Handshake Origins

| Posted in Distilling & Cocktails

Wine Enthusiast has published an article about Handshake, the Persian-inspired amaro that was launched in Portland earlier this year by Shahin Khojastehzad.

That’s when it clicked. “Beer was where I first started figuring out how to use Persian flavors in fermentation. But with amaro, I realized I could be even more intentional—more expressive.” With that, the seed was planted. After seven years of tinkering with recipe after recipe, Handshake was born.

The article mentions that Handshake is now available at over 160 locations in 15 states, and that Khojastehzad is working on a non-alcoholic version of Handshake as well as two new spirits, Roos and Shab.

Maine Food & Dining News: Wells, Saco, Bangor, Harpswell, Gardiner, Bath

| Posted in Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

  • A new restaurant called Sea Salt Fry Company (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction in Wells. Chef/owner Norman Owens has taken over the space formerly occupied by Lee Frank’s. Renovations are under way, and Owens hopes to launch Sea Salt on December 12th. A draft menu (see page 5) includes dishes like moules frites, salads, clam chowder, falafel smash burgers, lobster rolls and NY strip steaks. You can read more about Owens and his plans for Sea Salt Fry Company in this article from the Portsmouth Herald.
  • The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a 4½ review of Finestkind in Saco (photos above). “Victoria and Tom Barthelmes consistently execute some of the region’s best brunch fare at Saco’s Finestkind. The couple scratch-cooks nearly everything they serve, and their extra effort, culinary know-how and near-obsessive attention to detail leads to stunners like the refined yet unfussy French omelet, a rich and wobbly deep-dish quiche, and a cheesy popover filled with poached egg and bacon-onion jam, a dish that delivers the savory comfort of French onion soup.”
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a new candy shop called Oh, Grow Up! (website, facebook) is under construction at 21 Central Street. “The store will feature a pick-your-own-candy wall that includes gummies, sours and chocolate, along with other sweets. Individual treats will also be available, but the wall will be the “main focus” that people see through the window, he said.”
  • The Harpswell Anchor reports that Russell Coffin, Jeff Janvrin and Jen Brown are working to relaunch Fat Pat’s Take Out. The team hopes to open in spring or summer of next year.
  • The Maine Food Narratives Work Group is holding a launch part for their new zine, Freedom Feast in Gardiner tomorrow night.
  • The Chocolate Church in Bath will be hosting the 2nd Annual Hanukkah Mexicana on December 20th

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

Wow India Now Open

| Posted in General

Wow India (website, instagram) opened for business today. The new Indian restaurant is located at 649 Congress Street in the Arts District.

The kitchen is headed up by owner Prakash Jayavelu Singh and chef Pardeep Prasana. Singh started his career in India. For nearly a decade he was a chef at Tulsi in Kittery where he and Prasana crossed paths.

The menu includes a wide selection of Indian dishes and some that are at the crossroads of different culinary influences like the dish of mussels shown above which is prepared with a cilantro-kokum coconut broth. The bar menu has local draft beer from Allagash, Lone Pine, Maine Beer Company and Batson River along with Indian beers, wines by the glass and bottle, mocktails, and a selection of house cocktails that tap into Indian ingredients and flavors like a tamarind margarita and a lassi cocktail made with mango lassi, rum, Cointreau, coconut milk and Cardamon.

Wow India will be open Monday through Thursday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 10 pm, Friday/Saturday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 11 pm, and Sunday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 9:30 pm.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – Wow India (website, instagram), the new Indian restaurant that’s been under construction at 649 Congress Street, is scheduled to open. You can see their full menu on their website. They plan to be open Monday through Thursday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 10 pm, Friday/Saturday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 11 pm, and Sunday, 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 9:30 pm.

Wednesday – En-Noble and SMCC are holding a taste and talk event focused on the food of Papua New Guinea.

Saturday – It’s the first day of the indoor Portland Farmers’ Market at Stevens Square Community Center (631 Stevens Ave). Khao Laeng will be holding a pop-up at Lambs serving khao soi and chicken satay skewers.

December 8 – Aomori is scheduled to open. Cherie is holding a pop-up at the Local 188 event space.

December 9 – Sacred Profane in Biddeford is holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner..

December 20 – Chaval is serving a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner.

December 24 – Regards is serving a Fest of the Seven Fishes dinner.

January 24 – Courntey Loreg from Woodford’s Food & Beverage will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

January 30 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality will be the guest chef at a steakhouse themed Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti will be the guest chefs at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner where they’ll celebrate the menu of their former restaurant Piccolo.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta on Deer Isle will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 6 – The Maine Craft Brew Summit is taking place. Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner and President of Russian River Brewing Company, will be the keynote speaker.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.

The Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now for sale in packs of 25 on our online store.

Maine Food & Dining News: Old Orchard Beach, South Portland, Rockport, Hebron, Oxford, Belfast, Ellsworth, Brewer, Caribou, Rockland, Unity, Camden, Westbrook, Veazie, Skowhegan

| Posted in Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

  • A new restaurant called The Local OOB (website, facebook, instagram) recently opened in Old Orchard Beach. They’re located at 23 Washington Ave in a space previously occupied by a restaurant with a similar name. Owners Aaron Gregory and chef Craig Pacheco are serving a menu that includes items like crispy brussels sprouts, coconut shrimp, steaks, shrimp risotto, soup, salads, sandwiches and pizza. The Saco Bay News reports that they hope to add some Portuguese dishes to the menu.
  • Asia House Kitchen and Bar (instagram) has opened for business (photo above). Asia House is located in Knightville in South Portland in the space formerly occupied by Dok Mali Noodle Bar at 169 Ocean Street.
  • A new food truck called 69 West (facebook) recently launched in Rockport. They’re serving burgers, hot dogs, tacos, burritos, sides and other comfort food options. They’re located at 495 Commercial Street. They’re open Monday through Saturday, 11 am – 7 pm.
  • Modestman Brewing (website, facebook, instagram) has announced plans to move their South Portland tasting from from Huntress Ave to 35 Park Ave. They anticipate launching the new tasting room in January.
  • Ruby on the Hill (website, facebook, instagram), a bakery in Hebron, is launching their new retail space on December 6th. Work continues to complete the bakery’s kitchen. You can find Ruby on the Hill at 294 Merrill Hill Road.
  • Born Yesterday Bakery (website, instagram) owner Syd Coty has announced a change of location—it had previously been planned for Lewiston. Coty is now planning to launch Born Yesterday at 11 Mechanic Falls Road in Oxford just down the road from Oxbow Beer Garden. Coty hopes to launch the bakery in early December.
  • The latest issue of the Maine Startup Insider email newsletter features an interview with Ger Liang Tysk, the owner of Red Kettle Kimchi.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a new wood-fired pizzeria called Danny’s Pizza will be opening soon in Ellsworth, that Mack’s Restaurant and Tavern in Brewer is closing on Sunday, and that the Burger Boy in Caribou has sold at auction for $155,000.
  • WABI reports that a new restaurants called Benjamin’s Brewer (website, facebook, instagram) is under development in Brewer at 46 Acme Road. It’s expected to open in January.
  • The Pen Bay Pilot has published an article about Lemon Bar (website, instagram) in Rockland. “Once known as The Brass Compass, the newly revamped space feels like a retro-vibe cocktail lounge, with faux lime-wash walls that make you think you’re sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool. Wesley carved the sapele wood wraparound bar, and they both added comfortable chairs and a lounge area in the back. A woodworking friend helped them decorate the place, providing a handmade chess set and a unique bathroom door.”
  • The Midcoast Villager has published an article about Maine apple expert and advocate John Bunker, and published an article about the new Amish-run Savory Meat Shop in Unity. “Tucked at the end of a long, unpaved drive on Leelynn Road, past a stretch of finely crafted Amish-built sheds, sits one of Waldo County’s newest culinary discoveries: The Savory Meat Shop, a modest, lantern-lit outpost where owner Tim Hochstetler is quickly earning a reputation for some of the region’s best smoked meats and cheeses.” It’s located at 41 Leelynn Dr in Unity in the space wher Matthew Secich formerly operated Charcuterie. The article reports that Savory Meat Shop is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm.
  • CBS News has published an article about the Villager Cafe, the restaurant run by the Midcoast Villager newspaper. “The accountability issues and local sports and all that stuff is important to a lot of people,” [owner Reade Brower] said. “I don’t think that’s enough to sell and keep newspapers alive right now. I think it has to revolve around community. And what better way to serve community than to invite people here for food and to mix all this stuff together?”
  • The Bollard has published a review of Wakie Wakies in Westbrook.
  • The owners of Katahdin Kitchen are launching Vecchia Petria. The wood-fired pizzeria will be operating out of the Korean Dad space in Veazie and is expected to be open Mondays in December, 4 – 8 pm.
  • The Waterville Morning Sentinel has published an article about the ricotta cheese produced by Crooked Face Creamery in Skowhegan, The recently received a Super Gold medal for their plain whole milk ricotta at the World Cheese Awards.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

Bad Neighbors on Congress

| Posted in Under Construction

The owners of Arcadia have leased the former Soakology space at 511 Congress Street where they plans to open Bad Neighbors (instagram). Dave Aceto, Nicole Costas and Dennis Gaines envision the establishment as a “Hi-Fi Listening Space”.

We’re excited to bring another third space and unique nightlife experience to Congress Street and the 500 Block. The programming is inspired by independent radio stations like WFMU and WMPG. While the bar will play album sides throughout the evening, each night will have a dedicated 3 hour block focused on a different genre, band or influence.

Costas will be working with chef Evan Richardson to develop the food and beverage program for the new establishment. Watch for menu details to be released next year. Richardson was the founder of Eaux and of Cafe Louis in South Portland and is the owner of Costa Media, the Cafe Louis outpost in Camden.

Bad Neighbors will seat 75 people (see floor plan below) with a mix of bar, booth and table seating along with a standing room area and pool table. The sound design of the space is being developed by Gaines who is a sound engineer.

The team hopes to launch Bad Neighbors in the spring, and plan to be open starting at 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday, with weekend service including brunch, cocktails and coffee, available 10 am – 3 pm.

Maine Episode of Dirt

| Posted in Maine

Episode 15 of the travel show Dirt pays a visit to Maine and features:

The episode also features creators, artists and organizations: Rancourt, Village Handcraft, Jaimie Wyeth, and the Wooden Boat School.