Category: Openings

Back Cove BBQ & Pizzeria reopened this spring. Owner Dan Rubinoff relaunched his one-man operation at 89 Ocean Avenue and is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 – 2, 5 – 7 or other times by chance. The menu is also available for delivery via 2DineIn.com.

The menu of comfort food dishes includes applewood slow smoked pulled pork sandwiches, gyros, sweet Italian sausages with sauteed onions and peppers (shown above), burgers, pizza and much more. See below for full menu.

Rubinoff has been in the food industry over four decades, starting with food cart called One Potato Two that launched in 1980. The cart was located next to the mushroom-shaped pay phone station in Monument Square.

A new cafe and retail shop called Matcha Mood (website, instagram) opened today. The 640 sq ft 3-seat shop is located at 654 Congress Street in the same building as Blue, The Jewel Box and Sagamore Hill.

Matcha Mood is being launched by sisters Sarochinee, Veya, and Phuntira Tiparos. Their menu (see below) includes a variety of matcha-based drinks made using ceremonial grade matcha (shown above is a matcha latte). Their line of house-made matcha-based baked goods are expected to be available at some point this week.

Matcha Mood will be open 9 am – 4 pm, seven days a week.

The Forecaster reports that the new Cumberland restaurant Rise Pizza & Pub (instagram) has opened for business.

For restaurateur Tobey Moulton, offering casual yet elevated food in a relaxed atmosphere is no new feat, but last week, when the co-owner opened Rise Pizza and Pub in Cumberland, he knew he had big shoes to fill.

Partnering with chef Rocco Marzilli, Moulton purchased the building on Main Street from Jim Guidi early this summer. In April, The Forecaster published an exclusive story announcing the closure of Guidi’s restaurant, Louie’s Grille, which was a staple in Cumberland for a decade.

A new South Portland bar called Lambs (website, instagram) debuted Wednesday night.  Lambs is located at 695 Broadway in a space adjacent to Night Moves Bread. In addition to 70 seats of indoor bar and table seating, Lambs also has outdoor seating overlooking Casco Bay.

Owner Wade Ritchey along with beverage director Maia Fleming and the Lambs team are serving a bar menu (see below) of local beer, natural wine and a selection of classic cocktails. Food options include ham and butter or radish and butter sandwiches made with Night Moves bread, sardines, olives, bread and cheese, hummus, etc. Shown above are the ham and butter sandwich, castelvetrano olives and a negroni cocktail. Watch for the Lambs menu to expand in the coming weeks with more options for food, a bottles list, and maybe even sake.

Lambs will be open Wednesday through Monday, 3:30 – midnight on weekdays, noon – midnight on weekends.

A new bar called Night Mares (instagram) is scheduled to open today at 5 pm. It is located on the far side of the old Nissen Bakery Building at 44 Romasco Lane. Hours will be Thursday through Sunday, 5 pm – 1 am.

The menu (see below) includes a variety of house cocktails, beer, wine, mocktails, as well as some sweet and savory snacks. The gougeres are especially tasty. Shown here are the Night Mares on the Prairie cocktail and the beet and chevre tartine.

Night Mares occupies the same space as the cafe/bakery being launched later this year by Prairie Baking Company. The owner of Prairie Baking, Elizabeth Rzoska, along with Louis Masi, Devan Marr, and Christian Roadman are the co-founders of the bar.

The name of the bar is meant to “acknowledge the serious, refined aspects of a bar slightly mysterious and intriguing with a lighthearted, welcoming touch.”

The Continental (instagram) launched on Thursday. It is located at 170 Brighton Ave at the intersection of Brighton and Saint John. The Continental will initially be open Tuesday through Saturday 4 – 11.

The concept is inspired by English and Irish pubs. The 2,200 sq ft former 7-11 building has been completely renovated. The dining room features dark wood along the bar and booths, blue and gold wall paper throughout and a polished and painted concrete floor. A rarity for a Portland restaurant, The Continental has a large parking lot in front of the building.

The beverage menu (see below) includes a variety of draft and packaged beers and wines by the glass. The Continental has a full liquor license as well. The initial food menu trends to comfort food pub dishes like scotch eggs, boxty, fish and chips (see below) and shepherds pie.

Michael Barbuto and Kevin Doyle are the founders of The Continental. Doyle and Barbuto along with Michael Fraser are co-owners of CBG and of Nosh Kitchen Bar.

The newest restaurantand bar from The Miranda Group, Henry’s Public House (instagram), is now open. It’s located in the former Bull Feeney’s building at 375 Fore Street.

The menu includes appetizers like coconut shrimp and wings, sandwiches, salads, and some mains like surf and turf, fish and chips and moules frites.

The beverage program includes beer and wine with a strong focus on cocktails. The 16 house cocktail options are divided into categories titled: Dead Poet’s Society (try the Cease & Desist), From the Cannon, Writer’s Block and Martini Lunch. Shown below is a Bamboo (sherry, vermouth blend, cucumber, eucalyptus) from the Martini Lunch section and an off-menu Perfect Martinez.

The two-story restaurant offers a variety of room styles with an overall layout that remains true to what Bull Feeney’s customers were familiar with. On the first floor is a central bar with table/booth seating along the edges of the room and in the front windows. At the top of the stairs is a pair of rooms with a library theme (blue room show below); there is a second bar on the second floor and on the corner overlooking the intersection of Fore and Exchange is a upscale lounge.

Henry’s will be open 7 days a week: 4 – 11 pm on Mondays through Thursdays, 4 pm – 1 am on Fridays, 11 – 1 am on Saturdays, and 11 am – 11 pm on Sundays.

The Miranda Group also operates Blyth & Burrows (2017), Via Vecchia (2020) and Papi (2023). Bull Feeney’s closed earlier this year.