Supperpie

A new dinner series called Supperpie is being launched next week. It’s the creation of Rocco Salvatore Talarico who was the featured guest chef at the first Pocket Brunch last summer and has played a supporting role at two others.

Supperpie is billed as “meticulously hand-crafted, righteously & unnecessarily gluttonous”. Each of the six dinners in the series will be a 9-course meal. Tickets are $150 per person and are available online at supperpie.com/tickets.

Compass Rose Now Open

According to Maine a la Carte, Compass Rose opened for business last night. The restaurant is located in Boothby Square at 339 Fore Street in the space formerly occupied by Sebastian’s.

The restaurant, owned by chef Tony Kratovil and his wife Rose, will serve a variety of classic steak and seafood dishes. “We will be serving lunch and dinner and probably brunch on Sunday,” Rose Kratovil said. “We’ll do a light fare menu late afternoon, from 2 to 5. We’re serving hand-cut steaks. Everything’s done on premise.”

Launch of Maine Craft Distilling

gBritt PR has sent out a release announcing the launch of Maine Craft Distilling. Maine Craft Distilling’s current product line includes Alchemy Gin
, Ration Rum
, and Black Cap Vodka. As soon as they clear final approval they will also have 50 Stone Whiskey, a blueberry moonshine, QueeQueg Spiced Rum and Chesuncook Botanical Gin.

Their tasting room and production facility is located at 101 Fox Street in East Bayside.

See this PFM news item from December for more info.

Hugo’s Reopening Tonight (Updated)

Hugo’s has announced that they’re reopening for dinner as of this evening. From the release,

In renovating, our aim was to strip the space down to its roots, exposing the building’s early 19th century original tin ceiling and brick and mortar walls.  We’ve entirely changed the floor plan with an open kitchen, plush booth seating, and a sprawling, wooden bar that offers diners a close up view of the inner workings of the Hugo’s kitchen.

While our kitchen remains committed to the creativity and attention to detail that has garnered Hugo’s it’s national acclaim, we are making some exciting changes: an intensified focus on local meats, seafood and foraged goods, a revamped menu format, single origin coffee’s from local roasters Tandem, and look out for large format shared meal specials.

Bourbon Portland Beer Politics has posted a set of photos taken by Zach Bowen of the newly renovated space.

Update: for details on the new menu and more pictures see this report on Maine a la Carte.

Wannawaf Opened Today

Wannawaf (website, facebook, twitter) opened for business today (photo) and will be staying open until 2am this evening. They’re located at 15 Monument Square in the space formerly occupied by Cobblestones.

Owner Anya Arsenault (aka Waffle Girl) opened the original Wannawaf in Boothbay in 2003. The menu for the Portland store includes a selection of savory and sweet waffle-based options such as The Kitchen Sink (“egg, home fries, your choice of meat all baked inside a warm waffle”) and the Grand Tradition (“hot waffle, vanilla ice cream, real Maine maple syrup, whipped cream & cinnamon”).

Regina Spices

Maine a la Carte has published an article about Regina Spices, the second act by the creator of the Portland Spice Co.

Jessica Regina Moore is back selling her original spice blends under the name Regina Spices (reginaspices.com). She does not have a storefront, but her products are available at K. Horton’s Specialty Foods in the Public Market House in Monument Square and at Maine’s Pantry on Commercial Street.

Regina Spice is also part of an article in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.