Owner Ryan Carey slices pizza inside Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue, which launches soon in Deering Center. Photo by Michael Toderico/Toderico Creative

The owner of Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue said he expects to launch the new Deering Center restaurant within the next week.

Noble Barbecue founder and owner Ryan Carey said he’s in the midst of staff orientation and training sessions at the 476 Stevens Ave. site, and will hold soft openings this week.

“It really depends how those (soft openings) go,” Carey said. “If they go how we want them to go, we could be open by the weekend. If we need to take a pause and do another couple of training shifts, we’ll be open by early next week. I’m 100 percent confident saying we’ll be open by this coming Tuesday.”

Carey closed Noble Barbecue on outer Forest Avenue three weeks ago to prepare for the move to Deering Center. “We really wanted to move to a larger location and develop the menu so it has a little more mass appeal and fits the neighborhood’s needs,” Carey explained. “I bought the building in April, and a big part of that is because of the neighborhood.”

Noble’s original 1,500-square-foot location had just 18 seats, while the Stevens Avenue restaurant is 4,000 square feet, with 88 seats inside and patio seating for more than 30.

The new restaurant’s menu will continue to feature the foods that made Noble so popular: smoked meats by the pound, barbecue sandwiches and “comforting” sides like pimiento mac & cheese, hand-cut fries and griddled corn muffins. Noble has also added thin, crispy 16-inch pizzas, including six specialty pizzas and a build-your-own menu.

Carey has been making pizza through his catering company, Fire & Co., since 2014, and has specialized in wood-fired pizza for festivals through his concession company, Pizza Pie on the Fly, since 2011.

Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue’s hours will be Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

LONE PINE PARTNERS WITH LORD HOBO

Lone Pine Brewing Company announced recently that it is partnering with Massachusetts-based Lord Hobo Brewing Company.

“First and foremost, we’re not evolving into some great corporate clone,” the social media statement from Lone Pine reads in part. “By joining forces, we’re unlocking exciting new possibilities that neither of us could have achieved on our own. Together, we’ll have the power to offer even more innovative opportunities and take things to the next level.”

The owners of Lone Pine owners could not be reached immediately for comment.

Lone Pine’s statement explains that the two companies will continue to operate their respective breweries – Lone Pine in Gorham and Lord Hobo in Woburn, Massachusetts – and maintain their retail operations. Lord Hobo has taproom-restaurants in Woburn and Boston, and Lone Pine has tasting rooms in Portland, Westbrook’s Rock Row and Old Orchard Beach.

“Our vision is to expand the accessibility of each brand, nurture their unique identities, and stay true to our roots, never blending into one soulless corporation,” the Lone Pine statement says, noting that the merger will expand Lone Pine’s reach in Massachusetts, and Lord Hobo’s in Maine.

“Long-term we want to continue to partner with other like-minded independent breweries and distilleries to create a company that earns your respect and admiration every day no matter where you live,” the statement reads.

Lone Pine started in 2016 on Anderson Street. In 2018, the brewery moved its production to Gorham. Lone Pine quadrupled its production in both 2017 and 2018, becoming one of Maine’s 10 largest breweries.

BRUNSWICK’S NOMAD CLOSING; NEW RESTAURANT OPENING

Nomad pizzeria in Brunswick recently announced that it will close later this month, after a little more than two years in business.

“The time has come as of Sunday, Nov. 24th, 2024 for Nomad’s flames to be lit one last time,” the Instagram post from last Thursday reads in part for Nomad, located at 14 Main St. in the Fort Andross Mill.

“I just decided it was time to retire,” owner Tom Grim said in a phone interview. “I just turned 73, and I’ve been in the food business since I was 14 years old. It was time to take a little time off and do some traveling. We’re going out on top. We’ve never been busier.

“My doctor tells me my heart should have less stress, and the restaurant business is nothing but stressful,” Grim added. “And Jeremy (Kratzer, Dutchman’s Wood-Fired Bagels co-owner) came forward with an offer to take over the space, so I decided it was a good time to go.”

Dutchman’s Wood-Fired Bagels, which occupies a 15-seat café space inside Nomad, announced on social media Friday that it will be taking over the space. Kratzer and his wife, Marina, expect to launch a new restaurant in the Nomad space in early 2025.

“My wife and I are really looking to showcase what our vision of hospitality is, and provide the community with an incredible bar program, and thoughtful, well-executed food that utilizes the wood-fired oven to a certain degree,” said Kratzer, who already uses Nomad’s wood-fired oven to bake his bagels.

Kratzer said the new restaurant will be “focused on the food that we loved eating before we left New Jersey, and what brings everybody together,” adding that he expects to have more details on their plans in December. Kratzer previously worked for Grim at Nomad in Maine and New Jersey.

Dutchman’s will continue to operate in its current space. Kratzer said the bagel shop will also soon be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in addition to Thursday through Sunday.

GMRI CLIMATE RESILIENCE TALK

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is hosting a talk later this month on “Climate Resilience Potential in Gulf of Maine Fisheries.”

Graham Sherwood, senior research scientist at the institute, will discuss how some of Maine’s most recognizable fishery species – including cod, pollock and herring – have built-in adaptation potential that may make them resilient to warming waters. Sherwood will be joined by Zach Whitener, who will present details of his recent voyage exploring these populations in the Gulf of Maine.

The talk is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the institute’s Commercial Street headquarters. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with complimentary refreshments, and the talk begins at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $8, available through the institute’s website.

COMMUNITY PLATE FUNDRAISER

The non-profit group Community Plate is hosting a story-sharing potluck supper and fundraiser this Sunday in Freeport.

Community Plate was formed in early 2023 to battle the loneliness epidemic and build community through shared meals and stories. The group’s events, which are normally free, bring strangers together for a traditional potluck supper with a twist: Guests bring a dish, a recipe and a story to share about what they brought. In the weeks following the meal, each attendee receives a mini cookbook filled with recipes and their accompanying stories.

The theme for the upcoming fundraiser supper, which kicks off Community Plate’s first fundraising campaign, is “Setting the Table for Gratitude.” The event runs from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Freeport Harraseeket Grange.

Tickets are a suggested donation of $35, and there is also a pay-what-you-can option. Guests can also join the event host committee for a $100 donation, which includes a Community Plate t-shirt.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Community Plate online at communityplate.me.

PRIMO DIVA DINNER

Rockland’s celebrated Primo restaurant is marking its 25th anniversary with a star chef-studded “Diva Dinner” this Saturday.

The dinner features a collaboration between Primo’s chef-owner Melissa Kelly, and five of her longtime chef friends, including Jody Adams of Trade and Porto in Boston and the former Rialto in Cambridge; Kathleen Blake of The Rusty Spoon in Orlando, Florida.; Ilma Lopez of Portland’s Chaval and Ugly Duckling; and pastry chef Emily Luchetti, formerly of New York City’s The Silver Palate and San Francisco’s influential restaurant, Stars.

Chef Larry Forgione, who mentored Kelly at An American Place in New York City, will also be on hand as a “divo.”

An exclusive meet-and-greet will kick off the evening at 4:30 p.m. with cocktails, appetizers and a chance to meet the guest chefs, each of whom is contributing a signature plate to the five-course meal, which begins at 6 p.m.

The dinner costs $275 per person, and the meet-and-greet is $100.

To reserve a table, email dining@primorestaurant.com, or call (207) 596-0770.

A colorful array of tap lines adorn the wall behind Tom Ruff, founder and CEO of Orange Bike Brewing Company, which brews gluten-free beverages. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

ORANGE BIKE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY

East Bayside’s gluten-free brewery Orange Bike Brewing is celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday and Sunday.

The event, at Orange Bike’s 31 Diamond St. taproom, features more than a dozen beers on tap – including new releases like a Belgian Triple and a non-alcoholic option – as well as three live bands and food by Bite Into Maine.

The celebration runs on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.