The Village Cafe was a 550-seat family-owned Italian restaurant in Portland, Maine, United States. It was in business, at 112 Newbury Street, for 71 years (1936–2007)[1] and was one of the few restaurants in the Old Port during the restaurant's existence.[2][3][4] It stood across Hancock Street from the Shipyard Brewing Company, in a space now occupied by condominiums—The Village at Ocean Gate—which maintain The Village's name.[5][6] The restaurant closed at 11:30 PM on weekdays and 12:30 AM on weekends.[1]
| The Village Cafe | |
|---|---|
 John and Amedeo Reali outside the building in the 1970s | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1936 |
| Closed | 2007 |
| Previous owner(s) |
|
| Dress code | Casual dress |
| Street address | 112 Newbury Street |
| City | Portland, Maine |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 04101 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 43°39′41″N 70°14′57″W / 43.66128665°N 70.2493035°W |
| Seating capacity | 550 |
History
editThe restaurant was founded as a twenty-seat café in 1936 by Maria (1884–1967) and Vincenzo Reali (1892–1981),[7] the grandfather of the restaurant's last owner, John Reali. Amedeo Reali (1926–2010),[8] John's father, took it over, with co-owner Albert DiMillo Sr.,[9] after Vincenzo's retirement. He had initially only planned on helping out for two weeks upon returning from service in the Navy during World War II.[5] The restaurant was renovated in 1998.[1]
John Reali won the Restaurateur of the Year Award from the Maine Restaurant Association in 2001. Amedeo Reali won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.[10]
After increasing competition from the numerous restaurants opening to take advantage of Portland’s "foodie town" status, the restaurant's owner decided to close the business, rather than spend an estimated $500,000 on work the building needed. It was under contract in 2006 and sold in 2007. There was a plan to downsize the restaurant and include it on the first floor of the condominium, but this did not come to fruition.[5] In December 2007, after 71 years in business, the restaurant closed.[11]
Amedeo Reali died in 2010, aged 83.[7][12]
In the 2010s, the restaurant was torn down and replaced with the Bay House condominium project.[13] The Bay House, an 85-unit condo on Middle and Newbury Streets, was built by Reger Dasco Properties.[14] Since then, the neighborhood has been filled in with high-end condos, hotels and offices. In 2021, a one-unit condo in the Bay House was listed for sale for $625,000.[15]
Menu
editThe Village Cafe served a traditional menu of Italian food. The menu listed soups, salads, Italian specialties, pastas, pizzas, seafood, steaks, sandwiches, and desserts.[16] Menu listings that have been remembered by customers are veal parmigiana, clam sauce, red sauce,[17] homemade bread, baked stuffed haddock, and eggplant parmigiana.[18]
Two menus from the restaurant in 1982 and in 1989 are included in the collection of menus at the Portland Public Library.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b c "The Village Café, exterior in 1998 and interior in 1992" – Portland Public Library
- ^ "The Maine Restaurants You, The Readers, Miss the Most" – Eater Maine, August 22, 2013
- ^ "Scenes from an Italian restaurant: How one classic Maine eatery thrives in changing times" – Bangor Daily News, February 10, 2017
- ^ Portland Food: The Culinary Capital of Maine, Kate McCarty (2014) ISBN 9781625847539
- ^ a b c "It Takes the Village" – The Bollard, July 31, 2006
- ^ The Village Café, 1982 and 1989 – Portland Public Library's Digital Commons
- ^ a b "Feature Obituary: Amedeo Reali, 83, Village Cafe owner, devoted to family" – Portland Press Herald, July 24, 2010
- ^ "Amedeo J. Reali" – Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home
- ^ "Obituary: Albert Anthony DiMillo Sr". Press Herald. 2024-04-17. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ Maine Restaurant Association – Hospitality Maine
- ^ "Portland’s Living Food History" – Portland Food Map, April 19, 2010
- ^ "Anita J. Reali" – Portland Press Herald, May 29, 2016
- ^ Hall, William (2012-08-07). "Portland approves $1.3 million in tax breaks to waterfront developers". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
- ^ "More condos planned for India Street neighborhood". Maine Biz. 2016-03-16.
- ^ Tom and Julia Ranello (2021-08-13). "Access the freshest and finest of Portland from East End condo". Press Herald. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
- ^ Sedenka, Chris (2023-08-12). "9 Old School Menus Reveal Dining Out in Portland, Maine, in the 1980s Was Cheap". 102.9 WBLM. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "The Village Cafe - A Place We Called Home". My Maine Stories. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ Riccitelli, Rob (2024-04-09). "Locals Remember the Highly-Missed Village Cafe in Portland, Maine". 94.3 WCYY. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ The Village Café (1982-01-01). "The Village Café, 1982 and 1989". Restaurant Menus.