Review of Central Provisions

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Central Provisions.

…And with good reason; owners Paige Gould and Chris Gould (also the chef) have built a largely consistent, extraordinarily efficient business that produces some of the area’s finest dishes. Among them, a batter-fried cod cheek tempura served with spicy, aromatic citrus-peel kosho; crisp-skinned suckling pig pressé nestled into a sweet-tangy purée of local apples and almond oil; and the ever-evolving bread plate, where a savory, egg-yolk-rich sabayon always plays a starring role.

207 Bar & Restaurant to Fill Maria’s Space

Antoine Bikamba along with business partners Damas Rugaba, Aime Nijimbere, and Aline Bucyana have leased the former Maria’s space at 337 Cumberland Ave where they plan to open 207 Bar & Restaurant.

You’ll recall that Maria’s announced in September that they had purchased the Espo’s Trattoria building on Congress Street where they plan to move the nearly 60-year-old restaurant in December. The Maria’s building was purchased by Youth and Family Outreach.

The owners of 207 Bar & Restaurant are applying for a full liquor license and plan to serve a menu of “international cusine”. You can see a copy of the draft menu below:

Andy’s Old Port Pub Has Closed

The Press Herald reports that Andy’s Old Port Pub has closed. The owners shared that there was a mix of factors including a broken walk-in refrigerator and difficulty in staffing the restaurant.

An emotional Jennifer Fox, who owns the pub at 94 Commercial St. with her husband, Rick Frantz, said they made the decision to close on Friday morning after they discovered they would not be able to repair a walk-in cooler. It was, she said, the last straw in “a cacophony of incidents that all kind of came at the same time.”

“As much as I’m going to miss it – it was my own child – it was time,” Fox said.