The Village Cafe

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, from 1936 to 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] The restaurant closed at 11:30 PM on weekdays and 12:30 AM on weekends.[6]

The Village Cafe
John and Amedeo Reali outside the building in the 1970s, when it was known as The Village Café
Restaurant information
Established1936
Closed2007 (2007)
Previous owner(s)
  • Vincenzo Reali
  • Amedeo Reali
  • John Reali
Dress codeCasual dress
Street address112 Newbury Street
CityPortland, Maine
Postal/ZIP Code04101
CountryUnited States
Coordinates43.66128665°N 70.2493035°W / 43.66128665; -70.2493035
Seating capacity550

The restaurant was renovated in 1998.[1]

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]

History

The restaurant was founded as a twenty-seat café in 1936 by Vincenzo (1892–1981) and Maria Reali (1884–1967),[7] the grandfather of the restaurant's last owner John Reali. Amedeo Reali (1926–2010),[8] John's father, took it over 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] Amedeo Reali died in 2010, aged 83.[7][9]

In December 2007, after 71 years in business, the restaurant closed.[10] A rumored smaller version of the restaurant did not happen.

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.[11]

In the 2010s, the historic restaurant was torn down and replaced with the Bay House condominium project.[12] The Bay House, an 85-unit condo on Middle and Newbury Streets, was built by Reger Dasco Properties.[13] 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.[14]

References
  1. "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. "It Takes the Village" – The Bollard, July 31, 2006
  6. The Village Café, 1982 and 1989 – Portland Public Library's Digital Commons
  7. "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. "Anita J. Reali" – Portland Press Herald, May 29, 2016
  10. "Portland’s Living Food History" – Portland Food Map, April 19, 2010
  11. Maine Restaurant Association – Hospitality Maine
  12. Hall, William (2012-08-07). "Portland approves $1.3 million in tax breaks to waterfront developers". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  13. "More condos planned for India Street neighborhood". Maine Biz. 2016-03-16.
  14. Tom and Julia Ranello (2021-08-13). "Access the freshest and finest of Portland from East End condo". Press Herald. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
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