2025 Beard Awards Semifinalists

| Posted in Reviews
Gross Confection Bar Taj Indian Cuisine Leeward
The Jewel Box Mr Tuna The Abbey
Fish & Whistle Lee Franks James Beard Foundation

The 2025 list of semifinalists for the James Beard Awards was just released. There are 10 semifinal nominees from Maine:

  • Outstanding Restaurant – Havana in Bar Harbor.
  • Emerging Chef – Jason Eckerson and Kate Hamm from Fish & Whistle in Biddeford.
  • Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker – Brant Dadaleares from Gross Confection Bar.
  • Outstanding Hospitality – Taj Indian Cuisine in South Portland.
  • Best New Bar – The Abbey in Brunswick.
  • Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service – Mary Allen Lindemann from Coffee By Design.
  • Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service – Nathaniel Meiklejohn from The Jewel Box.
  • Best Chef: Northeast – Lee Frank from Lee Frank’s in South Berwick and Wells, Jordan Rubin from Mr Tuna, and Jake Stevens from Leeward.

Elsewhere in New England there were 8 semifinalists from Rhode Island, 4 from Vermont, 12 from Massachusetts, 3 from Connecticut and 2 from New Hampshire.

The final list of nominees (10 for Best New Restaurant and 5 for all other categories) will be released April 2nd, and the awards ceremony will take place on Monday, June 16th in Chicago. The America’s Classics award winners will be announced February 26th.

Related information:

Anthony’s Italian Kitchen Closing

| Posted in Closings

Anthony’s Italian Kitchen has announced they’ll be closing after 33 years in business. Their last day in operation will be February 7th.

Anthony is giving himself an 84th Birthday Present. After 33 years he is retiring. Our last day of business will be Friday February 7th. We would like to give our undying gratitude to you our faithful customers. It has been an honor to serve you all these years. We also must thank our faithful employees for all your hard work. So come on down for one last Boston Italian or homemade meatballs. Come on down and wish Anthony a Happy Birthday and a Happy Retirement. Again, thank you for 33 incredible years. From the entire Barrasso Family, Salute!!!

Anthony’s was founded by Anthony Barrasso in 1992. At one time there was also an outpost of the restaurant at the Public Market on Preble Street.

Awards Voting

| Posted in General News

Two Maine businesses are looking for your votes:

Allison Lakin from Lakin’s Gorges Cheeses is being considered as an Entrepreneur of Impact with the chance to win a $25,000 grant, mentorship with Daymond John of Shark Tank, and an appearance in Forbes magazine. You can vote up to once per day at the entrepreneurofimpact.org website.

The Canopy Hotel in Portland has been nominated in the Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards 2025. You can cast a vote for them on wba.m-rr.com and be entered for a “chance to win a $15,000 cash prize or a Viking cruise for 2 people to Australia & New Zealand.”

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Monday – To celebrate their 60th anniversary Gerard’s Pizza in Gardiner is serving food in 2025 at 20th Century prices: a 10 inch cheese pizza for $1.50, a 10 inclh peperoni pizza for $2 and a large Italian sandwich for $2. Electric Flowers Imports will be taking over the wine list at Friends & Family.

Tuesday – Chef Ana Castro from Acamaya will be at Mr. Tuna for a collaboration dinner.

Thursday– Two Fat Cats is celebrating National Pie Day with a trio of tasting slices. Customers can choose from among 13 flavors: Salted Caramel Apple, Key Lime, Lemon Shaker, Coffee S’mores, Blackberry Mango, Ginger Pear, Ultimate Peanut Butter Cream Pie, Black & White, Orange Creamsicle, Maine Wild Blueberry, Apple and Sour Cherry. Twelve is holding a Bordeaux wine dinner.

Saturday – Union is hosting an event to support the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.

January 27 – Electric Flowers Imports will be taking over the wine list at Friends & Family.

January 30 – Community Plate will be holding a potluck dinner at Maine Mechanics Hall.

January 31 – Regards is holding a fundraising dinner to support victims of the Los Angeles fires.

February 1 – Portland on Tap is taking place. Good Medicine Collective is hosting a 6-course dinner in collaboration with chef Felicia Dumont.

February 2 – Rafael Zimmerman from Magnus on Water⁠ will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality⁠ will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 10 – Friends & Family is hosting an olive oil tasting with Tenuta di Spannocchia.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta⁠ will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

Valentine’s Day – drop us a line if you know of a Valntine’s Day special menu that isn’t yet on the list below.

March 1-12 – Maine Restaurant Week is taking place.

March 2 – Sara Jenkins, Dustin Martin, and Lauren Radel from Nina June will be the guest chefs at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 11 – Barak Olins and Atsuko Fujimoto are the featured guests at a Maine Voices Live event at One Longfellow Square.

May 17 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

May 30 – June 1 – The Maine Fungi Fest is taking place.

September 14 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 19-21 – The Common Ground Country Fair is taking place in Unity.

October 12 – The Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.
25-packs of the Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now available on our online store.

Henry’s Public House Closing

| Posted in Closings

The Miranda Restaurant Group has announced that they’ll be closing Henry’s Public House. The restaurant’s last day in business will be February 15th.

Josh Miranda shared,

We love this building and all it has represented in the Old Port over the decades. I’m very grateful to our hardworking, dedicated and creative team at Henry’s who brought life back into this property and created a great dining and entertainment experience for our guests. And while our other restaurant and bar businesses are enduring, Henry’s is an example that no one is immune to the challenges this industry faces everyday.

Henry’s opened for business on July 29, 2023. The Miranda Restaurant Group also operate Blyth & Burrows (2017), Via Vecchia (2020), Papi (2023) and Off Track Pizza (2024).

Miranda also offered this perspective on the closing,

Portland, Maine – like other cities around the US – see restaurant closings and openings come in waves. People look for a reason why a restaurant closes and scatter a lot of opinions and conjecture but in my experience, there is never one singular reason. I think that’s why those of us who have dedicated our careers and our passion in this industry – for better or worse – keep going. We want to thank everyone who has supported Henry’s – you’re the reason we love our jobs. We’ll be open a few more weeks and would love to raise a glass with our community.

Maine Food & Dining News: Warren, Damariscotta, Waldoboro, Biddeford, Cape Elizabeth, Newry, Camden, Kittery, Westbrook

| 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:

  • 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.

Anneke Jans, Maine Craft Public House, East End Rosemont

| Posted in Closings

There have been three more closing announcements:

Anneke Jans has closed their Kittery Foreside restaurant. They were not able to extend the lease of the property they’ve occupied for 20 years. This past Sunday was their last day in business. Their announcement reads in-part,

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 this, we are eternally grateful. We wanted nothing more than to continue to be here for you all, and the sorrow we feel that we cannot, is consuming and unending.

Maine Craft Distilling has announced they’ll be closing their MCD Public House restaurant for the winter. The restaurant is co-located with the distillery on Washington Ave. They plan to revisit the decision in the spring and may re-open the Public House then.

After much deliberation, it is with heavy heart that we report that we have decided to close the Public House at Maine Craft Distilling for the winter. A perfect storm of rising costs and deep dark winter has forced our hand . It has been a true honor and joy to spend time raising a glass and listening to wonderful music with you all in our remarkable community.

Rosemont Market & Bakery has announced they’ll be closing their Munjoy Hill store located at 88 Congress Street. The East End market’s last day in business will be January 31st.

Serving the East End community since 2008, the store’s smaller footprint has presented operational challenges that have grown increasingly difficult to overcome. Despite this closure, Rosemont Market’s six other locations will continue to operate as usual, serving customers across Greater Portland. Additionally, all staff at the Munjoy Hill market will be guaranteed positions at other Rosemont locations.

Looking Back at January 2010, 2015 and 2020

| Posted in History

The Portland Food Map archive  provides a chronicle of the past 17 years of the Portland restaurant scene. While a lot of the reporting here is about what’s happening now and coming next, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back each month at the news from 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

Here’s some notable news from January 2010, 2015 and 2020:

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Monday – Soul Food Paradise will be holding a pop-up at Twin City Diner in Biddeford with a menu that includes fried catfish, jerk chicken and mac and cheese.

Tuesday-Thursday – The Maine Agricultural Trades Show is taking place in Augusta.

Saturday –Hank and Artie’s is holding a pop-up at Lambs.

January 21 – Chef Ana Castro from Acamaya will be at Mr. Tuna for a collaboration dinner.

January 23 – Two Fat Cats is celebrating National Pie Day with a trio of tasting slices. Customers can choose from among 13 flavors: Salted Caramel Apple, Key Lime, Lemon Shaker, Coffee S’mores, Blackberry Mango, Ginger Pear, Ultimate Peanut Butter Cream Pie, Black & White, Orange Creamsicle, Maine Wild Blueberry, Apple and Sour Cherry.

January 25 – Union is hosting an event to support the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.

January 30 – Community Plate will be holding a potluck dinner at Maine Mechanics Hall.

January 31 – Regards is holding a fundraising dinner to support victims of the Los Angeles fires.

February 1 – Portland on Tap is taking place.

February 2 – Rafael Zimmerman from Magnus on Water⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 10 – Friends & Family is hosting an olive oil tasting with Tenuta di Spannocchia.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 2 – Sara Jenkins, Dustin Martin, and Lauren Radel from Nina June will be the guest chefs at a 2025 Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 11 – Barak Olins and Atsuko Fujimoto are the featured guests at a Maine Voices Live event at One Longfellow Square.

May 17 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

May 30 – June 1 – The Maine Fungi Fest is taking place.

September 14 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 19-21 – The Common Ground Country Fair is taking place in Unity.

October 12 – The Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.
25-packs of the Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now available on our online store.