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, but some baked good are . 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.

Maine Craft Distilling Closing on Washington Ave

| Posted in Closings

Maine Craft Distilling will not be reopening their public house and tasting room on Washington Ave. MCD had announced in January that they were temporarily closing their restaurant for the winter.

Co-owner and GM Luke Davidson shared that he’s enjoyed running the restaurant and hosting music events on Washington Ave but that focusing on MCD’s core business is the right decision for their continued success. Their ready-to-drink canned cocktails now account for 90% of their business. The canned cocktails are distributed from Maine to New Jersey and are the top seller at Fenway Park.

The 10,880 sq ft MCD space 123 Washington Ave will soon be available to lease and the furniture and equipment for the distillery and restaurant are now up for auction.

Maine Craft Distilling was founded in 2012 and launched at their original location at 101 Fox Street in 2013. They moved to 123 Washington Ave and opened the public house in 2017.

Maine Food & Dining News: Bristol, Bar Harbor, Wiscasset, Lisbon Falls, Norway

| 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:

  • The Rooting Pig in Bristol has announced that they’ll be closed for the 2025 season for renovations. While their market and kitchen will be closed this summer, they’ll still be selling at the Boothbay and Damariscotta farmers markets. “Our decision to close this Summer to allow for renovations is bittersweet: we are excited about our plans for a new and expanded home for The Rooting Pig and Market, but we love having people visit the farm and taste our unique approach to Real Food, so will miss you all! But have no fear…we will be back and better than ever next Summer.”
  • Fogtown Brewing has announced they won’t be reopening their location in Bar Harbor. “After nearly five years, we’ve made the tough decision not to reopen our Bar Harbor Kitchen & Taproom on Cottage Street. Opening just before the pandemic, this space came with challenges but also so many great moments—open mics, trivia nights, farm-to-table dinners, live music, art shows, and more.”
  • A new coffee shop called Grounded (instagram) has recently opened in Wiscasset. The Lincoln County News reports that owner Kalei Haggett is serving coffee from Coffee on the Porch and is open daily 7 am – 3 pm.
  • Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls won Best in Show at the Maltsters Guild 2025 Malt Cup. They competed against 34 malthouses from seven countries that overall submitted 112 malt samples to the competition. They were also the top contenders in the Caramel Malt and Light Munich Malt categories.
  • The Laughing Loon (instagram) is under development in Norway at 15 Harrison Road, Norway, Maine 04268. They’re located in the space formerly occupied by Waterhouse Talk of the Town and hope to open this summer.

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.

Tomaso’s Opening on Tuesday

| Posted in Openings

Tomaso’s Pizza and Burger Bar (instagram) is scheduled to open on Tuesday at 4 pm. It is located at 51 Wharf Street in the space formerly occupied by The Rathskeller.

This new Tomaso’s is a sister restaurant to Tomaso’s Canteen on Hampshire Street. Sam Minervino of Samuel’s along with business partner Scott Olsen will be serving a menu that includes 10 inch pizzas, burgers like the Chili Cheese Smash (double smash burgers with sauteed onions, jalapenos, chili and beer cheese sauce), wings, chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers and red snappers. The menu also includes fish and chips, fish tacos, an assortment of salads and apps and sides. Nearly everything on the menu is under $20.

The draft and canned beer list includes national and local brands. Tomaso’s will also have a small selection of wines by the glass, “combo” drinks like the Canjello (Budweiser and a jello shot) and some cocktails like an Old Port Mule (Ice Pick vodka, ginger beer and lime) and a Tomaso’s Collins.

Tomaso’s Pizza and Burger Bar will be open Tuesday through Sunday, 4 pm – 1 am.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Ends on Wednesday – Maine Restaurant Week.

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

Starts Sunday – Biddeford & Saco Wine Week is taking place.

March 20 – Winemaker Hervé Villemade will be at Maine & Loire for a tasting event. 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.

March 22/23 – Maine Maple Sunday Weekend is taking place. Visit the Maine Maple Producers Association website to find a sugar shack or two to visit.

March 23 – The Casco Bay Chef’s Association is holding their annual dinner.

March 24 – 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 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.

Portland Wine Week Pausing

| Posted in Events

The organizers of Portland Wine Week have announced they plan to take a hiatus, and won’t be putting on the popular food and wine festival this year.

After seven incredible years of celebrating Portland’s vibrant food and wine scene, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause Portland Wine Week for 2025. This was not an easy decision. We are so proud of the incredible experiences we’ve created together with Portland’s culinary community—from the Annual Grand Opening Women Winemakers Luncheon and Women in Wine Dinner, to countless special wine dinners, lunches, and brunches at Portland’s world-class restaurants to non-stop Wine Sails in Casco Bay, and to the many locals and visitors who pursued the Portland Wine Week schedule to support and discover Portland’s restaurants and the talented teams that make this beautiful seaside city a shining star among the nation’s culinary cities.

The statement explains that, “Portland Wine Week has grown into a dynamic and complex event, requiring significant time, energy, and coordination. As the small but dedicated team behind both Wine Wise and Portland Wine Week, we have carefully evaluated the demands of organizing the festival while simultaneously managing Wine Wise’s peak season, which runs in parallel…After much consideration, we felt it was necessary to take a step back to reassess how we can best continue to support Portland’s restaurant community and visitors all year while ensuring long-term growth and sustainability.”

Locals Guide to Coffee

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Logbook has published their take on The Best Coffee Shops in Portland, Maine.

Portland, Maine, might be small, but its coffee scene is anything but. Whether you’re looking for the perfect cortado, an expertly pulled espresso, or a hidden café serving some of the best coffee in town, Portland has no shortage of top-tier coffee shops.

The list features: Another Round, Bard, Burundi Star, Double Great, Moonday, Night Moves, Rwanda Bean, Smalls, Speckled Ax, and Tandem.

Review of Taj and a Look Back at Pandemic Effects

| Posted in General News, Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Taj in South Portland.

It’s hard not to be a fan of the new Taj. The restaurant has really come into its own, particularly since moving into its snazzy new digs. It’s also a restaurant that’s right for the moment, when so many people are seeking the best value for their dwindling disposable income. And whether it wins a Beard award or not won’t change the fact that you’d be hard-pressed to find hospitality this good at this price point anywhere else in Maine.

It also has a feature article that looks at How the pandemic reshaped Portland’s restaurant scene.