El Rayo

Sol Foods LLC, the company behind the new Mexican restaurant under construction on York Street, won approval last night from the Portland City Council for a liquor license. They were planning on calling the restaurant Taco Land but have decide to go by El Rayo instead. Their liquor license application includes a draft menu.

Chicken Farmers Corner Grace

There are several articles of interest in today’s Portland Daily Sun:

  • A feature article on the new restaurant initiatives that are proceeding during a downturn in the economy. The optimists behind The Corner Room, The Farmer’s Table and Figa were all interviewed for the piece.
  • An update on Grace, the new restaurant being built in the renovated Chestnut Street Church.
  • An article on Portland’s local food movement and the new Portland chicken ordinance.

Chickens, Pearls, etc

The Portland City Council is scheduled to meet Wendnesday night. Urban chickens are on the agenda (link is to a large PDF) as is a liquor license for Pearl, a bar that’s proposed for the former location of Onyx, revisiting the vote on the Cactus Club, as well as liquor licenses for The Farmer’s Table and Typerwriter Tavern. Paperwork submitted to the city confirms that Jeff Landry is behind The Farmer’s Table and includes a draft menu (see page 120 of the agenda).

Papou's Kitchen, etc

wasabiPapou’s Kitchen is now open for business. They offer a short menu of gyro and falafel wraps.
I was in the Old Port today for lunch at Paciarino (an excellent meal of goat cheese ravioli) and spotted this Stop Work order in the window of Wasabi, a new sushi restaurant (not) being constructed at 7 Exchange Street.
John Robinson, who sold Hugo’s to Rob Evans in 2003, is revamping Finch’s, his Falmouth restaurant, as  Johnny’s Bistro & Bar.