Inside Bistro Leluco, the new South Portland Mediterranean restaurant located in the former Enio’s space on Cottage Road. Photo courtesy of Bistro Leluco

New Mediterranean restaurant Bistro Leluco opened last Friday in the South Portland space that had been occupied since 2013 by the former Enio’s.

“We’re a Mediterranean-inspired, family-oriented, neighborhood-driven little bistro,” said co-owner Antonio Rappazzo, noting that the bistro’s first weekend open at the 347 Cottage Road location “went really well. We had a full house both of the first two nights.”

Rappazzo and his partner, Michele Trizzino – who moved to South Portland from New York City five years ago – derived the name of their new restaurant from the first two letters of their three children’s names: Leo, Lucca and Coco. William Durst, formerly of Hen of the Wood in Vermont, heads up the kitchen staff.

Rappazzo said they’ve been making cosmetic renovations to the former Enio’s space since February, including adding a 10-seat bar, which brings their total capacity to 36 customers.

Bistro Leluco’s menu includes raw bar offerings like tuna crudo and steak tartar ($17-$19); small plates ($10-$21) including pork belly with clams and celery root, and octopus with paella rice, preserved pepper and saffron aoli; and bigger plates ($29-$33) such as bouillabaisse, monkfish chop with almonds and flageolet beans, and steak au poivre with onion agrodolce and smoked fingerlings.

Bistro Leluco is open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m.

BAKE MAINE TO OPEN

A new bakeshop and cafe, Bake Maine Pottery Cafe, aims to launch this week in the Washington Avenue space of the former Portland Pottery Cafe.

Shakshuka, one of the breakfast dishes that will be offered at Bake Maine Pottery Cafe, the new bakeshop and cafe slated to open on Washington Avenue. Photo courtesy of Bake Maine Pottery Cafe

Owners Doug and Kristen Perry said they hope to open Friday pending the results of a health inspection. The Perrys previously ran the 1690 House Bakeshop and Cafe and A Cafe and Bakery, both in Wells.

Kristen Perry said Portland Pottery Cafe owner Lisa Bonarrigo is retiring after running her cafe for 13 years, and sold them the space. The cafe is housed in the same building as the pottery school and gallery.

“This is our first solo venture. We’re bringing our brand with us that we started down in Wells,” Perry said.

Trained in French pastry baking, Kristen Perry said Bake Maine will offer European-style pastries like croissants and brioche, along with breakfast sandwiches, topped toasts, and egg dishes like shakshuka. Bake Maine’s lunch offerings include soups and sandwiches like Korean beef with gochujang mayo and kimchi on sourdough, or an avocado BLT with sriracha mayo on focaccia, both favorites from the Perrys’ time in Wells.

Kristen Perry said the couple’s fans from the cafes they operated in Wells are excited for the new venture and prepared to follow them to East Bayside. “They’re sad we’re a little farther north, but most of them have already told us they’re ready to make the trek up,” she said.

MAINE MEAD WORKS TO CLOSE

An East Bayside fixture for more than 14 years, Maine Mead Works will close at the end of this month, according to a post on its Instagram page.

“It is with a heavy heart that Maine Mead Works announces that we will be closing our doors on January 31st,” the post reads in part. The mead house at 51 Washington Ave. was founded by Ben Alexander and Eli Cayer in 2007, though owned solely by Alexander for more than 10 years now.

Maine Mead Works’ Instagram post says the business will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the rest of the month. “We are so grateful for all of the friends that we made along the way,” the post states. “Please stop into our tasting room on Washington Ave. before (Jan. 31) so we can offer our thanks in person.”

Reached by telephone Tuesday afternoon, Alexander declined to give further details of the closure.

HOLY DONUT IN ARUNDEL

The Holy Donut opened a fourth retail location in Arundel last weekend, complementing their new production facility located on the same property.

Located at 1197 Portland Road, the new store has no seating inside, but offers walk-up and drive-through service. The Holy Donut’s new space was formerly occupied by Arundel Ice Cream.

Holy Donut marketing coordinator Katie McHenry said last summer that the company had opened a production facility in another building on the property. The facility supplies all of Holy Donut’s locations, including three others in Portland and Scarborough.

ELSMERE BBQ IN DEERING CENTER CLOSES

Elsmere BBQ’s Portland location in Deering Center has closed, according to the restaurant’s online listings.

The 4,000-square-foot venue at 476 Stevens Ave. is listed for sale on the New England Commercial Property Exchange for $1.5 million. The listing notes that Elsmere’s South Portland location will not be closing.

Elsmere’s online listings note that the Stevens Avenue restaurant has permanently closed, redirecting people searching for it on Google to the South Portland restaurant.

Elsmere owners could not immediately be reached for comment. Elsmere’s Portland location launched in June 2018.