Category: Under Construction

A new restaurant called Dutch’s (facebook, instagram, twitter) is now under construction at 28 Preble Street in the space formerly occupied by Down Home Cookin’. Owner Ian Dutch plans to “using the best ingredients to Create Food You Crave“.

The menu will include sandwich items like the Dutch Crunch (red wine braised beef, mashed potatos, crispy onions) and the Crispy Chicken (chicken, red pepper jelly, bacon, cheddar, romaine). Dutch’s will be open for breakfast and lunch.

See the PFM Under Construction page for a complete list of Portland food businesses in development.

Makara’s Market (facebook)—formerly Mittapheap Market on Washington Ave—has launched a crowdfunding campaign. Owner Makara Meng is in the final stages of launching her new market on Brighton Ave. She plans on using the $6,500 raise in Kickstarter-clone Indiegogo for the initial cost of inventory, a to-go kitchen and initial marketing expenses.

For more information or to contribute to the campaign visit Indiegogo.

According to a report from Eater Maine, well known local food personalities Joe Ricchio and Joel Beauchamp are working together to launch a bar. The duo don’t yet have a name or a location but promise it will be “eclectic”.

Joel and Joe have worked together before when they hosting the Food Coma video series.

O’Maine Studios (website, facebook, twitter, instagram) at 54 Danforth Street is constructing a media kitchen in the space adjacent to their main studio. The 1,700 commercial kitchen had formerly served as the bakery for Cranberry Island Kitchen. It includes a demonstration space that will seat 20.

O’Maine Media Kitchen was created to meet and feed the growth of foodie content and innovate the next generation of food and beverage programming. Our fall launch will include new programming and celebration events such as a chef series, The Signature Series, focused on the Chef’s story of their signature dish, and a new beverage event/media series focused  the art of mixology and blending local products called Forage & Mix.

Owner Rory Strunk has a number of ideas for how O’Maine Media Kitchen could be used:

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

Strunk plans to open the O’Maine Media Kitchen this Fall.

Ten Ten Pié is planning to open Saturday morning at 8 am. They’ll be serving coffee and pastries. See this post on Eater Maine for more details on the menu.

Ten Ten passed all inspections. Just waiting for processing of license. Hope that happens Friday! We plan to be open Sat morning 8-2 offering coffee and pastries. ¡Vengan a ver!

D.L. Geary Brewing has announced that they’re building a tasting room (photos) at their brewery located on Evergreen Drive.

Not only are beer lovers drinking more craft beer than ever before, they’re also curious about the beer making process. Geary’s has wanted to provide a tasting room for our fans for a while now, and we’re so excited to say it is nearly done.

Deen Haleem and wife Carol Mitchell have leased the 7,000 square foot restaurant space in the new Marriott Courtyard Hotel where they plan on launching a new pan-Mediterranean restaurant named Tiqa on  Commercial Street. In addition to a pair of dining rooms (one more formal than the other), Tiqa will also include a a chef’s counter, a 60 seat lounge and a private dining area.

Breaking with Portland’s current trend of small plate restaurants, the owners are planning a more traditional apps and entrees style menu. The menu will overtime tap into the full range of flavors and culinary traditions from North Africa, the Near East, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. Both lunch and dinner will be served at Tiqa.

Deen Haleem has had a career in the financial services industry but tells me that several years ago he helped launch a pair of restaurants in southern California and has always wanted to return to the industry to run his own place. While not from the restaurant, Deen assures me is fully aware of the challenges of launching a restaurant in Portland but is excited to make a go of it.

Deen and Carol hope to open Tiqa early next year.

Eater Maine reports that a Japanese noodle bar is under construction on Congress near Washington Ave.

…a man named Corey Suzuki and his father are planning to convert at least one of the ground-level units to a Japanese noodle bar.

 

The Press Herald reports that chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, founders of the former Arrows in Ogunquit, will launch a new restaurant in the Press Hotel when it opens next year.

Frasier was cryptic about the menu, saying they are “keeping it a little bit under wraps,” but said it will be “a personal expression of who we are.” While seafood will be well represented, for example, Frasier said he wouldn’t call it a seafood restaurant. And it won’t be Arrows-style fine dining, with white tablecloths and crystal.

“Our favorites are going to feature prominently in the menu – things that we’ve just loved over the years and are really reflective of our backgrounds both in Maine and California,” he said. “And, as you know, we love to travel. There may be a little bit of rivalry – Mark’s favorite and Clark’s favorite – on the menu as well.”

Today’s Press Herald has a brief mention of Dana Street’s new seafood restaurant in an article about waterfront development in Portland.

He said Dana Street, the restaurateur who owns Fore Street and Street & Co., plans to open a seafood restaurant on the pier, which also houses Fog’s Boat Works, Bangs Island Mussels, Morrison’s Maine Course and Upstream Trucking.

Street could not be reached to discuss his plans, but Goodrich said the restaurant could open as soon as next March.

The Forecaster interviewed the owners of Tandem Coffee about the launch of their upcoming West End bakery/coffee shop.

The owners of Tandem Coffee Roasters, which opened two years ago, are preparing a new bakery and cafe at 742 Congress St. It is expected to open this month.