Under Construction: Central Provisions and Compass Rose

The Portland City Council meets Monday when two new restaurants will be asking for approval of their liquor license applications:

  • Central Provisions, Chris Gould’s restaurant, is under construction at 414 Fore Street. Gould just closed on the property earlier this week. Central Provisions plans on serving “seasonally inspired small plates that will be accompanied by local draft beer, a variety of wine and craft cocktails.” You can see the draft menu for Central Provisions on pages 59-60 of the meeting materials. Floor plans for the restaurant are on the subsequent two pages.
  • Compass Rose is under construction at 339 Fore Street in the space formerly occupied by Siam Grill, Shima, Apsara and Sebastian’s. Compass Rose aims to be a “quick service, casual style restaurant that specializes in authentic homemade meals and serve cocktails with flair.” A rough draft of the menu is on pages 83-85. A more finished looking copy is posted in the window of the restaurant.

Under Construction: Bissell Brothers Brewing

ILovePortlandMaine.com has published an interview with siblings Noah and Adam Bissell about the new brewery they’re launching.

One would think in a city like Portland, Maine that brothers Noah and Peter Bissell would have a very tough time cracking into the already booming local and national craft brew market.  But what most wouldn’t count on is the experience and creativity each brother brings to the equation.

Under Construction: Portland Hunt & Alpine Club

Portland Hunt & Alpine Club is planning a Scandinavian theme for their food menu.

It’s influence is Scandinavian boards, cured fish and meats, brown breads, rye crackers, open-face sandwiches, a pickle program and much more.

In Sweden it’s called smörgäsbord, in Norway it’s koltbord and in Finland it’s voileipäpöytä.

We’re calling it Scandinavian Gastropub.

Under Construction: Bresca and the Honey Bee, Mexican on Forest Ave, Black Cat

A few under construction updates:

  • Bresca and the Honey Bee, Krista Kern Desjarlais’s snack shack in New Gloucester, has passed inspection and is scheduled to open on Saturday with a limited menu.
  • A sign at 865 Forest Ave, the former home of Venue, indicates that a new Mexican restaurant is slated for that space.
  • Black Cat Coffee has selected Matt’s Wood Roasted Coffee for their new shop on Stevens Ave.

Under Construction: Mi Sen, Portland & Rochester, MJ’s, etc

Liquor licenses for several new business were on the agenda for last night’s meeting of the Portland City Council:

  • Mi Sen is the name of the a new Thai “small portion noodle soup” bar under construction in the former Korea House space. The restaurant is the creation of Darit Chandpen whose family runs Sala Thai. A draft menu is on page 75 of the meeting materials.
  • You can see the floor plan for MJ’s, the wine bar slated for One City Center, on page 90 and a draft menu on page 95.
  • Portland & Rochester Public House is under construction in the old G&R DiMillo’s space in Bayside. The draft menu can be found on pages 115-117.

There’s also info on the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, an Oxbow event being run by Nosh, as well as incremental adjustments to other licenses in the meeting materials.

Under Construction: Boone’s, Sonnet, Bresca and the Honey Bee, Vinland, Chris Gould

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a feature article about Harding Smith and his fourth “Room” restaurant, Boone’s Fish House and Oyster Room.

This has been Smith’s life the past few months, as he juggles managing his three Portland restaurants while trying to open a fourth: Boone’s Fish House & Oyster Room, a new seafood place on Custom House Wharf.

In a year with an unusually large number of restaurant openings in the works in Portland, Boone’s is one of the most anticipated. It’s a project that will give Smith an unprecedented fourth restaurant within the city limits, and revitalize the late-19th-century waterfront building where it’s said Alexander Boone first served baked stuffed lobster.

Food writer Meredith Goad has also put together a series of sidebars on four other up and coming restaurants that are set to launch this year: Chris Gould’s restaurant on Fore Street, Bresca and the Honey Bee, Sonnet and Vinland.

Food Trucks: Urban Sugar Mobile Cafe

A new food truck called urbansugarUrban Sugar Mobile Cafe is under development. Owners Valeri and Kevin Sandes will be serving a range of made to order sweet and savory mini gourmet donuts both traditional and more innovative flavors.

Their 70’s vintage ice cream truck (aka Rosie) is currently undergoing renovations. The Sandes plan to launch sometime in the beginning of July and operate on a year-round basis both on the streets of Portland and for catered private events.

Under Construction: Fizz & Compass Rose Restaurant

A new business called Fizz is under construction at 345 Fore Street. Owner Johanna Corman she plans on opening Fizz as a “mixology shop and natural soda/mocktail bar”. The small shop will include both a retail space selling bitters, syrups and cocktail making equipment, as well as a small bar that serves house made sodas. The store is likely to be open by mid-summer.

Corman is seeking out and stocking local products such as the Blueberry Bitters produced by Sweetgrass Farm in Maine and Royal Rose Cocktail Syrups as well as those from farther afield. Originally from Maine, she and her husband Steve moved back to the state in 2008 and run the general store on Cliff Island.

A business card in the window at 339 Fore Street indicates that the space is the future home of Compass Rose Restaurant. The owners are Tony and Rose Kratovil.