Lobster roll specialists Bite Into Maine have opened a multiuse location in East Bayside, the company’s first brick-and-mortar space in Portland.

The new venue launched last Thursday at 31 Diamond St. in a 3,500-square-feet unit that formerly housed a garage door supply company.

Bite Into Maine has opened a multiuse, counter-service retail location on Diamond Street. Photo courtesy of Bite Into Maine

The retail area of the new counter-service location includes 26 seats, co-owner Sarah Sutton said. The restaurant will have an additional 14 seats on an outdoor deck and an adjacent takeout window, though both features are still under construction.

Only about a quarter of the location’s space will be used for retail, Sutton said. The remaining area is dedicated to food prep and storage and for staging their nationwide shipping operation. The venue also will serve as a central hub for Bite Into Maine’s two food trucks.

Bite Into Maine launched in 2011 as a food truck, then opened a counter-service, takeout-forward location in Scarborough in 2017.

“(The new location) is a long time coming,” Sutton said. “It offers us a lot more space. We didn’t have walk-in refrigerators previously, only reach-in coolers. So we’re able to prep a lot more food and have a lot more stuff on hand. The location is great for that.”

Sutton said the Diamond Street menu will largely serve the same food as the company’s trucks and Scarborough location. “There are a couple of things we have on our Allagash (food truck) menu that we added to this menu to tie in with all the surrounding businesses and breweries,” she said, including dishes like brat rolls and pub pretzels with beer cheese.

Bite Into Maine is open on Diamond Street Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sutton said starting around mid-August, the new restaurant will be open seven days a week.

RICK’S LOBBY CAFÉ TO CLOSE

Popular downtown breakfast and lunch spot Rick’s Lobby Café may be closing as soon as the end of August, after the building owners opted not to renew the eatery’s lease.

Rick’s launched in 2015 at 400 Congress St. Co-owner Molly Wood said the building owners told them in May that their lease would not be renewed, which came as a surprise since Wood and her husband, Rick, had been working with building management before the pandemic on plans for a lobby-area renovation in the building.

“They said they no longer want to offer any kind of food in this space after all,” Wood said.

Wood said the owners gave them until the end of October to vacate the space. A spokesperson for building owners Exchange Street Partners could not be reached Tuesday to ask about the space.

Wood expects Rick’s will clear out of the building before than the deadline, likely by the end of August or September.

“It’s extremely difficult, and having to completely change up everything you’re doing on someone else’s time line is pretty scary,” Wood said. “I think we might end up taking a break from food, and maybe try something else.

“(The building owners) aren’t doing anything illegal. It’s just frustrating,” Wood added. “And every person who has heard the news is heartbroken and devastated for us.”

MARKETFEST AT YARMOUTH FARMERS’ MARKET

The Yarmouth Farmers’ Market will hold its monthly MarketFest event at the market on Thursday.

Held on the first Thursday of the month, MarketFest features fresh-shucked oysters for sale from Wolfe Neck Oyster Company, while Liquid Riot sets up a cash bar and creates a seasonal cocktail for the event.

The Summer Market Strawberry Basil Smash, a cocktail featured at MarketFest in July. Photo courtesy of Yarmouth Farmers’ Market

In July, Liquid Riot came up with the Summer Market Strawberry Basil Smash, a bourbon drink featuring strawberries from Fairwinds Farm that Portland-based mixer company The Milk Bottle used to make a strawberry-basil mixer. Yarmouth Farmers’ Market Manager Amy Sinclair said this month’s drink will be a whisky or rum concoction featuring rhubarb, raspberries and blueberries and thyme.

“We try to turn the market into a block party,” Sinclair said. “We want people to do their shopping, but then maybe connect with friends, listen to the live music, have a cocktail and stay for a while.”

Sinclair also said the Yarmouth Farmers’ Market season will be extended for two months this year. Though the last day is usually at the end of October, the market will run until Dec. 21 this year.

The market will move indoors after October to the nearby 317 Main Community Music Center, which will feature a live holiday music series on market Thursdays.

“The market is mature enough now, we have enough of a steady following that I’m pretty confident that event, though it’s a weekday market, I think it’s going to do well for those additional two months,” Sinclair said. “And it’s really our customers who have been asking for it.”

ST. PETER’S ITALIAN BAZAAR IS BACK

The 97th Annual St. Peter’s Italian Festival and Bazaar returns to Portland’s “Little Italy” neighborhood this month.

Volunteers baked lemon drop cookies at St. Peter’s parish hall for the 2022 St. Peter’s Italian Bazaar. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

The two-night event will be held on Federal Street between India and Hampshire streets on Friday, Aug. 11, and Saturday, Aug. 12, from 5-9 p.m.

The festival historically draws thousands of revelers to enjoy Italian savory food and pastries and live Italian music. The theme for this year’s festival is “Celebrate the History and Spirit of Little Italy.”

Featured entertainment includes the Jim Ciampi Band on Friday night. Saturday includes performances from three-time national accordion champion Corey Pesaturo, Italian folk band Grupo Antudo with Amos Bruni, and Frank Sinatra tribute artist Patrick Tobin.