The Forecaster has published an article about Wander at Longwoods, the new restaurant that opened in August.
He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to partner with Atwood on Wander, the new farm-to-table restaurant that opened this summer on the 55-acre LongWoods Preserve in Cumberland. Its neighbors are nature trails, gardens, fields, woods and a farm and the pair wanted to make sure the restaurant honored its location.
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Back Cove BBQ & Pizzeria reopened this spring. Owner Dan Rubinoff relaunched his one-man operation at 89 Ocean Avenue and is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 – 2, 5 – 7 or other times by chance. The menu is also available for delivery via 2DineIn.com.
The menu of comfort food dishes includes applewood slow smoked pulled pork sandwiches, gyros, sweet Italian sausages with sauteed onions and peppers (shown above), burgers, pizza and much more. See below for full menu.
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Rubinoff has been in the food industry over four decades, starting with food cart called One Potato Two that launched in 1980. The cart was located next to the mushroom-shaped pay phone station in Monument Square.
Monday – an all-star line-up of female chefs from Maine are collaborating on a multi-course Fabulous Femmes dinner to benefit MOFGA and to highlight Maine women in farming. Chefs Ashleigh Shanti from Good Hot Fish in Ashville and Jordan Rubin from Mr. Tuna are collaborating on a 6-course dinner at Bar Futo. Little Brother is serving a pop-up dinner at Hunt & Alpine. Nina June is serving a (sold out) dinner at the Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
Wednesday – Peng’s Pizza Pies (website, instagram) is opening for business. See this article for more information on Peng’s.
Friday-Sunday – The Common Ground Country Fair is taking place in Unity.
Saturday – the Latino Food Festival is taking place.
Sunday – The Saltyard is holding a cocktail brunch at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
September 24-30 – Maine Lobster Week is taking place.
September 30 – Tender Table is holding their 3rd annual food and art fair in Congress Square Park, and Biddeford is holding an Oktoberfest celebration. The Maine Needham Festival is taking place in Wiscasset.
October 4 – MOFGA is holding an apple tasting at the Maine Heritage Orchard in Unity.
October 5 – Inside Wayside, a fundraising food event for the Wayside Food Programs is taking place.
October 7 – Oxbow is holding their annual Goods from the Woods event in Newcastle.
October 8 – Dandelion Spring Farms is holding a Harvest Dinner, and Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.
October 15 – Twelve is holding a Harvest Party. Tickets go on sale on September 15th.
October 20 – Evo is serving a dinner at the Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
October 25-28 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place.
November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
December 7 – Secret Supper is holding a (sold out) holiday dinner in the Portland area.
June 26 – Secret Supper (instagram) is holding a dinner in the Portland area.
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A new cafe and retail shop called Matcha Mood (website, instagram) opened today. The 640 sq ft 3-seat shop is located at 654 Congress Street in the same building as Blue, The Jewel Box and Sagamore Hill.
Matcha Mood is being launched by sisters Sarochinee, Veya, and Phuntira Tiparos. Their menu (see below) includes a variety of matcha-based drinks made using ceremonial grade matcha (shown above is a matcha latte). Their line of house-made matcha-based baked goods are expected to be available at some point this week.
Matcha Mood will be open 9 am – 4 pm, seven days a week.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a four star review of In a Silent Way in Wiscasset.
Co-owners Chandler Sowden and Zack Goodwin have put together a masterful selection of wines served in some of the best glassware you’ll ever encounter, as well as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-length menu of exquisitely prepared, vegetable-focused small plates. Sip a glass of tart, pale Guy Breton Régnié and order food with abandon. Everything I ate at In a Small Way was a delight, most especially a watermelon salad with peppers, tomato, feta and cilantro, and an exquisitely roasted eggplant in a nearly raw passata of Sungold tomatoes.
There have been a number of changes in the Wiscasset restaurant scene over the last year or so:
Owners of The Danforth have announced plans to close their West End bar and restaurant.
We love and believe in everything we’ve done. The unfortunate reality is that we have been unable to find a path that would sustain the business financially and ensure its future. Our priority during this transition is supporting our teams with financial provisions in the short term, and beyond that, helping them to secure future employment.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by for a drink, meal, or just to say hi over the last year.
The Danforth opened July 22, 2022. Their last day in business will be Saturday, September 23rd.
For additional reporting, see this article in the Press Herald.
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Oak & Ember (website, instagram), the new farm-to-table gastropub in Buxton, is scheduled to open on Friday. Owner Shannon Keefe and her team have lightly renovated the former Buxton Common building. It includes an outdoor deck that seats 38, and a variety of rooms and seating areas inside the building that overall seats 60.
Chef Kirby Sholl is the executive chef at Oak & Ember. Sholl was formerly the chef de cuisine at Chaval. The menu (see below) includes a mix of small bites, apps, pasta and mains. Shown above are the Grilled Shrimp and the Grilled Iberian Pork.
The beverage program includes wines (mostly old world) by the glass, draft and packaged beer/cider/seltzer and a short list of house-designed cocktails. In addition to the restaurant there’s also a on-site wine shop that will sell all the wines of the by-the-glass and bottle list offered at Oak & Ember.
Oak & Ember will initially be open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner. Reservations are available online on Resy.com.
Bon Appetit recently came out with their list of the best new restaurants of the past year. While no Maine restaurants were highlighted this year, dishes from two new restaurants were featured.
The Milk Bread with Brown Butter and Smoked Pecans at Twelve was called out in BA’s article on “The Absolute Best Dishes We Ate at New Restaurants This Year“.
And, the Lemon Meringue Kakigori at Bar Futo was selected for their list of “The Most Delightful Desserts We Ate at New Restaurants This Year“.
Owner Rachel Sagiroglu has announced she’ll be closing her business The Maker’s Galley which is located near the corner of India and Commercial Streets. The last day of operations will be September 27th. Maker’s Galley opened on November 13, 2021.
After careful consideration, I have come to the difficult decision to close The Maker’s Galley. The Maker’s Galley was created to bring together local makers and food enthusiasts as the brick-and-mortar location for Experience Maine. Sadly, the last year has been increasingly difficult to manage two growing businesses and maintain work life balance. In addition, I can no longer carry the burden of the rising costs impacting restaurants in Maine and the constant staffing challenges. As Experience Maine continues to grow, it has also become clear that I need to focus my energy on this business and the greater impact it can have on Maine’s hospitality and tourism industry.
Sagiroglu plans launch a new catering and private chef business called Experience Maine Culinary to carry on some of the services and events that Maker’s Galley produced.
Wine Enthusiast has included Vessel & Vine (instagram) and Maine & Loire (instagram) on their list of The Best Wine Shops of 2023.
Our 2023 shops are information hubs and community centers. They open windows into local wine regions, introducing consumers to the ferments happening in their own backyards. These shops help tell America’s wine story as it is today—one that celebrates new varieties, new approaches to winemaking and a diverse maker space.
Today’s shops don’t only sell wine, either. They’re expanding notions of where wine fits into our lives, with many shops offering cider, sake, bread, cheese, coffee and books. They’re also crafting thriving communities, paving the way for a new kind of wine culture.
The article was written by Portland area wine professional and journalist Margot Mazur (instagram).