Review of Magnus on Water

| Posted in Reviews

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a review of Magnus on Water. The Biddeford restaurant earned a 4 star rating.

Magnus on Water switched from ingredient-driven, farm-to-table fare to Peruvian-inspired food when they brought on Chef Rafael Zimmerman in late 2023. It was a bold move. But Zimmerman and the highly appealing Magnus staff crafted a tight menu of thoughtfully constructed small plates and entrees that introduces customers to new dishes and ingredients while reminding them of familiar foods…Co-owner Brian Catapang’s bar program delivers exceptionally well-balanced cocktails with layers of flavor that work in harmony, as in the refreshing, crisp Black Mamba aperitivo.

Maine Food & Dining News: Freeport, Kittery, Brunswick, Bucksport, Winslow, Waldoboro, York, South Portland

| 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:

  • As reported back in November, chef/owner Jordan Benissan is in the process of moving his restaurant Me Lon Togo (website, facebook, instagram) to Freeport. The new restaurant is under construction in a courtyard space at 58 Main Street. As you can see from the photos, the dining room and bar are nearing completion as Benissan finishes moving in furniture and decorations from his former location in Rockland. With some delays in fully building out the kitchen (upper left) in Freeport, Benissan is planning a two phase launch. He plans to launch the MLT bar with drinks and light fare in late spring. Later in the year, once the kitchen is completed, he’ll begin serving the full Me Lon Togo menu of West African cuisine. Stay tuned to the restaurant’s instagram account for updates and to learn about an opening day.
  • The Portsmouth Herald reports that the Warren Lobster House is soon to be under new ownership with plans to reopen the waterfront Kittery restaurant later this year. “The permitting application was filed with the town March 13. The estimated $50,000 renovation proposal would include the replacement of the 350-seat restaurant’s dining room floor, the installation of new awnings, painting and deck board repairs.”
  • The Great Impasta (website, facebook, instagram) has reopened in Brunswick. They’re now located at a large newly renovated space at 11 Pleasant Street and are open Monday through Saturday, 11 am – 9 pm.
  • If you’re planning to visit Washington County this year, be sure to check-out the Eat Downeast website for a map of restaurants, bakeries, farms and food producers in Downeast. They also have a list of upcoming events including the Fourth Annual Pennamaquan Alewife Festival taking place in May.
  • Mainebiz has published an interview with Krista Cole the owner of Sur Lie in Portland, Gather in Yarmouth, and co-owner of Catface Cafe in Biddeford.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that MacLeod’s in Bucksport is closing after 45 years in business. Their last day in business will be April 1st. The Waterville Sentinel reports that Bee’s Snack Shack in Winslow will not be reopening this year after 77 years in business.
  • Mary Dumont from the White Barn Inn will be the guest chef for an Outstanding in the Field dinner taking place in York this summer.
  • The Midcoast Villager has published an article about Morse’s Sauerkraut, a market and deli that specializes in European goods that’s been in business in Waldoboro since 1918.
  • Taco Trio reopened earlier this week in South Portland.
  • The Portsmouth Herald reports that Charlie Caramihalis has sold his York restaurant the Fat Tomato Grill to Greg Flagg and Karen Henderson Flagg.

Mandy & Matt’s Cafe in Morrill’s Corner

| Posted in Under Construction

Amanda and Matt Lebel have purchased the former Samuel’s building at 1160 Forest Ave where they plan to open Mandy & Matt’s Cafe. They’ll being doing some light renovations and when the cafe launches later this year Mandy & Matt’s will be open daily 6 am – 2 pm with lunch served 11 am – 2 pm.

As they shared in their liquor license application cover letter,

Mandy & Matt’s Café will prioritize sustainable practices and exceptional customer service. Our menu will feature a variety of classic and creative breakfast options, including home-cooked, original-style breakfast dishes, catering to a diverse range of dietary preferences. Additionally, we aim to contribute to the local economy by creating job opportunities and collaborating with nearby bakeries.

Amanda Lebel’s mother, Kathleen Geary, was the owner of Kathy & Dave’s Cafe/Maelily Ryleighs which had operated on Forest Ave 1996-2017. Mandy & Matt’s Cafe is in-part an effort to bring back to life the spirit of that establishment and serve that community. Amanda Lebel has 30 years experience working at her mother’s business and other establishments. She hopes to put all that working knowledge to good use in bringing her own business to life.

Their draft menu includes breakfast sandwiches, omelets and scrambles, pancakes, French toast, breakfast bowls, oatmeal as well as a lunch menu and a kid’s menus. Brunch cocktails and beer will be available.

Samuel’s owner Sam Minervino recently closed Samuel’s and is in the process of launching the North Deering Tavern at 1349 Washington Ave in the former Parker’s building in Allen’s Corner.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

All week – Biddeford & Saco Wine Week is taking place.

Monday – Today is the last day of business at Samuel’s Bar and Grill. Owner Sam Minervino is expecting to open his new establishment the North Deering Tavern soon. Stay tuned for details.

Thursday – Winemaker Hervé Villemade will be at Maine & Loire for a tasting event. Topaz Smith is holding an event where people can “discover Cambodian traditions through dance, savor global flavors and build confidence in navigating diverse ingredients and learning about international cooking techniques.” Contact Smith at topazamanda22@gmail.com to sign-up and for more information. Regards will be hosting a pop-up by their future neighbor Benny’s. Benny’s is a new restaurant being developed by Ramona’s owner Josh Sobel.

Saturday/Sunday – Maine Maple Sunday Weekend is taking place. Visit the Maine Maple Producers Association website to find a sugar shack or two to visit.

Sunday – The Casco Bay Chef’s Association is holding their annual dinner.

March 24 – Taj and Bar Futo are collaborating on a special 1-night dinner. The Native Maine Food Show is taking place.

March 30 – Dinner x Friends is holding a pop-up at Lambs, and The Rooted Heart is teaching a gluten-free sourdough baking class.

April 2 – Chaval is serving a 4-course Northern Italian vegan wine dinner. Steve Mills, CEO of Maine Beer Company, will be the featured guest at the latest session of the Like A Boss interview series.

April 10 – The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is holding a film screening and panel discussion about the ongoing efforts to restore alewives to the Presumpscot River.

April 26 – SeaFest will be taking place in Westbrook.

May 11 – The 2025 edition of Cider Feast is taking place.

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

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

June 28 – The Wavy Days beer festival 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.

Taco Trio Has Reopened

| Posted in Openings

Taco Trio (website, facebook, instagram) has reopened. They’ve relocated the restaurant to their original building at 119 Ocean Street in South Portland. Owner Karen Rasmussen and her team held a soft opening on Saturday and will be open for business six days a week starting Monday.

The newly renovated space includes a 9-seat bar and table seating for ~25. The menu (see below) remains largely the same. Shown above is a plate of Enchiladas Rojas (chicken, tomato and arbol sauce topped with sour cream, red onions, radish, lettuce and avocado) with rice, pinto beans and chips.

Taco Trio will be open Monday through Wednesday, 4 – 9 pm, and Thursday through Saturday 11 am – 9 pm.

The restaurant opened in 2011 and moved to larger quarters at 60 Ocean Street in 2021. They had at one time operated a second location on Forest Ave. Rasmussen’s husband and co-founder of Taco Trio Manuel Peña passed away in October after a long battle with cancer.

Maine Food & Dining News: Naples, Camden, Buxton, Lewiston

| 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:

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.

Vena’s Going Out of Business

| Posted in Closings

Owners Johanna and Steve Corman have announced that they’re closing down their business Vena’s Fizz House. April 30th will be their last day in business.

After 12 amazing, crazy, wonderful years creating, owning, operating and pouring our blood, sweat and tears into Vena’s Fizz House, Steve and I are ready to retire – Woot Woot!

What a ride it has been….We can never thank our loyal customers enough for their support through the years.

Vena’s first launched in Boothby Square on July 10, 2013. They closed that location, and had at one point pursued plans to re-open in a larger space at 867 Congress. Since 2023 they’ve focused on their house branded products.

The business itself is also for sale, “If anyone is interested in buying or taking over Vena’s Fizz House, please shoot us an email at johanna@venasfizzhouse.com.”

Barkada Food Truck and Restaurant

| Posted in Under Construction

A new Filipino restaurant called Barkada (instagram) is under development. Chefs Nicole and Ben Bowers and business partners Margaret and Luka Dow hope to launch a Barkada food truck this summer and a Filipino fast casual restaurant with the same name this fall at 25 Pearl Street.

At the restaurant they plan to serve “authentic Filipino cuisine, offering a mix of classic dishes and modern takes” with options like lechon liempo, grilled meats, and wok-cooked specialties. The team shared that their “goal is to provide a welcoming, casual space where customers can enjoy bold, comforting Filipino flavors.” The menu on the food truck will lean into street-style, grab-and-go food like Filipino tacos and nachos which they plan to serve in Dorito bags.

Nicole and Ben Bowers will be the chefs for Barkada. Nicole Bowers is originally from the Philippines. She and Ben Bowers met while attending the Institute of Culinary Education in NY. They’ve worked in Michelin-starred restaurants including for Daniel Boulud. Prior to moving to Maine they worked as private chefs in Florida. The Dows also have a background in the hospitality industry including operating a cafe in Boston and in food distribution.

Duarte at Speckled Ax

| Posted in Openings

Carlos Duarte has joined the Speckled Ax team where he’ll be the chef at their Thames Street location. Duarte has worked at Evo and Twelve as well as running his pop-up series Turamali. You can see Duarte demonstrating how to prepare fried chochoyotes in this instagram story we published in September 2020.

As Speckled Ax shared on instagram, “Things won’t be quite so fancy at our humble coffee shop, but there will be tasty breakfast sandwiches for here or to take away from our new grab-n-go case, along with a few staples like overnight maple oats with tahini, banana, and sesame tuile. He’ll also be whipping up some rotating baked goods to supplement our pastry case.”

The new food program is expected to be in operation later this week. Shown above is a corn muffin with creme fraiche honey butter and fennel pollen that was available in the pastry case this past Saturday along with a milk bread morning bun with cheesecake filling and topped with cinnamon brown sugar.