Brew Bus Goes International

| Posted in General News, Beer

The Brew Bus has announced a merger with Dave’s Travel and Events from Sydney, Australia. The newly formed joint company, Vestigo Travel Group, have also announced plans to purchase a majority stake in the North Carolina firm Brews Cruise which was founded in 2006 and “licenses brewery tour operators around the United States, with nine current locations in cities such as Asheville, Boise, Charlotte, Denver, and Raleigh.”

The Brew Bus was founded in Portland in 2012 and now runs tours in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Dave’s Travel and Events “was originally founded as Dave’s Brewery Tours in Sydney, Australia in 2014, and has grown to become the largest provider of tours and activities in Sydney.”

“We have always wanted to work together in some way since we met at a beer tourism conference several years ago,” said Zach Poole[, founder of The Brew Bus]. “Dave has quickly become part of the Portland community and we have plans to create new opportunities not only here in Maine but in other parts of the country.”

Vegan Restaurant Under Construction in Biddeford

| Posted in Under Construction

A new vegan restaurant called Robin’s Table (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction in Biddeford.

Robin’s Table with serve breakfast and lunch  as well as offer cooking classes to “teach the ‘hows and whys’ of vegan transitioning” and provide a meeting space for community events. Owner Robin Adams plans to serve familiar, homestyle dishes and baked goods that just happen to be vegan.

Adams previously owned the Adams Homestyle restaurant in Salem, NH. She’s a longtime adherent to a plant-centered diet.

Robin’s table is located at 420 Elm Street. Adams is hoping to open Robin’s Table sometime in February.

This Week’s Events: Serragrilli Winemaker Dinner, From Maine with Love

| Posted in Events

Thursday – Solo Italiano is holding a Serragrilli winemaker dinner.

Saturday – the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.

From Maine With Love – Allagash is holding week long series of events to celebrate Valentine’s Day including a spent grains baking workshop, a truffle making class with Black Dinah.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

Off Peninsula Dining On the Rise

| Posted in Under Construction

Food establishments are the focus in this Portland Phoenix article, Off-peninsula is Portland’s New Peninsula.

It’s Thursday night, the bar is packed, the dining room full, and customers are sipping local craft beers as regulars and people stopping in for the first time mix to enjoy a night out in Portland. 

Packed bars and restaurants have long been the norm on Portland’s peninsula. But this is Woodfords Corner.

Reviews: CBG, Noodle Love

| Posted in Reviews

The Press Herald has reviewed Noodle Love, and

This place is a nice addition to an already-crowded food scene. The food is great, the service fast and the prices are very reasonable.

has also reviewed CBG.

Our drinks arrived in delicate vintage glassware – not what we had been expecting in that atmosphere, but perfect for the drinks we had chosen. The Part & Parcel reminded us of a grapefruity brunch drink. The Maximillion Affair was less Mezcal-forward than we had expected and was even verging on sweet.

Broken Arrow Under Development on Congress

| Posted in Under Construction


A new restaurant called  Broken Arrow (instagram) is under construction at 545 Congress Street in the storefront formerly occupied by the West End Deli. They will open serving dinner “5-7 times a week” and plan to eventually add a lunch service as well. Broken Arrow will seat 47 overall featuring banquet seating along the right wall and a 17-seat bar on the opposite side of the space. There are also plans for outdoor seating.

The draft menu (page 100) includes small and large plate such as brown bread with butter, oyster sliders, mussels and pot roast, as well as oysters, seafood towers, sandwiches and meat/cheese plates.

Broken Arrow is being launched by Holly and Lyle Aker. Lyle Aker had owned the Charlatan and the Three Aces in Chicago prior to moving to Maine.

The restaurant has been under development since 2017.

Thrillist Falls in Love with Portland

| Posted in Reviews

Thrillist has published a travel guide to Portland titled “Why Right Now Is the Perfect Time to Fall in Love With Portland, Maine”.

That Portland’s still here — lighthouses, lobster rolls, and plenty of opportunities to use the word “quaint” — but things are changing. These days, bearded brewmasters seem to outnumber actual fishermen. The food scene has morphed into world-class, destination dining that doesn’t start and stop with lobster. Artists and creatives are flocking to the city’s shores. And word is spreading so fast, it won’t be long before the vibe starts to feel on par with the next, well, Portland. Or Asheville. Or Denver.

Verna’s All Day

| Posted in Under Construction

The Waterville Sentinel has published an article about Verna’s All Day (website, instagram), the “casual, classic American chop house” that the owners of the Portland Hunt and Alpine Club have under construction in Waterville.

Verna’s All Day, a casual, classic American chop house, will offer steak and other entrees, as well as locally sourced food and classic cocktails in the restaurant part of the business. A range of prepared foods, convenience items, wine, local beer and other items will be featured in the small market and cafe-deli, where patrons will be encouraged to eat, socialize and study.