The Forest Avenue venue where Abbiocco is to open this fall, shown last August when it was being readied to launch Sissle & Daughters, a cafe in the spot very briefly. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
A fresh pasta restaurant and wine bar is on track to launch early this fall in the former Forest Avenue home, briefly, of Sissle & Daughters Coffee, Wine Bar & Grocer.
Executive chef-owner Cole Curcio said he aims to open Abbiocco by the end of September. According to the restaurant’s website, Abbiocco means “the contented drowsiness that follows a hearty meal.”
The 1,600 square-foot space, at 634 Forest Ave., will have about 32 seats, including a 10-seat bar. “I want it to feel like you’re at a family or friend’s place and you’re sitting in their dining room having a bowl of pasta and a good glass of wine,” Curcio said. “We’re going to be using pasta as a medium to showcase local Maine ingredients.”
He plans to offer dishes like a pot roast-inspired, braised beef-stuffed raviolo with crispy fingerling potatoes and carrot top gremolata. The restaurant will also offer fresh-baked focaccia and house-pulled mozzarella.
The bar program will be centered around an extensive wine list, about 70 percent Italian, with wines available on tap. The bar will also offer some beer options, and wine-based cocktails like a Negroni using Lambrusco instead of sweet vermouth.
Curcio, 28, has been cooking professionally since he was 15. He went to culinary school in Austin, Texas, and worked at various restaurants there including The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen and the Italian fine dining venue L’Oca d’Oro. Since moving to Maine a little over a year ago — Curcio is originally from New Hampshire — he’s cooked at Twelve and is currently cooking and working front-of-house roles at Benny’s Italian restaurant.
Curcio has hired Zach Hoppie as his chef de cuisine. The two met while they were both cooking at Twelve.
The former Sissle & Daughters space — which became available this winter when that venue closed after just three months — hasn’t required renovation work, Curcio said. “I feel really bad that it didn’t work out for those guys, but I’m walking into a really beautiful space that they put a lot of work into.”
Abbiocco will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m., and from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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Dining and Cooking