Elda (website, instagram) chef/owner Bowman Brown has leased space in the Pepperell Mill Campus in Biddeford. Brown will be taking over building 19A with plans to relocate his restaurant to the 2nd floor, and add bakery and cafe at street level. There are also long term plans to open a second restaurant with a different concept on the 3rd floor next winter.
The new location is situated on Main Street opposite from Lorne Wine. Construction is now underway, and Brown hopes to open the 48-seat Elda 2.0 in early June.
Brown moved to Maine from Salt Lake City where he was the co-owner and chef of Forage (instagram). He was recognized as part of the 2011 class of Best New Chefs by Food & Wine. Additionally, Brown was six time Beard semifinalists in the Best Chef: Southwest from 2011 to 2016.
Elda was named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Bill Addison at Eater in 2018, and was the feature of a New York Times article in that same year. It earned a 4 1/2 star review from the Maine Sunday Telegram restaurant critic Andrew Ross.
The opening of Elda and now its expanded vision and new location are part of the ongoing evolution of Biddeford’s restaurant and food culture. The city (pop. 21,000) is home to Rabelais Books, Palace Diner, Elda, Magnus on Water, Lorne Wine, Night Moves Bread, Banded Brewing, Round Turn Distilling, Sweet Cream Dairy, two coffee roasters/shops (Time and Tide, Elements) , Big Tree Hospitality’s commissary kitchen and a number of other restaurants and food producers. Keep your eye on Biddeford, there’s no doubt more to come.
This is exciting!
Dawn, Just think if we can get a loaf of that wonderful Eldla break whenever we want at the bakery!
He should expand to Portland, too, and take over the Lolita space! Just saying