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The Village Cafe

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Coordinates:43°39′41″N70°14′57″W/ 43.66128665°N 70.2493035°W/43.66128665; -70.2493035
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The Village Cafe
John and Amedeo Reali outside the building in the 1970s
Map
Restaurantinformation
Established1936
Closed2007(17 years ago)(2007)
Previousowner(s)
  • Vincenzo Reali
  • Amedeo Reali
  • John Reali
Dress codeCasual dress
Street address112 Newbury Street
CityPortland,Maine
Postal/ZIP Code04101
CountryUnited States
Coordinates43°39′41″N70°14′57″W/ 43.66128665°N 70.2493035°W/43.66128665; -70.2493035
Seating capacity550

The Village Cafewas a 550-seat family-ownedItalian restaurantinPortland, 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 theOld Portduring the restaurant's existence.[2][3][4]It stood across Hancock Street from theShipyard 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]

History[edit]

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 theNavyduringWorld 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 "foodietown "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 onMiddleand 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[edit]

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 thePortland Public Library.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^abc"The Village Café, exterior in 1998 and interior in 1992"–Portland Public Library
  2. ^"The Maine Restaurants You, The Readers, Miss the Most"–EaterMaine, August 22, 2013
  3. ^"Scenes from an Italian restaurant: How one classic Maine eatery thrives in changing times"–Bangor Daily News,February 10, 2017
  4. ^Portland Food: The Culinary Capital of Maine,Kate McCarty (2014)ISBN9781625847539
  5. ^abc"It Takes the Village"–The Bollard,July 31, 2006
  6. ^The Village Café, 1982 and 1989– Portland Public Library'sDigital Commons
  7. ^ab"Feature Obituary: Amedeo Reali, 83, Village Cafe owner, devoted to family"–Portland Press Herald,July 24, 2010
  8. ^"Amedeo J. Reali"– Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home
  9. ^"Obituary: Albert Anthony DiMillo Sr".Press Herald.2024-04-17.Retrieved2024-04-20.
  10. ^Maine Restaurant Association– Hospitality Maine
  11. ^"Portland’s Living Food History"– Portland Food Map, April 19, 2010
  12. ^"Anita J. Reali"–Portland Press Herald,May 29, 2016
  13. ^Hall, William (2012-08-07)."Portland approves $1.3 million in tax breaks to waterfront developers".Bangor Daily News.Retrieved2022-02-02.
  14. ^"More condos planned for India Street neighborhood".Maine Biz.2016-03-16.
  15. ^Tom and Julia Ranello (2021-08-13)."Access the freshest and finest of Portland from East End condo".Press Herald.Retrieved2022-02-02.
  16. ^Sedenka, Chris (2023-08-12)."9 Old School Menus Reveal Dining Out in Portland, Maine, in the 1980s Was Cheap".102.9 WBLM.Retrieved2024-04-18.
  17. ^"The Village Cafe - A Place We Called Home".My Maine Stories.Retrieved2024-04-18.
  18. ^Riccitelli, Rob RiccitelliRob (2024-04-09)."Locals Remember the Highly-Missed Village Cafe in Portland, Maine".94.3 WCYY.Retrieved2024-04-18.
  19. ^The Village Café (1982-01-01)."The Village Café, 1982 and 1989".Restaurant Menus.


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