restaurant they plan to open next door. Just a couple of weeks ago, Pete Sueltenfuss opened a second Otherside location in the West End. And Joe Fournier, who worked at Rosemont for six years before becoming a partner in The Farm Stand, plans to open his own neighborhood grocery, A&C, on Washington Avenue sometime next week.