The owner of Crown Jewel on Great Diamond Island plans to open a new French wine bar and restaurant on Wharf Street in Portland in April.
Owner Alex Wight said the venue, Elizabeth, is now in the midst of its permitting process. The 1,200-square-foot, 40-seat space will open at 47 Wharf St., the former space of Jefe Juan’s.
A self-described Francophile, Wight said the concept for Elizabeth has been in the works for a couple of years, noting that after Market Street French restaurant Petite Jacqueline closed, there’s been a “void” in the city. “I needed to find the right space with the right energy,” Wight said. “When I walked in [to 47 Wharf St.], it felt like I finally found the right space for this concept.”
Wight has assembled a highly accomplished team to lead the food and beverage operations at Elizabeth. Chef Duncan Biddulph has cooked and been executive chef at revered Chicago restaurants including Lula Cafe, The Publican and Tortello, while pastry chef and Maine native Ashley Robinson was head baker at Chicago’s acclaimed Fat Rice.
Wight has also recruited Kevin Denton Rex to serve as beverage director for both Elizabeth and Crown Jewel. Denton Rex was the opening beverage director for wd-50, chef Wylie Dufresne’s molecular gastronomy mecca in New York City, and also general manager and beverage director for Gramercy Park Hotel.
Wight said menu items at the restaurant will include French classics like oeufs mayonnaise and vol-au-vent, with “modernized twists,” as well as a raw bar. The bar program features all French wine — 16 bottles available by the glass, plus some special “banger” bottles “for folks who really want to celebrate and have at it,” Wight said.
The bar will also serve beer, along with simple cocktails (no more than four ingredients) spotlighting French cordials and liqueurs.
The space has undergone a full renovation. Wight said the aesthetic, including burgundy and pink color accents and a high-gloss red ceiling, is meant to set a “very female-forward” and “unapologetically sexy French vibe.”
Wight noted that Elizabeth is named for her daughter, sister, and especially a bon vivant late aunt. “This space encapsulates how she used to welcome people into her home in terms of warmth and intimacy. But it’s nod to all those women in my life.”
Elizabeth will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4-10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4-11 p.m.
