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The Village Cafe

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Coordinates: 43°39′41″N 70°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
Restaurant information
Established1936
Closed2007 (17 years ago) (2007)
Previous owner(s)
  • Vincenzo Reali
  • Amedeo Reali
  • John Reali
Dress codeCasual dress
Street address112 Newbury Street
CityPortland, Maine
Postal/ZIP Code04101
CountryUnited States
Coordinates43°39′41″N 70°14′57″W / 43.66128665°N 70.2493035°W / 43.66128665; -70.2493035
Seating capacity550

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]

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 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]

[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 the Portland Public Library.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Village Café, exterior in 1998 and interior in 1992" – Portland Public Library
  2. ^ "The Maine Restaurants You, The Readers, Miss the Most" – Eater Maine, 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) ISBN 9781625847539
  5. ^ a b c "It Takes the Village" – The Bollard, July 31, 2006
  6. ^ The Village Café, 1982 and 1989 – Portland Public Library's Digital Commons
  7. ^ a b "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. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  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. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  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. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  16. ^ Sedenka, Chris (2023-08-12). "9 Old School Menus Reveal Dining Out in Portland, Maine, in the 1980s Was Cheap". 102.9 WBLM. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  17. ^ "The Village Cafe - A Place We Called Home". My Maine Stories. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  18. ^ Riccitelli, Rob (2024-04-09). "Locals Remember the Highly-Missed Village Cafe in Portland, Maine". 94.3 WCYY. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  19. ^ The Village Café (1982-01-01). "The Village Café, 1982 and 1989". Restaurant Menus.
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