New Tuscan Market Now Open in Portsmouth

The new Tuscan Market location in Market Square in Portsmouth has an expanded outdoor seating area, which has become a meeting spot for tourists and locals alike. Courtesy photo

The Market Square Breaking New Grounds may have shut its doors just a few months ago, but a new Italian specialty store has already stepped in to take its place. Not surprising, given the prime location right in the middle of Portsmouth’s ever-popular downtown.

In early July Tuscan Brands opened the newest addition to its growing collection of restaurants and marketplaces. “The open-air vibrant Italian market and café is going to serve as a hub for customers and residents alike to enjoy everything that Portsmouth has to offer,” says Jeromy Morse, area director for Tuscan Brands.

Those familiar with the Tuscan Kitchen will notice that this is the first market not attached to a restaurant. Still, says Morse, its standalone status does not mean quality suffers.

Delicious menu items include freshly baked bread, homemade pastas, fine Italian pastries, gelato and more. Courtesy photo

“We still give undivided attention to the quality of our pastas that are made fresh, bread that is crafted daily in our artisan bakery and desserts that are created by our masterful pastry chefs,” says Morse.

Much of Portsmouth’s charm is its due to rich past, which can be seen and felt in the cobblestone streets and historic buildings and houses. In keeping with that sense of place, the new market isn’t exactly all new – “We’ve kept some of Portsmouth’s history alive by preserving the building’s architecture in order to make our new home as inviting and charming as we envisioned it to be,” explains Morse.

Those who live in and take pride in Portsmouth value its historical roots, which the market taps into with original brick walls, wood timbers and antique ceiling beams. During construction they came across old, weathered newspaper clippings that gave hints to the building’s past, which were eventually incorporated into the space.

Though you can stock up on all sorts of Italian items from ravioli and ciabatta to chianti and san marzano tomatoes, the market also includes a café where you can grab a cup of coffee or warm panini to enjoy inside, or, while the weather is still pleasant, outside in the newly expanded seating area in the middle of the Market Square action. Other menu options include gelato, pastries, breakfast items, salads, pizza and more.

“Whether you’re looking to pick up a delicious bottle of Italian wine or imported specialties from Italy for a dinner at home, you will be thrilled to find that our store provides a one-of-a-kind shopping and dining experience,” says Morse.