PORTLAND

Award-winning chef Cara Stadler and her mother Cecile, owners and operators of Tao Yuan Restaurant in Brunswick and Bao Bao Dumpling House in Portland’s West End, recently announced their third restaurant concept — a restaurant where the food is created to enhance the wines it offers.

Located within 6 City Center at 3 Spring St., the restaurant will open next summer and will be called Lio.

Since opening Tao Yuan and Bao Bao, Chef Stadler had always tossed around the idea of opening a venue where the focus falls on wine first, with cuisine created to match. When Chris Peterman, an experienced sommelier, joined the company as director of operations, and the space at 6 City Center became available, the idea quickly began to transition into a reality.

The restaurant will offer a meticulously curated wine list, drawing inspiration from wine regions around the globe, and a menu that will be seasonally inspired and designed to complement the wines.

“The idea was to offer a fine dining experience without the commitment — both time and money — of fine dining, as well as a destination for people who want a good glass of wine and a quick bite to eat that are perfectly matched and delicious,” said Chef Stadler.

The space within 6 City Center will include both the upstairs restaurant at 3 Spring St. and a retail wine and beer store downstairs at 5 Spring St., where customers can purchase the wines they enjoyed during their meal at Lio. An additional attraction will be a large deck with a patio below, offering one of the largest outdoor dining spaces in downtown Portland.

Cara Stadler is a Food and Wine Best New Chef and a three-time James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee. Most recently, she was named one of the “10 Young Chefs to Watch in the World in 2016,” by Condé Naste Traveler.

Peterman ran the wine programs for Ouest and Otto in New York City, as well as Central Provisions in Portland. He has taught for the American Sommelier Association in New York City and is now the director of American Sommelier Maine, a wine education association.

Stadler will be the driving force behind the culinary creations, while Peterman will create and maintain the wine cellar, while continuing to serve as the director of operations.

Getting noticed

• CARA STADLER is a Food and Wine Best New Chef and a three-time James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee. Most recently, she was named one of the “10 Young Chefs to Watch in the World in 2016,” by Condé Naste Traveler.