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Beard Awards Process and Perspective

January 25, 2024 | Posted in General News

The Press Herald has published a very good overview of the Beard Awards process leavened with perspectives from local chefs on what the awards mean to them.

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2024 Beard Awards Semifinalists
Maine Food & Dining News: Bangor, Van Buren, Skowhegan, Milo, Brunswick, Alna, Searsport, Westbrook, Damariscotta

About Portland Food Map

Portland Food Map launched in 2007 as a simple directory of the local food community. Other features have been added over the years including the annual Maine Thanksgiving List, food event listings, the Under Construction page, guides to Maine apples and cider producers, the restaurant real estate listings, Year in Review reports, the My Kitchen Their Table chef interview series, the Maine Food Map guide, and Maine news reporting.


The 2024 editions of the Portland and Midcoast Pocket Guides are now out. Pick-up a copy Portland and Midcoast guides at local businesses, and if you need a bunch for an event you’re organizing or for your business you can buy them in packs of 25 on our online store.

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A Sicilian-inspired restaurant is under developmen A Sicilian-inspired restaurant is under development in Brunswick and Solo Italiano is expanding their bakery in Bath: •Tony and Chelsea Bickford have taken over the Scarlet Begonia’s space at 16 Station Ave in Brunswick (1st photo) where they plan to launch Pomelia (@pomelia.restaurant). Pomelia will serve a menu of Sicilian-inspired pastas, pizzas, and street food along with cocktails and wine. The menu will also have a broad selection of non-alcoholic drinks. The Bickfords shared, “We’re opening a Sicilian eatery that blends tradition with a retro-modern twist, serving up the rich flavors of Sicily’s diverse cultural history. Sicily has been influenced by so many different cultures, and that’s reflected in the bold, varied flavors we can’t wait to share with you! We’re all about great food and warm hospitality.” The Bickfords are making some renovations to the restaurant and hope to launch Pomelia in early January. Stay tuned to their instagram account for updates and an announcement about a launch date. For seven years up until 2021 the Bickfords ran Little Village Bistro in Wiscasset. They both grew up in the Midcoast and now live in Bath. Doug and Colleen Lavallee announced last week that they’d be closing Scarlet Begonias after nearly 30 years in business. The restaurant was originally located at 212 B Maine St. •Solo Pane e Pasticceria (@solopanepasticceria) is expanding into the space to the right of their storefront on Centre Street in Bath (2nd photo) which was formerly occupied by the Paperback Trader bookstore. The initial phase of construction will provide the bakery some back operation space and capabilities like additional walk-in space and dry storage. Then by early spring Solo will begin installation of a second oven for expanded production flexibility and capacity. The second phase of construction will also include the buildout a larger public space which will nearly triple their indoor seating from 12 seats to 30-36 seats. With the launch of the larger dining area Solo Pane e Pasticceria plans to expand their offerings to include some early evening light fare. #midcoastmaine #mainefood #sicilianfood #comingsoon2025
The eagerly anticipated Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue The eagerly anticipated Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue (@noblepizzeriaandbbq) will officially open on Friday at 11 am. It’s located at 476 Stevens Ave in Deering Center. Owner Ryan Carey purchased the building this past spring. With renovations complete and delayed kitchen equipment installed, Carey and his staff are ready to welcome their neighbors and the public. The menu (photos 2-4) includes apps (dry rubbed wings shown here) pizza, salads, and sandwiches featuring Noble’s barbecue. A selection of six house pizzas are on the menu but there’s also a build-your-own option. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available as is a children’s menu. The beverage list includes draft beer and cocktails. The dining room and bar seat 88 and there will be outdoor seating for an additional 30 people during warmer months. The overall layout of the restaurant remains the same. Murals by Maine artist Ryan Adams (@ryanwritesonthings) bring a bright and cheerful aspect to the interior. Carey worked with local design agency Toderico Collective (@todericocreative) on the overall rebranding and graphic design of the building. Starting Friday, Noble will be open 11 am – 9 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. #portlandmaine #mainefood #noblebbq #noblepizza #dryrubbedwings
Roasty’s (@eatroastys) opened for business today Roasty’s (@eatroastys) opened for business today. The counter service sandwich shop showcase a variety of regional roast beef sandwich styles like Chicago’s Italian Beef sandwich, the French Dip which originates from Los Angeles, and the Three-Way from Boston. See below for the full menu. Sandwiches are available in a 5 ounce “Standard” size or scaled up to 8 ounces of roast beef. Shoestring fries are available plain or in five other variations including Beast Style topped with shaved beef, melted cheese and garlic sauce. Roasty’s is located in the Arts District at 642 Congress Street. Starting off they’ll be open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am – midnight. There are three 2-top tables as well as some counter seating. The entire menu is available for takeout and can be ordered online. Roasty’s is being launched by Jen Rockwell the owner of Ada’s Kitchen in Rockland. Rockwell had launched a Portland outpost of her Rockland-based restaurant Ada’s Kitchen at 642 Congress Street in early 2020 which closed in late 2021. #roastbeefsandwiches #portlandmaine #mainefood #artsdistrictportland
Here’s a set of food and dining updates from Sou Here’s a set of food and dining updates from South Portland, Freeport, Bridgton and Brunswick: Bar Kosho (@barkosho) has opened for business in Bridgton (4th and 5th photos). The Asian fusion restaurant and bar is a collaboration between The Little Mountain Store and Street Eats chef Jeremy Donovan. The menu (8th photo) includes items like Tuna Tataki and Peekeytoe crab toast. Bar Kosho is open Thursday through Saturday, 4 – 11 pm and 4 – 9 pm on Sunday. Second Rodeo Coffee (@second_rodeo_coffee) opened for business on Saturday (1st photo). The coffee shop and community gathering spot is located at 124 Sawyer Street in South Portland. Brewed coffee and a full range of espresso-based drinks are available. Food options on the menu (7th photo) include breakfast sandwiches and baked goods. Second Rodeo is open weekdays, 7 am – 2 pm, and weekends 8 am – 3 pm. Chef/owner Jordan Benissan is planning to move his Rockland (3rd photo) restaurant Me Lon Togo (@melontogorockland) to Freeport. As shared on the MLT restaurant website, the menu “pulls from West Africa’s indigenous and colonial influences to establish his unique representation of West African cuisine.” The new restaurant will be located in a ground floor space at 58 Main Street (2nd photo). Benissan plans to close in Rockland in January and launch the Freeport location in February. This will be Me Lon Togo’s fourth location and is part of his ongoing efforts to provide diners in Maine the chance to experience his home country’s cuisine by moving the restaurant to different communities "one small town at a time." The owners of Dutchman’s (@_dutchmans_) in Brunswick have announced that they will be taking over management of the space they share with Nomad (6th photo) in the Fort Andross Mill. Nomad (@nomadmaine) has shared that their last day in business will be November 24th. Dutchman’s shared that in early 2025 “more details will become available about what is to come with the restaurant side of the space. We are excited and poised to execute yet another vision of what hospitality is to us and we can’t wait to share it with you all.” #mainefood #melontogo #brunswickmaine #tunatataki
A new restaurant is under development in North Yar A new restaurant is under development in North Yarmouth at the location formerly occupied by Trudy Birds at 424 Walnut Hill Road. Kristen Mixter, Michael Christina and Ramsey Fakhouri have leased the main building and adjacent event space where they plan to open a restaurant called Vesta (@vestamaine). Vesta will draw its inspiration from the Eastern Mediterranean as well as from traditional Italian cuisine. The team plans to serve a seasonal menu with an approachable selection of appetizers, Roman-style pizza, house-made pasta and sandwiches. Vesta will have wine, beer, and a line-up of draft cocktails. Plans are also in the works to retail their pasta and naturally leavened breads. Some light renovations are planned for the restaurant. The main dining room will seat 55 with room for an addition 30 in the adjacent event space and outdoor seating for 20 during the warmer months of the year. When Vesta launches early next year it will be open Thursday through Monday, noon – 9 pm. The team hopes to launch Vesta sometime in January. Mixter and Fakhouri have worked together at Crispy Gai where she was the bar manager and he was the sous chef. Mixter previously was the bar manager at Tipo where she gained an appreciation for Italian cuisine. Christina has been the general manager at CBG for the last four years and has nearly two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. #northyarmouthmaine #vestamaine #mainefood #romanpizza
Two Fat Cats (@twofatcatsbakery) is opening their Two Fat Cats (@twofatcatsbakery) is opening their new West End cafe today. It’s located at 175 Spring Street/144 State Street in the former Mercy Hospital building. Today they’ll be open 7:30 am – 4 pm and this Sunday they’ll be open 9 am – 2 pm. The 2,477 sq ft space includes table seating as well as a lounge area and an outdoor area shared with their neighbors Chocolats Passion and MaineFlavor ice cream. The cafe serves breakfast sandwiches, yogurt and granola, overnight oats, quiche and their house baked goods for breakfast. Soups, salads and sandwiches like the Cape Cod Chicken Salad and tomato soup are on the lunch menu. After this initial weekend the regular hours for the West End Two Fat Cats will be Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30 – 4:00pm and Sundays 9 am – 2 pm. #twofatcatsbakery #portlandmaine #mainefood
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