Howling Wolf Taqueria opens second location in Portsmouth, NH
PORTSMOUTH – Howling Wolf Taqueria, a Mexican restaurant and bar in Salem, Massachusetts, is expanding to downtown Portsmouth.
The restaurant will take over the popular premises of the former Book & Bar in the historic Custom House.
Howling Wolf co-owner Anthony Ackil and his business partners — including Dave Pelletier, owner of Book & Bar — are working to open the eatery this summer. The Salem restaurant is listed in permit applications filed with the city since the spring for the property at 40 Pleasant Street.
The new building marks the latest transformation at the 164-year-old Custom House, which was sold this spring to Chinburg Properties for $5.45 million, according to county property and land records.
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What’s on the menu at Howling Wolf?
Howling Wolf offers a variety of Mexican specialties including fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas and burritos. They also serve salads and soups, and the appetizer list includes bacon-wrapped jalapenos, taquitos, nachos, carne asada fries, chicken wings and more.
“It’s going to be really delicious, freshly made Mexican food that’s really authentic and really special, really unique,” Ackil said Wednesday of the Portsmouth restaurant’s opening. “The drinks will be generous, big, interesting and fun, and the place will have a fun, very relaxed atmosphere.”
The company’s drinks menu includes margaritas, cocktails, beer, wine and flights.
“It’s a really cool Mexican bar and we think it’s going to be a hit,” Ackil said.
Ackil’s other business partners include Dave Pelletier and his brother John Pelletier, who founded the Mexican restaurant Margaritas.
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Why did Howling Wolf choose Portsmouth as its second location?
The Book & Bar abruptly announced its closure in January, after which Dave Pelletier announced he would keep his long-term lease and explore next steps for the unit. Pelletier was the one who proposed the idea of replacing the Book & Bar with Howling Wolf, Ackil said.
Howling Wolf’s owners previously believed that no other community in the area could match Salem’s charm, but Pelletier changed their mind.
“We believe it has the same character and uniqueness as Salem, and we couldn’t turn down this opportunity,” Ackil said of the port city.
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Work is underway to redesign the Book & Bar area at Howling Wolf
Howling Wolf’s owners hope to open the second location in Portsmouth by September, Ackil said.
The city issued Howling Wolf a building permit on June 18 for a series of renovations at the former Book & Bar space. The scope of the work is expected to cost $194,753 and includes construction of a new kitchen and bar, as well as new painting, flooring, plumbing and electrical work, and an HVAC system, the permit states.
Eric Chinburg, owner and president of Chinburg Properties, said Kelley Family Properties, the former owner of the Custom House, negotiated a new lease for the former Book & Bar space before selling the building in mid-April.
“We’re all really excited about it,” Chinburg said of the new business.
Under the ownership of Kelley Family Properties, the three-and-a-half-story custom house has been renovated, with the building repointed, chimneys secured, and upper floors upgraded. The building is home to several tenants, including 5 Thai Bistro, Great Island Realty, and Kimberly Sarah Photography, a pet portrait business.
Chinburg Properties has no immediate plans for further upgrades to the building.
“We have good tenants there. It’s full,” Chinburg said of the Custom House. “We just want to keep the building running… It’s an iconic building that we honestly wanted to have in our portfolio.”
Book & Bar was opened in 2012 by Jon Strymish, John Petrovato and David Lovelace and purchased by Dave Pelletier in June 2017. The closure of the business caused deep sadness among local artists, tourists and regulars of Book & Bar – a cozy meeting place for creatives and live music lovers.
Dave Pelletier was unavailable for this article Wednesday.
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