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Congratulation to Magnus on Water. The Biddeford cocktail bar has been recognized by The Pinnacle Guide for the excellence of their bar program. Magnus is one of 37 cocktail bars in the world and one of only 10 in the US to be honored.
The Pinnacle Guide requires bars to submit a detailed self-application and then the establishment is evaluated by a series of anonymous auditors.
Mainebiz has published an interview with Danielle Camarata, an owner of B + B Bakery. The business recently moved to Cape Elizabeth from Fore Street in Portland.
MB: Why Cape Elizabeth?
DC: Our Portland location was good for visibility, but we didn’t have great parking for pick-ups and looked around at what our options were for moving. We knew our lease was coming up there, so we opted for Cape Elizabeth for the convenience. It’s still close enough to Portland, and there’s great parking and it’s convenient for employees. We live in Cape Elizabeth, too.
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Magissa (instagram), the new Greek restaurant under construction in East Bayside, is making good progress towards an opening day. Owners Nancy Klosteridis and Emily Otero have completed a renovation of the former Baharat/Full Turn space at the corner of Anderson and Fox Streets and hope to open by the end of May.
Magissa will initially be open 11 am – 10 pm, Thursday through Monday serving a menu (see below) of contemporary renditions of traditional Greek dishes with mezze, small plates, entrees and flexible gyro and salad options. Across the board the menu taps into the Klosteridis’ family recipes and taste memories as a guide. The bar program will include Greek-inspired cocktails, draft wines by the glass/carafe, a bottle list and draft beer.
The layout of Magissa is similar to Baharat with a central bar, dining room to the right. The bar itself has been moved further back freeing up room in the front of the restaurant, and a banquet seating area (see above) has been built into the back of the dining area. The kitchen has been expanded and reorganized for a more efficient workflow.
Follow the Magissa instagram account to stay up to date on the restaurant and their opening plans.
The Good Food Foundation announced the winners of their 2024 awards program last night. Of the 8 finalists from Maine, three were named as award winners:
You can see the full list of award winners on the Good Food Foundation website.
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Mark and Renae Roy have leased the former Helm space on Thames Street where they plan to open a new restaurant called Thames Landing. They shared part of their vision for the restaurant,
Thames Landing brings you solidly good food in an airy and beautiful modern atmosphere. The restaurant will offer classic New England fare—satisfying portions centered around seafood, local meat, and seasonal vegetables—served with contemporary flair and warm hospitality. We aim to be your new go-to, for after work drinks with a co-worker, a meltdown-free lunch with the kids, a spontaneous date night, or a leisurely weekend brunch with friends.
Their plans included an expanded outdoor seating area and they hope to have the restaurant open this summer.
The Roys are the owners of Navis Cafe which they opened on August 14, 2020. Helm launched in early 2021 and went out of business just last month.
Knickerbocker Ice Company (website, facebook, instagram) co-owner Brian Hanson was interviewed on the Maine podcast Cocktails with Friends about the history of ice harvesting in Maine and the present day Portland company Knickerbocker Ice Co. that supplies specialty ice cubes to cocktail bars and for retail sales.
Maine Public reports that Coffee by Design has signed an agreement with a union of their baristas.
The contract signed this week secures a wage increase and establishes a labor-management committee between Coffee By Design and its workers. The mutual agreement is for one year, which Sheldman said will allow both parties to continue crafting a long-term agreement.
Monday – The Good Food Awards winners will be announced. Eight Maine food producers are finalists in the 2024 Good Food awards program.
Saturday – Author Eric Kim will be at Tandem Coffee for “The Eric Kim & Briana Holt Happy Hour“. Chaval will be holding their annual May the Fourth Star Wars dinner. Rigby Yard is holding a Kentucky Derby viewing party.
May 8 – Magnus on Water will be hosting a Small Dough pizza x Lorne collaboration pop-up in Bideford.
May 11 – CiderFeast, an “all-inclusive tasting event celebrates craft ciders from some of the top cider makers in New England and beyond” is taking place. Oak & Ember is holding a pig roast at their restaurant in Buxton as a benefit for the New England Breast Cancer Alliance.
Mother’s Day – restaurants are just starting to announce their Mother’s Day plan. We’ll ad to this list as businesses share their plans.
May 17 – The Five of Clubs (instagram) cocktail bar and Twinflower Cafe (instagram) will be opening in concert with the launch of The Longfellow Hotel. They are located at 754 Congress Street, across from Wayside Diner and next to Tandem Coffee.
May 18 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.
May 19 – Fork Food Lab and Mayo Street Arts are collaborating to hold the Taste of Nations Food Festival.
June 10-16 – Portland Wine Week is taking place.
June 17 – The 3rd Annual ChopTails Competition will be taking place at Batson River.
June 22 – The Great Falls Brewfest is taking place in Lewiston.
June 26 – Secret Supper (instagram) is holding a dinner in the Portland area.
June 29 – The 3rd Annual Mast Landing Wavy Days Festival is taking place.
July 25/26 – The Kneading Conference is taking place in Skowhegan.
August 30 – September 1 – Maine Apple Camp is taking place.
September 20-22 – The Common Ground Fair will be taking place.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes an article about Atsuko Fujimoto and her business Norimoto Baking, a review of Mazzat in Morrill’s Corner and a look at how a restaurant closure announcement often makes an eatery insanely busy in their final days.
The owners of Thai Esaan, Ben Boonseng and Siwaporn Roberts, have announced they’re closing their Portland Street restaurant. Sunday will be their last day in business.
We want to thank all of our wonderful guests that have chosen us to be a part of their family through the years. We are extremely humbled that so many embraced our restaurant and that we were able to succeed as long as we had. Our goal was to serve good food and it showed through our recognition in various news outlets.
Thai Esaan was originally located on Forest Ave and reopened at 65 Portland Street in March of 2023.