Category: Under Construction

According to articles in this week’s Forecaster and last week’s edition of MaineBiz, the owner of Canal Plaza is proposing to build a new restaurant venue in the center of the plaza.

“There is a huge demand for high-quality restaurants downtown,” [owner Tim Soley] said. “Any use that is active at night and alive would be great there.”

Soley said several restaurateurs have contacted him informally about possibly using the space. But no decisions will be made until the zoning and permitting are in place, he said.

Both articles include a conceptual drawing of the new building placed within the plaza.

A regular PFM reader forwarded the Mainebiz article with a question I’m going to pass on to all of you: If it were up to you, what (type of) restaurant would you most like to see move into this proposed space?

The agenda for Monday’s City Council meeting is online and with it the liquor license applications for several restaurants under development:

• SPT 2.0 is described by owner David Cram as a “fine dining restaurant and lounge”. Cram also owns the Spring Point Tavern in Scarborough hence the SPT in the name of his new venture. See page 62 of the agenda for a look at their draft menu.
• The reincarnation of the Cafe at Pats is now slated to be named simply The Cafe. The kitchen will be under the direction of the original chef Greg Gilman. See page 77 of the agenda for a look at their draft menu.
• Aurora Provisions will be taking over management of the Portland Museum of Art cafe. See page 101 of the agenda for a look at their draft menu.
• The owners of Nosh have submitted paperwork for their second restaurant Taco Escobarr. The  “latin inspired taqueria and cocktail lounge” will be located across the street from Nosh. The draft menu (page 121) includes a 2.2 pound burrito called The Kilo.

Today’s Portland Daily Sun includes an update on Taco Escobarr, the new restaurant under construction on Congress Street.

Nosh owners Matt Moram and Jason Loring plan to open Taco Escobarr at the former site of yoga supply shop The Happy Yogi by mid-August after having cleared their building permit with the city on Monday.

“It’s just a real basic taco stand,” said Moram. “It’s going to be a straight, old-school tacos and traditional Mexican food, rice and beans, tacos, enchiladas and burritos.”

According to a report from the Portland Daily Sun, the Cactus Club has been sold to David Cram, owner of the Spring Point Tavern.

Cram said he has already hired a well-known local chef to run the new restaurant, which will serve “American gourmet” style food. On weekends, he’s hoping to have blues and jazz musicians perform.

“It’s something Portland needs,” Cram said of the new restaurant, “and it’s a step up from what I own now at the Spring Point Tavern.”

A pair of under construction updates:

• The White Cap has submitted a draft menu (see page 94) as part of the back up material for the liquor license application.
• Plush West End has also submitted a draft menu (see page 163) with their application

Both the Munjoy Hill News and Press Herald have reported on this Sunday’s close of Sebago Brewing’s location at 164 Middle Street and the reopening of the brew pub in the new hotel on Fore Street. Sebago expects to open its doors on Fore street on May 27.

Elise Loschiavo, marketing manager for Sebago Brewing Co. answered one of the more pressing questions posed by mhn.com during the evening: What about the Jordan’s sign community activist Markos Miller saved from the demolition of the former meat packing facility?  “It will be hung in a place of honor,” she said, grinning.  That is on a large wall opposite the bar.  For many years, the meat packing facility was a major business on the Hill – until Tyson’s foods bought it and then closed it shortly thereafter.

The Portland Daily Sun interviewed Wild Burritos owner Miguel Collins about his cross-Congress expansion into the former site of Stir Crazy.

The expansion is part of Collins’ goal of providing more affordable dining options in the Arts District.

“[In] Portland it’s so expensive to go out to eat. Wild Burritos offers you something for $5 or less. Everything we have is affordable, everything is under $6 and made with all natural ingredients,” he said.

Today’s Portland Daily Sun reports that the White Cap Grille will take over the space being vacated by Sebago Brewing at 164 Middle Street. Sebago is moving into the new hotel on Fore Street.

White Cap Grille is a spinoff of the Black Cap Grille, located in North Conway, N.H. at the intersection of routes 16 and 302 between EMS and L. L. Bean in the Settlers’ Crossing shopping plaza.

Here’s a few under construction updates:

• The soup and sandwich cafe taking the place of Henry VIII’s on Monument Square is slated to be called Cobblestone’s.
• The cupcakery under construction on Fore Street has changed its name from Buttercup to East End Cupcakes.
• Gingko Blue is getting set to open. Portland Daily Photo has posted a nice pic of the entrance. If you happen to be in the Old Port at night stop by and look in the window. The bar literally glows blue and white.
• The eatery replacing Stir Crazy on Congress Street will be called Wild Burgers and Burritos. Presumably it’s the new location and concept for Wild Burritos.
• Taco Trio at 119 Ocean Street in South Portland is scheduled to open on Monday at 11 am.
• After a 22 year hiatus, the Bathras Market reopened this past week in South Portland’s Willard Square.

Buttercup Cupcakes has leased the space at 426 Fore Street. Owner Alysia Zoidis hopes to move quickly on refitting the space and open by early June.