The Other Side Diner (facebook, instagram) is holding their grand reopening Saturday, August 1st. The diner is under the new ownership of Danielle Dubois and Dan Washington. Dubois has been a member of the Other Side kitchen staff for the last year, and Washington has several years experience cooking in the Portland area.

The layout of the room remains the same, and Washington and Dubois are taking a very similar approach with the menu (see below) continuing to serve dishes like the lamb gyro, Monte Cristo sandwich, falafel eggs benedict and pancakes. Other Side offers coffee, tea and other soft drinks as well as a selection of local beers, cider, kombucha and brunch drinks like mimosas. Dubois and Washington hope to eventually open the diner for dinner. Shown above are the turkey club sandwich and a side of Greek donuts.

The diner is located at 500 Washington Avenue and will be open Monday through Friday 8 am – 2 pm, and Saturday/Sunday 8 am – 3 pm.

Founders Peter and Jessica Sueltenfuss sold the business to Washington and Dubois in June. They initially opened it in April 2019.

A Somali restaurant called Zaitun (instagram) is under construction on Forest Ave in the building formerly occupied by Loco Taco. Owner Abdulrahman Idow plans to launch Zaitun this Saturday, August 1st at noon.

Idow hopes Zaitun can “be a place where people can experience authentic Somali cuisine, whether they’re reconnecting with the flavors of home or trying them for the very first time. We look forward to bringing our community together and introducing more of Maine to the rich culture of Somalia.”

The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner (see menus below) with options like Hummus Oodkac (hummus topped with Somali spiced beef jerky), injera-based dishes prepared with chicken, lamb or vegetables, Channa Masala (chickpeas simmered in tomato and onion gravy with ginger, garlic, cumin and coriander), shwarma wraps, sambusas, and desserts.

Zaitun is located at 849 Forest Avenue and will be open Monday through Thursday, 9 am – 9 pm, and Friday/Saturday, 9 am – 11 pm.

Sweetfern Geometer (instagram) is set to open Wednesday, July 29th. Owner William Justice has completely renovated the former Bake Maine Pottery Cafe space at 122 Washington Ave. It now features a 20-seat bar and overall seating capacity for 50 guests. Sweettfern will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 – 9 pm.

Justice is initially launching Sweetfern with counter service and an abreviated bar menu (see below) that includes Scallop Crudo plated with kielbasa, cucumber, scallion mayo, green oil and red currant, Spelt Demi-Boule served with radish and marigold butter, and the option of Marinated Chicken or Tofu served with charred heirloom tomato, basil, Irish moss, trumpet mushorooms, Szechuan pepper and masa. The beverage program will initially include, beer and wine with plans to add a cocktail with the launch of the full menu.

When the full menu and table service comes on line, Sweetfern will serve some a la carte options with the central offering of family-style meals utilizing seasonal ingredients and guided by dinner guest preferences (vegetarian, seafood, etc).

Justice began his career in hospitality running an underground catering operation in California as an offshoot of his work in the publishing industry. The side venture to provide food for book events eventually became center stage in his career. He went on to launch a farm-to-table restaurant and bookstore/coffee shop in Kansas, before moving to NYC where he was the chef and co-owner Tannat Wine & Cheese. Earlier this year he opened a bakery/cafe in an adjacent space called Mourning Cloak (instagram).