Bagel lovers in Biddeford are mourning the impending closure of Rover Bagel, 111 Elm St., which was announced on social media Monday.

In a phone interview, Kim Chaurette, co-owner of the bakery with her husband, Alec Rutter, said the couple has been “really surprised by the outpouring” from customers. Chaurette said they have decided to move back to Boston’s North Shore to be closer to her family. “The business is doing great,” she said. “We’ve been really happy with it. The location we moved into was always what you would call a starter home.”

Chaurette said that because of the limited production capacity, the shop often sold out of bagels, and the couple felt as if they were constantly disappointing their customers. “This past summer, we really struggled to keep up with demand,” she said.

In recent months it became clear they needed to move in order to expand capacity. At the same time, one employee was ready to quit, the other had accepted an internship, and Chaurette wanted to move closer to her family. Given the timing of these factors, the couple decided to move the business to Massachusetts. Chaurette said they hope to start a wholesale business there and bring Rover Bagels back to Maine in that way.

The last day of business for Rover Bagel in Biddeford will be Dec. 22.

A&C Grocery says bon appétit

Joe Fournier, owner of A&C Grocery at 131 Washington Ave. in Portland, announced Tuesday that he is launching a dinner service called “After Dark” on Thursday.

A&C, which has just eight seats, opened as a specialty market in 2017, but Fournier said its lunches have proven so popular that he and his business partner, Ben Slattery, decided to develop a small, French-influenced dinner menu that will be served from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The menu has five choices, including onion soup ($6), a 10-ounce steak and fries ($20),  frisee and 7-minute duck egg ($9), mussels and fries ($12), and crispy duck wings and sausage ($16).

Knotted Apron to replace JP’s Bistro

Portland chef Ryan Hickman plans to open a restaurant at 496 Woodford St. in Portland, former home of JP’s Bistro, which has moved to Falmouth.

The Knotted Apron, described as an American-French-Italian restaurant, is scheduled to open in January and serve dinner Thursday through Sunday, as well as weekend brunch. A draft menu submitted to the Portland City Council includes appetizers such as crab cakes, French onion soup, duck rillette and Bangs Island mussels. Entrees include farm-raised salmon, braised lamb pappardelle, flat iron steak and seared scallops.

Yet more cider

Anoche, a cider and spirits bar at 43 Washington Ave. in Portland, opened Monday night. The bar, owned by Erika Colby, specializes in hard ciders and foods from the Basque region of Spain that is famous for its traditional cider houses.

 “Frenetic cooking, foraging and fermenting” talk

Natalie DiBenedetto, owner of Figgy’s in Portland and a winner of the Food Network show Chopped, will present “Figgy’s Cooking Inspirations from the Kitchen to the Woods” at 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at Print: A Bookstore, 273 Congress St., Portland. DiBenedetto will talk about becoming a chef, opening Figgy’s Take-out and Catering at 722 Congress, and the cookbooks that have inspired her along the way.

The event is free and is being held in conjunction with the annual Waynflete Book Bash. A portion of any book sales will be donated to the Waynflete library.

Thanksgiving is over, but you’re still hungry …

Fifteen members of Fork Food Lab, 72 Parris St., plan to participate in Small Business Saturday by hawking their salsas, cakes, cookies, and other foods at the lab. Samples will be available, as will a ready-to-eat-lunch. The sale runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 30, which is the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Participants include the Empanada Club, Mama Mo’s (soups), Plucked Fresh Salsa, Mama Santos (organic hot sauce) and Cap’n Bill’s Lobster and Vegan Grille.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.