Will Tiqa be the new kings of Deering Oaks' Castle?
The owners of a Mediterranean restaurant on Commercial Street say they have been selected by the city of Portland to operate the Castle in Deering Oaks Park as an eatery.
The owner of Tiqa, Deen Haleem, told the Portland Press Herald that the 500-square-foot building located at the State Street entrance of the park would be dubbed Tiqa Café and would hopefully be able to seat 20 to 30 people inside.
Because the brick-and-stone building — which was built in 1895 as a warming hut for ice skaters — doesn’t house a kitchen, most of the food would be prepared offsite at Tiqa before being transported to the brick-and-stone building.
Haleem told the Press Herald that Tiqa Café will operate throughout the entire year and would offer lunch featuring coffee from Portland’s Coffee by Design, in addition to pastries and bagels.
Lunch and dinner would also be offered at the café, with Haleem saying that during the summer months a grill would be set up for food preparation.
“We’d like people to be able to sit around and enjoy the beautiful Maine summers and get a glass of wine or a beer and a sandwich,” Haleem told the Press Herald.
City officials have yet to confirm the lease, but Haleem said he expected it to be finalized this week, with the Café opening by mid-spring.
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