The Purple House 2.0

| Posted in Under Construction

Krista Kern Desjarlais is relaunching The Purple House (website, instagram) with a new menu and concept on December 18th. The North Yarmouth restaurant will be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays serving multi-course “fancy luncheon” with a menu (sample menu) that will feature dishes influenced by her time in Paris and Rome tied together with seasonal Maine ingredients. Dishes will be accompanied with nonalcoholic pairing. Customers will also have the option to BYOB wines of their choice.

With regard to the menu, Desjarlais shared,

Fancy lunch will feature a mix of individually plated dishes as well as family style with cheese, multiple desserts and sweet treats to round out the experience. And to accompany the food there will be a non alcoholic pairing selected from producers throughout the world. Lunch is the perfect time to explore non alcoholic ciders and wine alternatives. Lots of fun flavor profiles to taste without needing a nap before you drive home! There are many wine makers in Europe as well as Quebec and a few in the United States who are exploring producing terroir driven non alcoholic beverages that are delicious and interesting for pairing with foods.

The Purple House will be serving a 3+ course lunch on Thursdays and Fridays, with an indulgent 5+ course meal available on Saturdays. There will have a single seating of the 8-person table each day.

Tickets are now on sale for dates in December, January and February with dates in March and April to be released in early 2026.
UPDATE: The tickets for December through February appear to have sold out.

Desjarlais got her start in the late 1980s cooking at The Elms in Westbrook, and after many years working in leading restaurants in New York, Paris and Las Vegas returned to Maine in the early 2000s. She operated her first solo venture, the acclaimed pocket-sized restaurant Bresca, from 2007 to 2013. Desjarlais then went on to launch her seasonal lakeside ice cream shack Bresca and the Honey Bee in 2014, and The Purple House in 2016. Desjarlais was a Beard Awards nominee in 2011 for her work at Bresca, and again in 2020 for The Purple House as well as an awards semifinalist five additional times in the Best Chef: Northeast category.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Monday – Aomori is scheduled to open. Cherie is holding a pop-up at the Local 188 event space.

Tuesday – Sacred Profane in Biddeford is holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner.

December 15 – Great Wave will be teaching a sushi making class at Good Fire Brewing. Chef Adrian Arvizu will be holding a Tacos by Tio pop-up at the Local 188 event space.

December 20 – Chaval is serving a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner.

December 21 – Farms for Food Equity is holding a dinner in Portland in collaboration with Ocotillo.

December 24 – Regards is serving a Fest of the Seven Fishes dinner.

New Year’s Eve – We’re be putting together a list of special New Year’s Eve food and dining events. New additions will be made as businesses announce their plans.

  • Catbird (South Berwick) – will be serving a 4-course dinner; $84 per person.
  • Canopy Hotel (Portland) – Luna and Salt Yard will be serving NYE special menus along with live music earlier in the evening and a DJ until midnight.
  • Isa Bistro (Portland) – will be serving a 3-course dinner; $120 per person.
  • Knotted Apron (Portland) – will be serving a 5-course dinner with a Champagne toast, and optional wine pairings; $145 per person.
  • Lucky Cheetah (Portland) – will be serving a 7-course dinner with a glass of Champagne; $150 per person.
  • Maine Street Bistro (Brunswick) – will be serving a 5-course dinner with a glass of Champagne; $100 per person.
  • Miyake (Portland) – will be serving a 5-course omakase dinner; $130 per person with optional sake pairing for $55.
  • Mr. Tuna (Portland) – will be serving an omakase dinner in the former Bar Futo space on Fore Street; $225 per person.
  • Nina June (Rockport) – will be serving a prix fixe dinner; $120 per person.
  • Provender (Ellsworth) – will be serving a prix fixe dinner.
  • Pacifico (Saco) – will be serving 3-course dinner; $80 per person.
  • Sur Lie (Portland) – will be serving 4-course dinner; $100 per person.

January 24 – Courntey Loreg from Woodford’s Food & Beverage will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

January 30 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality will be the guest chef at a steakhouse themed Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti will be the guest chefs at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner where they’ll celebrate the menu of their former restaurant Piccolo.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta on Deer Isle will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 6 – The Maine Craft Brew Summit is taking place. Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner and President of Russian River Brewing Company, will be the keynote speaker.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.

The Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now for sale in packs of 25 on our online store.

Aomori Opens Monday

| Posted in Openings

Aomori Restaurant (instagram) is set to open on Monday. The restaurant is being launched by acclaimed chef Masa Miyake along with his son Reo Miyake and Reo’s partner Helen Carter.

The self-described Japanese soul food restaurant will be serving a menu inspired by Maine and Japan’s Tohoku Region. The menu—which has the option for a 6-course Kaiseki prefix—includes chilled small plates like stir-fried celery (top right), medium sized dishes like shio-koji marinated pork chops, braised vegetables, and fried seafood (Kaisen Katsu, center left) and final course Shime dishes like udon with duck and meatballs (bottom right). The menu also includes soups, onigiri, a rotating selection of desserts as well as a raw bar, and selection of hand rolls and sashimi. Aomori is donating $1 of every order of the Yodare Dori to the Food for All Services Food Pantry.

The bar (see menu below) offers sake by the glass, carafe and bottle, draft beer and wine by the glass, classic Japanese drinks like a whisky highball and house designed cocktails like the Hato (center left) which is made with reposado tequila, Cointreau, daidai, jasmine and Mitsuya cider.

The 47-seat restaurant will include a bar, table seating including a 10-seat table for larger groups, and a 6-seat chef’s counter. During the summer Aomori will also have outdoor seating.

Aomori is located in West Bayside on Parris Street. They’ll be open Sunday through Thursday 5 – 10 pm, and Friday/Saturday 5 – 11:30 pm on a walk-in basis. The team also plans to launch Aomori Kitchen and Market (instagram) in an adjacent space next year. It will be modeled after the conbini convenience stores in Japan—an all-day combination convenience store, cafe, bar and quick service eatery.

The restaurant is named for the region of Japan that Miyake is from. The similarity in climate was part of why he opened his first Maine restaurant, Food Factory Miyake, in Portland in 2007. The small BYOB sushi bar quickly developed a reputation for excellence. The restaurant moved to its present location on Fore Street in 2011 and for a time the original space was home to Miyake Diner, an izakaya-style restaurant. Pai Men Miyake opened on September 15, 2010. In early 2024 he sold his restaurants to two members of his staff.

Restaurant Real Estate: December 2025

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the December 2025 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

West End/Libby Town/Parkside

867 Congress St – A former church which at one time was slated to be the future home of Vena’s is for sale for $549,000. The interior has already (see photos on listing) been partially renovated to include a bar/counter.

270 Saint John St – A 2,714 sq ft space in Union Station Plaza is available for $17/sq ft (NNN).

Arts District

11 Brown St – The 5,352 sq ft restaurant space currently occupied by Tokyo Sushi Ramen is for sale for $1,200,000. It comes with a fully equipped kitchen.

540 Congress St – The 27,800 sq ft building currently occupied by Reny’s is for lease for $9.50/sq ft (NNN). Reny’s has decided not to renew their lease when it expires at the end of March.

555 Congress St – The 1,908 sq ft former Five Fifty-Five dining room and mezzanine are available to lease for $20/sq ft (NNN).

582-584 Congress St – The 680-1,555 sq ft space formerly occupied by Harmon’s is for lease for $2,500 – $5,850/month (NNN).

Bayside/Inner Washington

52 Hanover St – 1,500 sq ft of retail space on the first floor of the Armature building is available for $30/sq ft (NNN).

127 Marginal Way – The 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $27/sq ft (NNN).

65-67 Portland St – The 2,750 sq ft former Thai Esaan/Back Bay Grill space is available for $16/sq ft (MG).

114 Preble St – The former Coals building is available to lease. The 4,424 sq ft turnkey restaurant is listed at $26/sq ft (NNN) and includes onsite parking and outdoor seating.  For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

Old Port

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

10 Cotton St – The 4,606 sq ft former Thistle and Grouse is available for $19.05/sq ft (MG). It has a fully built out kitchen and the dining room was recently renovated.

58 Exchange St – The 1,314 sq ft space formerly occupied by the Cheech & Chong cannabis shop is available for $55/sq ft (MG).

373 Fore St – The 7,500 sq ft former Henry’s Public House building is for lease for $26.50/sq ft (MG).

425 Fore St – This 1,548 sq ft space had been built as a restaurant which never opened. It’s now available for $70/sq ft (MG).

433 Fore St – A 930 sq ft lounge space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

100 Middle St – A 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (Gross).

157 Middle St – A 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

191 Middle St – The 1,500 sq ft retail space formerly occupied by Crystal Joys is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

15 Monument Square – The 1,000 sq ft former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease for $3,600/month (NNN).

28 Monument Square – The building owner is seeking someone to lease the Public Market House and develop the food hall as an incubator space for new food businesses. The 8,064 sq ft space spans the 1st and 2nd floors and has a commercial kitchen in the basement. The well-loved Jamaican restaurant Yardie Ting already occupies part of the first floor and Bub’s Home Kitchen has moved in on the second floor with the remainder of the building vacant and already built out with kitchen infrastructure needed for new businesses. 28 Monument Square is listed at $12/sq ft (NNN). For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

66 Pearl St – The 5,796 sq ft space that was the former home of Bull Moose is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

110 Thames St – Two spaces in the Sun Life building are available: a 5,772 sq ft space for $35/sq ft (NNN) and 2,575 sq ft space for $35/sq ft (NNN).

54 York St – A 1,605 sq ft space is available for $30/sq ft (MG). It’s located in the same building as the  Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Camp Pennant – this brewery, distillery and restaurant is for sale. Contact Karen Rich for more information at karen@malonecb.com or (207) 210-6637.

Outer Forest Ave Area

332 Forest Ave – A 2,309 sq ft space in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – When renovations are completed this building will have 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

683 Forest Ave – a space in Woodford’s Corner most recently occupied by a restaurant called Merveille is for lease. Call (207) 766-8845 for more information.

1569 Forest Ave – The Riverton Station Pizza, Bar & Grill and the property it is on are for sale for $1,700,000.

1871 Forest Ave – The former Tortilla Flats is for sale. The 8,771 sq ft building is on 3.43 acres of property and is listed for $1,750,000.

631 Stevens Ave – The 1,000 sq ft cafe space inside the Stevens Square Community Center is for lease.

Elsewhere in Portland

1041 Brighton Ave – A 2,429 sq ft space in the same mall as Panda Garden is available for $16-18/sq ft (NNN).

123 Washington Ave – The 10,894 sq ft space formerly occupied by Maine Craft Distilling is available for $16/sq ft (NNN). It includes a restaurant, an outdoor seating area and onsite parking.

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Northgate Shopping Center – 1,700 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – Three spaces are for lease 1,440, 3,800 and 5,000 sq ft. The lease rates are negotiable.

Navis Cafe, Thames St – Navis Cafe is for sale for $1,299,000. The 36-seat 1,456 sq ft cafe is located in the WEX building along the Eastern Promenade Trail.

Other Spaces – Some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for insights on where those opportunities may be.

South Portland

1422 Broadway, South Portland – This 1,440 sq ft restaurant building in Cash Corner is for lease for $27/sq ft (NNN).

185 Cottage Rd, South Portland – The 2,647 sq ft former Mast Landing tasting room is for lease for $15.30/sq ft (NNN). It includes 20 parking space.

45 Huntress Ave, South Portland– Modestman Brewing is moving their tasting room and that’s freeing up this 2,016 sq ft space. It is available to lease for $4,500/month.

60 Ocean St, South Portland – The restaurant space had been occupied by Taco Trio is for lease. The 6,006 sq ft space is available for $9.99/sq ft (NNN). Taco Trio has returned to their original location at 119 Ocean Street.

Elsewhere in Maine

Bandaloop, Arundel – After 20 years in business the owners of Bandaloop have shared plans to sell the restaurant property. It’s priced at $2,100,000.

186 Main St, Auburn – A new building under construction along the Androscoggin River will include a 5,400 sq ft space that the owners hope to lease to a brewery or restaurant. It’s available for $18.50/sq ft (NNN). An additional 1,450 sq ft space will also be available when construction is completed later this year.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $775,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

7 Dunlap St, Brunswick – The 4,635 sq ft building currently occupied by Tonic at Bolos is for sale for $875,000. It includes all furniture, kitchen equipment and other furnishings.

137 Longwood Rd, Cumberland – A 2,110 sq ft building that’s been partially converted for use as a restaurant is available for $20/sq ft (NNN). See photos in the listing for a look at the current state of construction.

319 Main St, Cumberland – The 2,148 sq ft former Rise Pizza & Pub building is for sale for $850,000, or available to lease for $5,000/month (NNN).

261 Shore Rd, Ogunquit – The Northern Union restaurant property is for sale for $2,700,000.

23 Terminal Lane, Owls Head – A restaurant space at the Knox County Airport is available. FF&E is $65,000 which comes with a $200/month lease which includes utilities.

In Good Company, Rockland – In Good Company on Main Street in Rockland is for sale for $187,140.

267 Scarborough Downs Rd, Scarborough – Six retail spaces in a new building at The Downs are available. They range in size from 1,091 – 2,208 sq ft. They’ll be available to occupy in the spring of 2027.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bedroom apartment are for sale for $1,695,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

863 Main St, Westbrook – The former Frog & Turtle and adjacent retail spaces are for sale for $1,790,000.

4 & 7 Dana St, Westbrook – 2 retail spaces are available in a new building under construction in downtown Westbrook. The building is under construction with plans to open in 2027. 1,250 – 5,085 sq ft of space (NNN).

10 & 16 Hardy Rd, Westbrook – The building, land and business of Lenny’s at Hawkes Plaza is for sale for $689,000.

161 Main St, Woolwich – The Taste of Maine restaurant on Route One is for sale.

1335 Route 1, Yarmouth – The 6,884 sq ft former Muddy Rudder building is for lease.

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.

Handshake Origins

| Posted in Distilling & Cocktails

Wine Enthusiast has published an article about Handshake, the Persian-inspired amaro that was launched in Portland earlier this year by Shahin Khojastehzad.

That’s when it clicked. “Beer was where I first started figuring out how to use Persian flavors in fermentation. But with amaro, I realized I could be even more intentional—more expressive.” With that, the seed was planted. After seven years of tinkering with recipe after recipe, Handshake was born.

The article mentions that Handshake is now available at over 160 locations in 15 states, and that Khojastehzad is working on a non-alcoholic version of Handshake as well as two new spirits, Roos and Shab.

Maine Food & Dining News: Wells, Saco, Bangor, Harpswell, Gardiner, Bath

| Posted in Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

  • A new restaurant called Sea Salt Fry Company (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction in Wells. Chef/owner Norman Owens has taken over the space formerly occupied by Lee Frank’s. Renovations are under way, and Owens hopes to launch Sea Salt on December 12th. A draft menu (see page 5) includes dishes like moules frites, salads, clam chowder, falafel smash burgers, lobster rolls and NY strip steaks. You can read more about Owens and his plans for Sea Salt Fry Company in this article from the Portsmouth Herald.
  • The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a 4½ review of Finestkind in Saco (photos above). “Victoria and Tom Barthelmes consistently execute some of the region’s best brunch fare at Saco’s Finestkind. The couple scratch-cooks nearly everything they serve, and their extra effort, culinary know-how and near-obsessive attention to detail leads to stunners like the refined yet unfussy French omelet, a rich and wobbly deep-dish quiche, and a cheesy popover filled with poached egg and bacon-onion jam, a dish that delivers the savory comfort of French onion soup.”
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a new candy shop called Oh, Grow Up! (website, facebook) is under construction at 21 Central Street. “The store will feature a pick-your-own-candy wall that includes gummies, sours and chocolate, along with other sweets. Individual treats will also be available, but the wall will be the “main focus” that people see through the window, he said.”
  • The Harpswell Anchor reports that Russell Coffin, Jeff Janvrin and Jen Brown are working to relaunch Fat Pat’s Take Out. The team hopes to open in spring or summer of next year.
  • The Maine Food Narratives Work Group is holding a launch part for their new zine, Freedom Feast in Gardiner tomorrow night.
  • The Chocolate Church in Bath will be hosting the 2nd Annual Hanukkah Mexicana on December 20th

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

Wow India Now Open

| Posted in General

Wow India (website, instagram) opened for business today. The new Indian restaurant is located at 649 Congress Street in the Arts District.

The kitchen is headed up by owner Prakash Jayavelu Singh and chef Pardeep Prasana. Singh started his career in India. For nearly a decade he was a chef at Tulsi in Kittery where he and Prasana crossed paths.

The menu includes a wide selection of Indian dishes and some that are at the crossroads of different culinary influences like the dish of mussels shown above which is prepared with a cilantro-kokum coconut broth. The bar menu has local draft beer from Allagash, Lone Pine, Maine Beer Company and Batson River along with Indian beers, wines by the glass and bottle, mocktails, and a selection of house cocktails that tap into Indian ingredients and flavors like a tamarind margarita and a lassi cocktail made with mango lassi, rum, Cointreau, coconut milk and Cardamon.

Wow India will be open Monday through Thursday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 10 pm, Friday/Saturday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 11 pm, and Sunday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 9:30 pm.