A new business called Bub’s Home Kitchen (website, instagram) has leased space on the second floor of the Public Market House. Owner James Shaffer plans to be open for lunch serving Sicilian-style pizza by the slice, soups, and salads. He will also be selling take-and-bake meals like baked rigatoni, mushroom Stroganoff, shepherd’s pie, and pot roast as well as soups, broths, fruit spreads and marinara sauce for customers to enjoy at home.
Shaffer wants his customers to feel like they’re getting a home cooked meal which seems appropriate with many of the dishes being based on family recipes like his father’s recipe for pot roast or his wife’s family recipe for the Stroganoff. Before moving to Portland in 2019, he and his father operated a cafe in Baltimore.
Shaffer hopes to launch Bub’s at the Public Market House in August. It will initially be open Wednesday through Friday, 11 am – 4 pm (serving lunch until 2) with plans to expand days and hours to meet demand. In addition, Bub’s will continue to participate in the South Portland’s Farmers’ Market on Sundays, and Fork Food Lab’s market on Thursdays to reach customers who might not live or work in downtown Portland.