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Under Construction: Maine’s Pantry Moving

January 3, 2017 | Posted in Under Construction

Maine’s Pantry (website, facebook) has closed their shop at 111 Commercial Street and will be reopening in a new space at 250 Commercial Street later this year.

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Howie’s Pub (Updated)
The Purple House

About Portland Food Map

Portland Food Map launched in 2007 as a simple 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, the My Kitchen Their Table chef interview series, the Maine Food Map guide, Maine news reporting, and the annual Maine Thanksgiving List.

The 2025 editions of the Portland and Midcoast Pocket Guides are now out.  They’re available in packs of 25 on our online store.

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Welcome to the quarterly property feature sponsore Welcome to the quarterly property feature sponsored by The Boulos Company (@theboulosco). This time we’re highlighting 10 Cotton Street (6th photo) which was formerly occupied by Thistle & Grouse. The 4,604 sq ft restaurant includes a fully built-out kitchen (4th photo), a 12-foot hood system, bar, enclosed patio, and a 2-story dining room (photos 1-3). The property is available for $19.50/sq ft (Modified Gross). For most of the last century, 10 Cotton Street (7th photo) was home to a variety of transportation companies including a stable, Fogg’s Transportation Storage and ABC Taxi. Then in 1997, prolific restaurateur Walter Loeman took over the building and launched the Cotton Street Cantina which serving a menu inspired by Caribbean and Latin American cuisine. Rivalries moved in next with a 20+ year run of their popular sports bar. Thistle & Grouse then followed as the most recent, albeit brief, occupant of the building when they launched in 2023. Prior to the current brick structure being built in 1900 a candy shop stood at 10 Cotton Street. Over the years since, the neighborhood centered around Cotton Street (8th photo) has been home to a wide assortment of restaurants, bakeries, markets and other food establishments. In 1920 Hannaford Brothers, then a wholesale grocery, moved into a 5-story warehouse (9th photo) on nearby Cross Street. The Corner Lunch was a fixture at the intersection of Center and Fore Streets (10th photo) from the mid 1930s to the 1950s, and for many decades a restaurant operated at the corner of Cross and Fore Streets–Mrs. Anna Cobb was the proprietor and namesake in 1924 when the photo was taken (11th photo). More recently, the upscale cocktail and wine bar Una was on the corner of Cotton and Fore Streets where Bread and Friends is now located, and the well-loved Irish bar Brian Boru was in operation 1993 to 2019 around the corner on Center Street. If you’d like to write the next chapter of restaurant history for Cotton Street, contact Drew Sigfridson or Nate Stevens for more information about the property; see link in our bio for further details on the property.
Prakash Jayavelu Singh has leased space at 649 Con Prakash Jayavelu Singh has leased space at 649 Congress Street in the Arts District where he plans to open Wow India (@wow_india_207). The overall vision for the restaurant and bar is a place where “authentic Indian heritage meets creative fusion flavors from across the world.” The restaurant will serve a menu that blends influences from different regions in India, and it will also serve some popular dishes like tacos, mussels and pizza prepared with an Indian fusion twist. Wow India will have a full bar. The drinks menu will include house designed cocktails that make use of Indian spices and flavors. The kitchen will be headed up by Singh and 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. Prasana currently works in the Chicago area. They shared this statement about the restaurant, “Together, [we] aim to introduce Portlanders to a menu that celebrates authentic Indian cuisine and Indian-Portuguese influenced fusion dishes. Our offerings include vegan options like seitan curry, BBQ soy tenders, and golden shrimp, Indian-style mussels, Indian-Portuguese inspired shrimp dishes, and of course, everyone’s favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala. Each plate tells a story, blending decades of international experience with a deep respect for flavor, culture, and community.” Renovation of the 3,000 sq ft space formerly occupied by Rebel Munchies is underway. Singh hopes to launch Wow India by the end of November. #portlandmainne #mainefood #artsdistrictportland #wowindia
A new restaurant in South Berwick called Catbird ( A new restaurant in South Berwick called Catbird (@catbirdmainstreet) is set to open today. Catbird is located at 279 Main Street in the space most recently occupied by Secundo. They’ll be open Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30 – 9:30 pm. Catbird is being launched by Molly Pritchett and chef Josh Grindstaff. Grindstaff and his team are serving a contemporary American menu with dishes like the Braised Cabbage (XO butter, crispy garlic, shallots, kimchi powder), Cavatelli Pasta (braised oxtail ragu, ricotta, parmesan, Calabrian chilis) and a Duck Breast (braised cabbage, green lentils, squash, persimmon pan sauce). In advance of opening Pritchett had shared some thoughts on the vision for Catbird “We’re building it with heart, humor, and a little edge. I care deeply about creating an environment where staff feel supported and trained to succeed, while Josh brings a calm and grounded energy to the kitchen that inspires trust. With the right team, Catbird won’t just be a restaurant; it’ll be a space that feels alive, approachable, and a little extraordinary.” The couple initially met when working at Dufour in 2021 and have continued working together at several restaurants since including Northern Union in Ogunquit where Pritchett was the GM and Grindstaff the executive chef. #mainefood #southberwickmaine #catbirdrestaurant
Praewpran Yiamjanya and Patrick Udomsay, the owner Praewpran Yiamjanya and Patrick Udomsay, the owners of the Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen (@sookthaimobilekitchen) food truck, have leased space at 650 Congress Street where they plan to open a salad and smoothie cafe called Paak (@paakportland). At Paak they’ll be serving appetizers and smaller bites like fried pork dumpling. However center stage for the menu will be the salad section. Customers will have their choice of a variety of house designed special salads and dressings with the option to add-on proteins like braised caramelized pork belly, tofu, and chicken teriyaki. Customers can also build their own salads; rice and noodle bowls will be available too. For drinks Paak will offer both cold-pressed juice drinks and fruit smoothies. They shared they’re aiming to produce beverages that provide a sense of freshness and that are also rich in nutrients. Stay tuned for more details on the menu as they work towards a hoped for opening day in the spring. Paak—which means vegetable in Thai—will have room to seat 12-13 people. Udomsay and Yiamjanya want to make it “chill place to hang out” and enjoy a snack or a meal. They plan to continue to operating the Sook Thai food truck after the launch of Paak. #portlandmaine #mainefood #paak #saladsandsmoothies #artsdistrict
Zero Bar & Grille (@zerobargrille155) has opened f Zero Bar & Grille (@zerobargrille155) has opened for business. It is located at 155 Riverside St in the space formerly occupied by Volcano and before that by Seasons Bar & Grille. Owner Olivia True and her team are serving a preliminary menu that includes garden and Caesar salads, a patty melt, a double cheese burger, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, nachos, fries, and stir fries. For customers with canine companions there’s even some take home menu items for dogs: one with grilled chicken, rice, carrots and green beans, and a package of peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats. $3 dollars of every package of dog treats is donated to the shelter of the month. Zero’s bar serves packaged and draft beer, wine by the glass, and both traditional cocktails and seasonal takes on standards like the Hallorita raspberry margarita and a Crimson Dawn which is a red tequila sunrise. Zero Bar & Grille seats 203 people with additional space in a side function room and an outdoor seating area. They’re holding a wide variety of activities and events each week. Bands play on Friday and Saturday nights and karoke takes place on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays they have cribbage tournaments and also music Bingo—with regular Bingo on Thursdays. The first and third Wednesdays of the month they hold self defense classes. There are also pool tables and darts. See Zero’s page on Facebook for all the event details. Zero is open Monday through Thursday 4 – 10 pm, and Friday/Saturday 4 pm – 1 am. #mainefood #portlandmaine #zerobarandgrille
Abbiocco (@abbioccoportland) is set to open today. Abbiocco (@abbioccoportland) is set to open today. The wine bar and pasta restaurant is located at 634 Forest Ave in Woodfords Corner. They’ll be open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 – 9 pm. Owner Cole Curcio and chef Zach Hoppie are serving a menu of fresh pasta dishes, snacks and salads. Here’s a look at the Creste de Gallo pasta (3rd photo) made with zucchini miso, caciocavello and squash blossoms, a dish of olives and nuts (4th photo), and the rye foccaccia served with cultured butter and fig spread. Abbiocco has a list of primarily Italian wines, beer, nonalcoholic drinks and cocktails like very enjoyable Espresso Dorato (pistachio vodka, espresso and lemon foam) in the 2nd photo. Some light renovations have been made to the former Sissle & Daughters Wine Bar space. Abbiocco has a 9-seat bar with table and banquette seating on the main and upper level of the dining room. Overall the restaurant can accommodate 27 people. Curcio grew up in New Hampshire and his family summers in Poland, Maine. He initially moved to Texas to attend culinary school and afterwards stayed in Austin where he worked at several restaurants including as the sous chef at L’Oca d’Oro. Since moving to Maine, Curcio has worked at Twelve and at Benny’s. While there isn’t a direct translation of “abbiocco”, it’s generally understood to mean a pleasant and contented drowsiness that comes from a good meal. #mainefood #abbiocco #crestedegallo #espressodorato
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