According to a report in The Forecaster the Red’s Dairy Freeze building is going to be demolished and owner hopes to eventually rebuild. Red’s was seriously damaged by fire earlier this year.

Code Enforcement Officer Patricia Doucette said the owner of Red’s has obtained a city permit to demolish the popular, soft-serve ice cream shop that was scorched by an early morning electrical fire on May 16.

Doucette said owner Chris Bolling indicated he would raze all but two ground layers of concrete and rebuild on the existing foundation. The permit, issued last week, is good for six months, she said.

For more information see the Portland Press Herald article published 7/24/2010.

A sign in the window at 7 Exchange Street is announcing a new Italian restaurant called Canelli’s “Fantastic Food at Fantastic Prices!” that’s under construction. If that address sounds familiar it may be because last Spring it was the site a construction site for Wasabi, a sushi restaurant that never launched. A source tells me that Canelli’s is being opened by a Boston area couple who ran a similar restaurant in Massachusetts for many years.

Just up the street from Canelli’s is the construction site for another Italian restaurant, G’Vanni’s which is going in at the old Walter’s space.

There’s been a new restaurant under construction for a few weeks over at 437 Congress Street at the former location of GRO Cafe. Signage is now up and it look’s like it will be a sandwich shop called Mike’s – “We make Rock ‘N Roll Sandwiches”. Info on the Guitar Grave (Mike’s neighbor and owner) website promises “a small menu of fast, inexpensive and delicious items as well as luncheon and drink specials”.

PortlandTown has posted images of the Tunisian tasting at Vignola and the construction sites for the new Rosemont on Brighton and Miyake’s new noodle bar (shown here) that’s going in at 188 State Street in Longfellow Square.

Photo Credit: Michael Barriault

For more information on Rosemont’s expansion on Brighton see the Portland Daily Sun article published earlier this week.

It’s the kind of news that might cause Rosemont Market fans to panic — the mini-chain’s original Brighton Avenue store is closing.
But relax. The original shop is closing, but only to focus on food preparation while the retal operation is moving across the street, doubling its size and adding products.

Back last September word got out of two new restaurants in the works, Sonny’s and Your Grandma’s. Sonny’s opened in early January but Your Grandma’s (slated for the old Chef et al. space) has yet to launch.

Now there’s a sign up at 408 Forest Ave promoting a new venture to be called WhaddaPita – Taste it, Love It. According to Trademarkia, a Constantine Casvikes from Saco owns the trademarks for both Your Grandma’s and WhaddaPita so it seems like it’s more a re-alignment of concept than a completely new venture.

The FTC has approved Trader Joe’s purchase of the old Wild Oats store on Marginal Way. (PPH)

Trader Joe’s hasn’t commented formally on its plans for Portland, but it did apply last month for food service and wine and liquor licenses from the city.

The approval of the sale and the actual transaction were expected to be the last barriers before the company renovates the building and announces details of its plans.

For additional reporting read the articles in the Forecaster and Mainebiz.

Yesterday’s Food & Wine section in the Press Herald included an update on the soon to open Havana South,

The head chef is Joe Boudreau, formerly of Mims in Portland and the Purpoodock Club in Cape Elizabeth. The food, Boland said, will be American cuisine with a Latin twist. Think filet mignon with an adobo rub, or a hanger steak with a chimmichurri sauce.

Latin fare will be represented by a Peruvian seafood paella, made with dende oil to give it a rustic flavor. Also on the menu will be a Brazilian stew known as moqueca.

and the launch of a new wine column written by Joe Appel who puts his wine knowledge to use on the page and at his day job at Rosemont.

My intention for this column is to make it desperately relevant to you – whether “you” is a can’t-relate-to-humans-because-wine-is-more-interesting geek, a mildly interested food-lover unfamiliar with the world of wine, or somewhere in between.

I try hard to keep an open mind and treat every aspect of the wine world as an opportunity to learn something new. Still, here’s what really excites me: reasonably priced, locally available, food-friendly wines that honestly reflect the character of the land that bred them, the true nature of the grapes that died for them, and the spirits of the farmers and winemakers who labored over them.

The Tuesday Portland Daily Sun includes a report on the various food happenings on the in-town stretch of Washington Ave, such as

Chiang Mai, formerly on Union Street in the Old Port, has opened for business at 52 Washington, site of the former Loco Pollo. Hasta la vista, tamales and pozole. Sawadee, satay and pad thai.

and an update on Havana South, the new restaurant under construction on Wharf Street.

An extended patio on Wharf Street, glass doors offering a view into the wine cellar, a late-night menu at the bar and a large banquet space are among the attractions at Havana South, a new restaurant at 44-50 Wharf St. scheduled to open on Tuesday, June 22.

A bar called Infusion has been added to the under construction list. Fliers up on First Friday were announcing an opening on June 11 at 3 Spring Street. I’ve heard that they’ll specialize in fruit-based alcoholic infusions.

There have been several food articles in the Portland Daily Sun this week. On Tuesday the newspaper reported on the collaboration between Sparrow Arc Farm and Bar Lola on a CSA for the central Maine farm in Portland,

This means the impending CSA will include a wide, eclectic sampling of the 300 varieties of veggies grown at Sparrow Arc, including heirloom tomatoes and cornichons, a type of baby pickling cucumber. “We will be able to offer a really mind blowing amount of veggies to our CSA,” said Linehan.

on Wednesday there was a profile/history of Micucci’s.

Miccucci Grocery Company launched in 1949 and was located in the trunk of Leo and Iris Micucci’s car. Licensing and the official launch came a couple of years later in 1951 so the family splits the difference and says the company began in 1950. From Middle Street to Commercial then to its current home, Leo and Iris moved the location but kept the name.

and on Thursday there was a report on the soon-to-open Bayside Bowl,

A draft menu offered a promise of relatively high-end food for $15 and less. Bayside Bowl plans to serve Focaccioa bread pizzas, mini chicken chimichangas, veggie stir fry, garden burgers as well as traditional hamburgers and cheeseburgers, crab and lobster cake dinners, reuben sandwiches, fish, grilled rib eye, roasted lemon chicken, cocoanut curry chicken poppers, grilled wings, fries, hush puppies, and a variety of kids’ dishes and desserts.

A new restaurant is under construction at 437 Congress Street, the former home of GRO Cafe. There’s no word yet on the name or what type of eatery it will be but they are already advertising in the help wanted section on craigslist.org.

The Munjoy Hill News has posted an update on the Local Sprouts Cafe, which is under construction at 645 Congress Street in the former Portland Hall dormitory. According the article, Local Sprouts is planning on opening next Friday in time for the First Friday Art Walk.

[Meara] Smith will serve as a chef at Local Sprouts. Previously she has cooked at Street & Co., Caiola, Pepperclub Restaurant and Aurora Provisions. She currently works part-time at the Blue Spoon.

PortlandTown has published a set of photos from the construction site of Havana South on Wharf Street. The restaurant is currently scheduled to open in June.

Photo Credit: Michael Barriault

Freeport-based Venue Music Bar and Grille is opening a Portland location on Forest Ave at the former home of Mexico Lindo.

VENUE Music Bar and Bistro will keep it’s current spot in Freeport, but come mid-June, VENUE Music Bar and Grille will be opening a second door on Forest Ave. in Portland! VENUE in Portland will feature even more great music and food and drinks!

Today’s Press Herald includes a review of Mr. Sandwich & Mrs. Muffin,

I thought the roll was fresh and tasted fine, but I was disappointed not to have the crunchy baguette. I also couldn’t tell if there was jalapeno and mayo dressing (it seemed to be just mayo), but that may have been because of the strong taste of the pepperjack cheese. I really liked the kick of the cheese, because it jazzed up what amounted to a standard ham sandwich. I got chips, but no pickle.

a bar review of Mama’s Crow Bar,

At Mama’s, like any good neighborhood bar- you never know what you are going to get and there is something for everyone. That’s why you go. Well, that and the fine drink and good company, because that never changes.

and an update on Bayside Bowl which is slated to open next month.

There’s also focaccia bread pizza, grilled ribeye, mini chicken chimichangas and double cheeseburgers. The veggie stir-fry and garden burger mean the meat-free won’t have to brown-bag it.