FLEA-FOR-ALL CARRIES ON A LEGACY
VIA AGENCY CEO LEADS WITH JOY
LADIES ADVENTURE CLUB BUILDS BONDS
PORTLAND'S CITY MAGAZINE JULY 2017
Take Two
TIPO IS ANOTHER WIN FOR CENTRAL PROVISIONS’ TEAM
CAMPERS + WEEKEND GUIDE INSIDER PICKS:
10
TOP PICNIC SPOTS
Progress is never backing down. Introducing the all-new Audi S5 Coupe.
Morong Falmouth Audi 187 US ROUTE ONE 207-781-4020 WWW.MORONGFALMOUTHAUDI.COM “Audi,” all model names, and the four rings logo are registered trademarks of Audi AG. ©2017 Audi of America, Inc.
WHAT MAKES A RESTAURANT A GO-TO?
Menus that never stop surprising. CHEF
DAVID TURIN
Wowing Maine palates for over 25 years
DAVID’S RESTAURANT Portland davidsrestaurant.com DAVID’S OPUS TEN Portland davidsopus10.com DAVID’S 388
South Portland davids388.com
DAVID’S KPT
Kennebunkport boathouseme.com/dining
CLASSIC COCKTAILS RAW BAR INNOVATIVE DINING
THIS IS THE OLD PORT 26 EXCHANGE STREET, PORTLAND
Because you’ve earned this.
Spirit prices are the same in stores all over Maine.
Live well, drink responsibly. mainespirits.com
WARM SHAKER MODERN. Chilton’s Classic Shaker Bed, shown with our Sunday River Dresser and Nightstand. Built in Maine.
UTI
LITY
! • ! Q UA
LITY!•!SIM
PLIC
ITY
w w w.c h i l to n s .co m 866 - 883-3366 F R E E P O R T 2 07- 8 6 5 - 4 3 0 8 • S C A R B O R O U G H 2 0 7- 8 8 3 - 3 3 6 6
PROUD PARTNER PROPERTIES OF
A mile away...
a world apart. PORTLANDHARBORHOTEL.COM DIAMONDSEDGERESTAURANTANDMARINA.COM INNATDIAMONDCOVE.COM
DIAMOND’S EDGE R E S T A U R A N T
&
M A R I N A
on great diamond island, maine
Lobster Bakes, Weddings & Special Events
For every Age, For every Shape, For every Body.
92 Exchange Street ŠChristy Beltrami-Yager
|
207-842-6000
|
Aristelle.com
Come to the PMA and spend some time in the sun. On July 7, we’re opening the gates of the David E. Shaw and Family Sculpture Park in the Joan B. Burns Garden to the public— completely free and accessible to all—for the first time ever. Located in the center of Portland’s Arts District, this park brings the PMA experience out into the open air, offering everyone a place to relax and reflect among the green grass, cool breezes, and extraordinary art that was previously only on view from a distance. Spend the summer in Portland’s next great green space. Spend it with the PMA. #PMAsummer Media Sponsor:
(207) 775-6148 | Por tlandMuseum.org
capozzaflooring.com
oldporttile.com
capozza-cs.com
With over 42 years of experience, Capozza has built a reputation for excellence in quality, integrity, expertise and service. Our family has grown to now be four departments strong, ready and able to fulfill all your flooring needs. From your home to your business, we will always have you covered.
Fleet is part of the Kiddo Collection by Cean Irminger for New Ravenna.
Love with a view.
Now booking island weddings for 2017. 207 613 6110 GREATDIAMONDPOINT.COM
1912
AMERICAN GENRE: CONTEMPORARY PAINTING ON VIEW JULY 20 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2017
The ICA at MECA is pleased to bring American Genre: Contemporary Painting to Portland, Maine this summer.
Curated by artist, writer, and curator Michelle Grabner, who is the Crown Family Professor of Art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, this exhibition is built on a triad of traditional painting genres, including still life, landscape, and portraiture. Fifty paintings by fifty American artists offer a critical balance to the conditions of atemporality, affected responses, and the material turn currently shaping much of contemporary painting discourse. Dana DeGiulio, Citizens, 2015, Oil on canvas, 25×19 in
The exhibit opens with a public reception from 5-8pm on July 20 and closes with a one-day symposium with a panel discussion moderated by Barry Schwabsky on September 15, 2017.
For more information contact ica@meca.edu or 207.699.5025 Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11:00am–5:00pm, Thursday, 11:00am–7:00pm
522 CONGRESS STREET | PORTLAND ME, 04101 | meca.edu/ica | 800.699.1509
“ independence is made
POSSIBLE BY INTERDEPENDENCE.” –Dr. Lisa Belisle
DOWNLOAD IT on iTunes or STREAM IT on LoveMaineRadio.com LISTEN ON SUNDAYS: 7am on WPEI 95.5 + 95.9 FM and noon on WLOB 1310 AM
UPCOMING GUESTS Emily Isaacson, Oratorio Chorale, Maine Chamber Ensemble, and Portland Bach Festival | Mary Plouffe, Ph.D., author | Stacy Brenner, Broadturn Farm | Mike Mwenedata, Rwanda Bean Company | Daniel Marche"i, Hebron Academy | Luke Shorty, Maine School of Science and Mathematics PHOTO TAKEN ON COUSINS ISLAND BY DR. LISA BELISLE @bountiful1
I
SPONSORED BY
J U LY
2017
50
SECOND-LIFE SHOP
Portland Flea-for-All reinvents popular Arts District spot. by Susan Axelrod Photography by Nicole Wolf
T H I S PAG E : “We wanted to create a community gathering space, and just a nice place to be.” –Erin Kiley
58
WELCOME BACK, PARENTS Portland rolls out the red carpet for Campers Weekend. by Susan Axelrod Photography by Nicole Wolf
68
CLASSIC COMEBACK
Restaurateurs revive a midcentury-modern home in Oakdale. by Debra Spark Photography by Myriam Babin
D E PA RT M E N TS
23 TA K E N OT I C E News, notes, and more
26 D I N E
At T ipo, playing with fire is act two for a Portland restaurant couple.
34 ACT I V E L I F E Ladies Adventure Club empowers women through shared experiences.
40 L O O K
Yo u r g u i d e t o g a l l e r y h o p p i n g
42 P RO F I L E
For the VIA Agency’s CEO Leeann Leahy, good times and great work go hand-in-hand.
78 GAT H E R
Giltterati, GMRI Seafood Celebration
80 I N S I D E R P I C KS Staff of Black Tie Catering Co. on their favorite places to picnic.
I N EV E RY I SSU E 17 EDITOR’S NOTE 19 STAFF NOTE 21 TALENT ROSTER 74 ON THE BLOCK
O N T H E COV E R :
The bar and kitchen window at Tipo, the second Portland restaurant from the owners of Central Provisions.
58 68
CREATE BIGGER
BRAND
PUBLISHER & CEO | Kevin Thomas ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & COO | Andrea King EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Rebecca Falzano MANAGING EDITOR | Susan Axelrod ART DIRECTOR | Kate Seremeth DIRECTOR OF SALES | Jeffrey D’Amico ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS |
Karen Bowe, Anna DeLuca, Jessica Goodwin, Ryan Hammond, Peter Heinz, Tom Urban PRODUCTION MANAGER | Joel Kuschke DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & SPONSORSHIPS |
Terri Coakley
ONLINE EDITOR | Shelbi Wassick EDITORIAL ASSISTANT | Brittany Cost OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR | Grace Skerritt COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER |
Casey Lovejoy
SPECIAL PROJECTS | Emily McConnell COPY EDITOR | Katherine Gaudet PROOFREADER | Skye Adams FOOD EDITOR | Karen Watterson CONTRIBUTORS |
Katy Kelleher, Debra Spark PHOTOGRAPHERS |
Ted Axelrod, Myriam Babin, Liz Caron, Heidi Kirn, Nicole Wolf COVER PHOTOGRAPHER | Myriam Babin CIRCULATION | Sarah Lynn
BRAND DEVELOPMENT ADVERTISING PRINT + WEB DESIGN SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY MEDIA PLANNING
ART COLLECTOR MAINE |
Erica Gammon, Jack Leonardi, Taylor McCafferty, Anna Wickstrom, Emma Wilson, Aurora Winkler THE BRAND COMPANY |
Emma FitzGerald, Chris Kast, Mali Welch LOVE MAINE RADIO W/ DR. LISA BELISLE |
Spencer Albee, Dr. Lisa Belisle, Paul Koenig, Casey Lovejoy, Shelbi Wassick MAINE HOME+DESIGN |
Jen DeRose, Heidi Kirn MAINE MAGAZINE |
Paul Koenig, Kate Seremeth
SUBSCRIBE | oldport.com
Chief Executive Officer | Kevin Thomas Chief Operating Officer | Andrea King Chief Financial Officer | Jack Leonardi Old Port is published ten times a year by Maine Media Collective LLC.
It’s about a new direction.
thebrandcompany.me 207.772.3373
Editorial and subscription information: phone 207.772.3373 | fax 888.836.6715 75 Market Street | Suite 203 | Portland | Maine | 04101 Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff, or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Old Port nor any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2017, Maine Media Collective LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. oldport.com
16 OLD PORT
oldport.com
EDITOR’S NOTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY TED AXELROD
S
teve Jobs was a complicated guy, but he said some brilliant things, among them, the oft-quoted phrase: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” This little gem came to mind when I interviewed Leeann Leahy, CEO of the VIA Agency, for this month’s profile. An advertising world all-star, Leahy was at the helm of a top agency in New York City when a meeting with VIA founder John Coleman reminded her that advertising work was supposed to be fun. Four years later, she’s having the time of her life and doing great work; VIA’s first-ever campaign for L.L.Bean rolls out this month. (Dancing and Dreaming Big, page 42) Erin Kiley and Nathaniel Baldwin were veterans of the Los Angeles film industry when they moved to Portland in 2010 looking to start a business. They didn’t expect it would be a vintage shop, but seven years in, the Portland Flea-for-All is a beloved local institution and a
Subscribe at
oldport.com
weekend destination—even more so in its new, Arts District location. (Second-Life Store, page 50) Gillian Schair, who is passionate about her volunteer work with the Maine Women’s Lobby and Maine Women’s Policy Center, launched the Ladies Adventure Club to “create a community of women who come together around a shared ethos and a desire to push themselves.” For this month’s Active Life feature, Katy Kelleher joined the group for a strenuous hike up two Western Maine mountain peaks. (Up to the Challenge, page 34) Also in this issue: A guide to the annual pilgrimage known as Campers Weekend, when parents of kids at Maine summer camps pack Portland hotels and restaurants, eager to experience the magic of summer in our sweet city by the sea. (Welcome Back, Parents, page 58) Food editor Karen Watterson visits Tipo, the
second act from restaurant power couple Chris and Paige Gould, owners of the celebrated Central Provisions. And for Insider Picks, who better to share their favorite picnic spots than the staff of Black Tie Catering Co.? Doing “great work” doesn’t have to rise to the level of inventing the iPhone. Designing winning ad campaigns, creating a community hub, bringing people together for a shared purpose, welcoming visitors, cooking and serving delicious food—all are examples of the great work happening in Portland every single day. By bringing you these stories, we hope we’re doing great work too. And, lucky me, I love what I do.
SUSAN AXELROD Managing Editor saxelrod@oldport.com
JULY // 2017
17
WE GIVE BACK.
Our mission is to make a substantial and unique commitment to supporting Maine’s nonprofit community both statewide, regionally, and at the town level. We believe that the work Maine’s nonprofit organizations do, individually and collectively, makes our lives better and Maine a better place to live. With limited budgets, Maine’s nonprofits need help boosting awareness of their specific causes and help to raise the funds they need. We have established long-term relationships with over 120 nonprofits and community-based organizations. We give to these organizations by providing, free of charge, services ranging from advertising, graphic design, brand development, marketing advice, online announcements, and social media engagement. We often include nonprofit organizations in our editorial coverage through feature articles and/or recaps of their events. You’ll find the latter in our “There + Then,” “Turnout,” and “Gather” sections. Over the past year, we have made cash and in-kind donations and services of more than:
$1,930,463 WE ARE PROUD OF OUR AFFILIATION WITH THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS: 317 Main Community Music Center | American Diabetes Association | AIA Maine | Alfond Youth Center of Waterville | American Lung Association | Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital | Bicycle Coalition of Maine | Biddeford Ball | Biddeford/Saco Rotary Club | Boothbay Harbor Fest | Boothbay Region Chamber of Commerce | Boothbay Region Land Trust | Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine | Bowdoin International Music Festival | Camden Garden Club | Camden International Film Festival | Camden Opera House | Camp Sunshine | Camp Susan Curtis | Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation | Cape Elizabeth Land Trust | Casco Bay Islands SwimRun | Castine Arts Association | CEI | Center for Furniture Craftsmanship | Center for Grieving Children | Colby Museum of Art | Cross Insurance Center | Dempsey Challenge | Easter Seals Maine | Elias Cup | Bayside Bowl | Environmental Health Strategy Center | Faily Hope | Farnsworth Art Museum | Fort Williams Park Foundation | Frannie Peabody Center | Friends of Casco Bay | Friends of Windjammer Days | Full Plates Full Potential | Georges River Land Trust | Gulf of Maine Research Institute | Good Shepherd Food Bank | Goodwill of Northern New England | Greater Portland Land Marks | GrowSmart Maine | Harbor House | Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project | Institute for Family Owned Business | Junior Achievement of Maine | Junior League of Portland | Kennebunk Free Library | Kennebunkport Conservation Trust | Kennebunks Tour de Cure | Kittery Block Party | L/A Arts | Life Flight of Maine | Lift360 | Maine Academy of Modern Music | Maine Audubon | Maine Cancer Foundation | Maine Center for Creativity | Maine Children’s Cancer Program | Maine College of Art | Maine Crafts Association | Maine Development Foundation | Maine Discovery Museum | Maine Flower Shower | Maine Interior Design Association | Maine Island Trail Association | Maine Jewish Film Festival | Maine Lobster Festival | Maine Preservation | Maine Restaurant Association | Maine Science Festival | Maine Start Up and Create Week | Maine State Ballet | Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine | March of Dimes | Mercy/Gary’s House | MEREDA | Mitchell institute | Museums of Old York | MyPlace Teen Center | Natural Resources Council of Maine | New England Craft Brew Summit | North Atlantic Blues Festival | Ogunquit Museum of American Art | Ogunquit Playhouse | Osher Map Library | Passivhaus Maine | Portland Downtown | Portland Museum of Art | Portland Ovations | Portland Symphony Orchestra | Portland Trails | PORTopera | Portland Stage Education Programming | Ronald McDonald House Charities | Royal River Land Trust | SailMaine | Salt Bay Chamberfest | Scarborough Education Foundation | Share Our Strength | sheJAMS | Strive | Talking Art in Maine | TEDxDirigo/Treehouse | Teens to Trails | Travis Mills Foundation | The Strand Theatre | The Telling Room | University of Maine Gardens | United Way of Greater Portland | Viles Arboretum | Vinegar Hill Music Theater | Wayfinder Schools | Wells Reserve at Laudholm | Wendell Gilley Museum | WinterKids | Wolfe’s Neck Farm | Woodlawn Museum | Yarmouth History Center
SUBSCRIBE | oldport.com
Chief Executive Officer | Kevin Thomas Chief Operating Officer | Andrea King Chief Financial Officer | Jack Leonardi Old Port is published ten times each year by Maine Media Collective LLC Editorial and subscription information: phone 207.772.3373 | fax 888.836.6715 75 Market Street | Suite 203 | Portland | Maine | 04101 Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff, or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Old Port nor any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2017, Maine Media Collective LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. oldport.com
18 OLD PORT
oldport.com
STAFF NOTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEIDI KIRN
I’
ve lived in quite a few cities: St. John’s, Ottawa, London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Washington D.C., Burlington, and now Portland. Every city has its own personality, character or zeitgeist that makes it unique. Undeniably, Portland is a “foodie” town— Eventide Oyster Co. chefs Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley just won the James Beard Award for best chefs in the northeast—while many other tremendous eateries around town and throughout the state are continually winning national and international acclaim. But the emergence of so many great restaurants also says a lot about the taste, appreciation, and joie de vivre of local residents. Indeed, as Voltaire wrote, “Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” For its size, Portland also has a remarkably
Subscribe at
oldport.com
vibrant arts scene. The Merrill Auditorium just completed a fabulous season, highlighted by Broadway touring shows like Annie and Pippin, and spectacular presentations like Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk and Golden Dragon Acrobats. The Portland Museum of Art continues to engage visitors’ appetites for beautiful art, and experiencing it is all the more lovely after the museum’s recent major renovation and rebranding. Portland’s art galleries and art events are plentiful, bolstered by local talent, art walks, and other happenings, as well as the prestigious Maine College of Art. The music scene is flourishing and there’s not a night one doesn’t have an impressive choice of live music, whether in a honkytonk like Salvage BBQ, a club like Port City Music Hall, or at any number of bars and pubs between them. The effervescent lifestyle in Portland is also manifest in the myriad special events, parties, and festivals like Harvest on the Harbor, Old Port Festival, and Merry Madness. Notably,
wine pairings, bistro nights, fabulous theme parties, and the wonderful annual VinFest (better than any wedding you’ll ever attend) all take place thanks to the creative energy of Bettina Dalton, founder and owner of the exquisite Cellardoor Winery at Thompson’s Point. Fun, art-full living—not to mention the menu of outdoor activities—defines Portland, and if the true soul of a city is its people, Portlanders are fully engaged and living an authentically great life. I’m happy to say this is now my city.
ANDREA KING Chief Operating Officer and Associate Publisher aking@themainemag.com
JULY // 2017
19
THE NIGHT SWIMMER, 42X30, OIL ON CANVAS
DANIEL COREY
JULY 6 - JULY 30 OPENING RECEPTION THURSDAY JULY 6, 5-7 PM TO REQUEST A SHOW CATALOG OR SCHEDULE A P R I VAT E V I E W I N G P L E A S E C O N TAC T E M M A W I L S O N O R E R I C A G A M M O N AT 2 07. 9 5 6 . 7 1 0 5
TALENT ROSTER
Photo: Dave Dostie
THE PEOPLE BEHIND OLD PORT MAGAZINE
TED AXELROD
Ted has lived in some spectacular places over the course of his photography career, but has finally found his true home in Maine. He loves local oysters, a well-made cocktail, working on his old farmhouse, playing with his dogs, and discovering new places around the state with his wife, Susan. His latest cookbook project, No-Prep Slow Cooker, is due out this fall from Page Street Publishing. (Up to the Challenge, page 34)
KATY KELLEHER
Katy is a writer and editor who lives in a little house in the big woods of Buxton. Her first book, Handcrafted in Maine, an in-depth look at her adopted state’s creative culture, published by Princeton Architectural Press, is due out this summer. (Up to the Challenge, page 34)
Subscribe at
oldport.com
JEFFREY D’AMICO
As director of sales for Maine Media Collective, Jeffrey connects with clients who represent every facet of life in Portland. A native of New Jersey, he has embraced life in Maine—skiing at Sugarloaf in the winter and boating on Casco Bay in the summer. Dining at the city’s excellent restaurants with his fiancé and friends is a favorite pastime, as is exploring Portland with his fiveyear-old daughter.
MALI WELCH
Mali is the art director of the Brand Company. Her graphic design is inspired by the traditional arts, including drawing, painting, printmaking, and woodworking. She loves the process of setting up to create something new. These days, you may find her at Base Camp Studios in Portland after hours with her friend, Jess, block printing and stitching up a storm.
JULY // 2017
21
THE PLACE FOR NEW AND USED BOOKS ON THE PENINSULA
WHERE GIFT WRAPPING & DOG BISCUITS ARE ALWAYS FREE! MONUMENT SQUARE, PORTLAND 207-772-4045 WWW.LONGFELLOWBOOKS.COM
HERE TO SHARE OUR PASSION FOR SIGHT AND SOUND SINCE 1989
636 US Route 1, Fl 2nd | Scarborough, Maine | (207) 885-0059 | TuckerAndTucker.com
TAKE NOTICE NEWS, NOTES, AND MORE
I know you love my juicy curves. I
k
w no
love my juicy you cu rv es .
Cape Elizabeth native Kim Ortengren has founded a new clothing production business, WALLACE JAMES CLOTHING COMPANY, on Cove Street in East Bayside. Wallace James promotes smallbatch producers, such as South Street Linen, and aims to support emerging independent designers. The food scene in Portland continues to evolve with the introduction of new flavors. Portlanders can enjoy the summer months with American and fusion food on the rooftop deck of NORTH 43 BISTRO, now open at the former location of Joe’s Boathouse at the Spring Point Marina in South Portland. CONG TU BOT, the brainchild of Jessica Sheahan and Vien Dobui, who helped to open Tandem Coffee Roasters and Tandem Bakery, serves up Vietnamese dishes on Washington Avenue. Farther up the street, ISLAND CREEK OYSTERS features a bar that opens outward onto a deck and shares a space with Maine Craft Distilling at the former location of florists Creighton & Son. Owner of Fire and Company, Ryan Carey, offers wood-smoked meats and sandwiches at NOBLE BARBECUE on Forest Avenue. Central African options expand as well with the addition of BUJABELLE on St. John Street, where sambusas, beignets, and goat meat are mainstays of the menu.
92 Exchange Street
|
207-842-6000
|
Aristelle.com
Top photo: Hayley Bright Bottom photo: West Elm
WEST ELM, a highend home furniture and home-goods retailer based out of Brooklyn, N.Y., is opening a new location at 164 Middle Street in late July. Measuring 12,000 square feet, the store is a subsidiary of WilliamsSonoma and represents the latest addition to Portland’s varied decor offerings.
The Institute for Family-Owned Business recently presented its annual MAINE FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Local winners included Capozza Tile and Floor Covering Center, which was named the Reny’s Large Business of the Year, and Highland Avenue Greenhouse of Scarborough, awarded the Maddy Corson Small Business Award. 11 Free Street • Portland, Me
Subscribe at
oldport.com
JULY // 2017
23
FREEDOM. To live a life where you’re not worried about your �nancial future. We want you to be free.
PORTLAND, MAINE (207) 774-6552 | (800) 605-6552 | oldportadvisors.com
WISH YOU WERE HERE.
LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED. (207) 667-6000 WALLACEEVENTS.CO M
This page: The collection of license plates mounted on the front of the bar adds a splash of color and whimsy to Tipo’s simple decor. Opposite page: Rye cavatelli with pork ragu is a hearty dish with a hint of spice.
26 OLD PORT
oldport.com
DINE
W H E R E T O E AT N O W BY KAREN WATTERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRIAM BABIN
Tipo PLAYING WITH FIRE IS ACT TWO FOR A PORTLAND RESTAURANT COUPLE.
I
t’s a familiar story: “I wasn’t really looking to open another restaurant, but . . . ” Chris Gould tells me his version as we sit at the marble bar at Tipo, the restaurateur/chef ’s second venture. Gould and his wife, Paige, also own Central Provisions, an Old Port favorite known for innovative, small-plate dining. “We had talked about another place a little bit,” he says, “but we weren’t seeking to do something. When the real estate broker told us about this space, I wasn’t interested. But then I heard there was a brick oven.” The wood-fired oven, built by the previous occupant, sealed the deal for the couple. “The oven dictated Italian food for us. And we always knew pizza would be the next thing that was going to happen,” says Gould.
JULY // 2017
27
DINE
As we talk, sous chef and pizza maker Sarabeth Gabrielson is cleaning ash from the oven, getting ready to fire it up again with maple, oak, and ash logs. “When we open in the morning, it’s still at 600 degrees,” Gould explains. “We use it all day, not just for pizza. We prep ingredients for other dishes in there.” This includes an array of roasted vegetables—including onions for the smoked onion aioli—or sausages to be served at brunch over buttery Tiger’s Eye beans. “Just having that oven changes everything,” says Gould. But the pizza is Tipo’s superstar. The oven makes its distinctive crust perfectly chewy and lightly charred. There are several types of pizza on the menu, each created with unexpected ingredients and surprising combinations. I tasted the clam and soppressata white pie with leeks and fontina. The spicy Italian salami and chili pepper was an excellent counterpoint to the chopped clams, reminiscent of a great pasta alle vongole. The cauliflower and mushroom pie goes far beyond the standard veggie offering, with a drizzle of saba, a balsamic vinegar-like condiment, crispy garlic, and a finish of lemon zest. Tipo is named for the type of finely ground 28 OLD PORT
oldport.com
“THE OVEN DICTATED ITALIAN FOOD FOR US.” –CHRIS GOULD
“00” flour from Italy that’s used to make the very best pizza crusts and pasta. All the pasta at Tipo is handmade, and paired with a sauce that complements its shape. The chewy rye cavatelli is well suited to boldly flavored pork ragu, tempered by the addition of mascarpone and made slightly spicy with a trace of Calabrian chili. The wood-oven-roasted lamb ragu clings to the ridges of garganelli, a rolled pasta, spiked
with a sweet touch of apricot and the tang of pecorino cheese. All the pasta dishes are offered in half-size portions. “Paige and I like the small plate approach to dinner,” Gould says. “They’re good for sharing and you can have a lot of different tastes.” Tipo’s small plates menu presents a wide range of inviting options that change often, taking advantage of what’s in season. A simple dish of vegetables, including sweet potato, beets, and carrots, becomes wildly delicious when roasted in the oven and dressed with oil, anchovy, herbs, and a bit of orange. The hand-pulled mozzarella is a mild canvas for the pleasantly salty olive tapenade with golden raisins and capers. Octopus gets a turn in the oven, rendering it lightly charred and tender; it’s served over fregola (a small, round pasta) with chermoula, a pungent herb sauce. Both Gould and chef de cuisine Mike Smith love bold, full-flavored food. “We have similar backgrounds and similar palates,” says Gould. “We have the same ideology about how food should be put together. It makes menu collaboration easier, because we know exactly what the other person is talking about.” Fluke ceviche is a beautiful example, the fresh fish mixed with shaved radish and fresno chilies, topped with a tangle of arugula.
The room has a modern feel, clean and light with lots of white tile and white-painted walls, punctuated by vintage Italian posters and a collection of colorful license plates hung beneath the bar. “It’s elegant but simple, like Italian food,” says Gould. Unlike the uberpopular Central Provisions, Tipo is more of a neighborhood place, drawing in locals from the Woodfords and Back Cove areas. Dinner, on the early side, is very much a family affair with kids chewing happily on pizza crusts and helping themselves to a bite of their parents’ pasta. Parents and grandparents are sipping glasses of Italian wine and beer and happily enjoying each other’s company. Soon the new outdoor patio will be open, with sliding doors and a big pergola strung with lights. It sounds incredibly inviting, a perfect summer setting for an Aperol spritz at happy hour or weekend brunch. As Gould and I finish our conversation, I watch as Camille Mann carefully feeds dough through a pasta maker, rolling it thinner with each pass. She lays it out on the prep table and cuts it into circles, stamping each one with a corzetti, a carved wooden stamp that embosses the Tipo logo onto each piece. Later this evening,
there will be a happy diner savoring a plate of that handmade pasta, maybe with an Italian cocktail at hand. It’s just what the Goulds had in mind for their second act. Tipo 182 Ocean Ave. | Portland 207.358.7970 tiporestaurant.com
Opposite page from left: Tipo owners Chris and Paige Gould with their second child, Jocelyn. An Aperol spritz. This page, from left: Jaran Rivas mixes cocktails with mostly Italian ingredients. Beef carpaccio with smoked onion aioli is a favorite.
JULY // 2017
29
Don’t just see Portland — Discover it.
PORTLAND’S #1 SIGHTSEEING TOUR
Portland City Tour
105-minute trolley tour of Portland’s history, architecture, and landmarks, including a stop at Portland Head Light.
$48 for both!
90-minute cruise with beautiful views of Casco Bay’s famous lighthouses, lobster boats, seals, seabirds and more.
Photo by Jack McCabe
Just $26
Lighthouse Lovers Cruise
Just $26
Book online @ Portlanddiscovery.com Call today 207-774-0808 • info@PortlandDiscovery.com Long Wharf, 170 Commercial St. (next to DiMillo’s) • Tours depart May-October 17-PORT-4322 Update_Print_Ads_7_667x4_750_4c_OldportMag_0222_OUT.indd 1
2/22/17 12:31 PM
390 Congress Street | Portland, Maine 04101 | 207.808.8700 | unionportland.com photo: kari herer
M a i n e ’ s F i n e s t P r i n t e d T- s h i r t s
LIBERT Y GRAPHICS 10 Moulton Street in Portland: 207-518-9599 • lgtees.com
Make an ordinary trip, extraordinary 8F JOWJUF ZPV UP NBLF BO PSEJOBSZ USJQ FYUSBPSEJOBSZ BOE FOKPZ BÄŒPSEBCMF MVYVSZ USBWFM XJUPVU UIF XPSSZ .BJOF -JNPVTJOF 4FSWJDF TQFDJBMJ[FT JO DPSQPSBUF USBWFM BJSQPSU USBOTGFST XFEEJOHT BOE BMM TQFDJBM PDDBTJPOT 4JUVBUFE KVTU NJOVUFT GSPN UIF 1PSUMBOE *OUFSOBUJPOBM +FUQPSU .BJOF -JNPVTJOF 4FSWJDF IBT CFFO QSPWJEJOH QSPGFTTJPOBM SFMJBCMF MVYVSZ USBOTQPSUBUJPO GPS /PSUIFSO /FX &OHMBOE TJODF 5PMM 'SFF t -PDBM 0OMJOF 3FTFSWBUJPOT BWBJMBCMF BU XXX NBJOFMJNP DPN &NBJM JORVJSFT UP JOGP!NBJOFMJNP DPN
Mike M. Marks
Liz Marks
“Mackworth Storm� Oil on Canvas, 12�x12�,2017,$375
87 Market Street~Portland, Maine 207~791~2723 www.forerivergallery.com
The NEW 2018 Abacus Calendars are in stores now. T W E L V E
M O N T H L Y
2018 ABACUS CALENDAR BY DANA HEACOCK
P O S T E R S
T W E LV E
M O N T H LY
P O S T E R S
2018 ABACUS CALENDAR BY DANA HEACOCK
since 1971
C RAF T . HO ME . J E WE LRY Boothbay Harbor Freeport Ogunquit Portland Kennebunkport — abacusgallery.com 800.206.2166
UP to the Challenge LADIES ADVENTURE CLUB EMPOWERS WOMEN THROUGH SHARED EXPERIENCES.
This page: An hour of hiking brought the Ladies Adventure Club to the first of two summits on their trip to the Little Concord Pond State Park area. After summiting Bald Mountain, the hike continued for another mile to the top of Speckled Mountain. Opposite page, from left: Activities organized by the club include kayaking excursions, hiking trips, and more introspective events, like poetry-writing workshops and guided meditations. Club founder Gillian Schair takes a break between summits.
34 OLD PORT
oldport.com
ACTIVE LIFE HOW PORTLAND KEEPS MOVING
BY KATY KELLEHER PHOTOGRAPHY BY TED AXELROD
G
illian Schair was watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries on Netflix one night when she came up with an idea. The drama series from Australia involves an attractive young sleuth living (and solving crimes) during the Jazz Age. “Miss Fisher’s a real-deal feminist,” says Schair. “She belongs to a club, and in one episode, her club sponsored a racecar driver. And I thought to myself, I want to belong to a club of women who adventure!” Schair realized that while her life as a parent of two and board chair for the Maine Women’s Lobby and Maine Women’s Policy Center was rich and fulfilling, it lacked a little zip, a little zest. “I never want to be bored in my life,” she says. “I want to grab what is out there. That’s what I wanted from the Ladies Adventure Club—a community of women who come together around a shared ethos and a desire to push themselves.”
It’s been over a year since Schair sat on her living room couch pondering adventures, and during that time, she’s built a robust network of women who gather for excursions. Some are adrenaline-boosting adventures, like a trip to a shooting range, while others are more low-key challenges, like learning to write poetry with Portland’s poet laureate, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc. “While I love to hike—and that’s part of the reason I started this group—there are members of the Ladies Adventure Club who don’t like to hike,” Schair says. “I try to weave in more internal adventures for them, too. While outdoor adventures thrill me, I realize it’s so important to carve out quiet time.” Relaxing, introspective activities that Schair has organized for her club members include guided meditations and qigong lessons. However, outdoor activities remain a vital
component of the club, and Schair routinely organizes hiking, paddling, cycling, and snowshoeing excursions. These day-long jaunts form the backbone of the Ladies Adventure Club and are popular among members of all ages and a variety of skill levels. On a warm April Sunday, I join the club for a hike to the top of Bald Mountain, where I see firsthand the power of Schair’s vision. We meet at 10 a.m. in the muddy parking lot by the trailhead. Before we set out for the summit, Schair calls us to circle up. Fifteen women—some fresh out of college, some grandmothers—stand in stretchy leggings and windbreakers as Schair sets our intention for the day. “We had a snowshoe trek in Scarborough under the full moon a few months ago,” she recalls. “It was beautiful, and it was great. But I realized afterwards that I spent the entire JULY // 2017
35
ACTIVE LIFE
This page: Club members stop for water, from left: Stacie Hamilton-Waldron, Amy Phillips, Anne Henshaw, Kate Burnham, Sara Needleman, Michaela Cavallaro, Alonna Pitreau, Shannon Bryan, and Meredith Wood-Masteka. Opposite page: In the winter, Schair plans full-moon snowshoe excursions to take advantage of bright winter nights.
time talking, and that I didn’t really appreciate the beauty of the landscape.” Several members laugh in acknowledgement and look at each other knowingly. Schair goes on to explain that she isn’t saying we shouldn’t talk on this hike—just that she wants to spend a little time on the trail being quiet. She finishes by reading a quote from Khalila Archer of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (an international nonprofit that brings mindfulness practices to youth): “‘Start by paying attention to each step. Simply notice each time your foot makes contact with the ground. Notice your body moving through space. Feel the contact of air against your skin. Bring your awareness to your senses.’” After a few more words of wisdom, we start off on the hike, soothed by her words and silent in the chirping, creaking, budding spring surroundings. The quiet doesn’t last too long. Soon enough, I find myself chatting with Margy Moreman, a recent transplant to Maine from Georgia. She joined the Ladies Adventure Club for two reasons: “I have loved hiking my whole life. I wanted to get back in the woods. Plus, I’m single and I don’t know anybody!” She heard 36 OLD PORT
oldport.com
about the club through a friend of a friend and decided it was just what she needed. “I needed a reason to get off my couch and get outside,” she says. Knowing that she’s meeting a group of people helps inspire her to follow through on her good intentions to exercise. It’s like having a dozen gym buddies, but instead of sweating it out in an enclosed space, they meet on the mountains of Acadia or the marshes of Scarborough or the hills of interior Maine. Later, as we near the top of Bald Mountain, I catch up with one of the faster hikers in the group, Sara Needleman. Needleman is a close friend of Schair’s and she’s been with the group since the very beginning. For her, one of the biggest appeals of the Ladies Adventure Club is that Schair offers ready-made adventures, planned, researched, and scheduled ahead of time (and often they’re free of charge). “It frees me from having to think about it; I can just go and enjoy the hike,” Needleman says. “I heard Gillian say to you a few minutes ago that she’s organized and meticulous. She’s underselling herself with that description.” Schair has a rare talent for mobilizing groups, a skill that she utilizes in her work with the Maine Women’s
Lobby and Maine Women’s Policy Center as well. Although the Ladies Adventure Club doesn’t have any political affiliations, it does reflect Schair’s interest in providing women with the tools they need to succeed. In her volunteer work, she lobbies to change Maine laws to be more supportive of women’s economic security, access to health care, and civil rights. Through the Ladies Adventure Club, she seeks to “empower other women in our group to take on leadership roles, whether that means thinking up an adventure, leading an adventure, or co-leading it.” She wants women to feel more comfortable being in the driver’s seat of their own lives. But in order to become comfortable, one must first feel uncomfortable. And that’s where the adventures come in. “My definition of adventure is doing something that puts me at my edge—not in a dangerous way, but a way that makes me feel more alive and vibrant,” says Schair. Adventuring is, for her, an essential part of living a full life. “I can feel it in my body. I don’t know if I have words for it, but it excites me, challenges me.” Even
A L L O F YO U R I N T E R I O R S O LU T I O N N EEDS
“MY DEFINITION OF ADVENTURE IS DOING SOMETHING THAT PUTS ME AT MY EDGE—NOT IN A DANGEROUS WAY, BUT A WAY THAT MAKES ME FEEL MORE ALIVE AND VIBRANT.” – GILLIAN SCHAIR
something as simple as a walk in the woods can be an adventure—particularly if you’re doing it with a group of people you’ve just met. A big part of the fictional Miss Fisher’s appeal is her fearlessness, and while they may not be racing cars or solving crimes, Ladies Adventure Club members are fearless about trying new things and meeting new people. This is perhaps the most impressive thing Schair has accomplished. Although I started on the hike not knowing anyone, never for a moment did I feel alone. Conversation was breezy and everyone met
on equal footing—it was clear from the get-go that all were welcome. “I didn’t create the group so I could go adventuring with my friends,” Schair says. The original idea, one that came to her as she sat on her couch watching Netflix, always involved (and celebrated) the awkward first steps toward forming brand-new friendships. And it’s paid off, Schair says. “I feel like there’s a new richness in my life, an interconnectedness that I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the Ladies Adventure Club.”
CERAMIC TILE-HARDWOOD RESILENT-CARPET GRANITE COUNTERTOPS CABINETRY PAULGWHITE.US
207-797-4657 JULY // 2017
37
PORTLAND DRY GOODS CO. PORTLAND, MAINE
237 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine 04101
www.portlanddrygoods.com
PHOEBE PORTEOUS limited edition prints
ELIZ ABETHMOSSGALLERIES.COM
PHOTO CREDIT: JAY YORK - LIMITED EDITION PRINTS, SIZES VARY
Damn good, down to earth, and never fussy
4 Thompson’s Point Rd, Portland ME Tasting Room and Gift shop open Wednesday thru Sunday at Noon www.StroudwaterDistillery.com (207) 536-7811
THE TOP OF THE EAST #MEETATTHETOP
)JHI 4USFFU ] 1PSUMBOE ] .BJOF
XXX UIFUPQPGUIFFBTU DPN
.POEBZ 5IVSTEBZ 1. UP 1. 'SJEBZ 4BUVSEBZ 1. UP ". 4VOEBZ 1. UP 1.
LOOK
Y O U R G U I D E T O G A L L E RY H O P P I N G A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL SHOW FAVORITES, FEATURING ARTWORKS FROM ARTISTS EMERGING TO ESTABLISHED
0 1 Henry Isaacs, Somes Sound from Sargent Drive, oil on canvas
01 HENRY ISAACS | July 6–29 | Greenhut Galleries | greenhutgalleries.me 40 OLD PORT
oldport.com
02
Michelle Hauser, Lake, zia types, cyanotypes, and gum bichromate prints
04
Daniel Corey, Sunny Days, oil on canvas
03
Gary Perlmutter, A Tough Nut to Crack, oil on linen
02 NEW WORK BY MICHELLE HAUSER June 14–July 15 | PhoPa Gallery phopagallery.com 03 TOOLS OF THE TRADE: GARY PERLMUTTER’S LATEST WORK May 1–July 31|Bridge Gallery bridgegallerymaine.com
04 DANIEL COREY
July 6–30 | Portland Art Gallery artcollectormaine.com
05 MEGGAN GOULD: BUREAU OF VISUAL
INSTRUCTION June 29–September 30 | Maine Museum of Photographic Arts mainemuseumofphotographicarts.org
05
Meggan Gould, Don’t open box in the light #3, pigment print
JULY // 2017
41
Dancing
BIG AND DREAMING
FOR THE VIA AGENCY’S CEO LEEANN LEAHY, GOOD TIMES AND GREAT WORK GO HAND-IN-HAND.
This page: Jim Brady looks out at Casco Bay from the This page: CEO Leeann Leahy waterfront near 58 in front of a sculpture that pays Fore Street, where tribute to the Baxter Library, he is partner in a which once occupied the major development. building now home to the VIA Opposite page: Brady Agency. Opposite page: A studio and his wife, Julia, designer builds a comp of a in the lounge at the creative concept on the long Press Hotel. table in the Production Hall. 42 OLD PORT oldport.com
P RO F I L E
THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE PORTLAND BY SUSAN AXELROD PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE WOLF
“H
ave a seat on the world’s most comfortable couch,” Leeann Leahy says as she welcomes me into her office at the VIA Agency. Dressed in jeans, a kelly-green sweater, and patent-leather loafers, Leahy matches her surroundings: polished yet relaxed. As president and CEO, Leahy is credited for the agency having been named one of AdAge magazine’s “Best Places to Work” twice during her four-plus-year tenure. Unlimited vacation, spontaneous activities designed to spur creativity, and on-site perks such as a bocce court and a meditation room were among the examples cited for VIA’s inclusion on the prestigious list in 2014 and 2016. Leahy attributes the agency’s reputation as an inspiring workplace to the core values established by John Coleman, who founded VIA in 1993 and moved it to the historic Baxter Library Building on Congress Street in 2010. “What John built here was an incredible cultural foundation,” Leahy says. “It’s a place with tremendous empathy, and spirit, and optimism; a big part of my responsibility was not only to protect that but to enhance it.”
“SHE BROUGHT HER EXPERTISE, HER PROFESSIONALISM, AND HER HUMANITY TO THE J O B F R O M D AY ONE.” –JOHN COLEMAN
Leahy grew up just north of New York City and spent her early years in advertising as a strategic planner at various agencies in Manhattan. In early 2011, she became president of Translation, an agency co-founded by rapper Jay-Z. Big-name accounts such as Bud Light flooded in, and the staff grew from 30 to 130 in the 18 months Leahy was there. “But in the middle of all that, I met John, and I was
reminded how fun advertising is supposed to be,” she says. “I realized: we can have fun together and do amazing work. Next thing I know, I live in Maine.” The state wasn’t entirely unfamiliar when Leahy,
her husband Tom, and their three children moved here from New York in 2013. The family has owned a home on Bailey Island for 14 years, where her parents recently established themselves full time. “It never occurred to me we would live in Maine,” she says. “I was the JULY // 2017
43
“ I T ’ S I M P O R TA N T T O H AV E P E O P L E WHO ARE HAPPY HERE ... BUT W E A L S O H AV E V E RY H I G H S TA N D A R D S . ”
This page: Leahy and a creative team meet in the Production Hall to review concepts for a client presentation. Opposite page, from left: VIA encourages employees to display their own works of art, such as this welded steel scuplture by senior copywriter Steve Holt. A client strategist prepares for a meeting in The Commons under an art installation of floating type.
–LEEANN LEAHY
New Yorker who thought New York was the center of the universe and I wasn’t going to go anywhere.” Originally hired as president of the VIA Agency, Leahy became CEO in 2015 when Coleman made the decision to transition to board chair, removing himself from the day-to-day operation of the company. “She brought her expertise, her professionalism, and her humanity to the job from day one,” he says. Aware that he would eventually need to choose a successor, he wasn’t actively looking when a
44 OLD PORT
oldport.com
mutual friend introduced him to Leahy. Over lunch in New York City, “we laughed for an hour straight,” he says. “On the flight back I thought, ‘Damn, she could be the one.’” When he called Leahy to say, “You need to come to work in Maine,” she didn’t take him seriously, but agreed to a visit. “I think it switched from a daydream to the real thing when she walked in the door of the Baxter Building and met the people,” Coleman says. “She saw it was a professional as well as a personal move.”
Leahy’s goal for VIA is a lofty one: to be the best agency in the world. To reach it requires “a combination of the most inspired associates and the best quality work,” she says. To inspire “VIAns,” as staffers are nicknamed, she has introduced several initiatives designed to reinforce VIA’s 10 founding principles: Be curious, Honor the process, Think like the audience, Create respect, Be on time, Be on budget, Figure it out, Find the magic, Do work that makes you proud, and Believe. Chief among these is the “Go. Do.” series—surprise activities that involve the whole company. “My personal favorite was the lunchtime dance party at Geno’s next door,” she says. “We had pizza, and one VIAn DJ’d; everyone was given a drink ticket, and we danced our faces off—and then we all went back to work.” Individual activities—the “Hey You! Go. Do.” series— have included sending an employee to New Hampshire the weekend before the primaries to see all the presidential candidates, and right before Christmas, flying art director Danielle Dutile and her boyfriend to the North Pole. “Technically it’s Finnish Lapland, but it’s in the Arctic Circle and they have Santa’s Village,” says Leahy. “Our uber principle is ‘Believe,’ and what better way to reinforce that at the holidays than to send someone to meet Santa?” The trips and the dance parties are not just a perk; they’re a “strategic investment” in the effort to be the best, Leahy says. “If you can dance in front of your colleagues and be silly and foolish, well then, it makes it a lot easier to share your ideas with them the next day in a meeting.” The “no-vacation policy policy,” which allows VIAns to take as much vacation as they want as long as they clear it with their manager, generous parental leave, a stipend for
PROFILE
nursing mothers who travel for work to ship their breast milk home, and a sabbatical policy are also key to acquiring and retaining top-level creatives, she says. “It’s important to have people who want to be here, who are happy here, and who can rely on each other, but we also have very high standards. This is not a place to skate by.” Beyond benefitting employees, Leahy’s approach has attracted significant new clients to the agency, notably L.L.Bean. VIA won the business through a “very, very competitive creative shootout” with an agency “ranked the best in America right now,” she says. The new campaign is being rolled out in July for back to school. She is also proud of the agency’s work for T. Rowe Price, which features acrobats “to show the beauty, nuance, and precision that they apply in active management of assets,” and for Three Olives Vodka, a campaign involving artists called “Find Otherness.” Thinking ahead, Leahy says, “I feel like it’s our time to get a car [account], and we love working in soft drinks and beverages because they’re super fun to play with, and they’re so image oriented that you can really create interesting brands there.” Outside of the office, Leahy serves on the Board of Trustees at the Portland Museum of Art and spends “a lot of time on the sidelines” at her children’s various sports activities. Mac, 17, Winnie, 14, and Duncan, 11, all go to public schools in Yarmouth, where Leahy and her husband renovated an old ship-captain’s home
close to the center of town. It includes a big rec room with games and a built-in disco ball. “Tom’s awesome,” Leahy says of her husband. “We’ve been married almost 20 years and he makes everything I do possible because he’s such an incredible partner and father. He stays home with the kids, which is such a huge gift for our family. And he keeps me laughing at the same time. Lucky me.” They entertain year-round, but are known for their New Year’s Eve party, where the disco ball comes in handy
for dancing until the wee hours. “Really, all you need to know about me is that I have a disco ball hard-wired in my house,” she says with a chuckle. “I say all the time, ‘I feel like I won the lottery.’ All my professional challenges are as great, as if not greater than, they’ve ever been in my career, and yet I get to live here.’” Coleman was right: she is the one, believing and making magic in a place she never dreamed she’d be.
JULY // 2017
45
S TAY RELAX DINE
BUILT FOR LIVING.
Toll-Free: (877) 209-8414
| (207) 539-9600 schiavicustom.com
You’re unique... But is your bag?
Totally customizable handbags from Italy
191 Middle St. Portland, Maine
Your bag, your way
C
R A F T S M A N S H I P
CASCO BAY ARTISANS – Fine Art Gallery –
207 . 536 . 1577 | Cascobayartisans.com 68 Commerical St. Portland, Me 04101
15 Chestnut Street Portland, Maine | 207.828.4422
restaurantgrace.com
IN FOUR ONE MAINE CHILDREN EXPERIENCE •
•
FOOD INSECURITY.
THIS SUMMER, LET’S RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO ENDING CHILD HUNGER. We are ensuring kids are fed when school is out for the summer by connecting more children than ever before to summer meals in their communities. We recruit new meal sites, reach out to low-income families, and make grants to support the start-up, operation and expansion of these programs. We create plans to make these summer connections, and with your support, we will end child hunger.
fullplates.org
SECOND-LIFE
store
PORTLAND FLEA-FOR-ALL REINVENTS BELOVED ARTS DISTRICT SPOT.
By SUSAN AXELROD Photography By NICOLE WOLF
I
f the timing had been different, Erin Kiley and Nathaniel Baldwin might now be serving up veggie burgers instead of selling vintage furniture. When the couple moved to Portland from southern California in 2010, they planned to open a business, and their first thought was a vegetarian restaurant. “But we quickly decided that was not one of the things Portland wanted at the time,” says Kiley. Baldwin’s mom had another suggestion, as mothers do. Two years later it was realized as the Portland Flea-for-All. “She has friends who own the Brooklyn Flea, and she suggested that we do something comparable here,” says Kiley. “We sort of scoffed at the idea at first, and then we started looking around and realized how rich the antiques culture in Maine is.” After four years building a loyal following on Kennebec Street in Bayside, in June 2016 the couple announced their plan to move the Flea-for-All to a historic building they had purchased on Congress Street in the Arts District. The large storefront space had been the home of Paul’s Food Center for four decades, but owner Paul Trusiani had died the previous fall, and his family decided not to continue running the grocery store. “They came to us and asked if we wanted to buy it,” says Kiley. “They saw in us the legacy of a young couple building something in the community like Paul and his former wife Annamarie had.” There were some who looked at the transition as a “gentrification story,” she says. “But it just wasn’t. We support 50 other small businesses in this shop, we do a lot of work with other local businesses, and we focus on running community events. Paul’s most loyal customers have come in and said how proud they are of what we’ve done here.”
50 OLD PORT
oldport.com
Opposite: Last summer, the Flea-for-All moved from its original location in Bayside to a Congress Street storefront that had housed Paul’s Food Center for 40 years. This page: Flea-for-All owners Erin Kiley and Nathaniel Baldwin with their shop dog Bodhi.
This page: Antique weaving bobbins. Opposite page: Kiley arranges plants, the latest addition to the shop’s inventory.
As Kiley and Baldwin show me around the 10,000-squarefoot space, I admire the rustic floor boards and assume they are original, having been covered by battered linoleum for years. No, says Baldwin, the wood is antique hemlock from a tobacco barn, installed as part of a four-month-long renovation that began with removing some 200 tons of refrigeration, supermarket equipment, and other materials that had been left behind. Portland-based design-build company Barrett Made was charged with peeling back the layers of the space, which was built in 1881 as the first Shaw’s grocery store. “We were very focused on returning it to its historic integrity,” says Kiley. Ceiling lights with angled glass globes were salvaged from one of the attics in an apartment above the shop and are believed to be from the original grocery store. Other vestiges of the building’s former life include the original butcher’s scale built into the concrete floor, and high on one wall, a porcelain urinal from a long-gone second-floor men’s room. It’s now used as a planter. The Flea-for-All’s former location occupied 7,800 square feet on three floors. Not only is its new home larger, the one-floor layout also offers “more variety within the space we can play with,” says Baldwin. I’m visiting with him and Kiley on a Thursday, the day each week when vendors and dealers drop off items that the couple spends hours arranging into their signature
52 OLD PORT
oldport.com
FURNITURE, RUGS, AND
HOME ACCESSORIES ARE ARRANGED IN REALISTIC VIGNETTES. JULY // 2017
53
displays. They have developed relationships with antiques dealers all over the state, and they vet every item that comes in. “From the beginning, we had a different take on the flea market,” says Kiley. “We wanted it to be curated, to be more of a functional, accessible type of second-life store, as opposed to a more traditional antiques store.” Toward the front of the shop, furniture, rugs, and home accessories are arranged in realistic vignettes, and at the back are several vendor booths dedicated to vintage clothing, vinyl record albums, and other, mostly smaller items. I’m immediately drawn to a large kilim rug that Kiley suggests could be cut down, a Lucite coffee table, and a Danish-modern sideboard I’m surprised hasn’t already been snapped up. Kiley explains that it’s been in the shop for about a month, which is a long time for a midcentury piece of its quality. “The store works because we really strive to have a high caliber of merchandise, but we also focus on turnover,” she says. “So most of the customers that come in do so on a regular basis because they know they’ll find something different every week.” From the beginning, the Flea-for-All has been open just Friday through Sunday, which creates a sense of “urgency and suspense,” Kiley says. 54 OLD PORT
oldport.com
“WE WANTED IT TO BE CURATED, TO BE MORE OF A FUNCTIONAL, ACCESSIBLE TYPE OF SECOND-LIFE STORE.” –ERIN KILEY
Each week, “teaser albums” of new merchandise are posted to the Flea-for-All’s Facebook page, which helps to draw crowds of up to a thousand visitors on a busy day. “We found that making it more like an event has really driven a lot more traffic than if it was a regular retail store
open all week,” says Kiley. The arrangement also allows the couple to run their business largely by themselves. And while there is no dedicated parking as there was on Kennebec Street, four loading spaces right out front make it easy to get customers’ purchases into their cars. “It’s
Opposite page: A young customer tests out a vintage manual typewriter. This page: Visitors to the shop are encouraged to browse.
Flea-for-All shoppers show off an album selected from the shop’s extensive collection.
When you see Karen out and about tell your server, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Maine magazine food editor Karen Waterson and detail of her tasting at The Brunswick Inn, Brunswick.
Join Karen’s dining adventures. Subscribe, read, like, follow. themainemag.com + @eatmaine
funny, we thought when we moved there would be a pretty significant dip while people figured out where we were, and then adjusted to the change in parking, but there wasn’t,” she says. “It was instantly gangbusters right out of the gate.” On a weekend afternoon, with music playing and customers chatting as they wander through the store, the Flea-for-All feels less 56 OLD PORT
oldport.com
like a shopping destination and more like a party in a fun, funky location. And that’s just what Kiley and Baldwin had in mind. “We never want people to feel like they have to buy anything when they’re in here,” says Kiley. “We wanted to create a community gathering space, and just a nice place to be.” Trusiani’s son, Buzzy, is one of the shop’s best customers, she says. “Every time he walks through the door he just beams.”
Phoenix Studio
Restoration and Design of Fine Art Glass Since 1976
B ayview G allery
#( ]-5-)/, 5) 5 /-.)'5 ,.5 & --5 ),5 (35 **&# .#)(8 Custom Designs, Restorations and Repairs, Windows, Doors, Lighting, Kitchen and Bath, Fusing, Painting, Sandblasting, and more...
Tidal Surge by Harley Bartlett, oil on linen, 18� x 24�
58 Maine Street, Brunswick ME 04011 • 800-244-3007
BAYVIEWGALLERY.COM
R5lif5 ), -.5 0 5 ),.& ( 65 5fjgfg5R5hfm8mm8jgkj5R51118*") (#2-./ #)8 )'5R
C L ASSI C C O M FO RT FO O D S
M A D E F R O M S C R AT C H D I N N E R 4 - 10 M O N DAY - SAT U R DAY 7 N I G H T S A W E E K 4 : 0 0 P M - 10 : 0 0 P M 3 6 5 M A I N S T R E E T YA R M O U T H , M E 207-847-0580 | OWL ANDELM.COM
On the third weekend in July, Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth is home base for families visiting their children at Maine’s summer camps.
WELCOME BACK,
Parents PORTLAND ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET FOR CAMPERS WEEKEND. by Susan Axelrod Photography by Nicole Wolf
On the third weekend in July,
SPUR-OF-THEMOMENT VISITORS TO GREATER PORTLAND WOULD BE WELL ADVISED TO HAVE A TENT STASHED IN THE TRUNK. 60 OLD PORT
oldport.com
Not only is it the height of the summer tourist season, but most local hotels will have been booked for months, some by guests who reserve the same rooms year after year. July 20 through 23 is also Campers Weekend, when parents of thousands of children at Maine summer camps come to visit their kids and kick up their heels in Portland. “It’s a great opportunity for parents to enjoy many of the things their kids get to enjoy, and we encourage it,” says Ron Hall, executive director of the nonprofit Maine Summer Camps. He estimates that 40,000 children attend summer camp in the state. Not all camps have formalized visiting days, but many do, and not all parents who visit their kids stay for the whole weekend. Some parents use Campers Weekend as a reason to explore other parts of Maine. But Portland, with its nationally known restaurants, vibrant mix of shops, picturesque waterfront, and walkability, is a major draw. Before parents left Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth on the Sunday of Campers Weekend last year, they secured their reservations for this July. Like other hotels in and around Portland,
the 61-room luxury property has a three-night minimum that weekend, and most guests arrive on Thursday evening. “For a lot of the guests coming this year, it’s on average between their seventh and ninth stay at the inn for Campers Weekend,” says guest services manager Annie Bolton. “At the end of last year, we already had 53 families rebook automatically for this year.” The wait list starts in early August, and Bolton also tries to help parents she can’t accommodate find rooms elsewhere. “If they’re calling to book at Inn by the Sea they’re looking for the Maine experience, but they may also be looking for more of a luxury experience, ideally in Portland,” she says. “It’s nice having the newer hotels like the Press and the Westin that we can recommend.” Many of the inn’s Campers Weekend guests know each other, either through long association with the camp their children attend, or from their lives at home. The atmosphere for those few days resembles a reunion, with perks and activities the inn has organized just for camper families. There’s a welcome reception on the front lawn on Thursday, and on Saturday, the inn provides breakfast “grab bags” so everyone can leave early for visiting
A Campers Weekend Guide to Portland WHERE TO EAT/DRINK:
Casual Maine fare on the waterfront J’S OYSTER
5 Portland Pier jsoysterportland.com
PORTLAND LOBSTER COMPANY 180 Commercial St. portlandlobstercompany.com
Local bistros off the beaten path DAVID’S (New American) 22 Monument Sq., davidsrestaurant.com BODA (Thai)
671 Congress St., bodamaine.com
ISA (Mediterranean)
79 Portland St., isaportlandme.com
LOLITA VINOTECA + ASADOR
(Mediterranean) 90 Congress St., lolita-portland.com
PICCOLO (Italian)
111 Middle St., piccolomaine.com
SUR LIE (eclectic)
11 Free St., sur-lie.com
James Beard Awards DUCKFAT
43 Middle St., duckfat.com
FORE STREET
288 Fore St., forestreet.biz
EVENTIDE OYSTER CO.
86 Middle St., eventideoysterco.com
HUGO’S
88 Middle St., hugos.net
THE HONEY PAW
78 Middle St., thehoneypaw.com
For craft beer fans LIQUID RIOT
250 Commercial St., liquidriot.com
NOVARE RES BIER CAFÉ 4 Canal Plaza
Distinctive dining rooms Opposite page: Fore Street is always a busy restaurant, but it is especially popular on Campers Weekend. This page: Families reserve the same rooms at Inn by the Sea year after year.
“IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS TO ENJOY MANY OF THE THINGS THEIR KIDS GET TO ENJOY.” –RON HALL, Maine Summer Camps
EVO
443 Fore St., evoportland.com
GRACE
15 Chestnut St., restaurantgrace.com
TEMPO DULU AT THE DANFORTH INN
163 Danforth St., tempodulu.restaurant/en-us
A Campers Weekend Guide to Portland CONT’D
Opposite page: Inn by the Sea concierge Mark Kellerman says Campers Weekend is “like the Superbowl—the whole city is geared up for it.” He enjoys seeing the same guests return year after year. “They’re like family to me. When they arrive we say, ‘Welcome home.’” This page: The inn will provide snacks, such as freshly baked cookies, for parents to take to their children at camp.
WHERE TO SHOP:
Clothing and accessories ARISTELLE
92 Exchange St., aristelle.com
DAVID WOOD CLOTHIERS
229 Commercial St., davidwood.com
HOLLY STONE
99 Exchange St., hollystone.biz
JOSEPH’S
410 Fore St., josephsofportland.com
LIBERTY GRAPHICS
10 Moulton St., libertygraphicstshirts.com
O BAG
191 Middle St., obagboston.com
PORTLAND DRY GOODS CO.
237 Commercial St., portlanddrygoods.com
Fresh Maine seafood
(packed to go or shipped home)
BROWNE TRADING CO. 262 Commercial St., brownetrading.com HARBOR FISH MARKET
9 Custom House Wharf, harborfish.com
Home décor and gifts ABACUS GALLERY
44 Exchange St., abacusgallery.com
URBAN DWELLINGS
day at camp. Parents can also order from a list of “Camp Visiting Treats:” popcorn sampler packs, whoopie pies, saltwater taffy, and Capt’n Eli soda. Dining out, especially on Saturday night, is a highlight of the weekend. “A lot of the guests coming from New York are big into the foodie scene here in Portland, so our team will work with them on restaurant reservations,” says Bolton. Top on the list is Fore Street, which takes reservations 60 days in advance. “We start [accepting reservations] at 10 in the morning and are booked within seven to eight minutes,” says the restaurant’s general manager, Robyn Violette. “My phone becomes a Christmas tree,” says Joshua Doré, whose Fore Street business card reads Director of First Impressions. “You’re talking to these people frequently if they don’t get the time they want on the first day. There’s the American Express concierges calling, and they have two assistants on speed dial calling as well.” In the past, some Campers Weekend guests would book tables at several of Portland’s top restaurants, waiting to see which time worked with their schedules, or if a time they couldn’t get in advance opened up. “Now we share our lists with each other, and we give them a choice 24 hours in advance,” says Violette.
Most callers for Campers Weekend want to book large parties, but big tables are limited at Fore Street, which has just 100 seats, mostly at tables for two and four that, because of the fire code, can’t be moved or expanded. “If we can’t seat them together at one table, we’ll try to get them as close as possible so they can comingle with their friends,” says Doré. “They generally spend the whole night walking around talking to everybody in the room that they know; they’re not really seated and enjoying their meal, which is funny,” Violette says. “They’ve seen their child and kissed them goodbye. Now it’s their social hour.” Fore Street has always kept about a third of its seats available for walk-ins, and locals know that the 11-seat bar is often a good option. On Campers Weekend, however, the line for those seats extends down the block. “A couple of times I’ve had to go out and say, ‘Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate as many of you who are standing in line,’” says Violette. “‘We only have 30 tables and 20 of those are reserved times two; we’re never going to be able to get you in.’” She and Doré are happy to be able to recommend Scales, the considerably larger, year-old restaurant on the waterfront that is part of the same restaurant group. “I’m sure during the weekend they will try Scales
118 Congress St., urban-dwell.com
WHAT TO SEE/DO: Experience Casco Bay
Take a ferry out to an island or just for a cruise via CASCO BAY LINES, cascobaylines.com. Check out the view from the EASTERN PROM, and go for a walk on the RAIL TRAIL, trails.org.
Check out the art scene
Browse paintings and sculpture by Maine artists at PORTLAND ART GALLERY, 154 Middle St., artcollectormaine.com. See classic and contemporary works of art at the PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART, 7 Congress Sq., portlandmuseum.org.
Sample local flavors
Take a brewery tour, and taste a variety of locally brewed beer at SHIPYARD BREWING COMPANY, 86 Newbury St., shipyard.com. Head a few miles up the road to experience a quintessentially Maine small-town celebration at the YARMOUTH CLAM FESTIVAL, July 21-23, clamfestival.com .
The staff at Fore Street knows to expect a crowd on Campers Weekend.
“THEY GENERALLY SPEND THE WHOLE NIGHT WALKING AROUND TALKING TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM THAT THEY KNOW. THEY’VE SEEN THEIR CHILD AND KISSED THEM GOODBYE. NOW IT’S THEIR SOCIAL HOUR.” –ROBYN VIOLETTE, Fore Street
and they probably will love it, but they want to be able to say, ‘I ate at Fore Street,’ because it’s nationally recognized,” she says. “If other people pay attention to something, it creates its own life.” Doré tells a Campers Weekend story from when he worked at a Portland hotel as the morning dining room manager. “Somebody forgot to order coffee lids. On Saturday morning, the parents would come down, get their coffee, get in their cars and leave for camp. Without coffee, everything fell apart. People were leaving without coffee. This very nice woman who you will see on national television 64 OLD PORT
oldport.com
walked up to the host stand and said, ‘Josh, you don’t seem to have any coffee lids today.’ I said, ‘Oh goodness, all right, just one second.’ I had brought my coffee with me that morning, so I took the lid off, rinsed it, and handed it to her. She said, ‘Thank you,’ put the lid on her cup and walked out the door. I saved Katie Couric’s morning.” Despite the clamor and chaos that characterizes Campers Weekend, it’s such a longstanding tradition that it’s become just another part of the busy summer season. “It’s a phenomenon we prepare for in advance,” says Rauni Kew, public relations and green program manager of
Inn by the Sea. And the revenue it produces is significant. “Summer camps have a direct and indirect impact on the Maine economy in the amount of over $320 million annually,” says Hall of Maine Summer Camps. Kids have lifechanging experiences at Maine summer camps, so why shouldn’t their parents get to share in some of the magic that, at least in July, makes our state a place everyone wants to be?
MAINE SAILING ADVENTURES MAINE STATE PIER á PORTLAND, ME
Charter . Special Events . Day Sail Yoga Sail . Acoustic Sunset Sail . Wine Sail
(207) 749-9169 á MAINESAILINGADVENTURES.NET
PORTLAND
A T T O S E S T A T E J E W E L R Y. C O M
AMERICAN FOOD & FUN Open daily at 11am www.EasyDaySoPo.com
South Portland’s premier family dining and entertainment option!!! Tuesday night is family night!
Full menu available for Take-Out… Catering need - large or small…? We are your solution!
Find and us on Facebook to keep up on specials & events!
207-613-9222
JUNE 26 - JULY 7 UP TO 20% OFF
ALISON CHASE / PERFORMANCE in collaboration with GENE FELICE / CoACTION LAB and FRANZ NICOLAY, composer
C U S TO M I Z E D TO F I T YO U R
S PAC E & S T Y L E
MOVEMENT • LIGHT • PROJECTION • SOUND an immersive multi-media tent event
Fort Knox, Prospect, ME August 24-27 • 8PM Thompson’s Point, Portland, ME August 31-September 3 • 8PM COME EARLY AND GRAB A BITE TO EAT!
The excitement is BUILDING! We’ve been busy renovating our space just for you! Soon you’ll enjoy gorgeous new spa rooms with a private waiting area, a nail bar, an expanded salon space, retail area, and more!
Tickets and more information: www.AlisonChase.com • @AlisonChasePerf vvvvvvvv
S U S TA I N A B LY M A D E I N T H E U S A E C O - F R I E N D LY & C U S T O M I Z A B L E 429 RT1 SCARBOROUGH, ME 207.883.3264 CONDOFURNITURE.COM
We’re bringing something new and FRESH to Free Street! Stop by Portland Pulp for chopped salads, smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
Get excited for this mystical and healing shop offering metaphysical services, including astrological, tarot and aura readings!
www.portlandpulp.com
www.llullshop.com
ANNOUNCE IT WITH STYLE! CUSTOM INVITATIONS | STATIONERY | PENS AND JOURNALS | FINE PAPER | GIFTS | GREETING CARDS
ECRU IN THE OLD PORT 75 MARKET STREET SUITE 103. PORTLAND, MAINE 207.747.4507 | INFO@ECRUINVITATIONS.COM | ECRUINVITATIONS.COM
This page: In the living room of Briana and Andrew Volk’s midcentury-modern home, the original fireplace brick was updated with black paint. The brass door on the right opens to a dumbwaiter for bringing wood up from the basement. Furnishings include an Eames lounge chair, a Gus Modern sofa from Furniturea, and a cow rug that was a gift from Briana’s mother. Opposite page: Briana and Andrew in front of the house with their daughter, Oona. Their son, Rockwell, was born in late April. The “4” that marks their address was made by their friend, Portland neon artist David Johansen.
CLASSIC
COMEBACK Restaurateurs revive a midcentury-modern home in Oakdale.
BY
DEBRA SPARK PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRIAM BABIN
JULY // 2017
69
THE VOLKS’ FURNISHINGS ARE COMPLETELY OF A PIECE WITH MIDCENTURY-MODERN DESIGN SENSIBILITIES.
A
ndrew and Briana Volk know the virtue of smart siting. Three and a half years ago, they opened a craft cocktail bar with a menu of Scandinavianinspired small plates in the center of the Old Port. The Portland Hunt and Alpine Club quickly received accolades from Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and the James Beard Awards, among other culinary heavyweights. The Volks’ newest venture is Little Giant, which they describe as a “curated” neighborhood grocery store, located in the West End. The store features general items, wine, and beer, along with surprise finds like tinned fish, Jacobsen sea salt, and charcuterie from Olympia Provisions in Portland, Oregon. This spring, Little Giant will also refer to a restaurant, in the same building as the store and conceived as a neighborhood gathering spot. For the Volks, clearly, place is the thing. The couple were living with their five-monthold daughter, Oona, in a rental above the restaurant Duckfat on Middle Street when they decided they needed more room. Their 70 OLD PORT
oldport.com
first priority was to find a midcentury-modern house, and they were willing to go outside of Portland to find it. “We looked all the way out to Gorham,” Briana says. Both Andrew and Briana are drawn to functional and minimal design. Witness Hunt and Alpine Club’s décor, with its galvanized metal bar, George Nelson bubble lamps, and long tables with rows of white Eames shell chairs for seating. For Briana, a second-generation Finnish-American, the style’s appeal goes even deeper. She grew up on the West Coast surrounded by the furniture and dishes of Eero Saarinen and Alvar Aalto, two Finnish avatars of midcentury-modern design. Eventually, the Volks found a two-story rectangular home with a one-story ground floor wing on a charming street of small family houses just off Brighton Avenue in Oakdale. The house was designed by John Calvin Stevens—not the architect whose name is synonymous with the grand shingle-style homes that you see on the West End and farther afield in Maine, but by his grandson, John Calvin Stevens II, who planned the house in
1948. That this third-generation architect—his father was also an architect—should be drawn to postwar modernism, despite the family tradition, is not the surprise it might seem, says Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., the Maine State Historian. Shettleworth explains that Stevens II was exposed to the prevailing aesthetic while studying at the University of Pennsylvania. When Stevens II returned from the Second World War (where he was a naval officer), he continued to design Colonial Revival homes, but he was ready to use the new idiom. His design for King Middle School in Portland is one early example of his efforts. His own 1951 stone and glass home in Cape Elizabeth is another, and the Volks’ is a third. Though once cutting-edge, by 2014, the house off Brighton Avenue was hurting: foreclosed on and left vacant for several years, its copper wires had been stripped, its doors were swollen shut, and its roof leaked. Still, Andrew says, Briana had a clear vision for what the house could be, and they were intrigued by its quirks, which included radiant heat in the ceiling—installed
Opposite page: In the owners’ bedroom, the painting above the bed was done by Briana’s mother, Bee Bononcini, of Astoria, Oregon. The bed has a Pendleton blanket, and the side tables are from Ikea. This page: Chairs from Blu Dot and a rug sourced in California create a reading nook in the owners’ bedroom. Andrew took the photo in Marfa, Texas, and had it framed using salvaged window parts.
JULY // 2017
71
FOOD AND DRINK ARE NOT JUST THE COUPLE’S BUSINESS, BUT THEIR PRIMARY PLEASURE AND FAVORITE FAMILY ACTIVITY.
long before radiant heat became popular for floors—and a brass door that opens on a dumbwaiter that brings wood up from the basement. The Volks closed on the house on a Thursday. It rained over the weekend. On Monday, demolition workers started gutting the basement, which had been fashioned into an apartment. They took the rooms down to the studs and “found mushrooms growing everywhere,” Briana says. To update the house, much was removed— old carpeting, wallpaper, walls—and much added—new heat and electric systems, windows, cork floors, and fresh carpet. The 72 OLD PORT
oldport.com
ground floor now consists of a living room/ dining room/kitchen off of a small TV room and a large guest room/office, which likely once served as the owners’ bedroom. Some built-ins, like a corner shelving unit under the living room’s long horizontal windows, were retained, as was a black slate hearth. The couple completely overhauled the kitchen, designing a horseshoe-shaped space with new flatpanel cherry cabinets with nickel pulls, open shelving, and a Cambria quartz countertop. The bathrooms got makeovers with Ikea products; there are more ambitious plans for later. Oona’s bedroom—full of stuffed animals, a tall giraffe, a bird mobile, and a rocking stuffed polar bear (instead of a rocking horse)—will also evolve as she grows. The interior and exterior walls
are painted white or gray with black as an occasional accent color, as with the large brick chimney wall in the living room. The Volks’ furnishings are completely of a piece with midcentury-modern design sensibilities. They include a Gus Modern couch (from Furniturea, a store adjacent to their Old Port bar), an Eames black lounge chair in the living room, a George Nelson bubble lamp over the dining room table, and George Nelson cigar lamps (used as a pendant in the stairwell and as a standing lamp in the toy room). A teak shelving and cabinet unit in the dining room is from Cumberland’s Vintage Modern Maine. These classic pieces are coupled with an occasional online purchase (a lamp from Blu
Opposite page: The Volks completely redid their kitchen with flat-panel cherry cabinetry from Home Again by Hancock Lumber and cork floors from Port City Flooring. This page: The stuffed giraffe is toddler Oona’s favorite thing in a room full of nature-inspired items, including the bird mobile and the Marimekko beanbag.
Dot in the living room, a dresser from CB2), and pieces with more personal stories—an Argentinian cowhide rug in the living room is a gift from Briana’s mother; Briana bought a small wooden living room cabinet for $30 when she was 16; and two framed posters in the TV room are from a historic strip club in Portland, Oregon, the city where the couple met when Briana was in advertising and Andrew (a Vermont native and Colby graduate) was tending bar. Food and drink are not just the couple’s business, but their primary pleasure and favorite family activity. Oona has learned a bit of her mother’s Finnish—she can recite “The ItsyBitsy Spider” in the language—and likes to play
with her small pots and pans at the countertop where her parents engage in their more serious efforts. The new kitchen allows cooking, in the way their old apartment did not, which is helpful given that one of the couple’s upcoming projects is a Hunt and Alpine cookbook. One might think that restaurateurs would be hesitant to share the secrets of their recipes, but the Volks are not concerned. Their philosophy is that one goes out less for food and drink—although both are important— than for community and to be in a space that makes conversation possible. Andrew observes that it is an honor for bartenders to find their cocktail creations in another bar. For the past three years, Briana has organized a regional
conference that celebrates bartenders and spirits. Creating conversations is the theme that runs through all the Volks’ endeavors. “My background is as a writer, and one of the things I like to do is to let people tell stories, to create a place where they can have a good memory,” says Briana. Now, with a toddler and a new baby at home, they are focusing on creating a domestic space for the making and sharing of family stories. “Yeah,” muses Andrew, who used to need to stay at his bar until 1 a.m. every day, “neither of us is staying out late after work anymore.” Thousands of Maine homes, 10 years and counting. Follow us: Facebook.com/OurMaineHomes
JULY // 2017
73
A
An extraordinary offering in the quintessentially Maine summer community of Prout’s Neck, this two-residence compound has been in the same family for four generations. Reached by a private road, the 1.77-acre property boasts sweeping views of the open ocean, with broad lawns leading to a secluded cove and sandy swimming beach. “The Walnuts,” built in 1900, is an historic, shingle-style cottage with spacious, light-filled rooms, including 10 bedrooms
and five-and-a-half baths, an expansive deck, screened porch, and two-bay garage. “The Wasnuts,” added to the estate in 1979, is a comfortably appointed, year-round home with four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths; two more bedrooms and one-and-a half-baths are located in the attached guesthouse, “The Nutshell,” built in 2012. A true sanctuary, this distinctive property is still just 15 minutes from all the conveniences of Greater Portland.
18 & 20 JOCELYN ROAD, PROUT’S NECK, SCARBOROUGH, MAINE, 04074 • $6,990,000 TOWN & SHORE ASSOCIATES, LLC • TOWNANDSHORE.COM LUCY FLIGHT, LYNN HALLET T & WILLIAM DAVISSON • 207-523-8116
Browne Trading Market Renowned Purveryors of the Freshest Fish, Finest Caviars, and Hand-Crafted Smoked Seafood PORT L A ND , M A I NE
VISIT OU R S E A F O O D
& 262
WINE M A RK E T
COMME RC I A L S TRE E T
I N PORT L A ND ’ S O LD P O RT
207.775.7560
They say if you’re not born here, you’ll never be a Mainer.
We disagree. We’ve been making Mainers for more than 60 years!
(Left to Right): Jeff Davis, Gail Landry, Steve Parkhurst, Susan Lamb, Sandy Johnson, Whitney Harvey, Lucy Foster-Flight, Mark Fortier, Lynn Hallett, William Davisson, Dianne Maskewitz, Bob Knecht, Rowan Morse, Cindy Landrigan, Sue Lessard, Tish Whipple Brenda Cerino-Galli
www.townandshore.com | 207.773.0262 one union wharf . portland
Portland Investment / Development Opportunities
69 Newbury St.
17 Bates St.
87 Newbury St.
MULTI-UNIT/ MIXED USE $1.5 million
2-UNIT/ MIXED USE/ VIEW $345,000
SINGLE FAMILY/ DEVELOPMENT $395,000
Tom Landry & The Landry Team Portland’s Real Estate Leader® landryteam@benchmarkmaine.com 207-775-0248
108 Washington Ave. 4-UNIT/ DEVELOPMENT $895,000
Local - Savvy - Responsive
GATHER
G O O D T I M E S , G R E AT C A U S E S
GLITTERATI
Photography by Heidi Kirn
More than 375 guests attended Glitterati 2017 at the Westin Portland Harborview, raising over $75,000 for the Telling Room’s afterschool and in-school creative writing programs. This year, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree received the Telling Room’s fifth-annual Red Buoy Award for her dedication to the arts and her efforts to support young people in Maine.
01
03
02 04
“I believe that programs like those offered by The Telling Room are critical for our young people and that they also contribute to preserving our diverse cultural histories, and enrich all of our lives. I especially appreciate and admire the organization’s work with immigrant and refugee youth, empowering them to become outspoken voices, storytellers, and leaders in our community.” —Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
06
01 Patricia Hagge, teaching artist in residence at the Telling Room; and Cyrus Hagge, owner of Project Management Inc. 02 Dietlind Vander Schaaf, development officer at MECA; Jennifer Goldman, advancement manager at Portland Trails; and Sara Lewis, principal at Spinnaker Trust 03 Matt Jones, administrative specialist at USM Stonecoast MFA; and Susan Conley, board president of the Telling Room 04 Emily McConnell, sales associate at NewHeight Group; Rebecca Falzano, editor-in-chief, Maine Media Collective; Steve Pogson, founder of First Pier Technology Partners; Zach Brockhouse, creative director at Brockhouse and Brockhouse; and Tracy Casstevens Brockhouse, Bluebird Design Studios 05 Kallie Dorsey, case manager at Gateway Community Services; and Ekhlas Ahmed, board member at the Telling Room 06 Allie Conn, digital content manager at TD Bank; and Liza Darvin, account strategist and copywriter at Blaze Partners 07 Gretchen Preneta, physician assistant at Bridgton Hospital; Jesse Robinson, owner of Jesse Robinson Consulting; and Peter Milliken, board member of Portland Ovations 08 Melissa Coleman, writer; and Lucas St. Clair, board president of Elliotsville Plantation
05 07
78 OLD PORT
oldport.com
08
GATHER
G O O D T I M E S , G R E AT C A U S E S
GMRI SEAFOOD CELEBRATION Photography by Ted Axelrod
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) hosted its fourth annual Gulf of Maine Seafood Celebration in late April. Attendees enjoyed Gulf of Maine seafood prepared by regional chefs. The menu featured local, sustainable seafood such as redfish, pollock, American plaice, scallops, and lobster. 02
01
“Demand for local seafood directly supports fishermen in our communities. After our guests sample these responsibly harvested species, we hope they continue to ask for Gulf of Maine seafood when they visit their favorite grocery stores and restaurants.”
05
–Jen Levin, Sustainable Seafood Senior Program Manager at GMRI
03 06
04 01 Tom Brudzinski and Jan Brudzinski, both volunteers with Friends of Casco Bay; Matt Hyde; Catherine Hyde; and Sue Ewing 02 Brian Hallisey, development data administrator at GMRI; Charlie Miller, chairman of the board of directors at GMRI; and Jen Levin, sustainable seafood senior program manager at GMRI 03 Michael Sanders, editor of Edible Maine; and Tom Morgan, creative director of Edible Maine 04 Art Bell, bike touring guide at Summer Feet Cycling; Karen Watterson, food editor at Maine Media Collective; and Rebecca Bell, research assistant at the Jackson Laboratory 05 Kristen Levesque, principal at Kristen Levesque Public Relations; and Angie Helton, president of Northeast Media Associates 06 John Gundersdorf; Betty Gundersdorf; Marcia Chaffee, volunteer at Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project; and Don Perkins, President of GMRI 07 Chris Wilcox, chef de cuisine at Eventide Oyster Co.; and Mike Wiley, chef at Big Tree Hospitality
07
JULY // 2017
79
INSIDER PICKS L O C A L S G I V E T H E I R R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S PHOTO AND TEXT BY SUSAN AXELROD
If anyone knows great places for picnics, it’s the staff at Black Tie Catering Company. We caught up with some of them at Union Kitchen, their Old Port café, to ask:
What are your favorite picnic spots? “I take cheese, crackers, and fruit to Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth for the beautiful views.”— Abbey Santos, administrator
“Prosecco, fruit, and cheese taste best on the beach on Peaks Island.” –— Heather Dusty, event planner
“I head for Crescent Beach State Park with sandwiches, fruit salad, and Bissell beers.” — Kelcey Simpson, event planner
80 OLD PORT
oldport.com
“I bring Otto’s pizza, PBR, and my dogs to the Eastern Prom.” — Joe French, catering chef
“I go to Fort Williams Park with finger food; I like to make kale chips, or I’ll bring cheese, crackers, and some wine.” — MaryEllen Fromkin, customer service
“It’s a trip from Portland, but I love Pemaquid Lighthouse. My grandparents live near there, and they’ll make lobster rolls or a beefed-up Italian sandwich to eat on the rocks, along with Cape Cod chips.”–—Ashley Small, pastry chef
“I go to Mackworth Island for a hike with the dogs and to check out the fairy houses, bringing along fruit salad, lobster rolls, Union Kitchen potato salad, and Champagne.” — Amy Collins, co-owner and general manager
“Bissell Brothers beer, cheese, and crackers are my go-to for picnics on the Western Prom.” — Andy Negus, sous chef
“I go to Chandler’s Wharf, stopping first for a smoothie at Maine Squeeze.” –— Avery Richter, executive chef
“I hit the Eastern Prom and East End Beach with sandwiches, fruit, and a growler of Barreled Souls beer.” –—Nicky
White, event planner
THE MAINE MAGA ZINE
TD BEACH TO BEACON 10K
2OTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE C E L E B R AT I N G O N E O F T H E M OS T P O P U L A R R AC ES I N T H E WO R L D
2O Y E A R S O F C O M M I TM E N T BY O LY M P I C G O L D M E DA L I S T AND C APE ELIZ ABE TH NATIVE JOAN BENOIT S A M U E L S O N D ES E R V ES TO B E C O M M E M O R AT E D
35,OOO COPIES AUGUST 2017 D I S T R I B U T I O N T H R O U G H O U T T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S
SUBSCRIBE
ADVERTISE
THEM AINEM AG.COM/SUBSCRIBE
THEM AINEM AG.COM/ADVERTISE
NUANCE
DENTAL SPECIALI STS