Joshua Miranda, owner of Blyth & Burrows on Exchange Street in Portland, is opening a new Italian restaurant called Via Vecchia in the former home of two closed Italian restaurants, Vignola and Cinque Terre.

Via Vecchia (which loosely translates to “old street”), located at the corner of Dana and Wharf streets, will focus on small plates and Italian-inspired cocktails and wine, according to Miranda.

Cinque Terre, a farm-to-table Italian restaurant, opened in 2001 at 34 Wharf St. Five years later, the owners opened Vignola around the corner at 10 Dana St., a building that is connected to 34 Wharf St. and shares a kitchen, HVAC system, water heater and basement. In 2007, the two restaurants were combined, as were their names, becoming Vignola Cinque Terre. The Miranda Restaurant Group plans a bistro-style bar and restaurant on the Dana Street side, with additional space available on busy evenings on the Wharf Street side. Otherwise, the Wharf Street space will be used to host larger parties and private functions, such as wedding receptions and holiday parties.

A sample menu submitted with the restaurant’s liquor license application to the Portland City Council includes a selection of pasta dishes, sourdough flatbreads and entrees, such as grilled swordfish and saltimbocca di pollo. Miranda said he hopes to open in February.

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