After a brief hiatus, Downtown Portland’s Brasserie Montmartre is reopening its doors on May 17. The French-American gastropub’s menu has been revamped by Michael Hanaghan (of the recently-shuttered Ten 01) with help from co-owners Pascal Chureau and Carl Coffman. Though the new team has preserved the name, spirit, and storied history of the restaurant, they hope to bring Brasserie into 2011 with a new "rustic-refined" outlook. The dangling chandeliers have been swapped for wrought-iron globes, and the menu highlights a more casual approach to french bistro fare.

New "tavern" features include a small-plate Happy Hour that’s heavy on the decadent options – think duck fat fries and rosemary, pork belly fries with tarragon, pork belly Croque Monsieurs and fried gnocchi. Francophiles will still find their french onion soup, escargot, and rabbit boudin, and the new owners are keen to cater to Portland’s beer-sipping crowd with ten brews on tap. Brasserie’s previous incarnation earned a reputation as one of the city’s top spots for live jazz, and the performances will return in its new life (with new artists and genres entering the mix).

Starting May 17th, Brasserie Montmartre, located at 626 Southwest Park Avenue, will be open Monday to Saturday for lunch (11 to 2), dinner (5 to 10), and late-night happy hour (10 to midnight). Sundays will feature brunch (9 to 2), happy hour (2 to 6 pm), and dinner (5 to 10).