The new Grand Central Wine Bar, located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Station Square Development, represents the culmination of owner Karen Nason’s efforts to bring a sophisticated New York-style jazz bar and cocktail lounge atmosphere to the greater Portland area. This successful effort represents Nason coming full circle, returning to the town where she grew up and to the area where she first began to explore her musical and culinary interests.
After growing up in Gorham and attending Gorham schools (GHS ’82), she lived in Portland for several years. During this time Nason became well known in southern Maine’s music scene, as she sang in a number of productions with the Portland Players, sat in with local bands at venues like Squire Morgan’s, and also had her own band for a while.
Surprisingly, after relocating to New York City in 1986, Nason’s first business venture was a plant shop in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, where she featured large and exotic plants for sale and rental. Soon she was having success, selling oversize palm trees and other exotics, sometimes to celebrities like David Bowie, as well as renting oversize trees to the Metropolitan Opera, to be used as scenery in its productions.
Nason quickly built on the plant store’s success by opening a jazz club in part of the space, which she named “The Green Room.” As she was becoming known in New York’s jazz scene for her renditions of jazz ballads and show tunes, Nason was invited to perform at Elaine’s, a legendary jazz supper club on the Upper East Side. She quickly became friends with the club’s legendary proprietor, Elaine Kaufman, and they remained friends until Kaufman’s passing in 2010.
Throughout most of the 1990’s and 2000’s, Nason operated several businesses in the New York City area, including a pizzeria and a coffeehouse in Hoboken, NJ.
Over the past several years Nason began to think more and more about returning to Maine, partially due to family responsibilities in regard to caring for an aging parent. As she became more serious about moving to Maine, she looked at several spaces, with the intention of opening a music-themed restaurant. Once she saw the Station Square location, she knew it was the right place, with two floors of space, an upper level deck, and tremendous views.
Photo courtesy of Karen NasonSince opening in mid-November, Nason said, “business has been fantastic, since the moment it opened.” She believes that live music has been the restaurant’s key to success so far, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. Many of the patrons are there specifically to hear Nason and other performers play the baby grand piano and sing songs from the Great American Songbook (familiar songs sung by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and many others).
Nason has been seeing this kind of music attract people of all ages, including those from Gorham, and some from much further away. In fact, this latter group includes a number of couples who have recently moved to the Portland area from New York City, who state that the wine bar reminds them of a favorite hangout in Manhattan. Other patrons have been enjoying family gatherings such as engagement and birthday parties. In addition, local businesses have increasingly been scheduling corporate functions in the space.
The menu features an eclectic assortment of locally focused small plates to share. Vegetarian options are available. On the entertainment side, the addition of musical cabaret shows and comedy shows is a possibility.
As spring and summer approach, patrons can look forward to longer days and warmer temps which will allow them to experience the panoramic views while dining on the fifth floor deck.
The wine bar is located at 7 Railroad Avenue and is open every day except Tuesday from 4-10 p.m. For more information, visit www.grandcentralwinebar.com, the Grand Central Wine Bar Facebook page, or call 222-2946.