The Village Cafe
Restaurant in Maine, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Village Cafe | |
|---|---|
John and Amedeo Reali outside the Newbury Street entrance in the 1970s | |
 Interactive map of The Village Cafe | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1936 |
| Closed | 2007 |
| Previous owners |
|
| Dress code | Casual dress |
| Location | 112 Newbury Street, Portland, Maine, 04101, United States |
| Coordinates | 43.66128665°N 70.2493035°W |
| Seating capacity | 550 |
History
The 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 expanded in 1973 and 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, an 85-unit condo on Middle, Hancock 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
The 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]