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Room for Improvement

Room for Improvement opened on April 13, 2023.

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Room for ImprovementPortland Press Herald (05/29/2023)

41 Wharf Street, Portland, ME, USA

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Bread & Friends

The End of Portland

About Portland Food Map

Portland Food Map launched in 2007 as a directory of the local food community. Other features have been added over the years including food event listings, the Under Construction page, guides to Maine apples and cider producers, the restaurant real estate listings, Year in Review reports, and the My Kitchen Their Table chef interview series.

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Chocolats Passion (@chocolatspassion) opened their

Chocolats Passion (@chocolatspassion) opened their new West End chocolate shop on Friday. The new location is at 175 Spring Street in the former Mercy Hospital building.
Founder Catherine Wiersema, lead chocolatier Sarah Levine and their team now have twice the room for their retail shop and chocolate production area which will enable them to significantly increase production of their award-winning chocolates. The shop sits just off the public outdoor seating area for the building which customers can enjoy while sipping their French Hot Chocolate. Chocolats Passion has some vegan products and serves a dairy-free version of their hot chocolate.
The new shop will be open 1 – 6 pm Saturday and Sunday, and then starting on Wednesday will be open everyday through to December 24th, 1 – 6 pm.
Chocolats Passion initially opened for business at 189 Brackett Street September 12, 2018.

Broadway Bowl (@broadwaybowlmaine) opened Tuesday.

Broadway Bowl (@broadwaybowlmaine) opened Tuesday. The pub and bowling alley is located at 725 Broadway in South Portland and is an outpost of Bayside Bowl in Portland.
The 220-seat facility includes a 10-lane bowling alley, a bar serving beer, wine and house cocktails, a private dining area and a heated and semi-enclosed outdoor seating area (3rd photo) with a view over the water of Portland. Broadway Bowl will be open 3 – 10 Monday through Thursday, 11 – 11 on Friday/Saturday and 11 – 9 on Sunday.
The kitchen is open nightly until 9 pm serving (4th and 5th photos) pizza, soup, salads, sandwiches, hot dogs, wings and other pub standards. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

Eat Drink Lucky (@eatdrinklucky) is working with w

Eat Drink Lucky (@eatdrinklucky) is working with women artists from Maine to offer the Artist Tea Towel Subscription Series. Now in its fourth year, the series features twelve unique designs. Mid-month throughout 2024 subscribers will receive individually wrapped tea towels accompanied by a note introducing the artist. Shown here is an orchid design created by Molly Thompson from @prettyflours which will kick off the series in January.
Ruth Reichl (@ruth.reichl) is a fan of the tea towel series and just recommended it as a 2023 holiday gift, “One of the easiest ways to add color to your kitchen is by hanging up a few pretty dish towels. Which is why I like the idea of Eat Lucky’s annual artist tea towel series. The towels are all designed by Maine artists, and a new one appears each month. You can order a towel a month for an entire year – or for just a few months.”
See the link in the @eatdrinklucky bio for more information and to subscribe to the series.
Artists participating in the series are: @louisa_wickard, @trosko_design, @thecultivatedthread, @fourandnorth, @thefaithfulhound, @wildrosie.maine, @allison.mckeen, @zazandmoe and @prettyflours.

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with @eatdrinklucky

Thistle & Grouse (@thistleandgrouse) will open Fri

Thistle & Grouse (@thistleandgrouse) will open Friday at 4 pm. The restaurant is located at 10 Cotton Street. The newly renovated space features a 2-story dining room with a bar on the first floor.
The menu (3rd image) includes raw bar options, cheese and charcuterie boards as well as small plates like a Maplebrook Farm Burrata plated with apple, celery and walnuts and entrees like the Seafood Cassoulet and Sunday Roast Prime Rib.
Thistle & Grouse serves custom cocktails and mocktails, wines by the glass, beers, and ciders (Norumbega and Freedom’s Edge). The bar is stocked with a wide selection of spirits including 14 bourbons, 10 ryes, 19 Scotches as well as whiskeys from Ireland and Japan.
The restaurant is being launched by Kimberly Kraus and chef Bobby Will. Will has worked at restaurants run by well known chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Ken Oringer, and Jamie Bissonette. He was the executive chef at Saltaire Oyster Bar in Port Chester when the New York Times gave it a rating of Excellent in 2015. Also on the team are general manager Julia Mcinnis and bar manager Corey Schallek. All four worked together at Kraus’ and Will’s former restaurant Salt and Steel in Bar Harbor.
Thistle & Grouse will be open Tuesday through Saturday starting at 4 pm with late night hours on the weekends and happy hour each day they’re open, 4 – 5 pm. Reservations are available on Resy. #mainefood

Adam Roberson and Jesse Soto have leased the forme

Adam Roberson and Jesse Soto have leased the former Perennial Cider Bar space at 84 Main Street in Belfast where they plan to open Dos Gatos Gastropub (@dos_gatos_gastropub).
Dos Gatos will serve a taco-centric menu prepared with house-made tortillas. They plan to offer traditional standards as well as some taco combos of their own design (e.g. duck confit, crab, etc). The bar program will include classic cocktails and specialize in margarita variations with an extended selection of mezcals and tequilas.
Soto and Roberson have been thoroughly renovating and redesigning the space with the aim of creating a venue that “combines vintage charm with a mischievously playful approach.” Overall Dos Gatos will seat 30 with a pair of lounge areas, a 14-seat bar and table seating.
The Dos Gatos experience will be informed by Roberson’s and Soto’s global travel and experience with and within the restaurant industry. Their aim is to create an “overall ambiance that captures the essence of a memorable dining journey”.
Dos Gatos is slated to open in December. Stay tuned to their instagram account for updates and an announcement on an opening day. #midcoastmaine #mainefood

Here’s a new set of photos from 8 spots across M

Here’s a new set of photos from 8 spots across Maine’s burgeoning food scene. Between old standbys and new/er establishments there are a seemingly endless number of spots to visit and share with you. Give them a follow and drop in on your next road-trip.
**Do you have a favorite eatery outside the Portland area? Tag or mention them in the comments so we can keep them in mind for future road trips.**
The details (in order of the photos):
-This grain bowl of delicata squash, kim chi, slaw, rice and grilled tofu made for an excellent lunch at Chase’s Daily (@chasesdailykitchen) in Belfast. Chase’s has been a cornerstone of the Midcoast dining scene since it launched in 2000.
-The Vault is located on Main Street in Houlton, the seat of Aroostook County. David and Kristen Wells took over the restaurant in 2019. They serve a menu of bistro classics and elevated pub fare.
-Bagel Central (@bagel_central_bangor) is located in downtown Bangor. The counter service restaurant has a large communal dining area where guests can enjoy soups, salads, daily specials and bagel sandwiches like The Penobscot (hot pastrami and swiss with stone-ground mustard).
-@rococoicecream opened a dessert bar at their new location in Kennebunk serving composed desserts like the Olive Oil Cake & Caviar ( orange cardamom olive oil cake, salty sweet cream ice cream, smoked trout roe).
-The cafe at the Brookside Inn in Smyrna Mills should be a part of any visit to Aroostook County. Shown here is a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries and house baked cinnamon swirl toast.
-Here’s a look at the Farro Salad (chicken, red onion, butternut squash, raisins, dried cherries, mixed fresh herbs, spinach) at Utopia (@utopiabangor) in Bangor. They offer a variety of options for gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free customers.
-Rosie’s County Bakery and Grill is in the town of Mars Hill. Definitely make the time to stop in for some of their fresh baked donuts when you’re visiting Aroostook County.
-The Hoot is a farm to table restaurant located in Northport. They source a lot of the meat and produce served from their own 700-acre farm. They’re open seasonally.
#16countieseats #mainefood

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