The Roma Café you remember is gone forever. You should know that from the outset. The original, an Italian-American restaurant that once occupied the lower floors of the Rines mansion in Portland’s West End, had a remarkable run.

When its white tablecloths were taken to the laundry for the last time in 2008, the restaurant had been open (and mostly family-owned) for the better part of 80 years. It was, to many locals, the place to celebrate special occasions.