Beloved Portland pasta spot Abbiocco closes after six months
Abbiocco served fresh pasta on Forest Avenue for just six months before closing April 22, a sharp sign of Portland’s restaurant pressure.
Abbiocco, the fresh pasta and wine spot at 634 Forest Ave. in Portland’s Woodfords Corner, closed April 22 after only about six months in business, a brief run that underscores how hard it has become for independent restaurants to last in the city’s current market.
Chef-owner Cole Curcio announced the shutdown on Instagram and thanked guests for filling the small dining room with laughter, celebration and support. Curcio said he built Abbiocco around “the vintage charm of Italy, the warmth of a family table, and the simplicity of Maine life,” and he set out to give the 29-seat room, which included a nine-seat bar, a homey feel. More than 20 paintings from local artists Kelley Dillon, Phoebe Harris and Amy Hill helped shape that atmosphere.
Curcio was 28 when Abbiocco opened in October 2025, but he was hardly new to the kitchen. He had been cooking professionally since age 15, studied in culinary school in Austin, Texas, and worked at L’Oca d’Oro and The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen before coming to Portland. In the city, he also worked on the opening team for Benny’s and cooked on the line at Twelve in 2024. Abbiocco was meant to be a simple neighborhood place, one centered on Italian wines and fresh pasta made in-house rather than a broad Italian menu.
By February 17, a review from Tim Cebula gave Abbiocco 2.5 stars and said that, despite a few tasty exceptions, the flavors often overwhelmed the palate. By then, the menu had already been pared down to five fresh pasta entrees, plus a handful of snacks and shareable plates. The restaurant also occupied a space with recent history of its own, taking over the former Sissle & Daughters location, which lasted only about three months before closing.
Abbiocco’s short life lands in a Portland dining scene that has been under strain for months. More than a half-dozen restaurants in Portland and Yarmouth have closed in a recent stretch as owners have pointed to staffing shortages, rising food and labor costs, inflation and a highly seasonal customer base. Hospitality Maine’s Nate Cloutier said labor and food costs had each climbed about 30%, and the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce’s Quincy Hentzel has described the landscape as a perfect storm. In a city with about 35 to 40 restaurants per 10,000 residents, even a well-liked pasta room can disappear fast. Curcio said he plans to open another restaurant concept in the future, but Abbiocco’s quick rise and equally quick fall now stands as a reminder that good pasta alone is not enough to outrun the math.
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