Inside Finestkind, the new breakfast and lunch restaurant opening in Saco Thursday. Photo courtesy of Finestkind

Finestkind, the casual breakfast and lunch restaurant conceived and executed by a team of fine-dining veterans, is set to open Thursday in Saco.

Located at 17 Pepperell Square, formerly The New Moon, Finestkind will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

The new restaurant is being launched by Tom and Victoria Barthelmes, along with their business partners, Chris and Paige Gould. Tom Barthelmes was formerly the kitchen manager for the Goulds’ Portland restaurants Central Provisions and Tipo, while Victoria was Tipo’s general manager and remains wine director at both Central Provisions and Tipo. The Barthelmeses also have experience at renowned Manhattan restaurants, including Lincoln Ristorante and Per Se.

The Barthelmeses also hired pastry chef Kim Rodgers, who worked most recently at BenReuben’s Knishery, which is slated to close this month. “We worked with her at Hugo’s when we first moved to Maine about nine years ago and were always impressed with her desserts and her flavors,” Tom Barthelmes said, noting that Victoria is also a classically trained pastry chef and most of the current menu’s recipes are her own.

Barthelmes said they had originally hoped to launch in July but had setbacks with the build-out, most notably the need to replace the walk-in cooler with a brand-new unit. Still, he said, the delay gave them the opportunity to shore up other details.

Finestkind’s breakfast offerings include a Monte Cristo sandwich ($15); Brown Butter Waffle ($12), made from sourdough batter; and a Red & Black Lumberjack ($14), featuring a fried egg, horseradish sauce and house-smoked brisket sandwiched between two crispy hash browns. The lunch menu features dishes like a fried chicken biscuit ($15) and a porchetta sandwich ($16).

Barthelmes said all of Finestkind’s pastries and baked goods – along with meats like bacon, brisket, ham, sausage and chorizo – are made in house. “I think a lot of people have been surprised at how much we’re doing ourselves,” he said. “I have a tough time reeling myself in sometimes, but honestly the flavor is really worth it.”

The beverage program includes a full coffee and espresso menu from Tandem coffee, as well as local draft beers and popular daytime drinks like mimosas and bloody Marys.

“It’s been a real labor of love, and it feels good to finally be opening and do what we wanted to do all along,” Barthelmes said.

COFFEE SHOP COMING TO FERRY VILLAGE

A new coffee shop is planned for Ferry Village in South Portland in the former space of Knitting Nook.

Owner Lana Cooney, who has collaborated with several friends on the concept, aims to launch Second Rodeo Coffee in October. The 1,200-square-foot space at 124 Sawyer St. will seat about 20-25 people, according to Cooney, with another eight or so seats on picnic tables outside.

In her previous career as a touring musician, Cooney had worked in coffee shops and cafés to support her music career, most recently at Ugly Duckling and Little Woodfords. “I decided I was ready to go out on my own,” she said. “I’d always had a dream of opening my own coffee shop business.”

The space at 124 Sawyer St. where Second Rodeo Coffee aims to launch in October. Photo courtesy of Second Rodeo Coffee

Cooney, who lives in South Portland, said she and her collaborators felt a need for a “friendly and community-oriented third space” in South Portland that would also host small events like poetry readings or book launches. She also noted that, in South Portland, “the coffee shops have been dwindling,” citing the closures of Omi’s Coffee Shop, Toast Bar and Solo Cucina Market.

Second Rodeo will offer drip coffee and espresso-based drinks, teas, matcha and seasonal beverages. Cooney said she plans to use coffee from Burlington, Vermont-based Vivid Coffee Roasters, as well as some from roasters based in her native Montreal.

Cooney said Second Rodeo will offer pastries from a local bakery, and her staff will make breakfast sandwiches ($6-$10) and deli-style lunch sandwiches ($10-$12) on the premises.

Some minor renovations are now underway in the space. “I want it to feel like you’re walking into someone’s cozy living room space, and it’s warm and inviting – somewhere you’d want to spend some time,” Cooney said.

Cooney expects Second Rodeo Coffee to be open six days a week (though she’s still deciding which days), from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NOBLE RELOCATION DELAYED

Pizza oven problems have caused Noble Pizzeria and Barbecue to delay its launch on Stevens Avenue until the fall.

Noble Barbecue founder Ryan Carey announced in April his plans to move his restaurant from its current location on outer Forest Avenue to 476 Stevens Ave., where it would be rebranded as Noble Pizzeria and Barbecue.

Carey had originally hoped to open in July, before experiencing four delays on the delivery of his custom-built pizza oven. The oven finally arrived in Maine in late August, but it had been damaged in transit and had to be shipped back to Chicago for repairs.

Carey is unsure when the restored oven will arrive back in Maine but says he’s confident the new Noble will be able to launch sometime this fall.

“I’m not freaking out,” he said. “I’m trying to lead by example for my crew and take the hits as they come.”

Noble is moving into the former Deering Center home of Elsmere BBQ, a 4,000-square foot space that represents a major expansion from Noble’s current 1,500-square-foot space.

Though Noble on Forest is exclusively a barbecue restaurant, Carey 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.

“It’s kind of a culmination of my entrepreneurial career,” Carey said. “I love barbecue, but I think it’s safe to say I love pizza even more, and I’m excited to bring my pizza to a brick-and-mortar.”

WHEN PIGS FLY CLOSES IN PORTLAND

Less than a year after opening, When Pigs Fly Breads has closed its West Bayside location.

A sign in the window of the store at 65 Hanover St. says that “due to unfortunate circumstances,” the store has “permanently closed.” The sign offered no other details behind the closure, and When Pigs Fly President James Broom did not immediately return a text message seeking an interview.

York-based When Pigs Fly closed its Freeport store last October after nearly 20 years and moved the operations into the West Bayside shop. At the time, Broom said the Freeport location wasn’t underperforming, but rather that the company had more customers based in Portland.

The company bakes bread out of its York headquarters daily, then distributes to stores. When Pigs Fly now has one Maine retail store left, in Kittery, and four retail locations in Massachusetts.