Category: Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• A new food truck called Sandwiches (instagram) recently launched in South Portland. Owner Henry Sauve is serving a menu of breakfast sandwich variations (sausage, bacon, spam or avocado), hash browns and coffee from Lay Day Roasters. Sandwiches is open weekdays 7 am – 11 am, and is located in the parking lot of A&C Soda Shop at 501 Cottage Road.
• The Midcoast Villager reports that Niweskok (website, facebook, instagram), a Wabanaki food sovereignty organization, is soon to purchase a 245 acre farm in Swanville “with the intention of establishing a permanent base for continuing its mission of ‘restoring the Penobscot Bay region as a Wabanaki food hub’ “
• As reported back in August, Sapporo is moving from their longtime home on Commercial Street to Falmouth. The new restaurant is under construction in a new mixed use building at 267 Us Route 1 called The Wyeth.
• Mainebiz reports that Maine Grains has received a $700k grant for a $1.3M planned expansion in Skowhegan.
• Side by Each Brewing in Auburn has announced they’re closing. Their last day in business will be December 31st. Their announcements reads in part, “We want to express our deepest appreciation to the amazing staff here, past and present, who have dealt with the ups and downs of a small business in trying times more gracefully than we could have asked. And to our customers, whether occasional or regular, whether you’ve been coming in since 2019 or made your first visit last week, we also extend our heartfelt thanks.”
• Taco Trio is moving back to their original location at 119 Ocean Street in the Knightville neighborhood of South Portland.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• Chloe’s Cafe is under construction at 30 Water Street in Ellsworth. The Bangor Daily News reports that owner Gabrielle Conners hopes to open the bakery cafe in January serving breakfast and lunch.
• Brunswick’s Great Impasta is moving down the street to the space formerly occupied by Maiz at 11 Pleasant Street (right). They expect to reopen by the end of the year. Maiz opened their Brunswick restaurant in 2022 and closed it in August of 2024. The Great Impasta has been in business since 1984 and it was previously located at 42 Maine Street.
• A new business called Barco Provisions (instagram) recently opened in Damariscotta. Owners Jamie and Penn Way have stocked the shelves with specialty foods from around the globe like Vietnamese fish sauce and panettone from Italy. For more information see this article from The Lincoln County News.
• Pine Tree Bakery in Westbrook has permanently closed (left). Baker/owner Lesa Beck opened the business earlier this year in April. A message posted on facebook explained that “difficulty in finding staff and rising costs” made it “no longer feasible to continue operating the bakery.” The property is now for sale for $470,000.
• Owner Billy Nichols has announced he’s searching for a new home for his company Downhill Bagel Company (instagram). Nichols opened his cafe in March and launched weekend wine bar hours later in August. Downhill will be open at their current location through the end of the year.
• Dizzy Bird Rotisserie has announced they’re closing their Biddeford restaurant at the end of this month. Owner Tom Peacock plans to take some time in the new year to consider how he might restructure the business and space with hopes there might be a way to reopen Dizzy Bird in the future. Dizzy Bird opened for business in March 2019.
• Waxwing Bakery (website, facebook, instagram) in Windham is set to open this morning at 7 am. Waxwing is being launched by baker Hannah Buoye and chef Billy Hager. Buoye is the former kitchen manager at Tandem Coffee and Hager had been the executive chef at Helm.
• Down East has published an article about Linden + Front, a restaurant that opened earlier this year in Bath.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• Ruckus Donuts has launched a $20k crowdfunding campaign to help purchase a food truck.
• Stacks Pancake Company has launched their second location at 183 US Route 1 in Scarborough. It’s open 6 am to 2:30 pm daily. The Papanikoleau family opened the original Stacks on Riverside in July 2021.
• The Times Record reports that the owner of the Jameson Tavern in Freeport has closed the restaurant with hopes to reopen the tavern in Windham.
• The Abbey in Brunswick has launched a Sunday brunch service. The menu includes options like a Cider Sausage Porridge and a Turkish egg and tomato dish called Menemen.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that the former Tozier’s Market has reopened under new ownership with the new name of Edwards Brothers Supermarkets. The Edwards brothers Jason and Jeremy have other markets located in Unity, Trenton and Dover-Foxcroft. Tozier’s had gone out of business this summer after more than two decades in business.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• Tony and Chelsea Bickford have taken over the Scarlet Begonia’s space at 16 Station Ave in Brunswick (right photo) where they plan to launch Pomelia (instagram). 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 (website, facebook, instagram) is expanding into the space adjacent to the right of their storefront on Centre Street in Bath (left 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.
• Meeting Grounds Cafe (website, facebook, instagram)  recently opened. It is located 489 Main St in the village of Springvale. In addition to coffee and baked goods, Meeting Grounds also serves soup, salads and sandwiches. Meeting Grounds plans to hold a grand opening for the business on December 2nd.
• The Times Record recently published an article about The Alna Store.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• Bar Kosho (facebook, instagram) has opened for business in Bridgton (bottom left). The Asian fusion restaurant and bar is a collaboration between The Little Mountain Store and Street Eats chef Jeremy Donovan. The menu (see full menu below) includes items like Tuna Tataki (unagi glaze, tarragon oil, karashi mustard, tobiko, purple shiso) and peekeytoe crab toast (toasted milk bread, leeks, red curry coconut, yuzu tobiko). Bar Kosho is open Thursday through Saturday, 4 – 11 pm and 4 – 9 pm on Sunday. They’re located at 1382 North High St in Bridgton.
• Second Rodeo Coffee (instagram) opened for business on Saturday (top right). The Ferry Village coffee shop and community gathering spot is located at 124 Sawyer Street in South Portland. Second Rodeo is serving Vivid Coffee from Vermont. Brewed coffee and a full range of espresso-based drinks are available. Food options on the menu include breakfast sandwiches, baked goods and avocado toast (see the full menu below). 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 restaurant Me Lon Togo (website, facebook, instagram) 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 (bottom right). Benissan plans to close down 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 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.” He hopes the success of Me Lon Togo will inspire other immigrants from Africa to launch restaurants in Maine.
• The owners of Dutchman’s in Brunswick have announced that they will be taking over management of the space they share with Nomad (upper left) in the Fort Andross Mill. Nomad has shared that their last day in business will be November 24th. Dutchman’s post on instagram indicates that, “As we get closer and round the corner into 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.”
• Elevenes (website, instagram), the hobbit-themed all-day cafe and bakery under construction at 50 Maine Street in Brunswick has announced they’ll be opening on January 11th.
• The Sun Journal published an article about Deltacom Coffee and its founder John Wayne Nelson.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• The Wiscasset Newspaper reports that Sukitta and Stephen Heald have leased and renovated the former Miss Wiscasset Diner building where they plan to open Charm Thai (facebook). They hope to open the restaurant in November.
• Kelsey and Jonathan Turcotte closed down their Wiscasset cafe Yonder last week (upper right photo). The Turcottes opened Yonder in late September 2023. They shared on instagram, “We have had an absolute blast and appreciate all the support and love over the past year! However, we have decided to switch focus to the two other businesses we currently operate.”
•  Primo is celebrating their 25th anniversary with a dinner on November 16th. An all-star line-up of six guest chefs will be collaborating with chef/owner Melissa Kelly on the menu: Nancy Silverton, Ilma Lopez, Jody Adams, Emily Luchetti, Kathleen Blake, and Larry Forgione.
• The Press Herald reports that Gritty’s is closing down their location in Freeport at the end of November.
• A petition regarding the roadside parking spots at The Cookie Jar has gotten more than 4,500 signatures on Change.org. See this article in the Press Herald for details on the situation.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• • A new restaurant called Kool Runnins Jamaican Cuisine (instagram) has opened for business in South Paris, Maine. Chef/owner Walton Wray is serving a menu that includes ox tail, jerk chicken and pork, curry goat and sweet potato pudding. Kool Runnins is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am – 9 pm.
  • The Sedgley Place (website, facebook, instagram) in Greene is new ownership. Ali Desjardin plans on continuing the 5-course menu and has launched a new brunch service. This winter Desjardin plans to add new dinner hours on Mondays and Wednesdays.
  • Carolina and Luis Tovar are the new owners of Pacifico (website, facebook, instagram) in Saco. The Tovars have been working at Pacifico for two years and purchased the restaurant from Carlos Guzman and Alejandra Herrera who launched Pacifico on November 28, 2020. The Tovars plan to maintain what has made Pacifico a success as “vibrant, welcoming space that celebrates Latin flavors and culture.” They’re planning some new concepts for the menu and look forward to developing partnerships with other local businesses. This Monday they’ll be holding a cocktail event “featuring spooky cocktails from local bartender Jordan Jones.” Guzman and Herrera will continue to own and operate their two other restaurants, the Quiero Cafes in Portland and Saco.
  • Blue Ox Malthouse (website, facebook, instagram) celebrated the grand opening of their new facility in Lisbon Falls last week. The new building has tripled their floor malting space and quadrupled their processing capacity. Blue Ox was launched in April 2013 by Joel Alex.
  • Stacks Pancake Company is working to open a second location at 183 US Route 1 in Scarborough. The Papanikoleau family opened the original Stacks on Riverside in July 2021.
  • The owners of Vickie’s Veggie Table have announced they’ll be closing their Biddeford cafe. Their last day in business will be this Monday, October 28th. Their statement read in part, “we are incredibly grateful for the two years you have all given us. Vickie’s Veggie Table has been such an incredible experience for both of us and we are so happy that we were able to bring downtown Biddeford some healthy vegan options. We hope that we’ve helped inspire Biddeford to open up more vegetarian, vegan, and healthier spots so that our community can grow in a positive way. We also hope we’ve inspired you to cook some yummy vegan food at home!” They plan to write a Vickie’s Veggie Table cookbook.
  • The Midcoast Villager has published an article about Concepta Jones and her business Concepta’s Studio (website, instagram). Jones operates a self service roadside bakery and sells a selection of South African Indian spice blends. The article reports, “Jones plans to sell her baked goods and other dishes at the Belfast Farmers’ Market starting in January. She is planning a menu built around her signature curries, including curry pies and curry wrapped in roti, the flaky Indian flatbread.”
  • Khristine and Zac Leeman have leased the former Joshua’s space on Maine Street in Brunswick where they plan to open a new restaurant. The Harpswell Anchor report the menu will include, “[t]avern-style food, including burgers and sandwiches, will be served, as well as entrees, including gluten-free and vegetarian options.” The Leemans opened Sundrenched, on Bailey Island in 2022, and Linden + Front in Bath this past February.
  • The Maine Bagel has announced their last day in business will be November 27th. They’ve been located on Route One in Scarborough for close to two decades.  A statement posted online (facebook, instagram) reads in part, “Due to circumstances beyond our control we are obligated to vacate the building that has given our family so many wonderful memories. We have been blessed with employees and customers that have allowed our dream to come to fruition. We set out with a vision to provide the community with a bagel shop that prided itself on service, quality, and value. We believe we achieved this and in the process gained many friendships that we will cherish forever.”
  • The Bangor Daily News and Midcoast Villager report that a new owner, Steve Ashey,  has taken over the Chocolate Drop Candy Shop (website, facebook, instagram) in Belfast. Ashey hopes to relaunch the candy shop on November 30th. The previous owners had closed the shop in September after 15 years in business.
  • Nina June owner Sara Jenkins has won an award from Montagna Cortonese for the 2023 vintage of the olive oil she produces in Italy.
  • Meridians restaurant in Fairfield has permanently closed. The restaurant had initially shut down in January and reopened back in June.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• • South Berwick-based Lee Franks has opened a second location of their burger and hot dog restaurant in Wells. It is located at 321 US Route 1. They’re currently open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
  • Mussette owner Jonathan Cartwright has announced plans to launch Caring Community Cuisine, a new initiative to “focusing on family nutrition and human interaction to help those battling cancer.”
  • Lorraine Fagela plans to launch her new Saco gluten-free bakery/cafe on Friday. Sweets & Co. (instagram) is located at 294 Main Street and will be open 9 am – 5 pm on Friday and Saturday this week.
  • The Bethel Sugar Shack recently launched Mimi’s Place (facebook) in Dixfield. Mimi’s serves a menu of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads and specialty pizzas. They’re located at 60 Weld Street and are open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am – 8 pm.
  • Peekytoe Provisions (website, facebook, instagram) recently opened their new Bar Harbor market/cafe. Owners Drew Smith and Cyndi Bridges have built out a new market/cafe at 244 Main Street where they’re open Wednesday through Sunday, noon – 8 pm. The market stocks seafood as well as charcuterie, cheeses and other provisions. The cafe serves (menu) a wide range of apps, salads, sandwiches and entrees with cocktails, wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages.
  • Owner Derek Laplume has announced plans to close the Pint & Pawn board game cafe in Biddeford at the end of November.
  • Kennebunkport-based chef Germán Lucarelli, has leased space at Rock Row in Westbrook with plans to open a new restaurant called The Asador Grill.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

• • Mainebiz reports that Big Tree Hospitality plans to replace the current Higgins Beach Market building with a new structure.
  • On Thursday owners of the Muddy Rudder in Yarmouth shared on facebook that “[w]ith a broken heart I am announcing the Muddy Rudder is closing indefinitely effective immediately.” See this Press Herald article about the closure and potential sale of the business.
  • Sunrise Bagel is closing down their location in Winthrop. Thursday October 10th will be there last day in business.
  • The Maine Monitor has a report on the Caribou Russet potato which was developed at the University of Maine and “has overtaken the state’s potato market, edging out breeds that dominated the market for over a century.”
  • The Lincoln County News has published an article about Walpole Wildflours, a home bakery in Walpole that sells to several businesses in South Bristol and through an honor system pick-up location in Damariscotta.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that Rio’s in Searsport has closed. Their last day in business was October 1st. Amadine Bakery (website, facebook, instagram) which is operated by the same owners remains in business.
  • In the better late than never category, we’re happy to report that Meridian’s (website, facebook, instagram) reopened for business in June. Both the bottle shop and restaurant (photo above) are now co-located at 166 Maine Street in Fairfield. The owners had shut down both the restaurant and retail shop back in January, and at the time shared “in order to move forward and properly maintain our commitment to our mission and our community, we are taking time to regroup and reflect…”
  • Winona’s (instagram) opened for business on Thursday. The new restaurant is located on Elm Street in Camden. For some additional reporting on Winona’s see this recent article from the Midcoast Villager. You can make a reservation for Winona’s online.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.