Bangor has a new Italian restaurant in the former Carolina’s Sports and Spirits.
Mark Greenleaf, who ran Carolina’s and whose LLC still owns the building, intended to retire last year but returned to Bangor’s restaurant scene to open MJ’s Catering, which now offers an Italian bistro four evenings a week.
Greenleaf described the new restaurant’s vibe as casual Italian fine dining, adding that it’s a great date spot where guests can enjoy their meals at a relaxed pace.
“Our food’s killer. I think you probably have to go to Boston to find anything comparable,” he said.
It’s the third restaurant to occupy the space at 16 Union St. in the past 18 months. Carolina’s was open there for nearly 20 years before closing last year, then Salt North Tap Room had a short-lived stint until it shuttered after less than a year. Greenleaf also briefly operated the space as a catering and special events business before pivoting to an Italian restaurant.
The bistro had a soft opening earlier this month but has a grand opening set for Friday, Aug. 8, Greenleaf said.
He and his executive chef, Chris Cutler, make the food from scratch, with a menu that includes appetizers like arancini and grilled shrimp skewers, several salads and a dozen pasta entrees. The restaurant also has a rotating wine list.
Greenleaf said his family has been helping to get the restaurant going, including his mom, Sharon Greenleaf, who makes most of the desserts. This week, that includes tiramisu, lemon ricotta cheesecake, espresso brownies, creme brulee and ice cream, according to a Facebook post.
The restaurant’s name is another familial touch — “MJ” is Greenleaf’s future son, Marcus, who is due in October.
MJ’s is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. but will likely expand its hours after settling in, Greenleaf said. People seem to be loving the food, and “we’re getting busier and busier,” he added.
Greenleaf initially opened MJ’s in May just as a catering and special events business, offering a buffet that was open to the public on concert nights, but felt that idea wasn’t working out and wanted to run his own restaurant to avoid the stress of dealing with tenants. He’s been involved with several Bangor restaurants over the years and started cooking as a teenager, when he worked at the Lucerne Inn.
After Carolina’s closed early last year, Greenleaf leased the space to Salt North Taproom for about a year. The restaurant and nightclub shut down in May after being hit with a lawsuit from a former chef alleging that owner Dane Morgan failed to pay him for all hours worked.
“They owed everybody and their brother money,” Greenleaf said, adding that the former tenants were “considerably behind on their rent” for months before they closed.
Morgan told the Bangor Daily News “there were a few periods that we were behind” but said he ultimately paid the rent that was owed.