Category: Openings

A new restaurant in South Berwick called Catbird (website, facebook, instagram) is set to open today. Catbird is located at 279 Main Street in the space most recently occupied by Secundo. They’ll be open Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30 – 9:30 pm. Catbird is being launched by Molly Pritchett and chef Josh Grindstaff.

Grindstaff and his team are serving a contemporary American menu with dishes like the Braised Cabbage (XO butter, crispy garlic, shallots, kimchi powder) shown above, Cavatelli Pasta (braised oxtail ragu, ricotta, parmesan, Calabrian chilis) and a Duck Breast (braised cabbage, green lentils, squash, persimmon pan sauce).

In advance of opening Pritchett had shared some thoughts on the vision for Catbird “We’re building it with heart, humor, and a little edge. I care deeply about creating an environment where staff feel supported and trained to succeed, while Josh brings a calm and grounded energy to the kitchen that inspires trust. With the right team, Catbird won’t just be a restaurant; it’ll be a space that feels alive, approachable, and a little extraordinary.”

The couple initially met when working at Dufour in 2021 and have continued working together at several restaurants since including Northern Union in Ogunquit where Pritchett was the GM and Grindstaff the executive chef.

The indoor minigolf course and a 125+ seat sports bar and restaurant Minibar (website, instagram) is scheduled to open today at 3 pm.

Chef Tim Goddu and his team are serving a menu of apps like warm pretzels and sesame crusted seared yellow fin tuna, burgers, a variety of sandwiches like a North Shore roast beef and chicken sandwich with pesto and roasted red peppers. They’ll also have desserts like Sea Dog biscuits and donut holes from The Holy Donut.

Owner Kevin Moschella has built out an 18-hole minigolf course, restaurant space and course-side bar in a 15,000 sq ft space at 270 Marginal Way in East Bayside.

Minibar will be open Monday through Friday, 3 – close, and starting October 25th they’ll be open on the weekends starting at 11 am. Closing time will be dependent on when sports matches that their screening ends but will typically be 10 pm on weekdays and 11 pm on weekends.

WCYY reports that the Fork in the Road (website, instagram) pizzeria has opened in One City Center. It’s located in the space formerly occupied by Tic Tac O.

Chef/owner Joe Kenny serves pizza by the slice and whole pie. His menu includes traditional options like cheese and pepperoni pizzas as well ones like Pumpkin and Pork which is made with “roasted pumpkin and herb puree, buffalo milk mozzarella, herb ricotta, mojo pulled pork, toasted pumpkin seeds and chili oil”. He also offer some sandwiches and desserts.

Fork in the Road is open Monday through Friday, 8 am – 2 pm.

Zero Bar & Grille (website, facebook, instagram) has opened for business. It is located at 155 Riverside St in the space formerly occupied by Volcano and before that by Seasons Bar & Grille.

Owner Olivia True and her team are serving a preliminary menu that includes garden and Caesar salads, a patty melt, a double cheese burger, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, nachos, fries, and stir fries. For customers with canine companions there’s even some take home menu items for dogs: one with grilled chicken, rice, carrots and green beans, and a package of peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats. $3 dollars of every package of dog treats is donated to the shelter of the month.

Zero’s bar serves packaged and draft beer, wine by the glass, and both traditional cocktails and seasonal takes on standards like the Hallorita raspberry margarita and a Crimson Dawn which is a red tequila sunrise.

Zero Bar & Grille seats 203 people with additional space in a side function room and an outdoor seating area. They’re holding a wide variety of activities and events each week. Bands play on Friday and Saturday nights and karoke takes place on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays they have cribbage tournaments and also music Bingo—with regular Bingo on Thursdays. The first and third Wednesdays of  the month they hold self defense classes. There are also pool tables and darts. See Zero’s page on Facebook for all the event details.

Zero is open Monday through Thursday 4 – 10 pm, and Friday/Saturday 4 pm – 1 am.

Abbiocco (website, instagram) is set to open today. The wine bar and pasta restaurant is located at 634 Forest Ave in Woodfords Corner. They’ll be open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 – 9 pm.

Owner Cole Curcio and chef Zach Hoppie are serving a menu of fresh pasta dishes, snacks and salads. Shown above is the Creste de Gallo pasta made with zucchini miso, caciocavello and squash blossoms, a dish of olives and nuts, and the rye foccaccia served with cultured butter and fig spread. Abbiocco has a list of primarily Italian wines, beer, nonalcoholic drinks and cocktails like very enjoyable Espresso Dorato (pistachio vodka, espresso and lemon foam) shown above.

Some light renovations have been made to the former Sissle & Daughters Wine Bar space. Abbiocco has a 9-seat bar with table and banquette seating on the main and upper level of the dining room. Overall the restaurant can accommodate 27 people.

Curcio grew up in New Hampshire and his family summers in Poland, Maine. He initially moved to Texas to attend culinary school and afterwards stayed in Austin where he worked at several restaurants including as the sous chef at L’Oca d’Oro. Since moving to Maine, Curcio has worked at Twelve and at Benny’s.

While there isn’t a direct translation of “abbiocco”, it’s generally understood to mean a pleasant and contented drowsiness that comes from a good meal.

Gill’s (website, instagram) is scheduled to open on Thursday. The bar is being launched by Michael and Siobhán Sindoni, the owners of Wayside Tavern, along with chef Rian Wyllie. It’s located in the former Bao Bao space at 133 Spring Street.

The drink menu (see below) includes a set of house takes on classic cocktails like the Gibson shown above along with wines by the glass, and draft and packaged beer. Wyllie’s kitchen menu includes apps, salads and sandwiches and will be expanding to include a pair of desserts and a lamb neck shawarma. Shown here are the Moxie pork ribs and a not to be missed patty melt.

Gill’s seats ~40 people overall with an 8-seat bar along the right-hand wall and a mix of booth and high top tables filling in the remainder of the dining room. Molly Miller from Meter Haus consulted on the design. Miller was also the designer of Wayside Tavern.

The business is named after Gill’s Handy Store which was located at 133 Spring Street in the mid 20th century. The present day Gill’s will be open Thursday through Monday opening at 4 – 10 pm, and until 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Douro (website, instagram) will be opening for business on October 9th. The 100-seat Portuguese inspired seafood restaurant and bar is located at 110 Thames Street near Twelve. Douro is being launched by the Prentice Hospitality Group.

The kitchen, led by Colin Wyatt and chef de cuisine Jim Stein, will be serving a seafood focused menu that taps into Portuguese cooking traditions with a raw bar, tinned fish, snack, small plates and entrees like Cataplana, a Portuguese seafood stew. Other examples from the menu include mussel toast, peri-peri chicken, and mushrooms with farro. Prentice’s executive pastry Georgia Macon is planning a dessert menu with options like pastel de nata and an almond torte.

Wyatt shared in a press release,

“We have been talking about a restaurant like this for a while – taking the world class seafood we have here in Maine and bringing it through a Portuguese lens,” says Executive Chef Colin Wyatt. “The simplicity and soul of Portuguese cooking lends itself to the way in which I personally prepare food for my family and friends, and I’m excited to share that with the community. Chef Jim [Stein] and I have been working on developing a menu that really feels like the best of what you can get in Maine – seafood, produce, meat – and preparing it in ways that feel simple and not overworked. Letting the product and produce speak for itself.”

The wine program built by Carrie Nolan will have an 32-bottle wine list that features traditional and natural wines from Spain and Portugal. Customers will be able to enjoy wines by the half or full glass, large pour (7 ounces), carafe (375 ml), or bottle. The cocktail menu, created by bartender Matt Im, also takes its cues from Portugal’s food and flavors with most of the drinks available in both traditional and nonalcoholic versions. Douro will also have a selection of madeira, port, sherry, beer, and cider.

The 3,300 sq ft restaurant has been designed and built out by Woodhull. It features a 10-seat bar plus a mix of counter and table seating. Douro’s dining room can accommodate up to 50 people and be reserved for private events. Outdoor seating along Thames Street is in the plan for 2026.

The name of the restaurant is a reference to the Douro River which runs through Portugal and Spain. Douro will initially be open Monday through Thursday, 3:30 – 8:30 pm, and Friday through Sunday, 11:30 am – 8:30 pm with a brunch menu 11:30 am – 3:30 pm. Reservations are available online.

The Prentice Hospitality Group also operates Twelve, Evo Kitchen + Bar, The Chebeague Island Inn, The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth, and Not a Bakery.