A menu that features dishes like eggplant parm and garlic bread sounds like something you'd expect to find alongside red-checked tablecloths, candleholders made from straw-wrapped Chianti bottles – and maybe even a pair of cartoon dogs sharing a romantic plate of pasta in an alley. But in designing their new Washington Avenue restaurant, Roustabou...
READ MOREPiccolo, a small "modern classic" Italian restaurant with influences from Calabria and Abruzzi, had a soft opening last night and will open to the public tomorrow at 5 p.m. The highly anticipated spot is from the husband and wife team of Damian Sansonetti and Ilma Lopez. It's the first time Sansonetti and Lopez have worked together professionally s...
READ MORESpeaking and praying in both Italian and English, Bishop Robert P. Deeley celebrated a Mass honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Rocco, providing a spiritual start to the 89th annual St. Peter's Italian Bazaar. During the Mass at St. Peter Church in Portland, the bishop expressed his joy at celebrating the Mass and his wish for a goo...
READ MOREThe Maine Association of Police has named Gino Bianchini, a Freeport Police Department detective, as its Officer of the Year. Bianchini accepted the award during a ceremony held on Jan. 25 in Portland.The Maine Association of Police is the bargaining union for police departments in the state, and Bianchini is president of the Freeport unit, the Fr...
READ MOREby Bill Smith I'm pretty sure that for the most part, native Portlanders like Italian sandwiches more than people who move here do. That's a shame; I invite newcomers to reconsider. Let's be clear. A real Maine Italian starts with a pillow-soft roll split down the middle. On one side is a layer of deli ham; on the other, a strip of w...
READ MOREby John Golden Several years ago when I set out to make the perfect red sauce—or Sunday gravy, which it's often called—I knew exactly where to look. That was to my good friend Steve Quattrucci. His family has long held sway in Portland food circles amongst the Italian-American community. Or as Quattrucci relates, "Memories from my...
READ MOREThe sub sandwich, probably the most iconic of the Italian-American sandwiches has long spread across the country from the northeast and a sub shop – usually in the form of a Subway – seems to be on or near every busy corner from coast to coast. The version at the three locations of the local Maine-ly Sandwiches are called Italian Sandwiche...
READ MOREBy Tom Atwell Armando Polito sailed to the United States in 1920, when he was 10 years old, with his mother and siblings. His father, Giovanni Polito, had been in America for eight years, successfully running the Napoli restaurants in Maine. Shortly after Armando died in 2003, his daughter – Nancy Jo Polito – had trouble sleeping one...
READ MORESolo Italiano, a new Italian restaurant at 100 Commercial St., will open Thursday at 4 p.m. The restaurant replaces Ebb & Flow, which closed in March. Angelo Ciocca, president of Nova Seafood, still leases the restaurant space but is replacing Ebb & Flow, which served Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, with Solo Italiano, which will serve...
READ MOREby Kyle J. Norris Since The Press Hotel opened in May, the boutique spot has made a serious name for itself with the local crowd as well as visitors. That's due in part to the strength of its restaurant, Union, and its bar, The Inkwell, run by veteran Chris Gatchell. Gatchell believes, "Bars should use quality spirits that can be augmente...
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