Category: Maine

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

• • Union Bagel Company (instagram) has moved to Falmouth and joined forces with Bernie’s Foreside. Founder Paul Farrell launched Union Bagel in 2013 at 147 Cumberland Avenue. Farrell and Bernie’s owner Adam Shapiro have now built out a bagel bakery in the space adjacent to Bernie’s at 204 Route One where you can get their bagels to go or as a breakfast sandwich to enjoy at the cafe. Union Bagels are also being served at other local establishments like Luna Cafe in Scarborough and Bom Dia on India Street.
  • Food & Wine selected Absolem Cider in Winthrop for a short list of 5 Must-Visit Northeast Cideries.
  • Island Dairy Treat in Skowhegan has gone out of business after the building it is located was sold. The Morning Sentinel has all the details on how the sale led to the closure of the 72 year old local business.
  • A new eatery called Mr. Chickpea (instagram) recently opened at 611 Main Street in South Portland on Route 1. The fast casual restaurant serves a variety of plates and wraps like the lamb kabob plate and chicken kufta wrap as well as smoothies and prepared foods to go.
  • Spice Pizzeria (website, facebook) opened last week at 59 Camden Road (photo on left) in Rockland. The menu features “Thai Food on the Dough” with options like a Pad Thai pizza and a Masaman Curry pizza. The menu also includes some rice and noodle dishes and appetizers like gyoza and chicken wings. They’re open daily 11:30 am – 8:30 pm.
  • A new cafe called Borderlands Coffee Company (instagram) has opened for business in Waterville. They’re located at 93 Main Street and are open Tuesday through Friday 7 am – 3 pm and Sat 8 am – 3 pm. They serve coffee from Three Ships.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a new tea shop is under development in Hodgdon. Owner Randi Farrar hopes to launch Randi’s Corner Perk later this fall. The BDN also has published an interesting article about Maine’s cranberry industry and a report that Super Scoop in Belmont is for sale by its owner  Julie Heeter who has operated the shop for 26 years.
  • The owners of the Sterlingtown Public House launched a second location (photo on right) of their burger-centric restaurant The Spot (instagram) in Rockland last weekend. It’s located at 131 North Main Street and is open Wednesday through Monday 11 am – 8 pm. The original The Spot is located in the town of Washington.
  • The New York Times included The Alna Store in the paper’s list of their “50 favorite places in America right now.”
  • The Maine Sunday Telegram published a 3½ star review of River House in Damariscotta.

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 inaugural edition of the Midcoast Villager includes an article about Dennis’s Jerk Chicken in Warren and its owner Dennis McCalla. The Midcoast Villager is a new newspaper reporting primarily on Waldo and Knox counties published by Reade Brower. Brower and his company plan to launch the Villager Café in Camden next year.
  • Smithereen Farm has put together a digital map that highlights 140 food and dining establishments (see above) in Washington County. The map is part of an ongoing effort funded by a USDA Local Food Promotion Program grant to develop the Washington County which includes a marketing program, multi-vendor farm store and a commercial kitchen.
  • Jacqueline Dole has written an article about the Midcoast for Travel & Leisure that highlights some of her favorite place to visit, stay and eat at.
  • Owners of The Whale’s Tooth in Lincolnville has announced they’re putting the business up for sale and that they plan close the pub on October 14th.
  • Maine Calling on Maine Public radio aired a show last week about Franco-American food traditions.
  • the Bangor Daily News has published an update on Winona’s (instagram) the new restaurant under construction on Elm Street in Camden.

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:

• Matt Haskell, the owner of Blaze Brewing Company, has bought and relaunched Doles Orchard (website, facebook, instagram) in Limerick. Visitors to the orchard can pick their own apples and grab lunch from the Blaze mobile wood-fired kitchen The menu includes pizza, wings, barbecue sandwiches. Shown above is the smoked brisket sandwich. See the Doles Orchard instagram account for details on which apple varieties are ready to pick.
• The results from the 3rd Annual Maine Cheese Competition are out. Thirteen Maine cheesemakers took home awards across all nine categories. The program took place last week at the Maine Cheese Guild’s annual festival in Pittsfield.
• Casa Novello is in the process of building an addition to their Westbrook restaurant. The new room is set to house an additional dining room that can seat 30.
• The relaunch of Anjon’s Ristorante in Scarborough is scheduled for next week. The restaurant had been in business for more than 60 years when it closed in 2019.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that the Legacy Sandwich Shop will be closing at the end of this month after 14 years in business.
• See our Maine Heirloom Apple Guide and Guide to Maine Cider to research you weekend road-trips this fall.

For a guide to eating and drinking across our state 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 fire has destroyed Schooner Landing in Damariscotta. The fire started overnight on September 1st. Fire crews from Bremen, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, and South Bristol aided in putting out the blaze. See reports from The Lincoln County News, the Bangor Daily News and the Times Record for additional information. The owners plan to rebuild the restaurant, and a benefit for the restaurant employees is planned for September 22nd.
• Food & Wine has highlighted the Knightville neighborhood in South Portland as “Maine’s Next Big Dining Destination.”
• The Bangor Daily News reports that Chocolate Drop Candy Shop in Belfast will be closing down at the end of September. The owner’s announcement on facebook reads in part, “Downtown Belfast is thriving, in fact our store has had one of our best years ever. While there are several reasons we are closing, lack of business is not one of them. The truth is running a busy candy store for 15 years takes a ton of time and effort. We look forward to the next chapter in our lives.”
• Finestkind (website, instagram) opened in Saco on Thursday.

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:

• 
  Silly’s owner Colleen Kelley has bought a building in Standish where she plans to reopen her restaurant. Kelly closed her last restaurant on Washington Ave in 2022. She has been operating a food truck in Standish since last October. Kelley plans to continue serving from the food truck while compelting renovations to her new building at 131 Osipee Road West.
• The August issue of Down East magazine includes an article about Rodney’s at 436 Main which is located at the Northeastland hotel in Presque Isle. The article describes Rodney’s as a “community anchor and one of the highest-aiming restaurants north of Bangor, it’s well worth a reservation the next time you’re in the County.”
• The Bangor Daily News reports that the former Tozier’s Family Market in Searsport has been purchased by Edwards Brothers Supermarkets with plans to reopen it in late November.
• The Owners of Joshua’s Tavern in Brunswick announced that they’ll be closing down their restaurant after 35 years in business. Their last day of service will be September 28th. For additional reporting, read this article from the Times Record.

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:

• Food & Wine magazine shared their selection of seven “standout lobster rolls” to be found in Maine. Toping their list are the lobster rolls at McLoons in South Thomaston, Nub’s in Cape Neddick, Latitudes in Kennebunkport, Twelve, Sur Lie, Il Leone and Luke’s Lobster in Portland.
• A new brewery called Island Park Brewing (instagram) is scheduled to open today in Winthrop.
• Maiz has announced that they’ll be closing their Brunswick location at the end of this month.
• Hannah Adams and chef Devin Dearden announced plans to launch a new restaurant called Winona’s (instagram)  in Camden.
• The Alna Store has hired Ben Slattery as their new chef de cuisine
• The Bangor Daily News published a report on grain farming in Maine.

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:

• 13 Oak (website, instagram) opened has opened for business. The 36-seat Rockland restaurant has been launched by the team from Fresh & Co. in Camden. It’s located at 13 Oak Street (see above) in the building that had been the longtime home of Cafe Miranda. The menu features dishes like a 14-ounce porterhouse pork chop and a roast eggplant with lentils and red sauce. 13 Oak will initially be open Monday through Friday, 5 – 9 pm. Cafe Miranda owner Kerry Altiero closed the cafe in 2022 after operating the restaurant for 29 years.
• The Times Record reports that a German bakery and restaurant called The Pelzer (website, facebook, instagram) recently opened in Bath. It’s located at 79-99 Commercial Street and is open 9 am – 5 pm daily (10 am on Sundays). You can see the full menu on their website.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that an Ecuadorian restaurant is the latest eatery to launch out of the Korean Dad incubation space in Veazie. Galindo’s Authentic Ecuadorian Cuisine (facebook) is open on Saturdays 11 am – 7 pm and are serving a menu that includes seco de pollo, ceviche and carne con menestra.
• The Lewiston Sun Journal has published a feature article about Sebagel (preorder, instagram), a relatively new bagel producer, that bakes at Poland Provisions and has weekend pop-ups at Lakeside Dairy Bar in Naples.
• Inside Hook has published an article on the expanding Maine oyster aquaculture industry.
• Maine Public has aired a report on the sovereign market in Stockholm.

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.

National press keeps rolling in about the Maine food scene. Here are the most recent highlights:

• Andrew Zimmern called out Fore Street as one of his favorite US restaurants in an article for the BBC.
• Wine Enthusiasts showcases the Janara walnut liqueur from Luce Spirits in Rockland and the A7 Americano aromatized wine from Maine-based winemaker RAS in an article that asks Is American Amaro the Next Big Thing?
• FSR Magazine has published an interview with Mimi Weissenborn who is the chef at Sur Lie in Portland, Gather in Yarmouth and Cat Face in Biddeford.
• Whiskey Advocate highlighted a selection of 7 Destinations for Whisky Lovers in Portland.