Thirsty Pig owner Allison Stevens said the event is timed to lead into Thursday's New England Craft Beer Summit in Portland, and that owners from the seven new breweries will be on hand to answer questions. in Sanford and Portland's Hi-Fidelity Brewing. and will feature beer from Two Knights Brewing in Sangerville, Sidereal Farm Brewery in Vassalboro, Sacred Profane Brewing in Biddeford, Knife Edge Brewing in Millinocket, Rusty Bus Brewing Co. The Thirsty Pig on Exchange Street will hold a 'Freshman Orientation' event Wednesday to showcase beers from seven Maine breweries that opened for business in 2022. 'I'm hoping we have the best fish taco in town.' 'Maine has the perfect bounty for this type of cuisine with all the fresh fish from Casco Bay, and we've always worked with local farmers,' Gonzalez said. Natalie DiBenedetto, owner of nearby Figgy's Takeout, will serve as the opening consulting chef at the Cantina, Gonzalez said, helping develop a menu featuring tacos on house-made tortillas, ceviche, sopes and smoked fish. 'So we figured it'd be a great time to just close down and start the remodel,' Gonzalez said.Ĭantina Calfina will have 49 seats, about the same size as Bonobo, but with 16 bar seats, twice as many as the previous configuration. At the same time, Gonzalez and Grey were having difficulty finding staff for the summer. Gonzalez said that by last May, it became apparent at Bonobo that 'the business had outgrown the setup,' and the pizza oven couldn't keep pace with the volume. Partner and beverage director LyAnna Sanabria said she expects Papi will open its doors in the second half of March.

Papi's winning entry was a cocktail called The Bad Bunny, featuring rum, amaretto, house-made coconut ice cream, Puerto Rican winter squash and pineapple gomme syrup, paired with an empanadilla stuffed with cheese and picadillo and topped with 'Papi sauce.'īlyth and Burrows won the Spirit Quest Judge's Choice award this year for its tequila, raspberry and zucca amaro-based cocktail, The Ol' Razzle Dazzle, paired with chocolate and cherry braised pork with yogurt crema.Īlthough Papi ran into some permitting snags - like being required to replace the vintage mahogany doors they'd imported from Old San Juan with something more in keeping with Old Port aesthetics - the venue received its certificate of occupancy this month. This year's Spirit Quest - a self-guided walking tour of bars and restaurants in Old Port and the Congress Street Arts District - featured 11 competing venues, each serving a cocktail and paired bite of food.

8-Off to a strong start even before it officially opens, Papi, the Puerto Rican bar and restaurant on Exchange Street, won the People's Choice Award at Maine Restaurant Week's Spirit Quest competition this past weekend.

Old san juan self guided tour