A fourth Nitro Bar cafe in Rhode Island and a third Max Burger in Connecticut are among recent additions to New England's dining scene. In Vermont, Apricity Tavern has begun hosting events. Il Forno has an announced opening plan in Maine, while Anatolia now lists hours and reservation instructions for its Concord location.
Rhode Island: Nitro Bar adds an East Side cafe
Audrey Finocchiaro and Sam Lancaster opened Nitro Bar's fourth Rhode Island cafe Oct. 1 at 134 Ives St. in Providence, WPRI reported. The business began with a coffee cart in 2016 and now has two cafes in Providence and two in Newport.
For the opening, the owners pledged Oct. 1 profits from all four shops to Rhode Island charities, according to WPRI and The Providence Journal. That was a pledge; the reports do not establish the final amount donated.
Source: WPRI, Nitro Bar opening report, Oct. 1
Source: Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal, Oct. 2
Connecticut: Max Burger expands to Avon
Max Burger has opened at 70 E. Main St. in Avon, adding a third location alongside its restaurants in West Hartford and Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The Hartford Courant reported the opening Sept. 23.
The company's website lists Avon hours of 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Source: The Hartford Courant, Avon opening report, Sept. 23
Max Burger: locations and hours
Connecticut: Twirl brings fresh pasta to New Haven
Twirl, from the team behind Olmo Bagels, is at 260 College St. in downtown New Haven. CTBites included it in its October restaurant report, describing a format in which diners choose a pasta shape, sauce and additions.
Twirl's official ordering page lists hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, as checked Oct. 8. Its website links to that page and also provides dining-room reservations.
Source: CTBites, October restaurant report
Twirl: menu, reservations and takeout
Vermont: Apricity takes over a Killington restaurant space
Ben and Barb Lupien's Apricity Tavern occupies the former Rivershed space at 747 Killington Road. Mountain Times reported Aug. 26 that the owners planned a Sept. 2 opening.
The tavern hosted a Sept. 27 gathering described in an Oct. 7 Mountain Times letter. Its website, checked Oct. 8, lists regular hours of noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with Mondays and Tuesdays closed. The menu includes scallops with maple glaze and brown butter, and lobster stew.
Source: Mountain Times, Apricity opening plan, Aug. 26
Source: Mountain Times, music listings, Sept. 30
Source: Mountain Times, letter about a Sept. 27 gathering, Oct. 7
Apricity Tavern: current hours and menu
Maine: Il Forno plans a South Portland opening
Il Forno was being developed at 333 Clarks Pond Parkway in South Portland, in the same building as Taj. The Portland Press Herald reported Sept. 9 that Taj owner Sai Guntaka was aiming for a mid-October opening.
Portland Food Map identified Jim Baldi as Guntaka's business partner, with Jim Fitzgerald and Ron Medlock as the chefs. Its Sept. 8 report described plans for pasta and pizza, including cacio e pepe and rigatoni with vodka sauce. The mid-October target comes from September reporting. An Oct. 8 check of Il Forno's public Facebook and Instagram profiles did not locate an updated opening date.
Source: Portland Press Herald, Il Forno opening plan, Sept. 9
Source: Portland Food Map, Il Forno team and menu plans, Sept. 8
Il Forno: operator Facebook profile
Il Forno: operator Instagram profile
New Hampshire: Anatolia lists Concord hours and reservations
Ali Kalem, the chef behind Anatolia Mediterranean Restaurant in Somersworth, planned a second location in the Centennial Hotel at 96 Pleasant St. in Concord, in the former Granite Restaurant & Bar space.
Anatolia's Concord page, checked Oct. 8, now lists hours of 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It recommends dinner reservations by phone at 603-227-9005 and advertises Wednesday evening belly-dancing shows.
The Concord Monitor's Aug. 3 report had given a conditional mid-October opening target. The operator's current page does not identify an opening date.
Source: The Concord Monitor, Anatolia expansion plan, Aug. 3
Anatolia Concord: operator hours and reservation instructions