PORTLAND

Restaurant openings include Tipo today and Sichuan Kitchen, gradually

If all goes well, Tipo, the much-anticipated new restaurant from Chris and Paige Gould, will open today at 4 p.m.

The Goulds, owners of Central Provisions in the Old Port, announced in July that they had purchased the former home of Borealis Bakery & Bistro at 182 Ocean Ave. in Portland and planned to open an Italian restaurant there serving pizza, pasta and salads.

Mike Smith, former executive chef at Scales in Portland and former chef de cuisine at Toro in Boston, will be chef de cuisine at Tipo.

According to Chris Gould, Tipo will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Brunch will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday beginning in February.

In other recent notable openings, Sichuan Kitchen at 612 Congress St., opened its doors last week, but apparently ran into a few glitches that kept hours uncertain and forced the restaurant to close on Monday for repairs. It was to reopen Tuesday with hours from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., but a note on the restaurant’s website suggests checking its Facebook page for “tentative open hours” and updates on its grand opening celebration, which has not yet been scheduled.

Sichuan Kitchen is owned by Qi Shen, who told the Press Herald about her dream for the restaurant last April.

ROCKPORT

Mom, daughter to give cooking classes featuring Mediterranean, Maine food

Mother-daughter team Nancy Harmon Jenkins and chef Sara Jenkins will co-teach a series of winter cooking classes at Sara Jenkins’ Rockport harbor restaurant, Nina June, located at 24 Central St.

The classes will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. every other Tuesday and include cooking demos, hands-on lessons and a three-course meal based on what the class prepares, with a glass of wine.

The first class, Maine in the Mediterranean, is scheduled for Tuesday and will use Maine seafood in Mediterranean dishes with spice. Other classes will cover pasta; olive oil in a healthy Mediterranean diet; Mediterranean greens, grains and beans; a Mediterranean spring feast; and eating local in Maine.

The classes cost $150 apiece (plus tax), or three classes for $400. A $40 down payment reserves a spot in a class, with the balance due at class time. Call the restaurant at 236-8880 to sign up or read more details at ninajunerestaurant.com.

— Staff report