Maine Food & Dining News: Milo, Guilford, Damariscotta, Jay, Saco, North Haven, Bath

| Posted in Maine

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

  • Whittle Bird Coffee Co (website, instagram) have opened their new coffee shop and cafe. They’re located at 44 North Main Street in Guilford in the space formerly occupied by Craft Cafe. Their hours are open Monday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8 am – 3 pm, and on Sundays 8 am – noon. Stop by this weekend for the launch of their Sunday brunch service (menu).
  • James Beard nominated chef Ben Jackson is now working at the North Haven Inn & Market (website, instagram) where he’s preparing a weekly Monday night 3-course prix fixe dinner. Reservations open weekly on the preceding Wednesday.
  • Today is the opening day of Rue 77 (instagram) in Damariscotta. The cafe is being launched by Roger and Prudence Kiessling who own the home goods shop The Kingfisher & The Queen right next door. Rue 77 will be serving Stumptown Coffee, baked goods from Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath and gelato from Gelato Fiasco. Their hours today will be Tuesday through Sunday, 7:30 am – 5 pm.
  • Bissell Brothers Brewing announced they’ll be closing their brewery, tasting room and restaurant in Milo at the end of this summer. The full text of their letter explaining the decision is available on the Three Rivers website. It beings, “We are writing with immensely heavy hearts to communicate some very sad news. Summer 2024 will be the last season of operations at Bissell Brothers Three Rivers. This has been the hardest decision we’ve ever had to come to grips with as owners of Bissell Brothers…”
  • Mainebiz has published an article about Sweets & Co, the new gluten-free bakery under construction in Saco.
  • The Sun Journal reports that My Dad’s Place in Jay (facebook) will be featured on the Food Network television show America’s Best Restaurants. A film crew was onsite yesterday.
  • The Press Herald has published a review of the Saturday smash burgers at the Kennebec Meat Company 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.

Thames Landing Opening in July

| Posted in Openings

Thames Landing (website, instagram) is set to open in early July. The restaurant is located in the space formerly occupied by Helm at 60 Thames Street in the first floor of the WEX building.

The dinner menu (see below) includes appetizers like salt cod croquettes, mussels and deviled eggs, a variety of salads and dinner entrees that range from lobster rolls and smashed burgers to lobster dinners and NY strip steaks. The lunch menu slots in some sandwiches in place of larger entrees, and the brunch menu offers some dishes like eggs benedict and French toast.

Thames Landing is being launched by owners Mark and Renae Roy who also operate Navis Cafe. Kristen Smedberg is joining the Thames Landing team as the head chef. She’s was most recently the sous chef at Isa Bistro. David Lacy will be the Thames Landing bartender. Lacy was previously a veteran member of the bar staff at Fore Street.

The Roys have made some changes to the layout of the dining room to open up the entrance area and replace the banquette with table seating. The bar area and private dining room remain in place and the Roys will be launching an expanded outdoor seating area.

Thames Landing will initially open on July 3rd and will hold a grand opening on July 10th. It will be open Monday and Wednesday through Friday 11 am – 9 pm and Saturday/Sunday 10 am – 9 pm.

The Roys are hiring to fill a few last positions at Thames Landing. Visit thames-landing.com for more information and to apply.

Low Stakes to Open Thursday

| Posted in Openings

Low Stakes Lodge (instagram) will be opening for business on Thursday. The new steakhouse is located at 106 Exchange Street in the space adjacent to Highroller.  The restaurant includes a 13-seat bar, booth seating and upper dining area with a capacity of about 70 overall.

Owners Andy Gerry, Baxter Key, and Peter Bissell—the owners of The Highroller Lobster Company—drew inspiration from traditional steakhouse design and blended it with Maine history and some twists from the owners’ memories of the Bugaboo Creek chain.

The menu (see below) will include prime Rib Eye (shown above), Filet Mignon, New York Strip, and Bavette as well as pork chops, a burger and some other entrees. A Bloomin’ Onion, Wedge Salad and French Onion Soup are among the appetizers. Classic and house cocktails (see below), draft beer and wines by the glass and bottle are available to drink.

Low Stakes Lodge will be open this Thursday through Sunday starting at 5 pm. They’ll be closed the week of the Fourth of July and then hold their grand opening on July 11th. When you go check out the animatronic moose head in the dining room named Moosifer and the mounted Big Mouth Billy Bass in the bathroom that sings Don’t Worry Be Happy and Take Me to the River.

 

2024 Maine Apple Camp

| Posted in General

The 4th Biennial Maine Apple Camp is taking place Labor Day weekend in Hope, Maine.

Experts from across the country will deliver presentations and participate panel discussions about orcharding, cidermaking, foraging, and apple breeding and genetics. Maine Apple Camp will also have arts and crafts, outdoor activities, and communal meals and cider shares and tastings.

The 3-day event is open to everyone “from the apple-curious to the pome-obsessed.” Maine Apple Camp is being organized by the Maine Heritage Orchard and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. It will be taking place at Camp Bishopswood in Hope, Maine August 30 and 31 and September 1st.

More information and the full schedule are available on the MOFGA site, and you can register for Maine Apple Camp online.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

All Week – The 2nd Annual Wurst Week Ever is taking place at Highroller, Hunt & Alpine, Room for Improvement and Bar Futo. See this Wurst Week instagram post for details on some events taking place during the week.

Tuesday – The grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new Stonewall Kitchen shop at 215 Commercial Street is taking place noon to 2 pm.

Thursday – Nina June in Rockport is hosting Naama Shefi for a multi-course prix-fixe dinner in celebration of Shefi’s new book The Jewish Holiday Table.

Saturday – The 3rd Annual Mast Landing Wavy Days Festival is taking place.

Saturday/Sunday – The Maine Oyster Festival is taking place in Freeport.

July 19-21 – The Yarmouth Clam Festival is taking place.

July 25/26 – The Kneading Conference is taking place in Skowhegan.

August 3/4 – The Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend is taking place.

August 30 – September 1 – The Maine Apple Camp is taking place.

September 8 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 20-22 – The Common Ground Fair will be taking place.

October 13 – The 16th Annual Open Creamery Day is taking place.

Secret Supper & Review of OystHers

| Posted in Reviews, Maine

The Maine Sunday Telegram includes a 4 star review of OystHers in Bath,

Lauren Crosby, the duo have put together an expertly chosen and overall remarkably affordable list of food-friendly beverages – everything from Armenian bubbles to nonalcoholic lavender-and-forsythia-infused soda ($10). Moreover, they’ve built a varied menu that comprises fat, overstuffed sliders (crab or lobster), salads, caviar and well-composed charcuterie boards. Sitting indoors is perfectly lovely, but if the weather is decent, head outdoors and snag a picnic table with views over Bath’s new riverwalk on the Kennebec River. 

and an article about the Secret Supper outdoor dinner series and the South Portland couple who manage the company.

Blue Lobster Tasting Room Opens Today

| Posted in Openings

Owners Chris Gamble and Jason Kroot are opening the new Blue Lobster Urban Winery (website, facebook,  instagram) tasting room today. The tasting room serves Blue Lobster wines and cider as well as beer, cocktails, mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks. See below for their full menu.

Blue Lobster will initially be open Monday through Thursday 2 – 7 pm, Friday 2 – 8 pm, Saturday noon – 8 pm and Sunday noon – 6 pm.

BLUW was founded in 2017 and for the last 7 years has been located in the Rockingham Electric building just down the road at 219 Anderson Street. Both the production facility and the tasting room are now relocated to 200 Anderson Street.

Stonewall Reopens in Portland

| Posted in Openings

Stonewall Kitchen (website, facebook, instagram) opened their new retail shop today. It’s located at 215 Commercial Street and will be open Monday through Saturday 10 am – 7 pm and Sundays 10 am – 6 pm.

The former Stonewall Kitchen shop had been located on Middle Street across from Bard Coffee. They moved out in early 2022 to make way for the construction about to commence in the building.

Maine Food & Dining News: Lewiston, Wiscasset, Brunswick, Rockport

| Posted in Maine

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

  • Brewer/owner Jeremy Myers opened the new Aekier Brewing (website, facebook) tasting room in Wiscasset in early June. Aekeir is located at 111 Main Street. It’s open Wednesday/Thursday, 2 – 8 pm, and Friday/Saturday, 2 – 9 pm.
  • The new Walter’s Cafe (website, instagram) opened in Brunswick on May 12th. It’s located in the Tontine Mall and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 am – 3 pm. (photo above)
  • Mainebiz has published a report on the Lewiston restaurant community. “More than seven months after the mass shootings there, restaurants in Lewiston are still struggling to regain their customer base and make the dining scene as comfortable as possible for their patrons…”
  • The Pen Bay Pilot reports that a new food truck called Taco Joe’s recently launched in Rockport.
  • The new Midcoast edition of the Portland Food Map pocket guide launched earlier this week. You can pick-up a free copy of the guide at 8 different location in the Midcoast (and 2 in Portland). Packs of 25 copies of the Midcoast pocket guide are for sale online for anyone who may need them for an event or for their business.