Category: Openings

Four new Portland area food enterprises have recently launched:

George + Leon’s (instagram) opened for business on Saturday. Fans of the George’s North Shore food truck were in Westbrook in force to celebrate the launch of the new restaurant. The menu (see below) included the Super Beef and Jr Beef sandwiches the food truck built their reputation on as well as sides, additional sandwich options and a full bar program with beer, cocktails and natural wines by the glass.

A new business called Kim Boba Tea & Coffee is operating out of the bar at the Mellen Street Market. The menu includes Vietnamese coffee, tropical teas (flavored jasmine or black tea), Vietnamese smoothies, and a caramel flan dessert. There are 10+ styles of boba (tapioca, crystal, popping, jelly) that can be added to the drinks.

The South Portland outpost of New Hampshire-based brewery Modestman Brewing (instagram) opened last weekend. Modestman is located in the former Fore River Brewing tasting room on Huntress Ave. They’re serving a range of their New England-style IPAs, sours as well as some ciders from Oyster River Winegrowers. Later this summer they’ll be operating their own food truck and serving house-made pizza.

The Portland Free Pantry (website, instagram) launched their mobile pantry on Friday. This week it will be located in the parking lot of the Urban Farm Fermentory in East Bayside. It’s stocked with food, clothing, hygiene products, and dental products.

George + Leon’s (instagram) is holding their Grand Opening on Saturday July 8th. The new Westbrook restaurant is being launched by Logan Abbey the owner of the George’s North Shore food truck. George + Leon’s is named for Abbey’s dog (George) and son (Leon).

In addition to the Super Beef and Jr Beef sandwiches served on the George’s North Shore food truck, the menu at George + Leon’s will include other sandwiches like a mushroom and swiss and a steak and cheese as well as a salad, broccoli bites, tenders, fries, onion rings, and pizza rolls, plus cake, pie and cupcakes for dessert. George + Leon’s will have a full bar and a wine list focused on natural wines.

The new restaurant is located at 9 Cumberland Street in the building that was the former home of the Brea Lu Cafe.

Miyake (website, instagram) reopened for lunch today. The menu (see below) includes their bento box which was the much loved item from the lunch menu the Fore Street restaurant served before the pandemic.

Shown here is today’s chef’s choice bento which was served with miso soup. Bottom to top: sauteed mackerel, shrimp and broccoli tempura, sashimi, tuna and avocado roll, pork and onions, potato salad topped with corn.

Miyake is serving lunch Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 – 2; walk-ins only. The flagship Miyake restaurant reopened for dinner last December after an extensive renovation.

A new bar and grill called Volcano (website, instagram) has opened at 155 Riverside Street in the space formerly occupied by Seasons Grille. The menu consists of salads, apps, pasta, pizza, burgers and entrees including lamb chops, steaks and chargrilled salmon.

The owners of Volcano are George and Jossie Papanikolaou who also own Stacks Pancake Company. Stacks opened in July 2021. Prior to moving to Maine the Papanikolaou’s operated restaurants in New York and New Jersey.

Volcano is open daily, 4 pm – 11 pm.

The 2023 Portland Food Map Pocket Guide is now available. This handy paper reference highlights a wide selection of the restaurants, bakeries, breweries, coffee shops, cocktail bars, and cafes that make eating and drinking in Portland so compelling. This year it includes an expanded selection of Maine restaurants as well.
The Pocket Guide is a snapshot in time of the food community. Check back here for the latest information and updates on openings as well as the full list of independent eateries in the city…and check with restaurant websites for the latest on days and hours of operation.
Many thanks to the Pocket Guide sponsors. Their support plays an essential role in making the guide available: Evergreen Credit Union, The Press Hotel, the Canopy by Hilton Waterfront hotel, The Boulos Company, Wine Wise and Vertical Harvest.
While supplies last you can pick-up a free copy of the guide at these local businesses: Portland Trading Company, Rose Foods, Tandem Coffee, Onggi and Oxbow Brewing Company on Washington Ave, the Portland Yoga Collective, the Ugly Duckling, Bresca and the Honey Bee in New Gloucester, Rabelais in Biddeford, Table Bar in Gardiner, and The Alna Store in Alna. Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to mail copies of the pocket guide.
The pocket guide wouldn’t be as good as it is, in fact it wouldn’t exist at all, without the skills and contributions of Dawn Hagin from Rare Bird Strategic and graphic designer Sofija Razgaitis. Congratulate them on their work the next time you see them in town.

Big Tree Hospitality is opening the new South Freeport Village Market (website, instagram) this weekend. The building is owned and recently renovated by Mary Beth and Chris Lorenz, and is located a few blocks away from the Freeport Town Wharf and Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster.

The South Freeport Village market has been a staple in the community since the 1950’s and we are excited to be a part of this revitalization project. The market will have a café and a bean to cup coffee program featuring Rwanda Bean. Offerings will include pastries and breads from Little Spruce Baking Co. The Market will focus on breakfast and lunch as well as, local produce, beer and wine, fresh flowers and sundries.

The market will be open daily 7 am – 8 pm.

Big Tree Hospitality bought Hugo’s from Rob Evans and Nancy Pugh and launched Eventide Oyster Company in 2012, they opened The Honey Paw in 2015, and then Eventide Fenway in 2017. In addition to the South Freeport Village Market they also operate the Higgins Beach Market in Scarborough and the Town Landing Market in Falmouth.

Lecha (instagram), the new bubble tea cafe and ice cream shop in Deering Center, is scheduled to open this Saturday. Lecha is located at 502 Stevens Ave near Pat’s Meat Market and Norimoto Baking.

Owners Som Mantasut and Genko Stanilov will be serving a selection of hard serve ice cream from Gifford’s, house made Thai ice tea and vanilla soft serve, bubble tea (their brown sugar bubble tea shown above), and coffee. Later this year they hope to add some baked goods to the menu including waffles.

Starting this Saturday Lecha will be open Thursday through Tuesday, 11 am – 7 pm.

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

The new Eaux (website, instagram) food truck is set to open this Thursday at 4 pm. Eaux will be located  in the Oxbow/Hardshore parking lot. Here’s an advance look at the menu:

Chicken and Waffles – with Steen’s cane syrup, pickled fresno chiles, fried sage and apples.

“Hen” and Waffles – Maitake mushrooms, Steen’s cane syrup, pickled fresno chiles, fried sage and apples.

Pimento Cheese and Firecrackers – Smoked Gouda, roasted garlic, pimento peppers and crystal hot sauce, served with baked and seasoned saltines.

Khmer Kitchen (facebook) opened last week initially serving a selection of Cambodian sandwiches. Shown above is a delicious Pork Belly sandwich from the opening week menu.

The menu has been expanding and starting Tuesday, chef/owner Khanya Mimande will begin serving three different types of Katiew soup (Phonm Penh, Sach Ko, Sach Muon), a beef stew with noodles, and Bah Bor which is a rice porridge dish served with chicken, fried garlic and sprouts.

Khmer Kitchen is located on the 2nd floor of the Public Market House in Monument Square. Their hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 9 pm.