Photo / Courtesy Scott & Jon's
The Lemon Butter Dill Salmon and Baja Fish Taco Bowl will be available in 2025.
Updated: October 11, 2024
Friday Food Insider: Luke's Lobster owners will relaunch shuttered Dry Dock tavern in Old Port
Photo / Alexis Wells
The former Dry Dock Restaurant & Tavern on Commercial Street in Portland.
The owners of Luke’s Lobster have signed a lease on space occupied for 35 years by the Dry Dock Restaurant and Tavern in Portland.
The owners say they plan to reopen the eatery by early next summer as a seafood restaurant and bar, retaining the Dry Dock name.
The Dry Dock, at 84 Commercial St. in the Old Port, opened in 1983 and closed in 2018.
Vacant now for over five years, the restaurant's interior needs renovation work. There's also some damage from recent winter storms. The ownership team, which includes Luke Holden, Ben Conniff and Bryan Holden, say they will complete the work over the winter and that changes will include an expansion of the second-floor deck.
“We’re so pleased to work with the building owner, Steve Goodrich, to get this lease signed,” said Bryan Holden, president and chief development officer for Luke’s Lobster.
“Steve, myself, my brother Luke Holden, father Jeff Holden and our entire team are committed to restoring and reviving Dry Dock as the mainstay it was on the Commercial Street working waterfront.”
According to a press release, the Dry Dock will operate separately from Luke’s Lobster and its nearby Portland Pier restaurant.
“Our family has loved the Dry Dock location for decades,” said Jeff Holden, managing partner at Luke’s Lobster. “I was a regular when I had my business here on Commercial Street back in the 1980s and '90s.
"We feel truly grateful to work with Steve on the opportunity to bring the legacy of Dry Dock restaurant back to life here — preserving it for the people of Portland and its visitors is as much sentimental to us as it is good business."
In other news
The owners of Slab Sicilian Street Food, at 25 Preble St. in Portland, will close the restaurant for good this Saturday.
“For over a decade, we’ve had the privilege to bring Stephen Lanzalotta’s masterpiece to the masses, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive,” said a social media post from Slab. “We’re so grateful for the national recognition we’ve received and for our fans far and wide — we cannot thank you enough for your support and kind words through the years.
“We also want to give huge props to our dedicated staff who have enthusiastically embraced the art and science behind creating the most luscious pizza in all the land.”
While the physical restaurant is closing, Slab's frozen pizza business will continue. The rising-crust pies are available at dozens of locations in Maine, including Hannaford Supermarkets.
Scott & Jon's, the Auburn-based maker of premium frozen seafood products, announced last week that the company has expanded its popular seafood bowl lineup with two additions: Lemon Butter Dill Salmon and Baja Fish Taco Bowl. These offerings will be available in early 2025.
"Consumers are craving more variety in frozen seafood," says Jon Demers, Scott & Jon's co-founder. "This aligns with a recent study by Circana/ASMI, which found that 78% of consumers say a greater selection of seafood would encourage them to eat more. We're inspired by leading seafood restaurants, where eight or more varieties are often offered, and expanding our portfolio to cater to diverse palates and flavor preferences."
McDonald's franchise owners and operators across New England are launching the first-ever digital fundraiser to support youth athletics in their communities this fall. On Oct. 10, more than 130 participating restaurants donated 20% of their app sales to local regional sports programs.
This initiative aims to impact local athletic programs, benefiting New England student-athletes at schools and organizations such as Lewiston High School, South Portland High School, Washburn Elementary and more.
The Friday Food Insider is working on some fun stories for the coming months. What changes have you seen in the Maine restaurant world? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to hear from you! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.
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