Old Port magazine March 2018 by Maine Magazine

THE

Waterfront Issue THE SPRAGUES, THE DIMILLOS, AND PATRICK ARNOLD ON PORTLAND'S BIGGEST ASSET

SPOTS FOR WATERFRONT DINING

MARCH 2018

MARCH // 2018

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 impeccable service. We are honored to be the recipients of the 2017 Renyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Large Business Award from the Institute for Family Owned Business. From your home to your business, we are ready and able to fulfill all your flooring needs.

Innovation, now seating seven. With this much advanced technology inside, it was only fair to make room for everyone. Introducing the all-new Audi Q7 with a truly impressive array of innovations. The available Audi virtual cockpit with Google Earth™ navigation gives drivers control over the road from their own personalized command center. Leading-edge technology, such as available Audi turn assist, helps drivers avoid potential collisions by monitoring the road around them. Superior design and intelligence have come together to form the next-generation Sport Technology Vehicle.

The all-new Audi Q7. A higher form of intelligence has arrived.

MORONG FALMOUTH AUDI 187 U. S. ROUTE ONE FALMOUTH, MAINE 04105 207-781-4020 WWW.MORONGFALMOUTHAUDI.COM The features discussed are not a substitute for attentive driving. “Audi,” all model names, and the four rings logo are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. “Google Earth” is a trademark of Google Inc. ©2016 Audi of America, Inc.

Freedom Boat Club of Maine Two Locations ~ Sebago Lakes Region & Casco Bay

Enjoy affordable, maintenance-free boating with the nation’s largest boat club. Multiple, affordable membership plans available with unlimited boat usage PLUS access to boats at 148+ locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Find Your Freedom

infoMaine@FreedomBoatClub.com • 207-650-9374

PORTLAND’S ONLY P ORTL AND’S ONLY ALL-SUITE WATERFRONT HOTEL ALL- SUITE WATERFRONT HOTEL

Located inLocated downtown Portland, just steps from the shops, restaurants, galleries, in downtown Portland, just steps from the shops, restaurants, and attractions galleries, and attractions ofof thethe city’scity’s historichistoric Old Port. Old Port.

145 Fore Street, Portland, Maine 04101 145 Fore Street, Portland, Maine 04101 ToTo reserve your room, 207-761-1660 or 1-800-MARRIOTT reserve your call room, call 207-761-1660 or 1-800-MARRIOTT OrOr visitvisit our web at marriott.com/pwmdt oursite web site at marriott.com/pwmdt

JUNE 4-9

EST 1984

KENNEBUNKPORTFESTIVAL.COM #KPTfest

Produced by Maine Media Collective

WHEN THIS PARTY GETS STARTED, you'll want to be there. SATURDAY JUNE 9 7 - 10 PM On The Marsh Bistro Kennebunk A waterfront evening-intothe-night party with incredible spreads of food, fun drinks, live music, and dancing.

#KPTfest KENNEBUNKPORTFESTIVAL.COM

March 2018 44

SEA WORTHY

AT PORTLAND YACHT SERVICES, PHIN AND JOANNA SPRAGUE KEEP THE BOATING COMMUNITY AFLOAT. by Dr. Lisa Belisle Photography by Nicole Wolf

THIS PAGE

“OUR HOPE IS THAT WE HAVE PRESENTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO FIND A PLACE FOR THEMSELVES AND SUCCESS IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY.” –PHINEAS SPRAGUE

OPPORTUNITY ACCELERATOR

THROUGH MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIPS, PATRICK ARNOLD OF SOLI DG IS REDEFINING WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT IN PORTLAND. by Katy Kelleher Photography by Nicole Wolf

PERFECT MATCH

A NEW HOUSE TAKES SHAPE INSIDE A HISTORIC MUNJOY HILL CAPE. by Debra Spark Photography by Myriam Babin

15 TAKE NOTICE

NEWS, NOTES, AND MORE

18 DINE

BLYTH AND BURROWS

22 EAT BLOGS

THE ROMA; THE SHOP FROM ISLAND CREEK OYSTERS

28 PROFILE

AT DIMILLO'S RESTAURANT AND MARINA, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK.

24 24HRS PORTLAND A FOOD-LOVER'S ADVENTURE

67 GATHER

WAYFINDER SCHOOLS ENCHANTED HOLIDAY EVENT; FIRST THURSDAY ART OPENING FEATURING THE WORK OF JULIE HOUCK

70 A-LIST

WATERFRONT DINING

IN EVERY ISSUE 09 10 13

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE STAFF INSIGHTS TALENT ROSTER

ON THE COVER

FISHING BOATS AND FERRIES SHARE THE PORTLAND WATERFRONT WITH MERCHANT SHIPS, PLEASURE BOATS, AND IN SEASON, CRUISE SHIPS. Photography by Heidi Kirn

CREATE BIGGER

BRAND

Karen Bowe, Ryan Hammond, Peter Heinz, Kerry Rasor, Tom Urban, Emily Wedick PRODUCTION MANAGER | Nichole Heady DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING |

Reven Oliver

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE GIVING & VISIBILITY |

Shelbi Wassick

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT | Brittany Cost COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER |

Casey Lovejoy

Ted Axelrod, Myriam Babin, Jane Berger, Liz Caron, Dave Dostie, Kyle Dubay, Lauren Lear, Erin Little, Nicole Wolf CIRCULATION | Sarah Lynn ART COLLECTOR MAINE |

BRAND DEVELOPMENT ADVERTISING PRINT + WEB DESIGN SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY MEDIA PLANNING

Jack Leonardi, Taylor McCafferty, Kendra McDonald, Emma Wilson THE BRAND COMPANY |

Taylor Adams, Chris Kast, Maureen Littlefield LOVE MAINE RADIO W/ DR. LISA BELISLE |

Spencer Albee, Dr. Lisa Belisle, Brittany Cost, Paul Koenig, Casey Lovejoy, Shelbi Wassick MAINE HOME+DESIGN MAGAZINE |

Rebecca Falzano, Heidi Kirn MAINE MAGAZINE |

Paul Koenig, Joel Kuschke AGELESS MAINE MAGAZINE |

Susan Axelrod, Heidi Kirn

MOXIE MAINE MAGAZINE |

Brittany Cost, Heidi Kirn

SUBSCRIBE | oldport.com

It’s about a new direction. thebrandcompany.me 207.772.3373

Old Port is published twelve times a year by Maine Media Collective LLC. Editorial and subscription information: phone 207.772.3373 | fax 888.836.6715 16 Middle Street | Suite 501 | 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 © 2018, 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

8 OLD PORT

oldport.com

Editor’s Note PHOTOGRAPHY BY TED AXELROD

very morning on my way to work I turn onto India Street and there it is—Portland Harbor. Even on a blustery winter day, when the water is gray instead of blue, the sight makes me smile, especially if there’s a boat going by. I’m no longer a newcomer to this city, but I will always be amazed by the fact that my home and office are so close to a working waterfront, where fishing boats and merchant ships unload their cargo onto the docks. Students of Portland history know that because the deep-water harbor is closer to Europe than any other port on the East Coast, it was a major shipping hub until the Great Fire of July 4, 1866 destroyed large sections of the city. Boston stepped into the breach to become the primary port in New England, but Portland still merits its descriptive name. In recent years, our waterfront has become even more

Subscribe at

oldport.com

vital, with the construction of Ocean Gateway to welcome cruise ships on the eastern end and the establishment of Icelandic shipping company Eimskip on the western end. These developments bookend commercial fishing operations, restaurants, and shops—Portland’s waterfront has something for everyone.

through his company, Soli DG, but he also has big plans for Portland. Involved in enterprises ranging from aquaculture to art, Arnold believes that through smart development of its waterfront, the city can become a major player on the international stage (Opportunity Accelerator, page 34).

In this issue, we explore the waterfront's past, present, and future, through the experience of people who play an active role there. Phin Sprague has lifelong ties to the shores of Casco Bay, a legacy he and his wife, Joanna, continue by serving the boating community at Portland Yacht Services (Sea Worthy, page 44). When Tony DiMillo bought Long Wharf in 1978, it was barely standing. Today, the busy restaurant and marina his family operate are the waterfront’s best-known landmarks (All Hands on Deck, page 28). Patrick Arnold is contracted to run the Maine Port Authority

When he and Joanna returned to Casco Bay in 1977 from four years of sailing around the world, Phin Sprague says, “Portland didn’t realize the asset it had” in its waterfront. That has thankfully changed, and our city is the better for it.

SUSAN AXELROD Managing Editor saxelrod@oldport.com

MARCH // 2018

Staff Insights WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF THE PORTLAND WATERFRONT? “The Eastern Prom Trail. I love looking out toward Casco Bay at Fort Gorges and beyond when I’m running along the trail. You also get to see a variety of people enjoying the waterfront, from playing with their dogs on East End Beach to casting fishing lines off the rocks to anchoring sailboats off the shore.” Paul Koenig Managing Editor Maine magazine pkoenig@themainemag.com

“Our waterfront is special because it is a working waterfront. Between the ferries and the fishermen we are able to see the local men and women doing the work that brings us to the waterfront in the first place. We wouldn’t be able to enjoy the amazing seafood at all the waterfront restaurants without these hardworking people. The waterfront isn’t just a beautiful place to enjoy a drink, it provides a livelihood for many Mainers.” Casey Lovejoy Community Development Manager clovejoy@themainemag.com

I just love the smell of the sea air and sounds of the seagulls when I'm walking around. I love being able to grab a lunch and sit on the Eastern Prom or down on one of the piers off Commercial Street. Heidi Kirn Art Director Maine Home+Design, Moxie Maine, Ageless Maine hkirn@mainehomedesign.com

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 inkind donations and services of more than:

$1,930,463 WE ARE PROUD OF OUR AFFILIATION WITH THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:

SUBSCRIBE | oldport.com

Old Port is published twelve times each year by Maine Media Collective LLC Editorial and subscription information: phone 207.772.3373 | fax 888.836.6715 16 Middle Street | Suite 501 | 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 © 2018, 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

10 OLD PORT

oldport.com

BRITTA BRUCE MARTHA BURKERT M A R C H 1- 31, 2 018 O P E N I N G R E C E P T I O N , T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 1, 5 - 7

Martha Burkert | Sheep May Graze Safely | 36”x36” | Oil on Canvas

Britta Bruce | Skinny Dip | 40”x40” | Oil on Canvas

1 5 4 M I D D L E S T R E E T, P O R T L A N D, M A I N E 0 4 1 0 1 A R TC O L L E C TO R M A I N E . C O M

TO REQUEST A PRIVATE VIEWING PLEASE CONTACT EMMA WILSON AT 207.956.7105

A LIMITED EDITION PRINT BY DAHLOV IPCAR 1917-2017 In Collaboration with Maine College of Art

Odalisque, woodblock print, 15”h x 27”w, 2014 Limited edition of 100, signed and numbered by the artist.

CT ONTA C E S du PLEA e c a .e m @ t n ceme leigh advan Annie Wad . l or cal 7.699.5015 or at 20 pcar f i / u d .e meca rmation. Visit info more

In honor of nationally known artist Dahlov Ipcar (1917-2017), and the ongoing legacy of the arts in Maine, Maine College of Art created a set of limited edition woodblock prints from Dahlov’s iconic oil painting, Odalisque (1960), in collaboration with master printer David Wolfe, of Wolfe Editions under the supervision of the artist. In 2013, MECA awarded Dahlov Ipcar with the Award for Leadership as a Visual Artist and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts. Dahlov has offered only a handful of woodblock prints for sale in her career. Each print is printed on Magnani paper, mould made in Italy, in five colors: brown, yellow, red, black, and white. The print is 15”h x 27”w and proceeds go to benefit MECA’s Student Scholarship Fund.

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT MECA STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

Talent Roster

THE PEOPLE BEHIND OLD PORT MAGAZINE

MAUREEN LITTLEFIELD

An art director for The Brand Company, Maureen Littlefield has spent the last 18 years (minus a three-year hiatus) living in and exploring Maine. An avid skier and fan of the outdoors, she has found Maine to be her happy place. She and her husband, Nik, live with their border collie Sophia Rose and Jack Russell Maeve in a house they designed and built in Freeport.

BRITTANY COST

Although editorial assistant Brittany Cost (also the managing editor for the inaugural issue of Moxie Maine) lives in Brunswick, she spends a lot of time in Portland, and not just at work. She loves drinking coffee around town, hunting for vintage fashion finds at the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thrift stores, and catching movies at the Nick.

Subscribe at

oldport.com

PETER HEINZ

Advertising account manager Peter Heinz has been with Old Port magazine since its inception. His home is in the West End, and he and his wife really enjoy the Portland dining scene and the ability to walk almost everywhere in town. While they appreciate the winter wonderland aspect of Portland they're looking forward to spring, the warmer weather and the chance to get back on their Vespa.

SHELBI WASSICK

The director of corporate giving and visibility, Shelbi Wassick was born and raised in the Lakes Region. She now lives in Portland's Parkside with her rockstar boyfriend. Shelbi adores her life in Maine's biggest city and her time off on Maine's biggest lake.

MARCH // 2018

The 2018 PMA Biennial underscores Maineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impact on contemporary art by highlighting exciting works by artists connected to the state.

Seven Congress Square, Portland, Maine | (207) 775-6148 | PortlandMuseum.org

ON VIEW THROUGH JUNE 3

The 2018 Portland Museum of Art Biennial is made possible by the William E. and Helen E. Thon Endowment Fund with additional support by the PMA Contemporaries. Corporate Sponsor: The Bear Bookshop, Marlboro, VT Above: John Harlow (United States, born 1989), Garish Sunlight, 2016, digital photograph and scanned handwriting, 16 x 20 inches. Courtesy of the artist. ÂŠ John Harlow

(207) 775-6148 | Por tlandMuseum.org

Take Notice N E W S, N OT E S, A N D M O R E

MAINE CRAFT DISTILLING has begun serving brunch from 10 to 3 on Sundays at their East Bayside location. The standard brunch menu features nine English and European-style plates emphasizing local ingredients, including Welsh rarebit, a fish-and-chip benedict, and a hollandaise and hash brown rendition of bangers and mash, a British sausage-and-potato dish with gravy. Drink offerings include mimosa variations, prosecco on draft, and London porter accompanied by a shot.

THIS IS SO MAINE.

WHITE CAP COFFEE is now leasing a space at 185 Cottage Road in South Portland, where the company plans to open a production facility and tasting room in the spring. Known for its popular kegs of Nitro Cold Brew Coffee, White Cap is sharing the space with CAPE WHOOPIES.

photo by Nicole Wolf

The 2018 MAINE FLOWER SHOW will be held at Thompson’s Point in Portland from March 22 to 25. Produced by members of Maine’s horticulture industry, the Maine Flower Show features 14 display gardens and 115 exhibits of plants, hardscape, arbors, and garden supplies, along with workshops and seminars. The MAINE MAMMOTHS, a National Arena League franchise, will begin playing at CROSS INSURANCE ARENA this April. Entering its second season, the National Arena League includes several teams from across North America, and playoffs are scheduled for late summer. Grammy-nominated violist MELISSA REARDON has been tapped to replace Jennifer Elowitch as artistic director of the PORTLAND CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL. In 2009, Reardon received the Grammy Award nomination for her work with the Enso String Quartet. She has also toured with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and previously served as assistant principal violist for the PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. She takes over as artistic director after the festival’s 25th season this August.

Subscribe at

oldport.com

WE DELIVER. Subscribe 207 772 3373 themainemag.com/subscribe

MARCH // 2018

We know Portland.

WHERE TO GO WHAT TO DO WHERE TO SHOP WHERE TO EAT

+ MORE

Need advice? Ask the experts.

ot only do we cover Portland, we live it everyday. We seek out the people, places, and things to do that make this such an incredible place to live and work. This city is ever-evolving and we keep up with it. When you’re ready to head out and about and explore Portland, ask for our expertise. We won’t steer you wrong.

asktheexperts@oldport.com

JOIN THE PARTY

THE PBA LEAGUE

ELIAS CUP ON ESPN APRIL 21+22 THE PRO BOWLING EVENT OF THE YEAR! Come watch the best bowlers in the world compete in the Maine Shootout and then join the party all weekend long as Bayside Bowl televises the PBA League Elias Cup event on ESPN. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss out!

PURCHASE TICKETS AT BAYSIDEBOWL.COM

AT BAYSIDE BOWL

Dine

W H E R E TO E AT N O W BY KAREN WATTERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRIAM BABIN

BLYTH & BURROWS

Blyth and Burrows occupies a prime spot on Exchange Street in the heart of the Old Port.

OLD PORT COCKTAIL BAR HONORS PORTLAND’S SEAFARING HERITAGE.

or Josh Miranda, Blyth and Burrows is the place he long dreamed of. Growing up on Munjoy Hill, he played in the Eastern Cemetery by the graves of two sea captains. In high school, he studied the Longfellow poem “My Lost Youth,” which mentions their great naval battle. Englishman Samuel Blyth and American William Burrows fought the only sea battle that could be seen from shore during the War of 1812. Both perished that fateful day in September of 1813, and were honored with a grand procession that carried their bodies through Portland to their final resting places in the cemetery. When the opportunity came to open his own bar, Miranda was ready to pay homage to the men, with their story and their names. In the heart of the Old Port on lower Exchange Street, every corner, every detail at the cocktail bar commemorates captains Blyth and Burrows and the city’s seafaring heritage. From the stylized mural of the naval battle on the back wall painted by local artist Pat Corrigan, to the roping detail, the old-fashioned portraits of the men, and the antique bowsprits hung on the brick walls, the place is impeccably designed and curated, both historic and dashing, right down to the restrooms. A seat by the tall windows is good for Old Port people-watching. The narrow room has two levels and a secret. There’s a bookcase that, with a firm push, reveals a staircase leading down to another bar called the Broken Dram. It’s become a popular hideaway, with a distinctly different bar menu and a crowd that often includes business professionals when the workday is over. At Blyth and Burrows, the cocktails are in command. Miranda has a lengthy resume of bar experience and he’s been smart enough to bring some of Portland’s best, and most creative, bartenders on board. “It takes more than one person to run a world-class place,” says Miranda. Michael Gatlin, creative director, has opened several other bars around town and previously owned a bar in New York City. They work together, riffing back and forth to come up with new ideas for drinks. “We all have different flavor profiles we’re fond of, and we experiment regularly,” Gatlin says. Discerning drinkers can find something unusual, like the Death Stalker, a

20 OLD PORT

oldport.com

Dine

“ G REAT LOCATIONS ARE HARD TO COME BY, BUT I WANTED TO BE RIGHT HERE.” -JOSH MIRANDA

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: The Death Stalker, a cocktail for those in search of bold and bright flavors. Saigon tuna crudo, one of the creative seafood offerings from chef Darci Pacewicz. Decorative details celebrate Portland's seafaring heritage. This page, from left: Korean short rib bao are an ideal snack with a local beer. Owner Josh Miranda is driven by a love of the city and its history.

cocktail that daringly blends cilantro-poblano infused tequila with mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Strega, and mango-chili syrup. Top it off with a slice of dried mango, and you’ve got an adventurous but balanced cocktail. “We have offerings for the connoisseur but also more familiar and approachable flavors,” says Miranda. The team is currently in the process of sorting cocktails into categories based on old trade routes that Blyth and Burrow themselves sailed. Chef Darci Pacewicz made the move from Napa Valley with her husband and sous chef, Nick, to join Blyth and Burrows. Although the place is admittedly cocktail-centric, the compact food menu is worthy of attention and as creative as the drinks. “The food matches the bar, not the other way around,” comments Gatlin. “The menu celebrates and complements the cocktails.” When she was hired, Miranda asked Pacewicz, “What do you do best?” Her reply: “Asian.” He said, “Let’s put our best food forward.” The

menu is an enticing mix of small plates that leans toward the Far East, one of the sea captains’ trade destinations. Everything is made in-house, even the sourdough bread and butter. It’s heavy on seafood, of course, including plenty of Pemaquid oysters with original accompaniments such as chili lime granita and blueberry mignonette. Poke bao, steamed buns with tuna, are a dramatic and delicious offering. The soft buns are tinted black with squid ink and a spicy Napa cabbage slaw enhances the raw fish. Four fat charbroiled oysters are buttery underneath a blanket of crisp challah breadcrumbs, making an outstanding snack. “Oysters and cocktails just go together,” Miranda points out. But the chef’s mushroom pâté, made from North Spore King Trumpet mushrooms, lentils, and walnuts, is as savory and earthy as foie gras, especially when spread on toast with whole grain kombucha mustard. The deep flavor would pair nicely with the Penny Cap cocktail—porcini-infused bourbon with maple syrup, PX sherry, and a

house amaro blend. “Darci is so talented, and I’ve never seen someone so dedicated. She’s Portland’s best kept secret,” says Miranda. Nattily attired in a tweed waistcoat, Miranda is a welcoming host at Blyth and Burrows. He tells the story of the sea captains enthusiastically to anyone wanting a bit of history. “I love being an ambassador for Portland. It took me years away to really appreciate it,” he says. “Everyone, locals and visitors, wants to come here. Old Port spaces is a game of musical chairs that started a long time ago. Great locations are hard to come by, but I wanted to be right here. This is the bar that Portland was missing.” Blyth & Burrows 26 Exchange St. | Portland 207.613.9070 blythandburrows.com MARCH // 2018

YOU ASKED US WHERE TO EAT AND WE ANSWERED WITH A WEEKLY RESTAURANT BLOG. FOLLOW THE JOURNEY ONLINE. themainemag.com/blog

OR ASK AN EXPERT FOR PERSONALIZED ADVICE. asktheexperts@themainemag.com

THE ROMA

BY KAREN WATTERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN THOMAS

767 Congress St. | Portland | 207.761.1611 ►romaportland.com

oused in the renovated 1880s-era Rines Mansion on Portland’s Congress Street, Roma is an experience rooted in nostalgia for another era and a certain type of comfort cuisine. The menu at the new Roma—recently brought back to life by owner Mike Fraser, along with Guy Streitburger and chef Anders Tallberg—is an exercise in old-school Italian food, featuring classics like tagliatelle Bolognese and veal piccata, as well as some traditional favorites not often found in town. Clams casino is a delicious starter, loaded with compound butter, smoky bacon, pickled peppers, and breadcrumbs. Tallberg’s tempting garlic bread is the same one that was a hit at Roustabout, the restaurant he previously co-owned in the East End. It’s thick with butter, raw garlic, lots of lemon, and bright green parsley. The house salad is a fine prelude to the entrees, all Italian-American classics, expertly handled by Tallberg. His Bolognese sauce is a two-day project made of long-simmered pork shoulder and pancetta, with white wine and chicken stock, finished with cream and a touch of sage and nutmeg. The tagliatelle is also made in-house. The first dish Tallberg ever taught himself to make when he was just 12 years old is bucatini all’amatriciana, and it’s

now a favorite on the Roma menu. His rigatoni alla vodka is wonderfully toothsome, with chewy bits of pancetta and Grana Padano, plus a spicy kick at the end. The linguine with clams is a winner, too, full of all the good stuff: garlic, lemon, olive oil, parsley, and local littleneck clams. Streitburger’s wife, Emily Delois, makes desserts in keeping with the ItalianAmerican theme. In the spumoni, layers of housemade chocolate, cherry, and pistachio ice creams are garnished with amarena cherries, candied pistachios, and chocolate crumble, a heavenly combination of tastes and textures. Streitburger, who also manages Bramhall downstairs, has done an excellent job stocking the compact bar. I sampled a luscious glass of the primitivo, a full-bodied and juicy red wine similar to a zinfandel from Puglia, the “heel” of Italy’s boot, similar to a zinfandel. Bartender Kate Marx offers a taste of the staff favorite, Corvina Scaia from the Veneto region, with a rich but not overwhelming spicy finish. “The response we’ve gotten since opening (in August) has been amazing,” Tallberg says. “This is just the start, and we’re really happy with the direction we’re going in.”

THE SHOP FROM ISLAND CREEK OYSTERS

BY KAREN WATTERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN THOMAS

123 Washington Ave. | Portland | 207. 699.4466 portland.islandcreekoysters.com

►

Oysters, caviar, and rosé on a sunny Wednesday afternoon—nothing has felt this indulgent in a long time. Part retail shop, part raw bar, and part seafood wholesaler, the Shop from Island Creek Oysters in Portland offers fresh oysters from Maine and the surrounding region. Buy them to take home, or order a platter to enjoy in the warehouse-style space or outside on the wide, front patio. Skip Bennett founded Island Creek in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the early 1990s as a consortium of 11 independent oyster growers. It was strictly a farm and wholesale operation until 2010, and now there are two Island Creek Oyster Bars and two other restaurants in Massachusetts and one restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The oysters go directly from the farm to the chefs or Island Creek’s own retail outlets. Here in Portland, the building is the former home of Creighton and Sons Wholesale Florist, and the space maintains the industrial feel. The raw bar is the centerpiece of the place—a long counter displaying a variety of oysters on ice. Both Maine and Island Creek oysters are offered, served up on metal trays with ice and a lemon wedge, along with a squeeze bottle of mignonette. We taste

22 OLD PORT

oldport.com

Row 34, Beach Point, and Puffer oysters from Massachusetts and Mookie Blues, Winnegance, and Norumbega oysters from Maine. Each has a slightly different flavor profile; the ones from Island Creek are complex and buttery, and the Damariscotta oysters are briny and full-bodied. Oysters are the heart of the Shop, but conservas, or tinned fish, is also available for taking home or eating in. The Shop will set up a beautiful platter to enjoy high-quality tinned sardines, octopus, and mussels, all from Spain. I love the olive oilpacked sardines, piled on toasted Standard Baking Co. bread with butter, mustard, and pickled red cabbage. White sturgeon caviar is presented elegantly in an antique caviar server with crème fraiche, chives, and tiny, buttery crumpets. In choosing wines and beers, general manager Kit Paschal had one criterion: it has to go well with raw seafood. That usually means a crisp, dry wine like grüner veltliner or something bubbly, like prosecco. Beers are all local, including Fore River Brewing Company’s John Henry nitro milk stout. “We make it easy to pop in on a Saturday afternoon with the kids,” says Island Creek president Chris Sherman. “I think this is the future of how we dine out.”

EVERYBODY WINS AT THE SHOP. stop by THE SHOP in portland, me—our northern wholesale buying station—for a hand-picked selection of maine’s best oysters (and some from our duxbury farm) before they fan out to the best chefs across the country. take them home or throw a dozen back on site alongside a cold glass of wine or beer, meticulously sourced caviar, and tinned fish/ conservas from spain.

$1.50 OYSTERS SERVED ALL DAY. HOURS: weds 12-8, thurs 12-8, fri 12-9, sat 12-9, sun 12-8 123 washington ave portland, me 04101

KAREN WATTERSON FOOD EDITOR A FOOD-LOVER’S ADVENTURE Portland is a playground for people who love

food. Covering it all in a short time frame is impossible, but I happily accepted the challenge to visit some favorites in a mere 24 hours.

SATURDAY

AFTERNOON

Petite Jacqueline, Portland’s only French bistro, occupies a prime corner in the Old Port. A light snow begins to fall as my family settles in for lunch, giving the place the feel of a snow globe. The moment calls for hot chocolate and crepes: veggie and Gruyère for me and BLT for my husband, Bob. Our daughter Sage opts for the croque-madame, and we all share a cone of PJ’s fabulous frites. Dessert? Of course. Nutella crepe with strawberries for Sage and a small pile of house-made macarons for us all to share. While my family heads home, I beeline to Browne Trading Company on Commercial Street for their annual Champagne and Caviar Tasting. It is in full swing by the time I get there, with a festive crowd enjoying life’s luxuries. Champagne stations are set up around the store, offering sips and information about the various labels. We nibble on smoked salmon—a Browne Trading specialty—and three types of caviar on blinis, as well as an excellent assortment of cheeses. The light fades in the late afternoon, and the snow is falling heavily now, but there are lots of shoppers out and about, enjoying the novelty of the season’s first storm. Skordo is a 24 OLD PORT

oldport.com

new and welcome addition to the Old Port, a well-curated shop with an enormous selection of beautifully packaged spices and herbs, cookbooks, and tabletop accessories. Owner Anne Karonis Weiss and her husband Seth Weiss help me choose a marble salt cellar and a couple of jars of salt blends as a gift. I make a few more stops, including LeRoux Kitchen for my favorite olive oils and flavored vinegars, before checking into the Danforth Inn, where I’ll be spending the night. The Danforth is a historic gem in the West End, elegantly renovated and restored. I’ve been to Tempo Dulu and Opium, the restaurant and lounge located within the inn, but a chance to experience the inn’s full hospitality is a real treat. My room, Eastern Promenade, is spacious and luxuriously appointed, a snug and sumptuous haven.

EVENING

After a short rest and wardrobe adjustment, I head down to Opium for a cocktail. The chic lounge is an ingenious blend of New England architecture and Eastern opulence, unique in Portland. Bar manager Alexa Doyer is the creative force behind the impressive, Asianinspired cocktail program. She offers me an antique wooden box filled with cocktail cards, which serves as Opium’s menu. It’s hard to

decide among the many appealing options, but after talking about what kind of flavors and spirits I enjoy, she conjures up the new East Meets West for me. The blend of Gunpowder Irish gin with Aperol and orange bitters is exactly what I want, and it’s fun to watch Doyer work. She uses all kinds of techniques, like smoking, and tools to create astonishing drinks. My friend Claire joins me for dinner at Tempo Dulu, the inn’s outstanding restaurant, where chef Michael McDonnell presents a menu of Southeast Asian dishes. Dinner here is leisurely, with highly attentive, personal service. Our server, Harry Livingston, explains the menu, pointing out various options, including the lobster tasting menu and the traditional Indonesian rijsttafel. After we opt for choices from the four-course menu, sommelier Matt Lambert stops by the table. Lambert is a knowledgeable and engaging wine enthusiast, talking us through pairing choices that include some unexpected and delightful bottles. Each dish we’re served is exquisite, from the scallop crudo amuse-bouche and the chili-smoked lobster to the tamarind glazed duck and the spekkoek, an Indonesian layered cake. Afterward, I climb the stairs to my room and settle gratefully into the big bed, full and content.

SUNDAY

MORNING

The sun is shining but with several inches of new snow, it’s suddenly winter. Downstairs, breakfast is cooking at Tempo Dulu and the smell of coffee wafts towards my room. I’m shown to a table and handed a menu with my name at the top—a very nice touch. A big bowl of yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola makes a refreshing breakfast. After (reluctantly) checking out of the Danforth Inn, I need to catch up on a little work, so I head to Coffee by Design on Diamond Street. It’s a pleasant spot to work and both the coffee and staff are awesome, so I often visit with my laptop. Plus, they have croissants from Standard Baking Co., which I can’t resist. It’s hard to believe, but I’m actually hungry again at lunch time. I meet up with my friend Abby at Isa Bistro, a relaxed spot perfect for Sundays. We both order the poached eggs with mushrooms on parsnip puree with grilled bread, and agree it is an excellent choice. We linger over coffee, not quite ready to leave this pleasant, relaxed spot.

05 06

08 09

01 A colorful array of macarons at Petite Jacqueline. 02 Stylish kitchen tools at Skordo. 03 Crepes and frites at Petite Jacqueline. 04 Opium's Alexa Doyer lights up a cocktail. 05 Dessert at Tempo Dulu. 06 Beautiful breakfast at the Danforth Inn. 07 A wintry view out the window at the Danforth. 08 Mid-morning coffee crowd at Coffee by Design. 09 The rooms at the Danforth Inn offer a welcoming respite. MARCH // 2018

Built for living.

Toll-Free: (877) 209-8414 (207) 539-9600 schiavicustombuilders.com

sweet dreams are made of this.

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GET THIS PARTY STARTED. 207.667.6000 | WALLACEEVENTS.COM

A B R I L L I A N T LY R E S TO R E D H I S TO R I C FA R M N O W AC C E P T I N G B O O K I N G S F O R T H E 2 0 1 8 - 1 9 S E A S O N S . S TO N E B A R N M A I N E . C O M

Profile

THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE PORTL AND BY SUSAN AXELROD PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN LITTLE

All Hands On Deck H A R D W O R K A N D C O M M I TM E NT TO FA M I LY K E E P T H E D I M I L LOSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S D I V E R S I F I E D B U S I N E S S A F LOAT.

28 OLD PORT

oldport.com

ust off the lobby of the floating restaurant that bears his family’s name, Steve DiMillo’s compact office is stuffed with memorabilia: framed photographs; plaques and awards from local organizations; a watercolor of the first restaurant his father, Anthony (Tony) DiMillo, opened in Portland in 1954. Hanging on one wall, directly across from Steve’s mahogany desk, is a tribute to the family from DiMillo’s employees. On another wall is the framed front page from the Portland Press Herald, Saturday, February 21, 1987—“Jubilant DiMillo celebrates,” the headline shouts in large type. Just below are photos of Tony leaving the Cumberland County courthouse after being found innocent of federal tax fraud charges, shooting reporters

with a water pistol. “It looks like he’s angry,” says Steve with a laugh. “But my dad had a great sense of humor.” Tony DiMillo also had a vision and a work ethic that persists in his children and grandchildren today, sustaining his legacy on the Portland waterfront. When he bought Long Wharf in 1978, it was falling into Casco Bay and the city was struggling to get back on its feet. The opening of the Maine Mall had hurt retailers downtown. The State Theatre showed porn films. But the port was popular with boaters, and pleasure craft soon filled the marina Tony built at the end of the pier. Two years later, he purchased a massive old car ferry, refurbished it, and opened DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant in 1982. Now a Portland icon, the restaurant remains the heart of the family enterprise, which also includes the adjacent marina, along with a yacht sales business with

locations in Freeport, New York, and Maryland. Steve manages the restaurant with three of his eight siblings—his twin, Stephanie Quattrucci, and brothers Dan and Johnny, while Chris takes care of marina operations and his yacht sales business. Stephanie’s husband, Tony Quattrucci, runs the kitchen with chef Melissa Bouchard and her boyfriend, Fred Breton. DiMillo’s employs a total of twelve DiMillo family members, including both of Steve’s children. Two of Tony DiMillo’s sisters, Justina and Jeannette, recently retired after serving at the front desk of the restaurant since it opened. “It’s a crowd, but it works,” says Steve. “Sometimes it’s hard for us to make a decision, but generally the one with the strongest opinion will persevere and the rest will just relent.” Not having financial worries removes considerable stress, he adds. “Thanks to my dad buying this property, we all make a decent living and we’ve got a great future.”

Opposite page: DiMillo's Marina runs year round, with about 50 people living aboard their boats over the winter. This page: Members of the DiMillo family who work in the business, from left: Beth DiMillo, Emily DiMillo, Johnny DiMillo, Steve DiMillo, Tony Quatrucci, Chris DiMillo, Stephanie Quattrucci, Steve DiMillo Jr., and Chelsea DiMillo. MARCH // 2018

To ensure that future, Steve is active in a group of pier owners who have worked with the city on zoning changes designed to preserve access for fishermen while increasing economic opportunity. Except for Maine State Pier and Fish Pier, which belong to the City of Portland, all of the property along the waterfront is privately owned. “They all have the same dilemma we have, which is how do you keep your infrastructure in good operational shape if you’re not generating income?” says Steve. In 2010, the group successfully lobbied the Portland Planning Board and the City Council to loosen regulations that had been enacted in the mid-90s following the construction of luxury condominiums on the waterfront. “Lobster fishing is still strong, but the decline in ground fishing has left a lot of these piers with empty berths, empty buildings,” Steve explains.

“ My business

is out there in the dining room, talking to people, hosting, bussing, whatever”it might be. – Steve DiMillo

As an example, he cites the once-vacant brick building on Merrill’s Wharf that now houses The King’s Head pub in part of the ground floor and the Pierce Atwood law firm on its upper floors. “You’ve got to keep the perimeter of the dockage for commercial boats and 55 percent of the ground floor for the marine industry, but now you can use the rest of the ground floor and all those upper floors for other businesses.” Because much of the DiMillo’s property doesn’t have direct water access, the revised rules make it possible for the family to develop some of what is now a large parking lot. “We’re planning to stay in the restaurant, marina, and parking business, but we have some ideas,” says Steve. “We keep saying we’re waiting for the dust to settle, but man, it doesn’t seem to be settling as far as new properties and new hotels.”

30 OLD PORT

oldport.com

Opposite page: Steve DiMillo is active in a group of pier owners who have worked with the city on zoning changes designed to preserve access for fishermen while increasing economic opportunity. This page: Chris DiMillo was working in medical sales in California when his father asked him to come back to Portland to run DiMillo's Marina. He has since added yacht sales to the operation, with locations in three states.

The youngest of the nine siblings, Chris DiMillo got his start on the marina side of the family business in 1996. He had waited tables at the restaurant as a teenager, but after college was working in medical sales in Southern California when Tony called. “He said that the marina operation here, which he had always leased out to a management company, was up for renewal—did I want to come back and run it,” Chris remembers. “He said, ‘I can’t be at peace until I know all my family’s taken care of.’” The marina in Portland has 125 slips, and the business runs year-round, with about 50 people living aboard over the winter, says Chris. In the summer, large boats are a common sight at DiMillo’s, which can accommodate up to eight 100-footers at a time. “Maine has always been a destination for cruising yachts and we have the good fortune of being right downtown, as well as near an airport,” he says. In the late

90s, Chris launched the yacht sales operation, specializing in powerboats ranging from 30 to 66 feet. With 35 employees in five locations, DiMillo’s is the exclusive dealer for Sabre Yachts in Maine, New York, and Maryland, and also sells the luxury brand Monte Carlo Yachts, built in Italy. “It’s an experiment,” Chris says of his involvement with the high-end boats. “New York is where we see the market—Sag Harbor, the Hamptons.” While this aspect of the family business may seem to be in contrast with the unpretentious restaurant, Chris attributes some of his success to the familiarity of the family brand. “I was at a boat show somewhere and I had a DiMillo’s shirt on and someone said, ‘DiMillo’s—what are you doing here? That’s the restaurant.’ We struck up a conversation, then a relationship, and the fellow bought a new Sabre a year later.” Although trendier restaurants have turned Portland into a coveted dining destination,

DiMillo’s reputation, and prominent location on the waterfront, continues to make it one of the most visited in Maine. “We run a highvolume, simply prepared seafood operation that focuses on quality,” says Steve, praising the talent of chef Bouchard, who has worked at DiMillo’s for more than 20 years, rising through the ranks. The kitchen’s skill with classics such as lobster stew and baked haddock with breadcrumbs keep loyal fans coming back, as does the family’s hands-on involvement. “It looks like this because this is not my business,” Steve says, gesturing to the piles of paper on his office desk. “My business is out there in the kitchen and dining room, talking to people, hosting, bussing, whatever it might be. The customer experience is what keeps us going.” So do strong family ties and a commitment to Portland that’s as deep as the ocean beyond DiMillo’s bow.

MARCH // 2018

ANNIE STICKNEY DESIGN, LLC INTERIOR DESIGN ANNIESTICKNEYDESIGN.COM 207-233-2130

For your pet obsession.

Handmade collars, harnesses, and leashes in a store brimming with a well-curated selection of products for your favorite pet. Come see us in the Old Port—because we know there’s nothing common about your four-legged friend.

13 Exchange Street Portland, Maine 04101 888.549.7297 UncommonPaws.com

Time to start planning for Spring! Now bookingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;call today for a free quote.

@audetenterprisesllc | audetenterprises.com | 207.671.3465

Enjoy weightless relaxation in one of our four float tanks. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll feel perfectly supported while you float effortlessly in a warm, saline solution containing over 1,000 lbs. of Epsom salt. FIND OUT MORE!

floatharder.com

500 Washington Ave. Portland

207.400.5187

OPPORTUNITY ACCELERATOR BY KATY KELLEHER // PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE WOLF

34 OLD PORT

oldport.com

THROUGH MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIPS, PATRICK ARNOLD OF SOLI DG IS REDEFINING WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT IN PORTLAND.

MARCH // 2018

he Eimskip shipping containers rise above the horizon like a stack of Legos. Cobalt blue and barn red, the corrugated metal rectangles make a surprisingly cheerful sight, an orderly arrangement of bright colors tucked away behind a chain link fence on Commercial Street. If I could see over the Eimskipemblazoned blocks, I would be looking at the winter waves of the Atlantic and the sturdy pillars of the Casco Bay Bridge. But the working waterfront is currently at work, and instead I turn my attention to the small office of the Maine Port Authority, where entrepreneur Patrick Arnold is waiting for lunch. Arnold has been preparing for the Icelandic shipping company’s Nordic-themed holiday

gala that will take place later this evening at the Ocean Gateway. He’s filled with energy, and I can’t decide whether it’s because he is looking forward to the event (Eimskip’s annual party raises between $70,000 and $80,000 each year for various children’s charities) or if maybe the businessman always talks, walks, and thinks this quickly. I suspect it’s the latter. In addition to serving as the operations and business development manger for the Maine Port Authority, Arnold is also the founder of Soli DG, a consulting company based out of Portland that has irons in a number of rapidly heating fires. He’s involved in promoting Maine-based food processing, getting the word out about Maine fisheries, and, through the New England Ocean Cluster, investing in

Previous spread: Maine native Patrick Arnold is both founder of Soli DG and the operations and business development manager for the Maine Port Authority. To promote business in Maine, Soli DG has partnered with Eimskip (the Icelandic shipping company) to send artists to Iceland and bring Icelandic beer to Maine customers (and vice versa). This page: Eimskip containers have become a familiar sight along Commercial Street. Although many people don’t realize it, it’s much more environmentally friendly to transport goods via ship than over land.

36 OLD PORT

oldport.com

biopharmaceuticals and creating opportunities for sustainable aquaculture. These private-sector hotspots have one thing in common: they all require cold storage, the development of which Arnold says is the “next strategic step for capacity building on the waterfront.” Maine, he says, has three major potential growth areas— food processing, biopharmaceuticals, and aquaculture (as identified in a report published by the private business-development group FocusMaine in early 2016). “Cold storage is the infrastructure necessary to have that growth,” Arnold says, and he wants nothing more than to see Portland and Maine grow. He believes that the city is not only in an excellent position to become a major North American shipping hub, but that it could be the next great travel

destination for cruise ships, too. Before founding Soli DG in 2007, Arnold spent years traveling around the world as a Merchant Marine. From the ages of 18 to 25, the South Portland native spent his time working as a navigation officer, docking in ports around the globe and learning all along the way. During one trip aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, he met another employee, a young performer named Janeen Rigattieri. “We got married a few years later on the beach where we first met in Hawaii,” he says. Having found the love of his life, Arnold decided to settle down. “In the summer of 2007, Janeen and I were on vacation from the cruise ships, and we decided to pray about it,” he remembers. “I decided I had reached the pinnacle of that career, and it

was time to start something new.” Even though he was vastly overqualified, he asked to intern with the City of Portland. “They asked me if I wanted to be the manager of cruises, or if I wanted some other title,” he says with a laugh. “I said I wanted my title to be intern. I wanted to learn everything, and interns can learn everything.” He attended meetings about the expansion of the Portland International Jetport and the development of the Ocean Gateway, and his interest was piqued. “It was an eye-opening learning experience to sit in on these sessions and see how the ins and outs of big development worked,” he said. The idea of becoming invested in a long-term project was appealing

MARCH // 2018

38 OLD PORT

oldport.com

" IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BUSINESS OR PROFITS, BUT EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, ART, CULTURE, MUSIC." â&#x20AC;&#x201C;PATRICK ARNOLD MARCH // 2018

to Arnold, and he could already identify some areas where he might be of use. Arnold recognized that when it came to business development, there was a fundamental gap between what was happening at a state level and what was going on at a local level. Portland was going in one direction, while Maine was steering toward another. “I also noticed that there was a disconnect between water-based industries and land-based industries,” he says. “I thought someone had to invest in healing that relationship. That if someone in the private sector helped bridge that gap, great things could happen.” He talked it over with Janeen, and they decided to start Soli DG together, naming the company a shortened version of the Latin phrase Soli Deo gloria, or “to God alone be the glory.” It’s a nod to their shared faith, and a continual reminder of one of its key tenets. “When you allow yourself to be humbled, by God or by others, it opens the door to acceptance,” says Arnold. “It lets us be open to diversity, to change, and to new opportunities.” Ten years later, Soli DG continues in this mission. Arnold has become known for embracing unconventional business opportunities, melding commerce with arts, infrastructure initiatives with culture. “It feels a little weird to say we’re a community developer, but I don’t know what else to call us,” he says. Soli DG has partnered with Eimskip, the Maine Port Authority, Bristol Seafood, MDI Biological

40 OLD PORT

oldport.com

Laboratory, the University of Southern Maine, the University of New England, and other businesses, both local and international. He’s worked to help connect ports throughout the state, uniting them under a marketing organization called CruiseMaine. As its director, Arnold has been forging connections with entities such as Cruise Canada New England with the shared goal of drawing more travelers to the East Coast. He believes that together, New England and eastern coastal Canada can become a destination that competes with popular cruise locales such as Alaska and the Baltic region. Arnold also believes that Scandinavia’s approach to marine development offers a prime example for Maine. During his extensive travels, he observed that many Nordic countries blend sectors that Americans often consider intrinsically separated. “When we’re talking about community development, we need to embrace all the different areas,” he says. “It’s not just about business or profits, but also education, health care, art, culture, music.” In order to “trigger a renaissance or inspire wild growth,” Arnold argues that Maine needs to break down the silos that separate northern Maine and southern Maine, Maine arts and Maine businesses, and Maine’s inland and coast. One way that Soli DG is working to spur growth is through inviting artists on board ships, sponsoring trips between Maine

" COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF US ALL." – PATRICK ARNOLD

and Iceland. In 2015, Portland-based interdisciplinary artist Justin Levesque approached Soli DG and Eimskip about traveling on board one of their boats to Iceland. After receiving their support, Levesque secured a grant from the Maine Arts Commission. The result is a body of work called ICELANDX207, which pairs portraits of workers shot on the transatlantic journey with stories of their lives, displayed in a shipping container. Like Arnold, Levesque believes that it’s important to “dismantle certain barriers that folks have in how they think about their relationship to business or trade.” Levesque continues, “When you bake together arts and commerce, it creates new access points and new chances for innovation.” The Maine Beer Box is a similar initiative, created in

partnership with the Maine Brewers Guild. In June 2017, a refrigerated Eimskip shipping container outfitted with 78 taps from 40 Maine breweries was transported to Iceland to promote Maine craft beer. The container was subsequently filled with beer from Iceland and returned to Maine. Arnold is also working on some projects closer to home, including the Sunaana music festival, inspired by a similar event in Iceland. Over the course of two days in March 2017, guests listened to music from near and far, sampled craft beverages, and enjoyed a series of artistic performances at Thompson’s Point. If that sounds a bit eclectic, that’s OK. Sunaana means, “What is it?” in Greenlandic, and the tagline for the festival is, “What is Sunaana?”

“It’s our wild, beautiful, artistic music festival,” says Arnold effusively. He views this unique event, which is scheduled for March 2-3 this year, as a way of modeling the kind of silo-bursting acceptance he wants to see in the world. “We’re trying to draw people in, and to get them out of that standard way of thinking about arts and their community.” Arnold believes that embracing aspects of one’s self—the businessman that lives inside the artist, the CEO that does interpretive dance, the scientist who also loves to sing—will lead to creative growth and a more joyous, open culture. “Community development needs to be the responsibility of us all,” he says. And when we embrace each other, openheartedly and without reservations, good things are bound to happen.

Previous spread: Arnold was inspired to start his business after spending years on cruise ships, traveling from port to port. He observed how other countries merged commerce, arts, science, and education. “When we’re talking about community development,” he says, “we need to embrace all the different areas.” Opposite page: The working waterfront at work. This page: The Maine Beer Box is just one of Arnold’s smaller projects. He’s also currently working on the second year of Sunaana, a “wild, beautiful, artistic music festival” that will take place annually at Thompson’s Point.

MARCH // 2018

10 Secrets our Bra Fitting Experts Want You To Know For most people, trying on bras is about as fun as getting a flu shot. But after thousands of fittings, we’ve decided it was time for some #realtalk before your next (or first!) bra fitting at Aristelle.

1. We’re not judging your body. at all. We want you to look and feel your best, and your stomach/back/stretch marks/etc. is the last thing on our mind when getting you the right fit.

2. Your underarms are not fat. Everyone has loose skin there, and no one notices it when you’re wearing a shirt. Don’t sweat it. How is anyone supposed to tone that area, anyway?!

3. And your breasts aren’t saggy. They’re completely normal! Trust us - we’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of them. We know what’s “normal”. Nobody actually looks like the Cosmo cover models.

4. You have nipples, we have nipples, everyone has them. Nipples don’t faze us, whatever shape, size, color, positionwe’ve seen it all. And if you don’t have nipples? No need to feel selfconscious. Lots of women have undergone surgery for various reasons and you are not alone. Not to mention, being a breast cancer survivor makes you a total badass!

5. Speaking of seeing it all... Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed of your breast shape or size. It is actually more common for women to have asymmetrical breasts than to have so-called “perfect” ones. There is never a need to feel sorry or apologize for your breasts!

6. The experts aren’t always right. Are we experienced? Yes. Do we know what we’re talking about? Of course! But guess who’s in charge? You are. If something feels uncomfortable, trust your gut. You know your own body. Would you let a hairstylist chop your hair into a pixie cut because they think it would suit your face? But everybody is unique and you should make any final decisions for yourself because they make you genuinely happy.

7. Except we’re right when we tell you that you really do need more than one bra. We get it- bras are an investment! But just like a nice pair of jeans, bras get worn out quickly if you wear them every single day without giving them a breather. We’re not even going to say “treat yourself” because a few wellfitting bras is something you need. But we will say this: You deserve it!

8. Speaking of bras? Yes, you CAN pull off a sexy red bra. Guess what, Ms. Plain Jane? You can totally rock a “sexy” bra. They’re often as supportive as everyday styles, so why not try one? We’d never force you to try anything, but we think you’ll be surprised if you take the plunge.

9. But also, it’s totally okay to be Plain Jane. As we said before, it’s up to you! We think every woman should own whichever kinds of bras make her feel amazing. That’s why we go through the effort of carrying so many styles. And so, maybe Jane isn’t actually plain at all. Maybe she just wears vibrant outfits that don’t need anything showing underneath.

10. In the end, it’s about what makes you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin. This is what Aristelle is about. There are many choices of brands and styles in every lingerie store (but not many have the range of sizes we offer). If you’re overwhelmed, we’re here for you! And if you’d rather have your privacy and try things on without our feedback, just let us know. The space is yours, and we want your shopping experience to feel safe and relaxed. On a budget? No worries. If there’s one thing we want you to remember more than anything else on this list, we’ll say it again: We’re not judging your body or you.

92 Exchange Street | 207-842-6000 | Aristelle.com

10 Secrets 10 Secrets our Bra our Bra Fitting Fitting Experts Want Experts Want You To Know You To Know

For most people, trying on bras is about as fun as getting a flu shot. But after thousands For most people, trying on bras is about as of fittings, we’ve decided it was time for some fun as getting a flu shot. But after thousands #realtalk before your next (or first!) bra fitting of fittings, we’ve decided it was time for some at Aristelle. #realtalk before your next (or first!) bra fitting at Aristelle.

1. We’re not judging your body. at all. We want you to look and feel your best, and your 1. We’re not judging your body. at all. stomach/back/stretch marks/etc. is the last thing on our

We want you to look and feel your best, and your mind when getting you the right fit. stomach/back/stretch marks/etc. is the last thing on our mind when getting you the right fit.

2. Your underarms are not fat. Everyone has loose skinare there, 2. Your underarms notand fat.no one notices it when you’re wearing a shirt. Don’t sweat it. How is

Everyone has loose skin there, and no one notices it anyone supposed to tone that area, anyway?! when you’re wearing a shirt. Don’t sweat it. How is anyone supposed to tone that area, anyway?!

3. And your breasts aren’t saggy. They’re normal! Trust us - we’ve seen 3. Andcompletely your breasts aren’t saggy. hundreds and hundreds of them. We know what’s

They’re completely normal! Trust us - we’ve seen “normal”. Nobody actually looks like the Cosmo cover hundreds and hundreds of them. We know what’s models. “normal”. Nobody actually looks like the Cosmo cover models.

4. You have nipples, we have nipples, everyone 4. You have nipples, we have nipples, everyone has them. Nipples don’t faze us, whatever shape, has color, them. Nipples don’t faze us, itwhatever size, positionwe’ve seen all. shape, And don’t have nipples? need it toall. feel selfsize,if you color, positionwe’veNoseen conscious. ofhave women have undergone surgery And if youLots don’t nipples? No need to feel self- for various reasons you are notundergone alone. Not surgery to mention, conscious. Lots and of women have for being a breast cancer survivor makes you total badass! various reasons and you are not alone. Nota to mention, being a breast cancer survivor makes you a total badass!

5. Speaking of seeing it all... Don’t be embarrassed ashamed ofDon’t your breast shape 5. Speaking of or seeing it all... be or size. embarrassed or ashamed of your breast shape It is actually more common for women to have or size. asymmetrical breasts than to have so-called “perfect”

ones. There ismore nevercommon a need to feel sorry to orhave apologize for It is actually for women your breasts! breasts than to have so-called “perfect” asymmetrical ones. There is never a need to feel sorry or apologize for your breasts!

6. The experts aren’t always right. Are we experienced? Yes. Do we know what we’re 6. The experts right. talking about? Ofaren’t course!always But guess who’s in charge?

You If somethingYes. feels Are are. we experienced? Douncomfortable, we know whattrust we’re your gut. You know your But ownguess body.who’s Would let a talking about? Of course! inyou charge? hairstylist your hair a pixie cut because they You are. If chop something feelsinto uncomfortable, trust think it would suit your everybody is unique your gut. You know yourface? ownBut body. Would you let a hairstylist chop make your hair pixie cut for because they and you should any into finaladecisions yourself think it would suit your face? But everybody is unique because they make you genuinely happy. and you should make any final decisions for yourself because they make you genuinely happy.

7. Except we’re right when we tell you that you really dowe’re need more 7. Except rightthan whenone we bra. tell you that you We get it- bras are an investment! But just like a nice really do need thanoutone bra. if you wear them pair of jeans, brasmore get worn quickly We getsingle it- bras are an investment! But just like a nice every day without giving them a breather. We’re paireven of jeans, bras get“treat worn yourself” out quickly if you wear not going to say because a fewthem wellevery single without giving them a breather. We’re fitting bras isday something you need. But we will say this: not even going You deserve it! to say “treat yourself” because a few wellfitting bras is something you need. But we will say this: You deserve it!

8. Speaking of bras? Yes, you CAN pull off a sexy red bra. of bras? Yes, you CAN pull off a sexy 8. Speaking Guess what, Ms. Plain Jane? You can totally rock a “sexy” red bra. bra. They’re often as supportive as everyday styles, so Guess what, Ms. Plain can totally a “sexy” why not try one? We’d Jane? never You force you to tryrock anything, bra.we They’re everyday so but think often you’ll as be supportive surprised ifas you take thestyles, plunge. why not try one? We’d never force you to try anything, but we think you’ll be surprised if you take the plunge.

9. But also, it’s totally okay to be Plain Jane. As we said before, it’s up to okay you! We every woman 9. But also, it’s totally to think be Plain Jane. should own whichever kinds of bras make her feel

As we said before, it’s up to you! We think every woman amazing. That’s why we go through the effort of should own whichever kinds of bras make her feel carrying so many styles. And so, maybe Jane isn’t amazing. That’s why we go through the effort of actually plain at all. Maybe she just wears vibrant outfits carrying so many styles. And so, maybe Jane isn’t that don’t need anything showing underneath. actually plain at all. Maybe she just wears vibrant outfits that don’t need anything showing underneath.

10. In the end, it’s about what makes you feel 10. In the end, about whatinmakes you skin. feel confident andit’s comfortable your own This is whatand Aristelle is about. in There many choices confident comfortable yourareown skin.

of brands andAristelle styles in is every lingerie (but not many This is what about. Therestore are many choices have the range of sizes we offer). If you’re of brands and styles in every lingerie store overwhelmed, (but not many we’re here for you! Andwe if you’d have your privacy have the range of sizes offer).rather If you’re overwhelmed, and try things on without our feedback, justyour let us we’re here for you! And if you’d rather have privacy know. The space yours,our andfeedback, we wantjust your and try things on is without letshopping us experience to feel and relaxed. On your a budget? No know. The space issafe yours, and we want shopping worries. If there’s we want On youa to remember experience to feel one safething and relaxed. budget? No more than else on this list, we’ll say it again: worries. If anything there’s one thing we want you to remember We’re not judging body you. more than anythingyour else on thisor list, we’ll say it again: We’re not judging your body or you.

92 Exchange Street | 207-842-6000 | Aristelle.com 92 Exchange Street | 207-842-6000 | Aristelle.com

44 OLD PORT

oldport.com

SEA WORTHY AT PORTLAND YACHT SERVICES, PHIN AND JOANNA SPRAGUE KEEP THE BOATING COMMUNITY AFLOAT. BY DR. LISA BELISLE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE WOLF

This page: Phin and Joanna Sprague of Portland Yacht Services fell in love while sailing around the world on the 72-foot wooden schooner Mariah and were married aboard the boat in Bali. Opposite page: Drawings for a Sparkman and Stephens wooden sailboat built in 1925 being restored at Portland Yacht Services. MARCH // 2018

An avalanche of ice slides off the roof, crashing with a whomp onto the snow bank below. In the distance, a solitary oil tanker emerges from under the Casco Bay Bridge and travels up the Fore River, passing rows of shrink-wrapped vessels arranged along the shore. Inside the West Commercial Street complex is a playground for giants. One hundred fifty marine vessels fill the cavernous spaces. Walking past one boat, Joanna Sprague pats the bow fondly, like she is touching the shoulder of a friend. She and her husband, Phineas (known as Phin), have owned Portland Yacht Services for more than three decades. Their intense dedication to the ocean is superseded only by their dedication to the seafaring community of Maine. Phin and Joanna Sprague began their 42-year-long life together on the 72-foot wooden schooner Mariah. Joanna grew up near the water in Canada, where her family owned a small marina and campground. She was actively involved in the business—even delivering newspapers by motorboat. In the winter, her parents closed the marina and everyone headed south. Joanna, who went on to become a nurse, met 23-year-old Phineas Sprague, Jr., in Florida in 1973. She was working in the medical field; he was in the process of sailing Mariah with a small crew around the world—a voyage that he originally estimated would take 18 months. Phin persuaded Joanna to join him on his journey. “The boat was already in Panama,” says Joanna. “Phin called and asked if I would help him get the boat across the Pacific.” She agreed, and they fell in love. “I never

got off the boat.” They were married in Bali, aboard Mariah, on Christmas Day in 1975. During the 1970s, off-shore sailors still relied on celestial navigation—using charts, a sextant, and astronomical bodies like the moon and stars (rather than satellites)—to guide their way. It was also a time of limited offshore communication. Phin and Joanna encountered many challenges, not only from uncertain weather, but also from potential dangers, including illness, piracy, and theft: Phin slept with a pistol under his pillow when they went through the Red Sea. They had unique adventures: theirs was one of the first cruising boats to go through the Suez Canal when it reopened between the Red and Mediterranean Seas in 1975, having been closed since the Six-Day War in 1967. Through it all, they relied heavily upon their nautical skills—and one another. They had created a strong and lasting relationship. “When we first came back from sailing, it was hard to be more than 72 feet apart,” says Joanna. In 1977, four years after Phin left Maine, they returned to his home harbor. “We realized there was no place like home, and that Portland didn’t realize the asset that it had,” Phin says. Phin has far-reaching connections to the Maine community. His mother was related to George Cleeve, an early settler and founder of Portland, whose statue still has a place of honor on the city’s waterfront. His father’s family came to coastal Maine as summer rusticators. Phin’s great-grandfather, a geologist and

Sailboats wait for summer to return at Portland Yacht Services.

46 OLD PORT

oldport.com

MARCH // 2018

“ I acquired an allergy to the land and could literally only find relief in the breeze off the ocean.” –Phin Sprague businessman, ran coal mines and made the family fortune by shipping coal to New England communities that had cut down all their trees and needed fuel. The Sprague name eventually became synonymous with energy products of every type, from oil to natural gas. Phin, who spent summers on his family’s saltwater farm in Cape Elizabeth, came to know the sea early. The oldest of six children, he was allowed much freedom by his parents. He began rowing about by himself in the Atlantic Ocean—accessed via a short walk through the wooded lanes on the family property—in a 16-foot dingy at the age of six. “I acquired an allergy to the land and could literally only find relief in the breeze off the ocean,” Phin says. He changed his focus to land-based pursuits at Harvard, where he studied geology and rowed, planning to go into the family business. The plan changed when his grandfather sold the coal and oil company while he was in college. After returning from his worldwide sailing adventure, Phin worked for a Sprague enterprise at the Portland Company—which his mother’s family owned until 1956, and the Spragues purchased in 1978—before deciding to return to school. “I realized that an opinionated boat captain with a degree in geology needed to be more articulate and understand the language of business,” Phin says.

While completing his master’s degree in business administration at Northeastern University in Boston, and living in Cape Elizabeth, a friend from Prouts Neck asked Phin to repair a boat. That was 1981. “He asked me to put a fender on a Boston Whaler; I did it in my basement,” says Phin. “With a new baby and not much income, I was so thankful to get my teeth into something I understood. Then Eddie Rowe, who was doing the maintenance at the Prouts Neck Yacht Club, had a heart attack. They said, ‘Will you take it over?’” Business began to thrive, and Phin and Joanna moved their enterprise into an old potato barn in Cape Elizabeth. Zoning laws soon made it impossible for them to continue there, so in 1984 they relocated to 58 Fore Street at the Portland Company, which was by then empty. In 1992, Phin helped establish the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum on the lower part of that property—a pet project, as the historic railroad equipment was coming home to Maine and to the place where it had been built by his mother’s family. Over the next several decades, Phin and Joanna continued to build Portland Yacht Services, while also hosting events like the Maine Boatbuilders and Portland Flower shows at the complex. The couple has three children, who “grew up on the

This page: What Phin Sprague calls a "go fast boat," from Boothbay, left, sits in storage at Portland Yacht Services netxt to one of several sailing yachts named Palawan owned by the late Tom Watson, founder of IBM. The woodworking shop is in the foreground. Opposite page: Phin in his element, among boats.

48 OLD PORT

oldport.com

MARCH // 2018

50 OLD PORT

oldport.com

docks and working the shows,” and five grandchildren, “learning their knots,” Phin says proudly. Phin and Joanna have also been active in many organizations that focus on the waterfront, such as SailMaine, for which Phin was founding president. This community-based nonprofit has been very successful at getting adults and children out on the water. SailMaine runs a competitive program with teams from area high schools. “When I was a child, I would sail and there'd be one other person in the whole group that would challenge you,” says Phin. “Now there's probably six, or eight, or ten high schools that are all supplying excellent sailors. They all challenge themselves.” Phin and Joanna note that some of these students go on to schools like the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, the Landing School in Arundel, and the University of Maine’s school of marine sciences in Orono. “We've got some of the finest sailors in the world coming out of Portland, Maine. I am so proud to have been associated with this effort,” says Phin. In the early 2000s, zoning on the eastern waterfront was changed to allow condos and hotels in an area that had previously been restricted to maritime use. Seeking to expand their business, although they had been counseled to sell it, Phin and Joanna sold the 10-acre property at 58 Fore Street with plans to move to a new, larger location at the opposite end of the waterfront. “We looked around and had 25 to 30 people working for us,” says Joanna. “We had hired their kids after having them as kids. This was our family.” However, the new location was industrial space that had long been abandoned as a contaminated brownfield, so Phin put his geological background to use in creating a remediation plan. This required that they get permission from several different governing bodies, and buy-in from the community—which was not always forthcoming. “Growth means change. People struggle with it,” says Joanna. Phin was not deterred. “Unreasonable people have a vision and attempt to adapt the world to their vision, therefore all human progress is the result of unreasonable people,” he says, paraphrasing George Bernard Shaw. When the land was clean, and they were about to break ground, they learned that the Icelandic shipping company Eimskip might come to Portland if more room was available. Phin and Joanna offered to move their boatyard; subsequently, the Maine Department of Transportation exercised its right of eminent domain to take 18 of their 23 acres

for Eimskip. Joanna says this set them back five years, but nevertheless, Phin and Joanna decided to once again move forward with their plans to expand Portland Yacht Services and create a shipyard for Portland. In 2014 the Spragues finally moved their company to the remaining five acres and acquired additional land on which they plan to build. Portland Yacht Services now has two buildings for boat storage and repair: one is 19,200 square feet, the other is 27,600 square feet. The warehouse-like spaces are cool and smell of paint and gasoline. One man, bundled in a sweatshirt, kneels under a hull, inspecting it with a handheld lamp. The grating sound of a sander echoes from across the room. The company has 60 employees and hires six additional dockhands in the summer. “We do anything we need to in order to stay open yearround,” says Phin. “We have never laid anyone off in hard times.” Joanna chimes in, “Many of the small boat yards on the coast find it hard to stay open in the winter. So they are unable to provide the volume of work that justifies manufacturer training that is required to be excellent. We can do this for our employees. This makes us the referral boatyard for more complicated problems.” Joanna points out the 40-by-50foot garage door. “One of people’s favorite things is to see it go up and down.” The boatyard currently has 12,000 customers, from rowboats with electric trolling motors to some of the biggest passenger boats on the Portland waterfront. To remove these big boats from the water, they use a large lift located on Berlin Mills Wharf, behind Becky’s Diner. Their goal is to be able to service all the boats of Casco Bay Lines, including the 122-foot Machigonne II. For this, Phin and Joanna have ordered a 300-ton Travelift. Their next building will feature a garage door that is 60 by 60 feet—six stories high. The Spragues remain committed to their beloved clan of builders and sailors now comprising many generations, charting a life course the way they once navigated their way around the world, skirting obstacles and taking the long view. “We had the experience of traveling on the ocean for many years and it changed us,” says Phin. “Our hope is that we have presented the opportunity to as many people as possible to find a place for themselves and success in the marine industry. Maine has a rich heritage that will last as long as an old fella can row a punt from South Bristol to East Boothbay faster than he can drive.”

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Stripped to its planks, this vintage sailboat is being restored for its owner, a merchant marine, to sail in his retirement. Mechanic Dave Fogg tapes around the port lights on a boat whose decks are being reworked. Rich Larsen is a mechanic who is certified to work on outboard engines from five different manufacturers. This page: The fabric ceiling of this storage building allows in plenty of daylight. MARCH // 2018

PRESENTS

2018 Annual Awards

Silent Auction

Saturday, March 3 4 PM at Port City Music Hall $12 advance | $15 day of show | $20 Preferred Seating ALL AGES

New This Year:

MAMMOTH MATINEE Featuring Performances By:

MAMMOTH Brass Band MAMMOTH Rock Chorus MAMMOTH Strings 1 PM | FREE!

JUSTBE. Saturday, March 24, 2018 Holiday Inn By the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland Special Guest Host: Comedienne Christine O’Leary

To purchase tickets, visit: www.EqualityMaine.org/Gala

FRANCES HYNES

Falmouth Shopping Center 251 U.S. Route One, Falmouth, Maine Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5pm | 207.781.2620

ELIZ ABETHMOSSGALLERIES.COM

DETAIL: ULTRA MARINE SEA 22” X 30”, WATERCOLOR ON PAPER

THIS IS SO PORTLAND.

JIM BRADY THINKS AHEAD

CREW CONVENES ON CASCO BAY

SPACE TO CREATE AT EAST END LOFTS

PORTLAND'S

CITY MAGAZINE JUNE 2017

Dockside Dining SCALES DISHES THE FRESH FLAVORS OF THE SEA

WE DELIVER. Subscribe 207 772 3373 themainemag.com/subscribe

Rum Runners

THE CITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COCKTAIL CULTURE COMES OF AGE

PORTLAND + ART GALLERY

HITS ITS STRIDE INSIDER PICKS:

LOCAL FAVES OF THE SEA DOGS

PORTLAND DRY GOODS CO. PORTLAND, MAINE

237 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine 04101

www.portlanddrygoods.com

COCKTAILS RAW BAR SMALL PLATES 26 EXCHANGE STREET PORTLAND, THE OLD PORT

Keeping it real since the 90’s.

PORTLAND DAVID’S davidsrestaurant.com

DAVID’S OPUS TEN davidsopus10.com

SOUTH PORTLAND DAVID’S 388 davids388.com

ocktails C QUALITY AMERICAN DINING AMPLE

PARKING

660 FOREST AVE. PORTLAND, ME | WOODFORDFB.COM 207 200 8503 | HELLO@WOODFORDFB.COM |

WOODFORD_FB

Come out of your shell

FUND LOCAL

HELP FUND POTENTIAL

You should be here. 5 PORTLAND PIER, PORTLAND | 207.772.4828

Private/group luncheons & dinners available! Call 207-780-0227 or visit

soloitalianorestaurant.com/book for more details.

100 COMMERCIAL STREET PORTLAND, ME 04101

fundlocal.org

CORNERSTONEBR.COM

DESIGN | BUILD | RESTORE

Perfect

MATCH A N E W H O U S E TA K E S S H A P E I N S I D E A HISTORIC MUNJOY HILL CAPE.

58 OLD PORT

oldport.com

By DEBRA SPARK Photography by MYRIAM BABIN

Seven years ago, Anna Ginn was in Maine to ski with a group of Freeport friends who nicknamed themselves the Mamas, because they’d raised their children together. She’d arrived early from New York City, where she worked as the managing director of a philanthropic network focused on global poverty. With her free time, Ginn headed over to the Maine Island Trail Association’s (MITA) Portland office to visit her niece, only to find she was out sick. Ginn could have easily found someone else to visit. She had moved to New York in 2003, but had lived in South Freeport for the previous 25 years, during which time she’d raised a family and served as publisher for the Maine Times and as senior development officer for Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Instead of leaving MITA’s office though, Ginn fell into conversation with a volunteer who was working on marketing and membership. His name was Tom Franklin, and he was a retired lawyer who’d moved to Portland from Boston a decade earlier. The two had a lot in common. They were community activists and political progressives who loved art, biking, and boating. Ginn hesitated when Franklin invited her to lunch, but not for long. Within the year, they were not only a couple, but owners of a newly renovated home. “We moved quickly. We tell our kids, ‘Don’t do what we did,’” Ginn says. (She and Franklin have six children from their first marriages.) “But when you find the right person, you know it. Just like when you find the right house, you know it.” In their case, the right house was on Portland’s Munjoy Hill, just down the street from where Franklin was living when he and Ginn met. Originally a modest Cape with an unheated back ell that likely once served as a summer kitchen, the house dated back to 1860. Tom Landry, owner of CornerStone Building and

In the open-plan living-dining room, Anna Ginn and Tom Franklin’s fondness for combining Danish modern furniture, antiques, and contemporary art is on display. The figure at right and the bronze sculpture on the built-in bookshelves are both by Leonard Baskin. The etching of Russian prisoners of war is by Käthe Kollwitz.

MARCH // 2018

This page: A first-floor den with attached full bath can double as a guest suite, thanks to a fold out sofa. The built-in shelving unit frames a fireplace that burns on ethanol, which needs no venting. The lithograph to the left is by Leonard Baskin. The three pieces to the right are Japanese woodcuts. The rocking chair and small table behind are by Hans Wegner. The trunk is from Tibet. Opposite page: The second-floor landing’s table and chairs are from Lovell Hall Antiques.

Restoration, and Brewster Buttfield of Prospect Design had just finished a major renovation of the property. The house had lovely details, some obvious from the start and some uncovered during construction, including a graceful curving front staircase and an antique front door with a beveled glass oval window, pebbled and stained-glass sidelights, and decorative cornices. Otherwise, the house was in poor condition when the renovation began and revealed itself to be in even poorer shape as the project unfolded, with rot, mold, slapdash framing, and other problems cropping up daily. The financially savvy move would have been to tear down the original structure. Instead, says Landry, “We built a new house inside the old,” fitting an environmentally sound, contemporary, open-plan home into the original. “The end result of salvaging existing property is that you get creative and a little more unique,” he says. “It’s sort of like poetry: the form leads you to achieving better things.” Now, the ground floor of the house flows from a sunny, art-filled living room and dining room to a modern kitchen of sleek, sustainable materials, such

60 OLD PORT

oldport.com

“The end result of salvaging existing property is that you get creative and a little more unique.” –Tom Landry

as concrete for the countertops and caramelized, vertical-grain bamboo for the flat-panel cabinetry and open shelving. A sliding barn door separates the public space from a back den, which has a chic, glass-fronted fireplace with a stainless-steel firebox that runs on ethanol, a clean, non-polluting fuel that requires no venting. The den has a full bath, so it doubles as a guest suite and can be converted to an owners’ bedroom, if single-floor living is ever desired. Upstairs, three bedrooms are fitted below the steeply pitched roof, including an owners’ bedroom with an asymmetrical live-edge teak headboard, part of a bedframe from Paulus Fine Furniture in Harpswell. The initial furnishings for the house were from Franklin’s previous East End apartment. “I have had Danish modern furniture since the 1960s,” he says. “What a rut I am in.” Happily, Ginn likes midcentury modern, too, and the couple filled in with additional purchases, like a George Nelson bubble lamp for over a round teak dining table, surrounded by black plastic Bellini dining chairs. The couple occasionally combine older pieces

MARCH // 2018

62 OLD PORT

oldport.com

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Franklin’s upstairs study shows the couple again mixing old and new, given the Oriental rug and vintage love seat, the contemporary wood and paper collage, and the secretary from Asia West on Commercial Street. A George Nelson bubble lamp hangs above a teak dining table surrounded by black Heller Bellini chairs from Design Within Reach. The painting is by Philip Barter, and the Moroccan rug was made in the early 20th century. The Japanese-inspired garden, complete with pergola and arch, was designed by Lee Schneller Fine Gardens in Camden. This page: Homeowners Tom Franklin and Anna Ginn in a historic space that has been updated with sustainable materials like concrete for the kitchen countertops from Jon Meade Design and caramelized vertical grain bamboo for kitchen cabinets from R.G. Eaton Woodworks. “The intent was to capture the home’s existing historical detail and be sensitive to the context of the neighborhood while altering the interior for modern living,” says Brewster Buttfield of Prospect Design in Portland.

with their modern furnishings. The floors have Oriental rugs, and an upstairs guest bedroom has a chest that dates back to Franklin’s childhood. The den has a red leather antique chest from Tibet, a tufted navy Ligne Roset sofa that folds down into a bed, and a Noguchi lamp that hangs from the ceiling and looks like a sculpture of stacked square and rectangular boxes. It is, Franklin says, “the world’s most expensive piece of paper.” The couple’s art reflects their fondness for Maine artists, contemporary art, and sculpture. The collection includes a bronze figure by Leonard Baskin, which stands by the front staircase; black-and-white portraits by Jack Montgomery, which are displayed on a shelf in the bend of the stairwell; and a Peter Ralston photograph of an island near Mount Desert,

over which Eric Hopkins has painted. A large landscape by Ginn’s son, Case Conover, hangs in between the dining and living area and consists of rubber-stamped images piled high and with increasing density to form a large ground on top of which sits a single tree. (One might assume that Ginn brought this piece, which was exhibited in the 2010 Center for Maine Contemporary Art Biennial, to the conjoined household, but Franklin purchased it as a present, thereby supporting, as Ginn notes, son and mother.) “When I moved onto Munjoy Hill in 2000,” says Franklin, “the average age was 24, and in 2003, we realized we tripled it.” Now, he says, “We see a lot of people like us living on Munjoy Hill. They’ve given up life in the suburbs and come to Portland to seek a more walking-

friendly community.” Although Ginn and Franklin currently travel between New York and Portland, they intend for the Maine city to eventually become their primary home. Ginn never abandoned her commitments to or fondness for the state. “I love the way the air smells in Maine,” she says. She has many friends here and is board chair of the Maine Media Workshops and College in Rockport. Franklin’s attraction to Maine was originally about boating—the couple has a 28foot trawler that they keep in South Freeport— but Franklin also appreciates the scale of Maine life and how it affords him the opportunity to stay active with MITA and with the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. “You can become involved in the community in a significant way without having been born here,” he says.

MARCH // 2018

leg acysir.co m

Connect with LegacySIR:

Aaron Crossman 207.322.6638 acrossman@legacysir.com Camden

Alexa Oestreicher 207.329.9307 alexa@legacysir.com poRtLand

Andrea Pellechia 207.831.0447 apellechia@legacysir.com poRtLand

Anna McGeachey 207.807.3926 amcgeachey@legacysir.com RentaLS

Anne Bosworth 207.233.3175 abosworth@legacysir.com poRtLand

Barbara Russo 917.370.3717 barbarar@legacysir.com poRtLand

Betsy Coughlan 207.229.3661 bcoughlan@legacysir.com kennebunk

Bill Gaynor 207.468.3002 bgaynor@legacysir.com kennebunk

Brian Wickenden 207.975.9650 bwickenden@legacysir.com Camden

Carrie Martin 207.415.2504 cmartin@legacysir.com poRtLand

Carroll Fernald 207.266.1540 cfernald@legacysir.com mdI

Charlene Hamiwka 207.671.0085 charlene@legacysir.com InLand & CoaStaL

Chris Lynch 207.650.0283 clynch@legacysir.com pReSIdent

Chris Stone 207.590.3425 cstone@legacysir.com bIddefoRd pooL

Connie Moss 207.671.0117 cmoss@legacysir.com damaRISCotta

Dennis Duggan 207.522.3747 dduggan@legacysir.com bRunSwICk

Dennis Gleason 207.446.6394 dgleason@legacysir.com damaRISCotta

Elise Kiely 207.838.1050 elise@elisekiely.com poRtLand

George Wheelwright 207.249.9626 gwheelwright@legacysir.com Camden

Ginny Whitney 207.451.3093 ginny@ginnywhitney.com SoutheRn maIne

Heather Shields 207.596.4050 hshields@legacysir.com poRtLand

Jackie Wheelwright 207.449.9442 jwheelwright@legacysir.com Camden

Jaime Beane 207.712.7615 jbeane@legacysir.com poRtLand

Janet Moore 207.266.0441 jmoore@legacysir.com mdI

Jasmin White 207.450.1529 jwhite@legacysir.com poRtLand

Joane Tait 207.751.4124 jtait@legacysir.com bRunSwICk

John Collins 207.607.2442 jcollins@legacysir.com bRunSwICk

Jonathan Leahy 207.798.2428 jleahy@legacysir.com bRunSwICk

Kate Jackson 207.691.3684 kjackson@legacysir.com Camden

Kathleen Shattuck 207.215.4161 kshattuck@legacysir.com damaRISCotta

1 C o m pa n y - 5 o f f I C e S - 7 5 a g e n t S - e n d L e S S p o S S I b I L I t I e S

L o C a L e x p e Rt S - g L o b a L R e a C h

Kathy Leeman 207.504.6866 kleeman@legacysir.com damaRISCotta

Katie Hogan 207.619.2122 khogan@legacysir.com poRtLand

Kristina Keaney 207.756.0475 kkeaney@legacysir.com poRtLand

Laura Abraham 207.780.8900 labraham@legacysir.com poRtLand

Leslie Tranchell 207.691.2955 ltranchell@legacysir.com Camden

Lewis Wheelwright 207.232.3951 lwheelwright@legacysir.com Camden

Liam McCoy 207.712.6860 lmccoy@legacysir.com poRtLand

Linda MacDonald 207.749.1215 linda@beautifulmainehome.com poRtLand

Linda Painter 207.592.3214 lpainter@legacysir.com damaRISCotta

Lois Lengyel 207.233.2820 llengyel@legacysir.com poRtLand

Mary Jean Labbe 207.337.3661 mjlabbe@legacysir.com SoutheRn maIne

Mary Jo Cross 207.671.4006 mcross@legacysir.com poRtLand

Mary Libby 207.712.5594 mlibby@legacysir.com poRtLand

Maureen Weaver 610.322.5832 mweaver@legacysir.com kennebunk

Melissa McKersie 207.776.8390 mmckersie@legacysir.com poRtLand

Muffy Myles 207.380.7876 mmyles@legacysir.com damaRISCotta

Pat Lawson 207.798.1828 plawson@legacysir.com bRunSwICk

Patti Lawton 207.522.1444 plawton@legacysir.com bRunSwICk

Peter Thornton 207.329.2310 pthornton@legacysir.com poRtLand

Peter van der Kieft 207.592.9366 pvdk@legacysir.com Camden

Polly Nichols 207.831.6062 pnichols@legacysir.com poRtLand

Preston Robison 207.671.4914 preston@legacysir.com poRtLand

Sandra Wendland 207.233.7788 swendland@legacysir.com poRtLand

Scott Dobos 207.370.5479 sdobos@legacysir.com RentaLS

Sheilah Lloyd 207.239.2929 slloyd@legacysir.com poRtLand

Susan Desgrosseilliers 207.975.4304 susand@legacysir.com Camden/poRtLand

Tim Kennedy 207.632.0557 tkennedy@legacysir.com poRtLand

Thomas Field 207.215.6455 tfield@legacysir.com damaRISCotta

Tom Kruzshak 207.770.2212 tkruzshak@legacysir.com poRtLand

Valerie Foster 207.522.7820 vfoster@legacysir.com Camden

(Back Row): Mark Fortier, Brenda Cerino-Galli, Bob Knecht, Lucy Foster-Flight, Joi Kressbach, Whitney Harvey, Gail Landry, Tish Whipple, Susan Lamb, Pete Molloy, Sue Lessard, Jeff Davis (Front Row): Sandy Johnson, William Davisson, Dianne Maskewitz, Steve Parkhurst, Lynn Hallett.

more than 60 years of industry experience

DISTINCTIVE REAL ESTATE

coastal living recognized leaders

elegant WeSt end toWnhome

local expertise

international exposure

Shorefront In Cape elIzabeth

one union wharf | portland | 207.773.0262

www.townandshore.com

oCeanfront In SCarborough

Gather

G O O D T I M E S, G R E AT C A U S E S

WAYFINDER SCHOOLS ENCHANTED HOLIDAY EVENT Photography by Liz and Russell Caron

Wayfinder Schools, an alternative high school for students at risk of high-school non-completion, held an Enchanted Holiday Event at the Portland Art Gallery. Guests were treated to a silent auction, hors d'oeuvres by Kitchen Chicks Catering, and a holiday decor contest. The event was sponsored by Port Printing Solutions, CornerStone Building and Restoration, Wilkes Duffy Wealth Management of HighTower Advisors, Unum; Albin, Randall & Bennett, Maine Media Collective, Approved Home Mortgage, and C Salt Gourmet Market. 01

“This was our first Enchanted Holiday Event, and it was great to spend time with many Wayfinder supporters. This work doesn’t get done without a talented and devoted staff, tireless volunteers, and the generous financial support of our friends.”

—Don Russell, board chair at Wayfinder Schools 06

01 Kim Donnelly, senior vice president and director of business banking at Gorham Savings Bank, and Fred Williams, managing director of Old Port Advisors 02 Doug Mercier, board member at Wayfinder Schools, and Paul Andrews, executive director of Wayfinder Schools 03 Martha Kempe, head of schools at Wayfinder Schools, and Jana Lapoint, vice chair of Maine State Board of Education 04 Nicolette Sennett, development and administrative assistant at Wayfinder Schools; Kevin Sennett, vide producer at 360 Media Ventures; and Annie Messinger, director of advancement at the Maine Girls Academy 05 Emma Wilson, managing director of Art Collector Maine; Kathy Grossman, volunteer at Portland Adult Education; and Richard Grossman 06 Barbara Russo, board member at Wayfinder Schools; Richard Russo, writer; and Pam Russell 07 Jarred Stankiewicz, 2016 graduate of Wayfinder Schools; Kathy Finnell, accountant at MacPage; and Caeli Shadis, artist 08 Samantha Troegner, senior associate at Macpage; Rita Simba, accounting associate at Macpage; and Courtney Mack, manager at Macpage

MARCH // 2018

FIND YOUR DREAM...

40 PORTLAND PIER | PORTLAND, ME

! D L

2 / 1 1 - 3 Bedrooms

25HIGHSTREET.COM

Fitness Center

Garage Parking

CONDOS@25HIGHSTREET.COM

Move-in Ready!

207.329.6997

Gather

G O O D T I M E S, G R E AT C A U S E S

FIRST THURSDAY ART OPENING FEATURING THE WORK OF JULIE HOUCK Photography by Liz and Russell Caron

Portland Art Gallery recently hosted the opening of Julie Houck’s show, Points of Departure. The Bread and Butter Catering Company provided hors d’oeuvres, and Joe Rillo, on the flute, kept the atmosphere light. 01

05 06 04

“After a year of painting, it was exciting to see the work hung so beautifully.” —Julie Houck, artist 07

01 Julie Houck, artist 02 Ted Axelrod, photographer; Susan Axelrod, managing editor of Old Port magazine and Ageless Maine magazine; and Noah Talmatch, owner of Timber Steakhouse 03 Willa Venema, Art Collector Maine artist; Emma Wilson, managing director of Art Collector Maine; and Ingunn Milla Joergensen, Art Collector Maine artist 04 Matt Michaud, licensed clinical social worker, and Karen Michaud, registered nurse 05 Elizabeth Palmer, artist, and Gale Muellenhoff 06 Stephen Sesto and Sharon Taylor, assistant manager at Spurwink 07 Daniel Caney, Art Collector Maine artist, and Ann Trainor Domingue, Art Collector Maine artist 08 Elyssa Cohen, owner of Elyssa Cohen Photography, and Reven Oliver, director of events and experiential marketing at Maine Media Collective 09 Cate Lund, Lund Decorative Painting; Jane Dahmen, Art Collector Maine artist; Anne Oliviero; and Emily Sabino, musician

MARCH // 2018

70 OLD PORT

oldport.com

A-List

COMPILED BY SUSAN AXELROD // PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER FRANK EDWARDS

Best places for waterfront dining What’s better than a meal with a view, especially when the view is of a bustling, blue water harbor? Watch fishermen bringing in their catch and ferries crossing Casco Bay from these waterfront restaurants. Scales | Portland

This seafood-with-a-view establishment, from the unbeatable team of Dana Street and Sam Hayward, is as close to Portland’s working waterfront as you can get. Dishes featuring Maine’s best fish and shellfish are inventive and well-prepared, and the bar is a busy place, with an extensive wine list and signature cocktails named for local landmarks.

Boone's Fish House and Oyster Room | Portland

Boone’s has a long legacy on Portland’s waterfront, and now chef-owner Harding Lee Smith is running the show. His menu features an extensive selection of updated seafood classics, including an enormous lobster roll, seafood Newburg served in a popover, and a fried scallop BLT.

DiMillo's | Portland

A fixture on Portland’s waterfront and a multi-generational family business, DiMillo’s floating restaurant is always the answer when anyone asks where to go for the quintessential Maine lobster dinner. Every table offers up a stunning view of the harbor, and the outdoor foredeck puts you right on Portland Harbor. The bar is warm and welcoming all year-round.

North 43 Bistro | South Portland

A new addition to South Portland’s waterfront, North 43 Bistro sports big picture windows and two decks overlooking Casco Bay and the Portland skyline. Chef/co owner Stephanie Brown brings a creative touch to seafood and seasonal specialties, with global and local influences. Her business partner, Laura Argitis, contributes years of restaurant experience as owner of Old Port Sea Grill.

The Dockside Grill | Falmouth

Take in panoramic views of Casco Bay and watch the boats from the sprawling mahogany and stone bar at Dockside at Handy Boat Marina. Wall-to-wall glass folding doors are left open to the sweeping ocean breeze in fine weather. Lunch brings fresh and flavorful versions of lobster rolls and fish tacos; dinner offerings include steaks and more seafood specialties.

RiRa | Portland

With a recent renovation of the second floor, RíRá has seriously improved its dining scene. The big space sports stylish seating and an inviting fireplace, plus a spectacular view of Portland Harbor. The menu goes far beyond Old Country classics, with plenty of fresh seafood, local produce, and inventive takes on traditional dishes.

J's Oyster | Portland

Located on Portland’s working waterfront, J’s is as classic and no-frills as it gets. Piles of raw oysters and steamed clams are served alongside generous drinks. This city mainstay is its own microcosm, resisting change amidst a sea of dining trends, and that’s just how the regulars like it.

Opposite: Diners at Scales have a broad view of the waterfront. MARCH // 2018

WINNER! 2 0 1 3 T O N Y AWA R D

SATURDAY, MARCH 10 • 8 PM MERRILL AUDITORIUM

SUNDAY, MARCH 11 • 1 PM MERRILL AUDITORIUM

VENUE NAME GOES HERE DATE XX - DATE XX

FRIDAY, MARCH 30 • 8 PM SATURDAY, MARCH 31 • 2 & 8 PM MERRILL AUDITORIUM KINKYBOOTSTHEMUSICAL.COM

TICKETS: 207.842.0800 • P O R T L A N D OVAT I O N S . O R G

>>>> SEE THE FULL SEASON AT PORTLANDOVATIONS.ORG STAY CONNECTED

SEASON MEDIA SPONSORS:

WANT TO KNOW WHERE TO EAT AROUND MAINE? KEEP UP WITH EAT MAINE. (YES IT’S THAT EASY.)

themainemag.com + @eatmaine

Cook’s Lobster House BAILEY ISLAND

Get to know your neighbors. LAUREN WAYNE

PODCAST

#329

Lauren Wayne is the general manager and talent buyer for Crobo, which owns and operates the State Theatre and Port City Music Hall, and the company is the promotor for concerts at Thompson's Point. She promotes more than 260 concerts in Portland every year.

JESSICA JORDAN

PODCAST

#332

Jessica Jordan was 34 and recently engaged when she was diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer. She went through almost a year of treatment and was only two months out of radiation when her mother passed suddenly from a pulmonary embolism. In honor of her mother, Jordan completed the Tri for a Cure in July and was the race's top fundraiser with $63,000 in donations.

ROB SNYDER

PODCAST

#333

As president of the Island Institute, Rob Snyder is responsible for working with island and coastal leaders in Maine to identify and invest in innovative approaches to community sustainability. He oversees the Institute's efforts to share solutions with communities that are experiencing similar sustainability challenges.