After a few week of pop-up events serving delicious roast beef and porchetta sandwiches, Roll Call (website, instagram) is now open for business at 81 Clark Street in the West End. Their hours will initially be Friday through Sunday, 11 – 3.
Owners Michael and Siobhan Sindoni plan on expanding the menu and days of operations over time. In addition to the sandwiches, Roll Call also has on their evolving menu a kale salad, buttermilk panna cotta, meatballs.
The new beer and wine hall called Rigby Yard (instagram) is now open. It’s located at 50 Wharf Street and is owned by the same group of people that launched the Independent Ice Co.
Rigby Yard features an “expanded bar, large socially distanced tables that can accommodate parties of up to 8 people, a private tasting room and comfortable leather seating around a gas fireplace” serving Maine draft beer, wine and a full cocktail program as well as casual food menu.
Biddeford-based Banded Brewing Company (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) will be opening their new brewery and tasting room in Bayside on Saturday. The 2,500 sq ft space at 82 Hanover Street houses a 5-barrel pilot brewing system. It will have limited indoor seating as well as a three-season patio area.
Banded plans to use the brewery to produce “a broader range of styles, as well as small-batch and experimental beers” which will be available at their two tasting rooms.
The Portland location will initially be open 4 – 9 pm Wednesday-Friday, 2 – 9 pm Saturday, and Sunday 2 – 7 pm.
Silly’s is re-opening today. The new Silly’s is located at 68 Washington Ave in the space where owner Colleen Kelly formerly operated Simply Vegan by Silly’s.
Hours on Saturday are 11 – 3, and on Sunday 10 -3, and there’s chocolate cake.
The original Silly’s (which closed September1, 2019) location is being renovated and this fall will be the new home for Terlingua. The former Terlingua space is now occupied by Pizzeria Radici, and the….
It’s been one of the most frequent questions we’ve received since March, “when will Empire re-open??!”
That day is now here. Empire Chinese Kitchen has announced they’re re-opening for takeout starting today.
You can order online and pick-up at the restaurant on Congress Street starting at 11:30 am.
Portland’s newest food truck, Liu Bian Tan (instagram) launched on Tuesday at the Western Promenade.
Owner Chung Heng Liu is dishing up a menu of “old school” Taiwanese street food which on Tuesday included Yo Mein, Lo Ba Bung, Gua Bao, and Scallion “Bomb” Bing.
LBT will be back on the Western Prom on Thursday, and is scheduled to hold a pop-up takeout dinner in conjunction with Cong Tu Bot on September 29th.
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Speckled Ax (website, facebook, instagram) opened their new coffee shop at 20 Thames Street this morning, Their hours are 7:30 am – 3 pm.
In addition to their stellar coffee brewed from wood-roasted beans, the new Speckled Ax will have a food menu that will include two egg sandwich options, a banh mi, a lobster roll and baked goods from Ilma Lopez at Chaval. Speckled Ax has secured a liquor license. In the future they plan to expand the food menu as well as serve beer and wine.
One of the new innovations of the new shop is a Cyclops brewing machine. Also look for flash brewed ice coffee, cascara, and a new infused milk flavor profile as well as pour overs, espresso-based drinks and one of my favorites—tower shots.
Matt Bolinder founded Matt’s Wood Roasted Coffee in 2007 and opened the original Speckled Ax shop on Congress Street opened in May 2012.
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A new restaurant called Broken Arrow (instagram) is getting ready to open in October. Broken Arrow is located at 545 Congress Street in the storefront formerly occupied by the West End Deli. To address public health guidelines Broken Arrow will launch using just part of its 47-seat capacity.
Chef Matt Jatczak will draw inspiration from classic New England recipes for the 5-course meals. Broken Arrow plans to take a ticket-based model and will begin taking reservations for their October opening in early September. The menu is expected to change every 5-6 weeks to align with the seasonality of local ingredients.
Owners Lyle and Holly Aker moved to Portland from Chicago where Lyle operated two restaurants, Charlatan and the Three Aces. They had been looking to make a move back to Maine when the opportunity to lease 545 Congress Street came up 3 years ago. Chef Jatczak also has a Chicago connection. His resume includes time in the kitchen at both The Purple Pig and working for Paul Kahn’s One Off Hospitality Group.
Holly Aker is a Certified Cheese Professional and passionate about Maine creamery products so expect a diverse array of Maine cheeses to grace the menu.