Under Construction: West End Rosemont

Rosemont has confirmed plans to open a new market in the West End. This new store, the 5th Rosemont Market, will be located in the apartment building currently under construction at the corner of Pine and Brackett Streets.

As at our existing stores, the newest market in the West End will offer Rosemont’s own handmade breads and pastry, prepared foods and house-butchered meats, as well as vegetables and fruits, full-service deli, local dairy and eggs, groceries, grains and more.

With this new store, Rosemont’s intentions are, as they have always been, to expand opportunities for area food producers, while providing a fundamental service to the people of the neighborhood. We look forward to strengthening existing partnerships, and developing new ones, with the vital businesses that have served the West End neighborhood for years.

The West End Rosemont is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2015.

Kickstarter: O’Maine Media Kitchen

O’Maine Studios (website, facebook, twitter, instagram) has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the kitchen and AV equipment needed to fully outfit the space. Owner Rory Strunk is hoping to raise $65,000 and plans to use the media kitchen on Danforth Street for:

  • Commercial demonstration kitchen
  • Culinary content production
  • Chef hosted demonstrations
  • Cooking courses
  • Food photography classes
  • Food styling classes
  • mixology, beer and wine courses

Under Construction: 79 Portland Street

79PortlandSt79 Portland Street is currently under construction the first floor and basement are being converted into a restaurant from its former role as the home of New World Kitchens.

The new restaurant is being launched by Suzie Saint Pierre. The exact name and concept are still under development but Saint Pierre shared that she’s planning to open a small casual bistro-style restaurant.

Saint Pierre has 15 years experience working in restaurants outside Maine.

 

Opening Soon: Sur Lie

surlieSur Lie (facebook) is in the process of holding a some friends and family services prior to opening to the public “early next week”. I was fortunate enough to get invited to the dinner last night.

The main part of chef Emil Rivera’s small plate menu (here’s a photo of the one from last night) is divided into three categories: Crisp, Pleasant and Bold along with some cheeses, charcuterie and other smaller starters. Rivera moved to Maine from DC where he worked for several years as part of the ThinkFoodGroup—a family of 15 restaurants founded by chef/restaurateur Jose Andres.

My menu recommendation: when you go be sure not to miss the Creamed Corn with Pork Belly.

Sur Lie is located at 11 Free Street.

Under Construction: Portland Co-op

There’s an article on the new Portland Co-op in the Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald.

Here’s the latest: All of the refrigeration, heating and cooling systems are in place. Floors have been polished. Soon interior painting will begin. Within the next two weeks, shelving, fixtures and checkout counters will begin arriving and workers will start building out the interior of the store at 290 Congress St. in Portland.

But Gadsby declines to reveal a target opening date, sticking to the script that it will be sometime in “mid-fall.”

Under Construction: Bramhall

Urban Eye has posted an update on Bramhall, the casual food and drink destination now under construction in the old Bramhall Pub in the West End.

“New places are super food-focused and the food scene is awesome,” he said, but amid all the James Beard nods, something was amiss.

“It can be a challenge to grab a meal for two, even lunch, for less than $80 in Portland,” said Fraser. “I want people to be able to come in and have a few drinks and have a good time.”…Meals at the new Bramhall gastropub will be priced from $8 to $10. In the kitchen is Chris [Beaulieu], former sou chef at Duck Fat and chef at Sebago Brewery in Portland.

Owner Mike Fraser hopes to open Bramhall next month.

Under Construction: Huong’s Vietnamese & Ramen Suzukiya

Two new restaurants have submitted their liquor license applications with the city:

  • Ramen Suzukiya is a new noodle house under construction in the newly renovated store front at 229 Congress Street. According to their cover letter, father and son owners Katsuaki and Cory Suzuki plan to serve “fresh homemade ramen noodles using a variety of flour[s] from grain mills in Maine and New England” and that they eventually hope to “cultivate many of the vegetables we will use in my restaurant.”The Suzukis hope to open the restaurant in October. The draft menu (page 68) includes several ramen dishes (shown below) as well as gyoza and rice bowls.
    suzukiya_menu
  • Huong’s Vietnamese Restaurant is under construction at 267 Saint John Street in the space formerly occupied by Vietnam Restaurant. Owner Huong Thi Thu Le hopes to open the restaurant later this month serving “authentic Vietnamese food”. Here’s the salad and pho sections of the menu. The full draft menu is on page 47 of the materials for Monday night’s City Council meeting.
    huongs_menu

For information on all the restaurants under development see the Portland Food Map under construction list.