Friday Food Insider Notebook: Openings, closings and a petition

Photo / Renee Cordes The Cookie Jar at 554 Shore Road in Cape Elizabeth has been providing sweet treats for locals since the 1950s.

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By Alexis Wells

Rock Row is a $600 million, 110-acre mixed-use development that features an open-air retail and entertainment district with events, shops, restaurants, and health and wellness services. A new restaurant is also being added to its offerings.

Chef Germán Lucarelli, owner of the Lost Fire in Kennebunkport, has leased the space at Rock Row, where he plans to open the Asador Grill.

The restaurant will offer authentic flavors, techniques, and experiences of Patagonian cuisine. Everything at the new restaurant will be centered around traditional open-flame cooking on an asador, a pointed bar for roasting.

Photo / Courtesy Rock Row

Construction of the Asador Grill is expected to start in 2025. An opening date has yet to be announced.

“The Lost Fire began as a means of reconnecting with the tastes of my home and introducing people to the unique style of grilling Argentinians have mastered," said Lucarelli.

“The Asador Grill will bring guests closer to the wonder of authentic open-fire cooking than ever before.”

In 2018, Lucarelli opened the Lost Fire Grill & Bar at 62 Mills Road in Kennebunk and in 2023, he opened two seafood restaurants, Ultramar and Casa Seventy Seven.

Construction of the 7,000-square-foot Asador Grill is expected to start in 2025. An opening date has yet to be announced.

“We are excited to welcome the Asador Grill by the Lost Fire, Rock Row, as we continue our quest to bring an exciting array of unique dining options to our guests," said Josh Levy, CEO of Waterstone Properties Group, developers of Rock Row.

A local business is looking for help

A well-known bakery in Cape Elizabeth needs help. The Cookie Jar at 554 Shore Road has been providing sweet treats to locals since the 1950s.

According to a petition with Change.org to save the business, the Cape Elizabeth Planning Board is pushing to eliminate the bakery’s four front parking spaces.

Photo / Renee Cordes

Signs like this one are on display all over Cape Elizabeth.

The issue may lead to the owners, Donna and Tom Piscopo, to close. The petition states that without the parking spaces, the bakery may no longer be able to operate.

The owners want the Town Council to intervene to prevent the removal of the Cookie Jar’s front parking spaces and find a permanent solution.

This isn't the first time Cookie Jar has faced this challenge. In 2022, the business faced a similar attempt to alter the parking.

The petition has been out since Monday and has received over 1,000 signatures.

Closings

The Maine Bagel announced via social media that it will close on Nov. 27 after almost two decades of operation on U.S. Route 1 in Scarborough.

In the social media post the owners said they are closing due to circumstances beyond their control and will need to vacate the building.

"We set out with a vision to provide the community with a bagel shop that prided itself on service, quality and value," said the social media post. "We believe we achieved this and in the process gained many friendships that we will cherish forever."

Anania's, a longtime deli, pizzeria and convenience store will also be closing its doors. According to published reports the owners Ed and Barbara Anania are planning to retire in December and have put the Congress Street building and business up for sale. They plan to close the business on Dec.24.

Other foodie news

Sweets and Co., a gluten-free bakery, has opened its doors at 294 Main St. Lorraine Fagela, the owner of Sweets and Co., told Mainebiz in June about her plans and said the bakery would offer an array of bakery items, such as bubble tea, lattes and more.
Mr. Chickpea, a Middle Eastern restaurant focused on Iraqi cuisine, opened at the new Thornton Heights Commons at 611 Main St. in South Portland by Ahmed Abbas. The area also welcomed another foodie spot, Island Affairs, which will be a cultural hub for the growing population of Jamaicans, as well as everyone else in Southern Maine who wants to learn more about Jamaican food. The owner, Carey Robinson, also plans to put together meal ideas and pamphlets for non-Jamaican customers who want to learn how to cook the food and use the ingredients he sells.
On Wednesday, the Maine Seafood Promotional Council hosted “On the (Seafood) Menu in Maine,” bringing together chefs nationwide to celebrate the state’s rich seafood offerings. The event showcased the freshest products from the Gulf of Maine, including wild-caught scallops, sustainably harvested seaweed, lobster, and unique species such as unagi (eel). “Events like this not only celebrate Maine’s culinary heritage but also strengthen the connections between producers and chefs, ultimately benefiting our entire seafood industry,” said Leo Waterston, the program director at FocusMaine.

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.