Category: Openings

 

Via Vecchia (instagram, facebook, website) is scheduled to open on Friday with options for both indoor and outdoor seating. Via Vecchia is a new restaurant and bar from Blyth & Burrows owner Joshua Miranda.

Located at 10 Dana Street in the 3,900 sq ft space formerly occupied by Vignola/Cinque Terre, Via Vecchia will be serving a menu of Italian food (think pizzettes, house-made pasta, polenta fries, etc), classic and creative cocktails, and Italian wines.

The Via Vecchia design team have created a beautiful space that draws its inspiration from pre-WWI European bistros. The front room features a circular bar. The back dining room has  seating in the mezzanine and a table for larger parties on the ground floor.

Reservations for Via Vecchia are available on Resy.com.

The former general manager and chef de cuisine from Five Fifty-Five, Yazmin Saraya and Kyle Robinson, have launched their own restaurant, Chez Rosa (website, facebook, instagram), in Kennebunk.

The French bistro is located in the former Bandaloop space 2 Ocean Ave in Dock Square. Chez Rosa began outdoor dining service on June 10th and continues to do curbside takeout.

Chef Ilma Lopez, co-owner of Chaval and Piccolo, is one of 100 chefs who have contributed a recipe to a United We Cook. Lopez provided recipes for Coq au Vin, and Chocolate Budino.

Editor Nadia Mashar has gathered food and cocktail recipes from restaurants in 37 US cities and 24 states.

The digital cookbook is available online, and “100% of proceeds go to participating restaurants & local food banks”.

Chef Cara Stadler and her business partner/mother Cecile Stadler opened Zao Ze Cafe and Market (instgram) yesterdsy in Brunswick.

Zao Ze serves “Asian street foods, with a focus on breakfast and lunch”. You can see the menu and order online. It has an open air seating area in the Tao Yuan parking lot.

Shown here is the Drunken Lamb Rou Jia Mo sandwich made with Shaoxing and Baiju braised lamb and kimchi on a sesame bun.

Evo X (instagram) the new waterfront food truck from Evo Kitchen + Bar is launching today at noon. The mobile kitchen is located adjacent the Eastern Prom walking trail near the former Portland Company Complex.

The concept for Evo X is of a waterfront seafood shack serving a menu of on-concept dishes and a few options (e.g. chickpea fries) carried over from the regular Evo menu.  There will be outdoor picnic table seating, counter service and drinks will be available from the Fore Points Marina bar which is also currently under development. The menu is a collaboration between chefs Matt Ginn and John Glover.

A new  coffee shop called Burundi Star Coffee (facebook) opened earlier this week at 261 Saint John Street. In addition to drip coffee and espresso-based drinks, Burundi Star also sells baked goods from Norimoto Bakery.

As the name suggests, Burundi Star will feature coffee from Burundi. Their first coffee, Burundi Mutambu is a medium roast with tasting notes of “green apple, honey, and toffee”.

Update: A combined outdoor/indoor dining list has been published. This page is no longer being kept up to date.

Restaurants can start re-opening in Cumberland County for outdoor dining only as of June 1st. Here’s a small but growing list of the restaurants have announced their outdoor dining opening day plans. Please let me know if you know of any that are missing and I’ll add them.

Even with restaurants starting to re-open, restaurants that have established take-out programs will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

• June 1st
  • A&C Grocery – counter service with outdoor seating
  • Becky’s Diner – outdoor dining
  • Boone’s Fish House and Oyster Room – outdoor dining
  • Bruno’s – outdoor dining
  • El Rayo – outdoor patio dining
  • Gilbert’ Chowder House – outdoor dining
  • Independent Ice Company – outdoor dining
  • Petite Jacqueline – outdoor dining, reservations (online or 207-553-7044) required
  • Portland Lobster Company – outdoor dining
  • Rivalries – outdoor dining, Falmouth location
  • Salt Water Grille – waterfront outdoor seating in South Portland
  • The Porthole – outdoor dining
  • Three Dollar Deweys – outdoor dining
  • Timber – outdoor dining on Exchange Street (now closed to vehicle traffic) and on their back patio. Call (207) 805-1469 for reservations.
  • Tiqa – outdoor dining
  • Union Kitchen – outdoor seating
  • Yosaku – outdoor patio, call for reservation (207-780-0880)
• June 2nd
  • Bramhall Pub – patio dining, reservation required
  • CBG – outdoor dining
  • DiMillo’s – tables in their parking lot for takeout customers to use
  • Lazzari – outdoor dining, reservations required
  • Luke’s Lobster – outdoor dining only, reservation required
  • Miss Portland Diner – outdoor dining
  • Monte’s Fine Foods – outdoor dining
  • Pizzarino – outdoor dining
  • Roma Cafe – patio dining, reservations required
  • Tomaso’s Canteen – outdoor dining
  • The Well – picnic tables and gazebos for outdoor dining, reservations required
• June 3rd
  • Coals – outdoor dining in Bayside
  • Evo – outdoor dining, reservations recommended
  • Ishi Ishi – outdoor dining
  • Knotted Apron – outdoor dining
  • Maine Craft Distilling – outdoor dining with $5 “boozy slushees and shots” during happy hour (1-4 pm)
• June 4th
  • Blue Fin – garden seating, reservations required
  • Gritty’s – outdoor dining
  • Maria’s – outdoor dining
  • North 43 Bistro – outdoor dining on upper and lower decks
  • Old Port Sea Grill – outdoor dining
  • Shay’s Grill Pub – outdoor dining
  • Slab – outdoor dining on the Slab patio
• June 5th
  • King’s Head Pub – outdoor dining
  • N To Tail – outdoor dining
  • Rising Tide – outdoor patio seating in collaboration with Fire & Co.
  • The Sinful Kitchen – outdoor dining
• June 6th
  • Pizza Villa – outdoor dining
  • Po’ Boys & Pickles – outdoor picnic tables at their location on Forest Ave
• June 7th
  • J’s Oyster Bar – expanded outdoor dining
• June 9th
  • DiMillo’s – on ship deck seating
• June 10th
  •  Sagamore Hill/Ada’s – a collaboration between these two Arts District establishments. They’ll work together to serve Sagamore cocktails and Ada’s food on the corner of Congress and Park Streets.
• Other Restaurants Now Offering Outdoor Dining
  • Binga’s Stadium
  • Black Cow
  • Bonobo
  • Brea Lu Cafe in Westbrook
  • Burke’s Perks
  • Central Provisions
  • Cocktail Mary
  • David’s starting June 23rd
  • Duckfat
  • East Ender
  • El Corazon
  • Eventide
  • Gather in Yarmouth
  • Hardshore Distilling
  • HiFi Donuts
  • Isa
  • Island Creek Oyster
  • Knitting Nook
  • Lio
  • Little Giant
  • Local 188
  • Mami
  • Other Side Diner
  • Portland Beer Hub
  • Rosie’s
  • Scales
  • Solo Italaiano – will launch outdoor dining on Thursday, June 18th
  • The Bird & Co
  • The Honey Paw
  • The North Point
  • The Thirsty Pig
  • Woodford F&B

FOOD TRUCKS/CARTS

• Bite Into Maine
• Falafel Mafia
• Kuno
• Mainely Hotdogs
• Milly’s Skillet
• Mr. Tuna
• Salt Box Cafe
• Tacos de Seoul
• Tacos La Poblanita
• The Muthah Truckah
• Twist

June 1st, the day restaurants in Portland can re-open for indoor dining, is fast approaching. Restaurants are individually making decisions about when they’ll feel ready to open their doors to customers, and customers are starting to think about when they’ll be ready to dine out.

Today Fore Street, Street & Co and Scales made the call to re-open starting on June 8th. All three restaurants will be starting service at 4 pm. Reservations are required and you can book a table by calling their reservation line (207-775-2717) or online via OpenTable:

• Fore Street
• Street & Co.
• Scales

Taytene Cafe (website, facebook, instagram) is scheduled to open on June 1st. The new business has been under construction at 863 Broadway in South Portland since early 2019.

According to the awning signage, their offerings will include coffee, boba tea, smoothies, house-made bread, banh mi and pho.