Beer facebook.com/slabportland (207) 245-3088 OUTDOOR PATIO | LIVE MUSIC Monday, Wednesday and Thursday Open Monday through Saturday 11AM to 11PM, Sunday 10AM to 8PM Sunday 11AM to 11PM, Saturday through Open Monday facebook.com/slabportland Portland, Maine | the REAL Slab” “The Return of Open Monday through Saturday 11AM to 1AM A NOSH PRODUCTION Portland’s Home for the Finest Food and Craft and Craft Home for the Finest Food Portland’s 25 Preble Street | Portland, Maine | Portland, Street 25 Preble 25 Preble Street CAL | FRESH | ALL NATURAL | SUSTAINABLE INGREDIENTS LO BURGERS + FRIES | OUTDOOR DINING | CRAFT BEER SPECIALTY SANDWICHES 551 CONGRESS STREET551 | PORTLAND, MAINE HUNGRY EYE A Gastronome’s Guide to Planet Maine What’s cooking in 2017? We take a glimpse at the events, eateries, and exciting epicurean trends on Maine’s horizon. STORIes BY SARAH MOORE, BAILEY O’BRIEN, KATE ODDEN & WILLIS KUELTHAU or a city where much of the action crystallizes on a peninsula, there’s only so much space available to us. So when a new restaurant surfaces on the radar, it’s often inhabiting the space of an earlier in- Fcarnation of the food scene. Rather like a game of musical chairs, Portland’s eateries are shifting: chefs circulate, new owners acquire old favorites (see Caiola’s in Restaurant Review, page 63), and stunning new concepts pop up in old spaces. It may take time before a shiny new spot shakes the ghost of its predecessor. “The Honey Paw–you know, where the Pepperclub was.” The new year promises many fresh delights. Wunderkind chefCara Sneak Peek: Taste Naples, Italy, at Stadler of Bao Bao and Tao Yuan in Brunswick has announced she Tipo, new to Woodford’s Corner. (L): will open Lio, a restaurant with an accompanying wine shop in 6 City beef carpaccio with arugula, smoked Center (the home of soon-to-depart Styxx nightclub) with sommelier allium aioli, aged balsamic, and parmi- Chris Peterman. The formerBorealis Bakery & Bistro on Ocean Av- giano reggiano ($12). (R): Hand-made Garganelli pasta made with oven- enue was recently transformed into the Neapolitan-themed Tipo, the braised lamb ragu, apricot, tarragon, EMPLETON T brainchild of a power pairing between the Goulds of small-plate-mecca and pecorino ($14/$21). Don’t forget Central Provisions and former Scales chef Mike Smith. the Negroni ($12)! COREY Old favorites have returned in the form of Brea Lu Cafe, now sup- WINTERGUIDE 2 0 1 7 3 3 HUNGRY EYE Big Fin Poké brings a West Coast craze to Westbrook. Hunt + Alpine Club will open Little Giant bar and grocery on Clark Street. Lio restaurant and wine shop will open at Six City Center. plying Westbrook with its signature super- tion for the forces behind OTTO to establish tuna dish much hyped in California. Think sized pancakes stacks, while Portlanders their long-awaited flagship burrito jointOcho of it as the new sushi. were relieved to see the return of El Rayo at this prize piece of Portland real estate, 190 Talk about on the move. John Myers, to Free Street in the former site of Papier State Street. Don’t hold your breath–Mike Ke- beverage director of starry Eventide Oys- Gourmet. Other restaurants transform- on and Anthony Allen confirm they have no ter Co., recently let slip that “You definite- ing retail spaces to food service include Si- plans to pursue the project in 2017. “We’ve de- ly busted me on my nonchalance regard- ATERING C chuan Kitchen, which will bring Chinese cided to stay focused on OTTO. There won’t ing the Boston trip...I am so excited for the HIL cuisine to the Congress Street site occupied be any new openings this year.” Ditto for the future of Eventide and the Boston project.” C HUR by Anna’s Used Furniture & Collectibles joint venture with Hero sandwiches, which Owners Mike Wiley, Andrew Taylor, and C for many years–surely the most dramat- folded in August after five months of business. ic makeover of the year. On Fore Street, the “It didn’t work out. We’re walking away from Carla Bella Boutique has become Baris- the Hero brand.” This leaves a question mark It may take time before a shiny tas and Bites, a high-end cafe and patisserie over the pair’s three empty locations (Monu- LUB; KATE ODDEN; with a to-go lunch service. Lowell Designs ment Square, Longfellow Square, and Con- new spot shakes the ghost of C on Exchange Street is currently under con- gress Street). “We’re paying rent on empty its predecessor. “The Honey struction to become a speakeasy-style cock- spaces right now. It’s something we’ll have to tail joint named Proper Charlie’s. And over figure out. It may be that we rent these spaces Paw–you know, where the on the West End, Vespucci’s variety shop out to someone else.” will soon be supplanted by Little Giant, a Pepperclub was.” combination bar and premium corner store BIG PLANS FOR BIG TRee from the owners of Hunt + Alpine Club. t feels like we’ve been waiting for ages Arlin Smith of Big Tree Hospitality are to welcome Baharat–the Middle-East- taking their successful oyster-bar franchise ARResTED DEVELOPmeNT Iern-style eatery from the owners of down to Beantown, where they’re open- Meanwhile, we wait to discover the fate of Da- CN Shawarma food truck–to Washington ing Eventide Fenway on Boylston Street in vid Levi’s Rossobianco, open just four months Avenue, but that could just be our hunger 2017. ThePress Herald quotes Wiley: “It’s before an indefinite closure halted our small- for its arrival. On the same street, Pho res- less seasonal down there.” Ouch. Seems plate indulgence. According to the Face- taurant Cong Tu Bot promises to be a fix- like this chic neighborhood can’t resist book page, Rossobianco is “restructuring and ture of our new year. In Westbrook, Big Fin adopting its own ‘Maine’ flavor. Hope it will reopen in the new year.” Since bidding Poké is set to take over the space previously doesn’t go the same way as the already- a sad farewell to Petite Jacqueline’s reign on inhabited by the Dancing Elephant Indi- closed M.C. Spiedo, another brave attempt Longfellow Square (they’re now at 46 Mar- an Restaurant. The healthy counter service by legendary Maine restaurateurs to ex- ket Street), we’ve been watching in anticipa- eatery will offer poké bowls–the Hawaiian pand into Boston. FROM EFT: COURTESY PHOTOS (4) MEREDITH PERDUE FOR HUNT AND ALPINE 3 4 PORTLAND MONTHLY MAGAZINE Epicurean Calendar What goes on 2017 on Monhegan stays … JANUARY 18 PAIRINGS 101: Comfort Food Enjoy an evening with Cellardoor Winery on Thompson’s Point as you dive into the art- istry behind food and wine pairings. Escape the cold with a few glasses of wine partnered perfectly with small plates of comfort food prepared by Chef Patrick of Churchill Events and Catering. Devon Pearse-Theroux, a …with you. pairing expert from Cellardoor, explains that the wine choices are both local and import- ed, matched with “comfort food chosen to fit the season.” With an emphasis on learning about evoking complementary and contrast- ing flavors, Pearse-Theroux describes it as a night of “edu-tainment.” mainewine.com Asian www.islandinnmonhegan.comHibachi - 207.596.0371 Bistro AsianAsian HibachiHibachi Happy Hours 28 CHEF SUMMIT BistroBistro For an exceptional day of food and skiing, Happy Hours Special at The Bar 4:30-6:30 every day head to Sunday River’s gathering of some Special @ The Bar Kon offers a wide array of the fine of the finest chefs and mixologists in New 4:30-6:30 every day Asian Bistro ranging from traditional England. The day begins with a blueberry dish such as sushi, sashimi, hibachi, pancake cook-off for breakfast with eight HappyHappy Hours Hours Kon offers a wide array of the fine Kon offers achicken, wide array shrimp, of the fine steak, calamari, teams of chefs and Sunday River’s own ma- SpecialSpecial @ The @ BarThe Bar Asian Bistro ranging from traditional Asian Bistro salmon,ranging from fillet traditional mignon, lobster tail, ple syrup. Spend the day out on the slopes 4:30-6:304:30-6:30 every everyday day dish such as sushi, sashimi, hibachi, Asian Bistdishr sucho as sushi, sashimi, hibachi, chicken, shrimp, steak,pad thai, calamari, teriyaki, tempura, scallop, before capping it off with a star-studded tast- Asian BistroLunch Special during the day chicken, shrimp, steak, calamari, salmon, fillet mignon,tuna, lobster rolls, sushitail, bar entree, orange ing featuring ten top chefs including teams Hibachi ·Hibachi Cocktails ·• Sushi CocktailsMon ·– Late Friday Nightwork • andSushi Loungegrill lunch • LateAsian Nightsalmon, fillet Lounge mignon, lobster tail, pad thai, teriyaki, tempura,ginger duck, scallop, general tso’s chicken, from Portland’s Eventide Oyster Co., The only $7.59 Hibachi lunch serving pad thai, teriyaki, tempura, scallop, , , , and @ the grill Sushi and Sashimi,Hibachi tuna, rolls, sushi barfried entree, rice, orange fried udon, soup, salad, Honey Paw Hugo’s EVO Five Fifty- Lunch SpecialLunch duringSpecial theduring day the day tuna, rolls, sushi bar entree, orange classic roll lunch Partyginger Room duck, generalavailable tso’s chicken, for Five. sundayriver.com VALENTINE’SMon – FridayMon – work Friday and work grill and lunch grillDAY lunch Bistroginger duck, generalbeef…and tso’s chicken, much more! only $7.59only Hibachi $7.59 Hibachilunch serving lunchBirthday serving Party,fried rice, Business fried udon, soup, Meeting salad, etc. RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED fried rice, fried udon, soup, salad, 28 PORTLAND ON TAP @ the grill@ the Sushi grill and Sushi Sashimi, and Sashimi, beef…and much more! classic rollclassic lunch roll lunch beef…and much more! The Cross Insurance Arena in downtown www.KONHIBACHILunch.com Special during the day Mon – Friday work Portland hosts more than 65 breweries and grill lunch only $7.59 Hibachi Lunch serving from Maine and beyond.