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

• Tony and Chelsea Bickford have taken over the Scarlet Begonia’s space at 16 Station Ave in Brunswick (right photo) where they plan to launch Pomelia (instagram). Pomelia will serve a menu of Sicilian-inspired pastas, pizzas, and street food along with cocktails and wine. The menu will also have a broad selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
  The Bickfords shared, “We’re opening a Sicilian eatery that blends tradition with a retro-modern twist, serving up the rich flavors of Sicily’s diverse cultural history. Sicily has been influenced by so many different cultures, and that’s reflected in the bold, varied flavors we can’t wait to share with you! We’re all about great food and warm hospitality.”
  The Bickfords are making some renovations to the restaurant and hope to launch Pomelia in early January. Stay tuned to their instagram account for updates and an announcement about a launch date.
  For seven years up until 2021 the Bickfords ran Little Village Bistro in Wiscasset. They both grew up in the Midcoast and now live in Bath. Doug and Colleen Lavallee announced last week that they’d be closing Scarlet Begonias after nearly 30 years in business. The restaurant was originally located at 212 B Maine St.
• Solo Pane e Pasticceria (website, facebook, instagram) is expanding into the space adjacent to the right of their storefront on Centre Street in Bath (left photo) which was formerly occupied by the Paperback Trader bookstore. The initial phase of construction will provide the bakery some back operation space and capabilities like additional walk-in space and dry storage. Then by early spring Solo will begin installation of a second oven for expanded production flexibility and capacity. The second phase of construction will also include the buildout a larger public space which will nearly triple their indoor seating from 12 seats to 30-36 seats. With the launch of the larger dining area Solo Pane e Pasticceria plans to expand their offerings to include some early evening light fare.
• Meeting Grounds Cafe (website, facebook, instagram)  recently opened. It is located 489 Main St in the village of Springvale. In addition to coffee and baked goods, Meeting Grounds also serves soup, salads and sandwiches. Meeting Grounds plans to hold a grand opening for the business on December 2nd.
• The Times Record recently published an article about The Alna Store.

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:

• Bar Kosho (facebook, instagram) has opened for business in Bridgton (bottom left). The Asian fusion restaurant and bar is a collaboration between The Little Mountain Store and Street Eats chef Jeremy Donovan. The menu (see full menu below) includes items like Tuna Tataki (unagi glaze, tarragon oil, karashi mustard, tobiko, purple shiso) and peekeytoe crab toast (toasted milk bread, leeks, red curry coconut, yuzu tobiko). Bar Kosho is open Thursday through Saturday, 4 – 11 pm and 4 – 9 pm on Sunday. They’re located at 1382 North High St in Bridgton.
• Second Rodeo Coffee (instagram) opened for business on Saturday (top right). The Ferry Village coffee shop and community gathering spot is located at 124 Sawyer Street in South Portland. Second Rodeo is serving Vivid Coffee from Vermont. Brewed coffee and a full range of espresso-based drinks are available. Food options on the menu include breakfast sandwiches, baked goods and avocado toast (see the full menu below). Second Rodeo is open weekdays, 7 am – 2 pm, and weekends 8 am – 3 pm.
• Chef/owner Jordan Benissan is planning to move his Rockland restaurant Me Lon Togo (website, facebook, instagram) to Freeport. As shared on the MLT restaurant website, the menu “pulls from West Africa’s indigenous and colonial influences to establish his unique representation of West African cuisine.” The new restaurant will be located in a ground floor space at 58 Main Street (bottom right). Benissan plans to close down in Rockland in January and launch the Freeport location in February. This will be Me Lon Togo’s fourth location and is part of his efforts to provide diners in Maine the chance to experience his home country’s cuisine by moving the restaurant to different communities “one small town at a time.” He hopes the success of Me Lon Togo will inspire other immigrants from Africa to launch restaurants in Maine.
• The owners of Dutchman’s in Brunswick have announced that they will be taking over management of the space they share with Nomad (upper left) in the Fort Andross Mill. Nomad has shared that their last day in business will be November 24th. Dutchman’s post on instagram indicates that, “As we get closer and round the corner into 2025, more details will become available about what is to come with the restaurant side of the space. We are excited and poised to execute yet another vision of what hospitality is to us and we can’t wait to share it with you all.”
• Elevenes (website, instagram), the hobbit-themed all-day cafe and bakery under construction at 50 Maine Street in Brunswick has announced they’ll be opening on January 11th.
• The Sun Journal published an article about Deltacom Coffee and its founder John Wayne Nelson.