The Greeks of Peaks food truck is opening a brick-and-mortar Greek-style taverna restaurant next spring in the East Bayside space that had formerly housed Baharat and (briefly) Full House.

Co-owner Nancy Klosteridis said she and her business partner, pastry chef Emily Otero, hope to launch the restaurant in April. She said they had been looking for a place to open a restaurant since one of their two food trucks was destroyed in a storm in August 2022.

The restaurant will be located at 91 Anderson St., which had most recently been the home of Full Turn, and Middle Eastern restaurant Baharat before that. Klosteridis said working out of the East Bayside space will allow her the luxury of expanding her repertoire, which she had to keep streamlined for the food truck.

“I have been cooking my family recipes my whole life and when I started Greeks of Peaks, I had to adapt them to be usable on a food truck,” Klosteridis said. “They were pared back to be efficient, and I had to really get creative to serve some of these recipes on the truck. But I’ve always had bigger plates in mind and an expanded menu that I can now actually execute. There will be so much more space to do these expanded concepts.”

The venue can seat 49 customers, with about 15 more in sidewalk seating outside. “We’re building in some bench seating so it’s got a little bit of a Greek white stucco vibe,” Klosteridis said. “It’s going to have a Greek look, but it’s not going to be just blue and white with Greek flags everywhere. It’s going to be more modern and comfortable.”

Klosteridis said the restaurant will likely be open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Lunch service will have a menu similar to the Greeks of Peaks food truck, with gyros, salads, mezze and Greek-style baked goods. Dinner will range from small mezze plates to family-style dishes. “It’s going to be a tight menu, really centered on Greek cuisine. I want to stay as close to my family recipes and Greek cuisine as we do on the truck.

“I think since Emilitsa closed (in 2021), people have felt that Greek (food) was missing” in the area, Klosteridis added.

The restaurant’s bar program will include four Maine beers on tap, Greek wines by the carafe, and cocktails featuring Greek liquors and flavorings.

Klosteridis said she and Otero also hope to have a dedicated Greeks of Peaks food truck on Peaks Island again next season. “Fingers crossed, we’ll be able to have it operational full-time on Peaks Island by the summer,” she said.

CONG TU BOT SISTER RESTAURANT DELAYED

The forthcoming sister restaurant of Cong Tu Bot has hit a construction snag, delaying its opening until at least January, co-owner Vien Dobui said.

“We’re in the process of figuring out how big of a setback it is,” Dobui said. “We’re still unclear. And we’re kind of in limbo until we figure out what the issue is.”

Dobui said he and business partner Bounahcree “Bones” Kim – who will also be chef at the new restaurant – had been on track to open the new space in Old Port in late November for takeout service and limited seating, when they discovered a ventilation issue in the kitchen that will require HVAC repair service.

“My experience with HVAC folks is that I’ve only ever met one, but I’ve called hundreds,” Dobui said. “Other people may have different luck, but it’s usually hard for me to reach them, and with the holidays, it makes it even more challenging.”

The new space at 30 Market St. – formerly Pat’s Pizza – was originally going to be called Lido’s 2, for a night club in San Jose that Dobui used to frequent. Dobui said they’ve since changed the name to Oun Lido’s, explaining that “oun” is Cambodian for “little sibling.”

Dobui said Oun Lido’s will feature plenty of Cambodian food – he called Kim a “Cambodian Mainer” – but will also include Vietnamese- and Chinese-style dishes.

Because they had already hired some staff for the new venture, Kim and Dobui have added Oun Lido’s weekend breakfast service from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Cong Tu Bot, with the idea of keeping the new team in practice. Dobui said Oun Lido’s will eventually be an all-day restaurant, and the breakfast dishes they’re serving at Cong Tu Bot include items like Cambodian Pho ($19), Roasted Chicken Congee ($15) and a Bao Breakfast Sandwich with char siu bacon ($9).

SACO’S PIZZA BY MICHAEL SOLD

Saco landmark restaurant Pizza By Michael officially changed ownership Monday, when the retiring owners sold the business and the downtown property they’d run for 45 years.

Former co-owner Vera Kalagias said her husband Mike’s parents started the business  in 1966, and Mike took it over in 1978 when he was two years out of college. She and her husband are now retiring.

“Mike said, ‘It’s time,’ ” Kalagias said. “He was ready to be done.”

New owner Corey Johnson could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Kalagias said she believes Johnson intends to keep the business essentially the same, without major changes to the operation.

Pizza By Michael’s has been closed since Nov. 26, and Kalagias said she’s unsure how soon Johnson will be ready to reopen it. The property at 12 Common St. includes a three-bedroom apartment above the restaurant, where Mike Kalagais grew up.

“We met so many wonderful people over the years, truly great customers,” Kalagias said. “We had a lot of lovely sentiment at the end, people reminiscing about having their first date (at the restaurant) back in the ’70s or ’80s. It was a little hard to say goodbye to some of the people we’ve become friendly with over the years.”

SOLO CUCINA MARKET TO CLOSE

Solo Cucina Market in South Portland will close its doors early next year.

The small neighborhood market, located on a happening foodie block of Knightville, featured local vegetables, excellent cheeses, a good wine selection, fresh pasta, local meats, espresso and wonderful baked goods – those last from the related Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath. The market launched at an excruciating time – March 2020.

The business announced the closure on Instagram last Wednesday that said this was its first year “seeing tangible growth and progress” and that community enthusiasm had been strong. But it said that the owners – which also run Solo Italiano restaurant in Portland along with the Bath bakery – were “stretched thin” and unable to overcome “legacy liabilities.” It did not explain that further.

Jesse Bania, co-owner of the market, wasn’t available for an interview Tuesday but said that, while no closing date has yet been set, it will be between Jan. 1 and March 15.

The business, at 161 Ocean St., is for sale. “We aren’t looking to make any return on this deal but rather we would like to find the right person(s), with the right vision and energy, and provide them with a functioning space and a clean slate to make it possible,” the Instagram announcement said.

PARTY LIKE AN ELF IN KENNEBUNK

If you’re looking for a little over-the-top spirit this Christmas season, the Kennebunk late-night hangout Rabbit Hole has transformed itself into “Buddy’s Bar,” named for Will Ferrell’s character in the modern Christmas movie classic, “Elf.”

Buddy’s Bar is fully decked with paper garlands, snowflakes, twinkling lights and candy cane-striped decorations inspired by Buddy’s journey in the 2003 film. Guests can indulge in themed cocktails and canapes featuring Buddy’s “four major food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup.”

The basement-level bar of Via Sophia by the Sea, Rabbit Hole is located at 27 Western Ave., and is open Thursday through Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

For less Buddy-centric merriment, The Burleigh at Kennebunkport Inn will again transform into “The Tinsel Bar.” The space is packed floor to ceiling with festive Christmas decorations as The Burleigh goes full Griswold for the second year.

The Burleigh gastropub is located in the Kennebunkport Inn at 1 Dock Square, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4-9 p.m.

Food Editor Peggy Grodinsky contributed to this report.

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