The Wrap: Falafel coming to Forest Avenue, staffing shortage closes bakery – for now

Qutaiba Hassoon has leased 1053 Forest Ave. in Portland the place he plans to open Falafel Time, an Iraqi/Center Jap takeout restaurant.

Hassoon stated will probably be a household restaurant, along with his mother and father doing a lot of the cooking. His father, Saeed Saeed, was the final proprietor of Haggerty’s, a takeout restaurant at 849 Forest Ave. (a spot now occupied by Thai Esaan) that served Brit-Indi and Center Jap delicacies till 2014.

Falafel Time’s menu will transcend simply falafel, Hassoon stated. “We’re additionally going to be doing bread, pizza, rice and hen.”

Hassoon stated he desires to have one thing for everybody, so the falafel will probably be gluten-free, and a few dishes will probably be vegetarian. Meat dishes will probably be made with halal meat.

Falafel Time will probably be takeout solely, though there will probably be just a little out of doors seating whereas good climate lasts. For indoor seating, Hassoon stated he must add a toilet, which might delay the opening of the restaurant. He stated he might add indoor seating subsequent summer season.

Hassoon has been busy since June renovating the house, which was once a Papa John’s. He nonetheless has to purchase some tools and get his restaurant allow from the town. He hopes to open Falafel Time on Oct. 1.

Labor scarcity quickly closes bakery

Not too long ago on the menu at Gross Confection Bar: Brandt Dadaleares’ model of Black Forest Cake. Photograph courtesy of Gross Confection Bar

Brandt Dadaleares, proprietor of Gross Confection Bar, a dessert-focused restaurant in Portland, introduced final week that he’s made the “unlucky and arduous resolution” to quickly shut the bakery facet of his enterprise due to a staffing scarcity. However Gross Bakery will probably be again, he stated.

“We hope to reopen ASAP, however the reopening date presently is undetermined,” he wrote on social media. “Thanks on your understanding. The bakery will probably be again.”

In the meantime, you’ll be able to fulfill these sweets cravings at Gross Confection Bar, 172 Center St., which nonetheless opens at 5 p.m. Thursdays by means of Sundays. Each indoor and patio eating can be found.

East Ender shifts menu and hours

Starting in September, East Ender in Portland can have new hours, opening at 2 p.m. as a substitute of midday and shutting at 10 p.m. as a substitute of 9 p.m.

Positioned at 47 Center St., East Ender shifted its menu this summer season to focus extra on snacks and bar meals. Clients appeared to love that change, in keeping with the restaurant, so it’s sticking round: “We determine our neighbors have lunch below management, and we now have all the time been night time owls anyway. We didn’t like doing final name at 9 p.m. and we all know you didn’t prefer it both. East Ender will all the time be a terrific place to seize dinner. Keep watch over us for fall specials, enjoyable seasonal menu adjustments and winter occasions.”

Bravo Maine strikes

Bravo Maine, a enterprise that has been providing baking and cooking lessons and demonstrations at 64 Pine St. in Portland, is shifting to the unique Rosemont Market constructing at 559 Brighton Ave. (the place the market had its bakery operations earlier than shifting to a brand new manufacturing facility on Stevens Avenue), and has began taking reservations for French bistro-style pop-up dinners.

The dinners, which will probably be held each Tuesday and Wednesday, are restricted to 10 individuals. The primary one, scheduled for Sept. 15, is bought out. Reservations at the moment are being taken through Open Desk for Sept. 21 and past. It’s also possible to textual content proprietor Justine Corbi 207-425-4482 to e book a spot or get on the ready listing. To see a menu, go to bravomaine.com.

Extra dinner choices

Ruby’s West Finish, which has been providing breakfast and lunch since it opened in April (and shared the 64 Pine St. house with Bravo Maine), is now serving dinner from 5-9 p.m. Thursdays by means of Saturdays and 5-8 p.m. Sundays. Discover a dinner menu at rubyswestend.com.

Tragic information for vacationing taco followers

In the event you’re heading Down East for one final summer season jaunt and thought you may make a gasoline cease (gasoline, as in tacos) at EL El Frijoles, the favored Mexican restaurant in Sargentville on the Blue Hill peninsula, you’re out of luck. The restaurant is closed till Sept. 8 as a result of the restaurant’s walk-in cooler died Aug. 21, and the house owners are ready for a substitute. When it reopens, the restaurant will begin serving at 3 p.m., as a substitute of the standard 11 a.m., a transfer the house owners name “a radical departure … however it’s the solely means we will do it with workers who’re in class!”

Fall restaurant hours are 3 p.m. till closing Wednesdays by means of Fridays.

High cheese

The Maine Cheese Guild has introduced the main points behind its first-ever Maine Cheese Awards.

The guild will start accepting submissions for the awards Friday, and the deadline for submissions is Sept. 9. Licensed cheesemakers can submit as much as eight cheeses in six classes. A panel of 5 judges will maintain a blind tasting on Sept. 10, and the awards will probably be introduced on the Maine Cheese Competition in Pittsfield on Sept. 12.

Right here’s the very best half: the guild will promote a “Greatest in Present” field afterward so cheese lovers can strive the successful entries for themselves.

Maine cheesemakers who’ve questions or wish to register for the competitors can go to mainecheeseguild.org or e-mail [email protected]

Ocean’s Steadiness is launching two pasta sauces that include kelp, and are vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free. Photograph courtesy of Ocean’s Steadiness

Some seaweed along with your spaghetti?

Biddeford-based Ocean’s Steadiness is introducing a line of vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free pasta sauces containing seaweed.

The marinara and spicy arrabbiata sauces are made with sustainably farmed and harvested kelp, and will probably be launched in late September at Expo East, a pure merchandise commerce present that’s being held in Philadelphia this yr.

Beer and a live performance

In mid-August, Threshers Brewing Co. in Searsmont launched a German-style Kölsch named Shangri La La, after one of the crucial common songs by the indie band SeepeopleS. Now Bayside Bowl, at 58 Alder St. in Portland, is internet hosting a launch occasion and live performance at 8 p.m. Sept. 18. The occasion is free and open to the general public.

Shangri La La will probably be accessible on faucet and in cans.

The live performance will characteristic members of SeepeopleS, theWorst, Sparkxsea, Forét Endormie and Sea Degree.

And the award for many artistic perk goes to…

… Pineland Farms. Like so many different companies nowadays, Pineland Farms in New Gloucester is hiring. Whereas Pineland touts incentives reminiscent of paid break day, versatile schedules and worker reductions in its job listings, it additionally says its new hires will get a lot of contemporary backyard greens, together with what may very well be an irresistible (although messy) perk: “limitless cow kisses.”

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