Mr. Chickpea, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant, launched recently on the first floor of South Portland’s Thornton Heights Commons affordable housing.

The restaurant opened quietly in September at 611 Main St., without advertising, to give staff a chance to tweak menu items and hone their workflow, according to co-owner Ahmed Abbas. A ribbon-cutting with town officials is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant Mr. Chickpea opened in September at 611 Main St. in South Portland. Courtesy of Mr. Chickpea

The 1,000-square-foot restaurant has 30 seats, including six booths, Abbas said.

Mr. Chickpea’s menu offers a selection of plates ($14.95-$19.95) featuring items like falafel, biryani, kebabs and beef gyro, along with wraps ($7.45-$9.45) with fillings like falafel, kebab or shawarma. Abbas said the restaurant specializes in more than 20 varieties of grab-and-go dips ($5.45), such as fava bean dip, pumpkin hummus, baba ganoush, labneh and tzatziki.

“It’s family friendly and there are a lot of takeout options,” Abbas said. “It’s casual and quick. Our business is to give people quick access to nutritious and delicious items, and our prices are very affordable. We want the neighborhood to enjoy the tasty meals without overspending.”

For now, Mr. Chickpea is open seven days from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Within the next couple of weeks, though, Abbas plans to open for breakfast, starting at 7 a.m. and featuring a mix of American and Mediterranean breakfast options, along with an assortment of pastries.

ANJON’S IS OPEN

After a number of permitting delays, Anjon’s, a landmark restaurant on Route 1 in Scarborough, opened at 5 p.m. Tuesday evening.

Owner John DiSanto had originally hoped to reopen the restaurant – run by his family since 1954, before closing in 2019 – this summer, but was required to renew the property’s zoning variance, setting the opening back some months. Plan B was to relaunch the classic American-Italian restaurant on Sept. 18, but this time he was forced to postpone a few more weeks because of holdups with the venue’s liquor license.

Now, licensing and variances in hand, Anjon’s is open for business again.

FALL MAPLE FEST AND HARVEST ON THE HARBOR

A couple of October festivals to mark on your calendar:

The fifth annual Maine Maple Fall Fest is slated for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13. The event is essentially a smaller version of the Maine Maple Sunday festival held annually in March, allowing maple producers another chance to market their goods (especially since March weather can sometimes be so uncooperative).

More than two dozen producers around the state are participating in Maine Maple Fall Fest this year, opening their sugar houses for tours, offering maple syrup tastings, and selling baked maple treats and confections.

Visit the Maine Maple Producers website for more details.

Also, this year’s Harvest on the Harbor runs from Thursday, Oct. 24, through Saturday, Oct. 26, at O’Maine Studios on Danforth Street. The annual food and beverage festival kicks off Thursday night with the Maine Cocktail Classic, featuring products and representatives from about a dozen of the state’s artisan distilleries, handcrafted cocktails and food pairings.

Other signature Harvest on the Harbor events include Friday afternoon’s Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition, with 10 local chefs vying for top honors, and Maine OysterFest, held Saturday in two sessions, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. OysterFest attendees can sample 18 oysters farmed in Maine waters, sip a wide variety of beverages and chat with the state’s oyster farmers about their products.

Tickets for the various Harvest on the Harbor events run from $73-$110. For more details or to buy tickets, visit Harvest on the Harbor online.