Under Construction: Bramhall, Sur Lie

| Posted in Under Construction

Liquor license approval for two new venues are on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the City Council:

  • Owner Mike Fraser is opening Bramhall, a 46-seat “old school speakeasy with American comfort food” at 769 Congress Street in the old Bramhall Pub space. Guy Streiburger has been hired as a bar manager. Both Fraser and his wife are longtime employees at Fore Street. A the full draft menu was included in the council info packet (page 38) here’s an excerpt:bramhall_menuFraser tells me they are making good progress on the renovations (see floor plan). According to paperwork filed with the city, they hope to open Bramhall in September. Bramhall, along with Tandem West and the opening of Salvage BBQ and Tawakal Halal last year are starting to develop the post-Longfellow Congress Street commercial life.
  • Sur Lie is also up for review. Chef Emil Rivera has produced a draft menu (page 55) for the tapas-style restaurant under construction at 11-13 Free Street. Here’s an excerpt,surlie_menu
    According to the cover letter, Sur Lie hopes open in late August. Here’s a floor plan of the space.surlie_floorplan

Reviews: Annapurna’s, Bayside, India Bazaar, Lolita

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Annapurna’s Thali and India Bazaar,

These two Indian spots are both unique in Portland and appealing in their own way. The many paths to greatness is perhaps India’s deepest lesson. As Krishna told Arjuna in the Gita: “if you be something still, be the Himalaya; if you be a cow, be the cow of wonder.” Here in Maine, if you will be chaos, be India Bazaar; if you will be calm, be Annapurna.

Eating Portland Alive has reviewed Lolita,

Overall, I was very pleased with my meal at Lolita and I’m looking forward to another visit. Lolita offers an attractive space, warm attentive service, and solid food. I will make good on this promise of returning and not allow opportunity be squandered as I had done with Bar Lola!

and Drink Up & Get Happy has reviewed Bayside Bowl.

Bayside Bowl has always been a great spot to hang out with friends.  They’ve got a great bar, tasty food, and if bowling isn’t your thing, often host live music in the restaurant area.  When we heard they were adding a happy hour to their summer schedule we were very excited.  When we learned what it entailed, we knew we just had to check it out.

Foley’s Bakery Sold (Again)

| Posted in General News

The Press Herald reports that Ed and Molly Foley have sold their bakery to longtime friend and colleague Andrea Swanson.

So instead of dropping their aprons and walking away, the Foleys are doing their best to reassure customers that nothing will change at Foley’s Bakery. Swanson is an old friend who worked with Ed Foley 20 years ago at the legendary Port Bakehouse on Saint John Street, and she knows all of his recipes “inside and out.”

The Foley’s had founded their bakery in the late 90’s and sold it once before in 2002 to spend time with their children.

Review of The Well

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish has reviewed The Well in Cape Elizabeth.

While new restaurants are popping up everywhere around Portland, one unique place leads the pack.  It’s not new. Instead it’s firmly established as a seasonal restaurant — and very special.

It manages to be farm-table without undue self-aggrandizement. The menu relies on local fresh food, though not strictly organic.  And the preparation of each dish epitomizes simplicity.

Great East Butcher Co & SoPo Farmers’ Market

| Posted in Under Construction, Farming

The Forecaster reports that 3 former Meat House employees have taken over the defunct company’s former location in Scarborough and are launching the Great East Butcher Co.

Great East is hoping for a mid-August opening for its second store, at 450 Payne Road. The first opened in early July in Stratham, New Hampshire. Both are former locations of The Meat House, a choice Chad Parent said was made based on relationships Moulton already had with landlords.

This week’s paper also includes an article about the South Portland Farmers’ Market.

The outdoor market, held Sundays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at City Hall, has unofficially attracted at least 100 customers a week – a small pool for the market’s 10 or 12 vendors. 

But its advocates, including market manager Caitlin Jordan of Alewife’s Brook Farm in Cape Elizabeth, remain optimistic about the market’s slow and steady growth.

Bar Review of Timber

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has published a bar review of Timber.

A new steakhouse is in town and the name is Timber. Just two months old, Timber is a popular place for a house-crafted cocktail, bar snacks or a fancy angus beef entrée. Happy hour Monday to Friday will be the best deal, and the patio is a nice alternative to the swanky bar.

Photos of Standard Baking

| Posted in Profiles

The Angela Adams blog has published a very nice set of photos of Standard Baking Company.

Standard Baking Company is one of the gems of Portland, Maine. The European style bakery transports you to the old country with it’s rustic interior and beautifully handcrafted baked goods. The breads are the best around, sticky buns are unrivaled and molasses cookies are addicting. I love walking in and watching big trays of fresh dough going into the ovens— or even better, coming out and onto the shelves for our consumption. In warmer months, I recommend going early, grabbing a coffee and sitting outside next to their beautiful planters, enjoying a tasty pastry fresh out of the oven while you watch the waterfront hustle and bustle.

Under Construction: Sur Lie

| Posted in Under Construction, People

emilSur Lie is a new bar and restaurant under construction at 11-13 Free Street. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Emil Riverva, the chef who’s slated to lead the kitchen to learn more about his background and what he has planned for the menu.

Rivera moved to Maine after scouting trips to the state this past fall and winter. He’s come to Portland from the DC where he worked for several years as part of the ThinkFoodGroup—a family of 15 restaurants founded by chef/restaurateur Jose Andres.

Rivera tells me he’s excited by the design for the restaurant and looking forward to working in the new kitchen. He’s well on his way to developing a menu that will serve as a starting point for when they open. While it is a tapas-style restaurant Rivera is drawing on a wide range of influences for the menu. He’s especially interested to get a read on customer reactions once they open to further tune the menu. The menu will include some larger plates intended for sharing in addition to the broader range of small plate options.

While construction is under way he’s had the chance to get out and explore the Portland restaurant scene. Pai Men, Eventide, Central Provisions, Hunt & Alpine have been some of the high points so far. In between moving to Maine and helping to launch the restaurant he’s finding the time to plan a wedding, he’s getting married in late August.

Co-owners Antonio Alviar and Krista Cole are combining the spaces formerly occupied by Roost juice bar and Compositions into a single 70-seat restaurant and bar. Their hoping to open sometime in late summer/early fall.

surlie