From the Bleachers to the skybox: G&R DiMillo's Bayside

The turnover in Portland’s bar scene can be downright ridiculous. While scanning news stories from the past, I consistently spot familiar bars that closed and became other watering holes, many in just the past couple of years.

During my brief time in the legal drinking circuit I have seen: Oasis go to Threeways back to Oasis, Liquid Blue/Digger’s close and give way to a future alehouse and Right Proper Charlie's become Cake, which will soon become a steakhouse (just in one corner of Wharf Street!). Though every knucklehead and his friends dream of running their own night club, this is obviously a tough business.

But for every business model that fails (or outgrows its profitability), there is an opportunity for a new entrepeneur to make his or her mark.

“I spent 34 years with the floating restaurant. Tony was my father,” says Gene DiMillo, the owner of G&R DiMillo’s Bayside, with a “G&R” for him and wife Renee, a “DiMillo’s” to keep the family name and “Bayside” to rep the neighborhood his business calls home.

“I left the family business in November 2005. I spent a few months at home, I’ve been in the mortgage business...then I got a call from the (118 Preble St.) landlord. He said the location would be available in January.”

That would be the former Bleachers building, a Bayside institution that ran its course. So DiMillo and his crew got to work, transforming a semi-grimy spot in three months. G&R opened its doors on April 14 at 5 p.m., bringing something new to the Portland scene: an informal, yet still classy bar in a neighborhood devoid of places to chillax.

Former Bleachers’ ticket holders - and there were plenty on my visit - are pleasantly surprised with the renovation. I overheard “It’s really nice in here” from former patrons, and DiMillo regaled me with a tale of a woman using a Bleachers gift certificate at DiMillo’s Bayside.

Candles glow on each table, 42” TVs loom overhead, there is new furniture for lounging and the windows are tinted, creating the illusion of privacy. Even with the fancy interior work, it is still informal. You seat yourself, beers flow plentifully and Boston sports dominate the TVs.

However, the exterior remains largely unchanged, while the G&R sign fails to reflect the well-appointed interior. The game room remains, with pool tables, foosball, pinball and video games available in the back room, which avoided many of the visual updates the rest of the place underwent.

Opened ahead of schedule, DiMillo admits DiMillo’s Bayside is “a work in progress.” There are no drink specials yet, the food menu is not finalized and the Web site is under construction. The current menu includes standard pub fare as well as signature chicken wings and a large Italian selection at popular prices (most meals are under $12), which got rave reviews from my lady friend.

For depressant imbibers, there are plenty of quality beers on tap in addition to macrobrews, plus a large wine selection. Beers start at $3, mixed drinks at $5 and bottles of wine around $20. There are also a few top-shelf liquors and vino, so you can ball if you want to.

There was a decent crowd on the Thursday I stopped by to watch the C’s playoff game (don’t get me started Hawks fans, all 14 of you), but DiMillo’s Bayside’s hours are not tailored to the late-night crowd. The bar closes at 11 p.m. on weeknights and at midnight on weekends, but that seems generous. When we left at 10:30 only two people remained inside, conflicting with the idea of luring college kids (who often leave for the bars around 11 p.m.) over from the rising dorms on Marginal Way.

“We looked at spaces in the Old Port, in South Portland, at the Roma. And we settled on this because of the area. The college apartments are coming in, we’ve had a good response from the AAA folks, so there’s lots of business. It is an up-and coming area,” DiMillo says.

All true, but the most recent entry into the neighborhood, a satellite location for Bingas’ Wingas on Portland Street, was met with repeated vandalism.

“I don’t understand it. It baffles me. What makes somebody single out a building?” DiMillo says to the threat of evil-doers. “I wouldn’t say I’m worried. If (vandalism) is going to happen, we’ll discuss it when it happens.”

DiMillo’s Bayside is also catering to families as well as nearby office workers and college students. And while DiMillo feels safe enough to let his kids walk around the area, he understands some might be sketched out.

The solution? A doorman who will walk patrons to their cars. While this may conflict with the notion that the neighborhood is indeed safe (why would you need an escort if it was safe?), it is a prudent idea and definitely can't hurt.

I’m excited by the possibilities of G&R DiMillo’s Bayside, but also realize the place needs to find its niche in the coming months. That beautiful interior and quality food will attract one type of people, but the TVs and game room seem to be appealing to a different crowd.

Geographically, the location is money and can only get better (this is a stock sure to rise). When the nearby office tower is completed, the potential lunch and dinner customers will increase threefold, so G&R is here to stay provided there is continued refinement. Now, back to figuring out how my friends and I will open OUR nightclub. Just give us a few years.