Category: Maine

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

• Born Yesterday Bakery (website, instagram) has announced plans to open a bakery in Lewiston. Owner Syd Coty is leasing space in the former fire station at 188 Lincoln Street where Born Yesterday will be co-located along with a wood worker, and a fitness studio. To help fund this next step in the bakery’s development they’ve launched at $30k NuMarket campaign—supporters have already over $4k since it launched on Thursday. Coty shared “We believe food should be thoughtful, nourishing, and connected to the people and places around us. Every ingredient we use is sourced with intention—from the organic grains we mill in-house to the eggs, milk, and vegetables grown by local farmers we know personally. This bakery isn’t just about making great bread and pastries—it’s about creating a space that supports the people who grow our food and a community that values real, honest ingredients.” Born Yesterday began as a home kitchen bakery and now sells at farmers markets, to wholesale accounts and at pop-ups. When the new Lewiston location opens Coty plans to sell breads, pastries, coffee (with beans from Blind Tiger Coffee in Bangor) and will eventually expand the offerings to include a menu of toasts.
• Mainebiz has a report on two new chefs taking over kitchens in Maine. Mary Dumont is the new chef at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, and Matthew Zita is the new chef at Front & Main in Waterville. Zita is expected to launch a new menu at Front & Main this spring. Dumont was a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2006.
• The Midcoast Villager has published a profile of Gary Cooper, the chef at Dos Gatos Gastropub in Belfast.
• Enzo Benzo (website, instagram) have opened their new bakery in Eliot. They serve Italian pastries, donuts and other baked goods. Enzo Benzo is located at 987 Route 236 in Eliot and their winter hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 6 am – 3 pm.
• The Bangor Daily News has published an article about the The County Co-op & Farm Store in Houlton which launched in 2013.
• Pop’s Place in Windham has gone out of business. In their announcement on Facebook the owners shared, “The lack of quality and qualified workers, increasing prices and decreasing demands are some of the factors that have contributed to this decision. Also, as a small family business, the business of “Life“ has gotten in the way and therefore we have collectively, and individually decided to move on to other pursuits and spend more time with our Families, as we have lost too many this past year.”
• The Bangor Daily News reports that a new wine, specialty foods and kitchenware store called Sunbury’s (website, facebook, instagram) has opened in Bangor. They’re located at 86 Hammond Street in the space formerly occupied by Bangor Wine & Cheese. Their hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm and Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm.
• The Times Record has published an article about The Abbey in Brunswick which is a 2025 Beard Awards semifinalist in the Best New Bar category.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus 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:

•  Alex d’Emarese and Tiffany DeMartino have leased the former Drake’s Island Cafe building at 2073 Post Road in Wells where they plans to open the Baker Bru Cafe (instagram). Renovations are already underway with the hope of launching by the end of March. The completed 2,400 sq ft counter service cafe will seat 30. d’Emarese and DeMartino will serve house-made pastries, meat pies and quiches as well as açaí bowls, breakfast bowls, and breakfast sandwiches. For drinks they’ll have 6 different types of smoothies, specialty coffee drinks and a collagen boosted hot chocolate. d’Emarese’s first venture was Baker Bru which had opened in North Berwick last March. Baker Bru Cafe will be open Tuesday through Sunday, 7 am – 3 pm.
• Brunswick-based Reverie Coffee has a second location under development at 9 Park Street in Bath. The 1,500 square foot space (three times the size of their Brunswick cafe) will have a similar design and feature a gated children’s area as well as a section with tables and more casual couch seating and a larger retail area selling Maine made products and art. In addition to the coffee, tea, and baked goods served in Brunswick, owner Hannah Josselyn. plans to offer more savory food options to the menu like rice bowls, sandwiches, salads and eventually have savory and sweet waffles. Josselyn is planning to use the Bath location to host community events like book readings and to partner with the Bath Run Club on outings to the nearby Thorne Head Preserve. The new Reverie is part of a mixed use development in a former hospital building. Renovations are well underway and Josselyn hopes to open the new cafe by the end of February. Reverie initially got its start as a food truck and their Brunswick coffee shop opened in January 2024.
• The King’s Head Pub is opening a second location in Freeport in the former Jameson Tavern (photo on right) building. Renovations are underway with hopes of opening sometime in April or May. The King’s Head in Portland opened in the summer of 2014. The Jameson Tavern closed this past November and at the time owner Tom Hincks was considering reopening in Windham.
• The Bowdoin Orient has published an article about Pomelia, the popular new Sicilian-inspired restaurant that opened recently in Brunswick.
• Down East magazine has published an article about Buttermilk Kitchen in Camden.
• The Pen Bay Pilot has published an update on the new Spark Bagel cafe that opened recently in Northport.
• Panacea (website, instagram) opened in Wiscasset this past weekend. The quartet of photos (above left) are from our visit on their opening day and show the clam chowder (bottom right) and mushroom and seaweed chowder (upper left). Panacea is open Friday through Monday, 11 am – 4 pm.
• Portland-based culinary shop Skordo has announced plans to open a second location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
• The Times Record reports that Seafoam Cannabis owner Richard Petron is opening Liberty Pizza in the space next to his Wiscasset Seafoam shop on Route 27. Liberty Pizza expected to open on February 14th.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus 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:

• Marcy Taubes and Marjory Sweet, owners of Midcoast bakery Double Grazie (website, instagram) are launching a bakery, cafe and market in Rockland. Cafe Grazie will be located at 148 Main Street in the building that was formerly occupied by the Wiggins’ Meat Market. The ~1,500 sq ft space has been under renovation since the fall (the photo above is from November) and they hope to open Cafe Grazie in late spring. When they do they’ll be offering, breakfast, lunch, a full coffee program (with beans from Tandem), pasta, cake as well as “a lot of ricotta and seasonal fruits and good groceries and other sweet, sweet fantasies, baby.”
  Sweet and Taubes launched their bakery with a series of pop-up in the summer of 2022. Their prior work experience in farming and baking as well as both having lived and worked in Italy informed their creation of Double Grazie. They shared that, “At its core, Double Grazie is an intersection of these experiences: merging locally sourced ingredients with an Italian influence. The vision has always been to open a space, not only to expand our food offerings, but create a space for gathering, community, and creative opportunities.”
• Owner Chris Franklin has announced the closure of his North Yarmouth business Badger Bagels. “As a new small business owner I started with a single product. Frustrated by the quality and relative cost of many gluten free offerings I set out to make a better GF bagel using honest ingredients. Over the past two years I have personally made and sold over 55,000 bagels with the help of dozens of markets, cafes and individual buyers. While the market remains strong I will be stepping aside to pursue an opportunity to return to my land conservation work full time at the end of February.”
• Dizzy Bird will reopening on February 27th. Tom and Barb Peacock first opened the 50-seat counter service restaurant in early 2019 to serve, ”honest to goodness” elevated scratch comfort foods. They closed Dizzy Bird at the end of 2024 to  consider how they might restructure the business and space with hopes relaunching. This new edition of Dizzy Bird will be open Thursday and Friday, 3 – 7 pm, and Saturdays, 11 am – 5 pm for take out and delivery with online ordering. Stay tuned for full menu details…it will include shepherds pies, thanksgiving pot pies and chicken pot pies in medium, large and single serving sizes.
• The Lewiston Sun Journal has published a report on Two Mom’s Diner (facebook) which is under construction in Lisbon. Owners Desaray Hayes and Jess Hoyt hope to open the 37-seat restaurant by the end of February. The menu is expected to include some gluten-free items as well as gluten-free baked goods prepared by Mary Graziano of Grazi to Go.
• The Bangor Daily News has a published a report on a new bakery in Fort Fairfield. Heather Prouty and Janice Walsh opened the Rolling Pin Bakery (facebook) in December. The bakery is located at 256 Main Street and sells muffins, cookies, pastries, bagels, cinnamon buns, cakes, donuts, and other baked goods. They just launched the bakery in December but the BDN reports they already have plans to move into a larger space and start serving breakfast and lunch.
• The Lincoln County News has published a report about Hen’s Meat Market (facebook) which opened in late December. The market is located at 306 Bath Road in Wiscasset. The Lincoln County News reports that owners Matt Cressey and Miranda Rumery are selling “beef raised in Albion, poultry from Warren, pork raised at Cressey and Rumery’s farm in Wiscasset, eggs from Waldoboro, duck eggs from Phippsburg, and lamb and goat from Nobleboro, customers have a plethora of items to choose from when they walk through the door.” Hen’s is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm.
• The Lewiston Sun Journal reports that Fish Bones Grill is being sold to chef Floyd Goding and his wife Megan Cyr, and Ryan Costello and his wife Brittany. Current owners Paul and Kate Landry will retire from Fish Bones but will continue to operate their Scarborough restaurant Pine Point Grill.
• As reported earlier this week, the new Sicilian-inspired restaurant called Pomelia opened earlier this week in Brunswick.
• Lastly if you didn’t catch the post earlier this week, here’s a look at the Rooted Heart Cafe which opened earlier this month in Buxton.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus 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:

• Spark Bagel has launched a cafe and retail bagel shop at their bakery in Northport. Spark has been baking at the former Stone Brick Oven Kitchen building at 681 Atlantic Highway in Northport since last year. They’ll be open Saturday, 8 am to noon.
• The former Muddy Rudder property in Yarmouth is up for auction. The auction will take place February 12th at 11 am with a preview scheduled for January 29th 10 am – noon.
• A new cafe serving chowder, soup and comfort food called Panacea (instagram) is under construction in Wiscasset. It will be located at 100 Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Yonder. Owner Chauncey Erskine hopes to launch Panacea on February 1st. For additional reporting see this article from The Lincoln County News.
• The Pen Bay Pilot has published an article about the Cushnoc Cantina in Waterville.
• Mainebiz reports that Briana Warner is stepping back from her role as the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms. She’ll be staying on as a strategic advisor.
• Hospitality Maine, Visit Portland and several other organizations have launched the Winter Wednesdays program. The Winter Wednesday website gathers in one place information from participating businesses about the discount programs they’re offering on Wednesdays.

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:

• Saint George Pizza (instagram) opened this past week in Warren. The pizzeria is operated by Megs Senk and George Korsnick who previously ran the retail shop/bar Goods in Camden which they closed down in 2024. Saint George will initially be open for dine-in Fridays 4 – 8pm,  and takeout only on Saturdays 4 – 8 pm. Plans are in the works to expand days of service in the near future. The menu includes Caesar and chopped salad, cheese, pepperoni and a weekly special pizza, chocolate cake for dessert and a  selection of beer, wine, cocktails and NA drinks. For additional reporting, see this article from the Midcoast Villager.
• Schooner Landing has announced plans to open around Memorial Day and during the summer operating out of a food trailer. They expect to break ground for a new restaurant in the fall. A fire in early September destroyed the restaurant’s building in Damariscotta.
• When Odd Alewives reopens for the season in May they’ll be focusing on the wood-fired pizza element of their business and will be discontinuing brewery operations. “We are small by design. We love what we do but we’re doing too much. Over the last few years we have experienced incredible growth as a small business (thank you awesome customers!!!) but the reality is that even though we have a staff of amazing people helping out, most of the workload falls onto just the two of us and we are having a hard time keeping up. In order to continue on we have decided to simplify things to keep it fun and sustainable on our end.”
• Blaze Brewing is shutting down their Biddeford tasting room this weekend. They’re launching a new location on Big Moose Mountain in Greenville this coming week and explained that they need to “relinquish one of our licenses elsewhere due to Maine Liquor License laws.” They plan to continue to brew beer in Biddeford until moving the brewery to Dole’s Orchard (instagram) in Limerick in late summer. Additionally, Blaze shared they’ve become part owners in Black Bear Brewing (instagram) and plan to relaunch the Black Beer Brewpub in Orono this February. Finally, Blaze has applied for a wine making license which they plan to use to launch Dole’s Maine Hard Cider Co later this year.
• News Center Maine has reported that Jordan’s Farm is taking over the strawberry fields formerly operated by Maxwell’s in Cape Elizabeth.
• A new bottle shop called Brew England (website, instagram) has opened for business in Biddeford. Owner Brad McCourt plans to focus primarily on craft beer but will also offer a selection of cider, seltzer, and canned cocktails as well as a small selection of wine. The shop is located at 193 Main Street and is open Wednesday/Thursday/Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm and Friday/Saturday, 11 am – 10 pm.
• The Bangor Daily News explored how WA Bean & Sons plans to adapt the recipe of their Red Snapper hot dogs now that red dye #3 has been banned by the FDA.
• After a four year recess, the Chef Summit tasting event is returning to Sunday River. The 6th annual  on February 1st at the Grand Summit Hotel. Tickets are now on sale.
• The Midcoast Villager has published an article about The Place bakery in Camden. Back in December the bakery was chosen by the New York Times for their list of 22 of the Best Bakeries Across the U.S. Right Now.
• Chef Jason Miller has leased the 2,200 sq ft former Misto space at 436 U.S. Route 1 in Kittery where he plans to launch Stateline Lobster (instagram). For additional reporting see this article from the Portsmouth Herald.
• Patty Turnquist has leased space in Stockhouse Station in Westbrook where she plans to open a new board game cafe called Owlbear’s Rest (instagram). Turnquist is working with chef Josh Berry on a menu for the cafe. She hopes to launch hopes to launch Owlbear’s Rest in April.
• As reported earlier this week, Anneke Jans in Kittery closed on Sunday, January 12th. They were not able to extend the lease of the property they’ve occupied for 20 years. “We thank you all, from the deepest depths, for everything you all have brought to us. For sharing birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, retirements, holidays, and moments that were important to you. We took pride in sharing those times with you, and in helping to make your life moments special. We’ve cherished making so many memories, sharing genuine laughs, having wonderful and meaningful conversations, and just the pure love we’ve felt from so many of you. You have warmed our hearts and kept them full for so many wonderful years.”

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:

• Whitney Rhodes has leased space at 256 Main St in Kingfield where she plans to open a coffee shop. The 20-seat Marmee Dearest Espresso (instagram) will serve brewed coffee and espresso-based drinks as well as locally made baked goods. Rhodes plans to feature coffee from roasteries in New England and Canada and from woman-owned roasteries. Her house coffee is roasted by Tern Coffee Roasters in Jefferson. Watch for Marmee Dearest to open sometime in late February or early March.
• Cushnoc Cantina (facebook, instagram) opened earlier this week (photos above). The second location for Augusta-based Cushnoc Brewing, the Cantina is located in the first floor of the downtown Colby dormitory Main Street Commons at 150 Main Street. They’re serving a menu that includes 11 different kinds of tacos, salads, grain bowls, appetizers, desserts, Cushnoc beer, and agave spirit cocktails. It is open 11 am – 9 pm and stay open until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that the City of Bangor is working to launch a shared commercial kitchen. “The shared kitchen, modeled after a similar one in Portland, is intended to give small businesses space and supplies to establish and grow without having to invest in expensive equipment needed to prepare and package food.”
• Carousel Wine & Cheese (instangram) is now open for business in Belfast. Owner Lauren Crichton bought Salvatore & Roscia from owner Maura Salvatore. Carousel is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 am – 5:30 pm and is located at 94 Main Street.
• Down East has published an article about Absolem Cider‘s efforts to create a smoked cider. “The trio was at work on their latest batch of smoked-apple hard cider, a novel libation they dreamed up three years ago, in an attempt to capture the warmth and flavor of smoked beers and spirits like peated whiskey and mezcal.”
• D’s Pizza in Fryeburg has closed, and Sliders Sports Pub in Lewiston has announced plans to close in February. See this article in the Sun Journal for additional reporting on Sliders.
• The owners of X Vault Pub and Norway Pizza Xchange have launched Draught Horse (instagram) a mobile bar for catering at weddings and other events.
• Home Town Cafe opened this week in Waterville. They’re located off Main Street at 72 Armory Road, and are open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday, 6 am – 2 pm.

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:

• Marsh Island Brewing is opening a second location in Hampden which will include a full restaurant. In the lead up to an opening later this year they’re holding pop-ups at the Hogan Road Deli to share items from the menu which has been created by chef Joe Robbins.
• The latest issue of the Midcoast Villager includes a feature on South Thomaston’s “Oyster Doctor” Ralph Hamill who in addition to being a cardiologist runs the Weskaeg Oyster Company.
• Lewiston’s fine dining restaurant Bon Vivant (photo above) has permanently closed. Their message on instagram reads in part, “The national trends in the restaurant industry combined with the physical and financial climate of downtown Lewiston has proven not ready for a high-end restaurant. We had hoped to bring it forward but in the end it was not supported well enough.” Bon Vivant opened in July 2023. Their cocktail bar Sonder and Dram continue to be open. For additional reporting see this article in the Sun Journal.
• The Bangor Daily News includes a feature on a bakery in Liberty called Cyri’s Panadería (facebook). “A Liberty-based family of five, headed by matriarch Liv Sanchez, is bringing a taste of its home country delicacies to the midcoast from the comfort of their own kitchen.”
• The Waterville Sentinel has published a profile of Straight Jamaican Cuisine in Waterville. “Jamie Pomerleau and Clayton Whyte opened Strait Jamaican Cuisine in June. The pair began planning last year to build a restaurant out of the back of Pomerleau’s house, intertwining her Maine-based restaurant experience with Whyte’s decades of cooking at hotels, restaurants and Jamaican street stalls.”
• Stars & Stripes Brewing in Freeport has closed. There last day in business was December 31st. Their Portland tasting room closed in late February.

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:

• Rooted Heart Cafe (website, instagram) in Buxton is scheduled to open for business on January 1st. The cafe and apothecary will be serving a variety of coffee and tea beverages including ones prepared with farm-grown herbs. The cafe menu includes breakfast sandwiches, baked goods, grain bowls, quiche, soup and more.  Rooted Heart Cafe is located at 259 Narragansett Trail and will be open Wednesday through Friday, 7 am – 2 pm, Saturday/Sunday, 8 am – 3 pm.
• The Place (website, instagram) in Camden (above) was featured in a New York Times article 22 of the Best Bakeries Across the U.S. Right Now. “At the Place, a tiny bakery in Camden, Maine, the ethereally flaky croissant dough (made with local flour and butter) appears in many forms and flavors — swirled into cinnamon buns, folded and sugared into kouign-amanns, layered into loaves”
• The Lincoln County News reports that Charm Thai (website) has opened in Wiscasset. The 36-seat restaurant is located in the former Miss Wiscasset Diner on Bath Road. It will be open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 4 – 8 pm.
• The Ruckus Donuts Kickstarter campaign was a success and raised $20k+ to help owner Todd Bross buy and build out a food trailer that can transport up to 50 dozen donuts to events.
• Oarweed Restaurant in Ogunquit was extensively damaged in a fire earlier this week. They hope to reopen in time for the 2025 season.
• Through the end of the year, Kobe in Biddeford is offering free hot meals to those in need.
• Mainely Provisions just opened their third location. The new market is located at 110 New Gorham Road in Westbrook.
• The Maine Calling radio program on Maine Public recently aired a show on Maine’s Winter Farmers’ Markets.

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:

• The Bangor Daily News reports that Matthew Secich will be closing down his Unity business Charcuterie this spring and moving to Montana.
• Sunrise Bagel has opened a new location in Oakland. The new shop is located at 50 Main Street and is open Monday through Friday 7 am – 1 pm, Saturday/Sunday 8 am – 1 pm. Sunrise has bagel shops in Waterville and Augusta. They closed their Winthrop shop in October.
• Maine Public reports that a small research harvest of Maine Shrimp will be taking place early next year. The tasty local shrimp have been off the menu for a decade due to low stock levels.
• Broadway Bowl, Fork Food Lab, and Red’s Dairy Freeze are recipients of the South Portland business awards in the Best New Business, Business of the Year, and Heart of South Portland categories.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that a new ice cream shop called Mainely Scoops is under development in Wiscasset in the space formerly occupied by Jodie’s, and that the Bangor Wine & Cheese Company is changing hands.
• Apéro (website, instagram) opened for business on Friday. Apéro is located at 20 Alfred Street and is open Wednesday/Thursday 4 – 9:30 pm, Friday/Saturday 4 – 11 pm, and Sundays 1 – 7 pm.
• Via Sophia by the Sea has announced that December 22nd will be the last day in business for the Kennebunk restaurant and its downstairs bar the Rabbit Hole.

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.