Maine Food & Dining News

| Posted in Openings, Maine

Here are some food and dining highlights from around the state:

  • The newly renovated Norumbega (instagram) hotel in Camden is launching a new cocktail bar (see photos above). The menu centers on classic cocktails and is accompanied by a menu from chef Marymarcel Densmore including some dishes from her home country of Peru. The bar will be open Sunday through Tuesday, 4 – 7 pm starting on July 16th. The Norumbega is also playing host to a series of pop-up dinners this summer prepared by E. Wales Hospitality (the former operators of Blue Spoon in Portland).
  • The newly renovated Waldoboro Inn (instagram) has launched their new wine bar. Styled Ida’s the bar is named for Ida Stahl who’s family operated the Waldoboro Inn (and the co-located Stahl’s Tavern) in the mid-20th Century. Ida’s is open July 14-16th, 4 – 10 pm.
  • Down East magazine has published an article about Simones’ Hot Dogs in Lewiston which opened in 1908 and has been run by grandson of the founder for the past 50 years.
  • Tallulah’s (instagram), the new barn bar at The Waterford Inne in Waterford, opened this weekend (reservations required). The menu will include small plates and snacks, ice cream sandwiches, cocktails, wine, beer, and cider.
  • The Place Bakery (instagram) opened this weekend in Camden. The opening menu includes a range of baked goods including sweet and savory croissants, Dannish, brreads, cookies, pie and cake. This weekend and next they’ll be open Saturday/Sunday…look for expanded hours in the future.

Cong Tu Bot Crowdfunding for Lido’s 2

| Posted in Under Construction

The owners of Cong Tu Bot have launched a $75k crowdfunding campaign to help to assist with the launch of their new restaurant Lido’s 2. In the few days since it kicked-off the campaign has raised $7,033 towards their goal. Contributes to the campaign will receive 120% of that amount as a credit to be used at Lido’s 2 or Cong Tu Bot. The credits don’t expire and will vest over a period of six months.

As we reported back in May, Lido’s 2 will be located on Market Street and will likely open later this year. The campaign site shares some additional plans for Lido’s,

While CTB is small and scrappy, this new location in the Old Port dreams to be: moody, fun, a family-style affair with the same focus on pushing our own limits of what Asian American food can be, tight cocktails, and how to support our communities.

Visit the CTB/Lido’s page on Nu Market—a restaurant specific crowdfunding site–to contribute to the campaign.

Update: Since this article was published the prospective name of this business has been changed to Oun Lido’s.

Night Moves Now Open

| Posted in Openings

Night Moves Bread (website, facebook, instagram) opened their new South Portland bakery this morning. Baker/owner Kerry Hanney is offering a range of breads and baked goods as well as coffee (using beans from East Alstead Roasting Co.). Hanney focuses on bread and baked goods made with sustainably grown local grains which she mills in-house. In 2020 Food & Wine named Night Moves one of the 10 Most Essential bakeries in the nation.

The new Night Moves is located at 695 Broadway just over the Casco Bay Bridge. Night Moves will be open this week Wednesday through Saturday, 8 am – 2 pm, and the closing time will extend to 6 pm starting next week.

Hanney and Wade Ritchey leased 695 Broadway in South Portland late last year. Ritchey is in the final stages of the build out for his bar Lambs (instagram) which will be located in the space adjacent to Night Moves. Lambs is expected to open later this summer.

Update on Remake of OPT

| Posted in Under Construction

The Portland Phoenix has published an update on the plans to open a new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by the Old Port Tavern.

Wills Dowd, the owner of the Woodfords Corner restaurant Bird & Co., hopes to have the “totally new concept” in the Old Port space open by April 2024.

Dowd, 34, who grew up in the Rosemont neighborhood, said he’s just a few weeks away from finalizing the name and concept after taking over the lease at 11 Moulton Street, but is “99 percent” decided on what the new restaurant will have to offer.

Upcoming Events

| Posted in Events

July 9-10 – Bar Futo and the House of Suntory distillery are collaborating on a menu of yakitori and highball cocktails.

July 15 – Cook, author, and immigrant rights activist Louisa Shafia will be the guest chef for a Persian dinner at Nina June in Rockport. Shafia will also be teaching a pair of cooking classes at Nina June on July 9th and 10th.

July 23 – Maine Open Farm Day is taking place, and Maine Bakers for a Cause are holding an event at Ugly Duckling.

July 24 – Cabana and La Gallera are collaborating on a Puerto Rican cocktail pop-up dinner.

July 26 – it’s the Frying Dutchman’s last day in business.

July 27 – Absolem Cider in Winthrop will be hosting chef Justin Smillie for a pizza pop-up called Slow Fires. Absolem will be serving a special line-up of cider, cocktail, and wine for the night and the crew from Table Bar is DJing the event.

July 27-29 – The Kneading Conference and Maine Artisan Bread Fair will be taking place in Skowhegan.

August 3-5 – the Wavy Dave’s beer festival and associated events are taking place. The beer festival itself will feature beers from 55 breweries and take place on Thompson’s Point.

August 23 – An Outstanding in the Field dinner is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm with guest chef Neil Zabriskie from Regards.

August 25-27 – chefs Sam Hayward, Evan Mallett and others will be leading Take a Bite out of Appledore: An Eco-Culinary Island Retreat.

September 10 – the Maine Cheese Festival is taking place.

September 24 – The Saltyard is holding a cocktail brunch at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

September 30 – Tender Table is holding their 3rd annual food and art fair in Congress Square Park.

October 8 – Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.

Review of Bistro Leluco

| Posted in Reviews, People

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a review of Bistro Leluco, and

Cocktails are very good, but the star here is chef Will Durst’s menu that seamlessly brings together New England ingredients and European cooking. Unmissable dishes like puffy, ultra-cheesy Parisienne gnocchi and superb steak à poivre with house-smoked fingerling potatoes match up well with the restaurant’s eclectic, affordable wine list. Not sure what to order? Ask a server. They’re friendly and really know their stuff.

an interview with John Naylor and Mark Law about Rosemont Market.

We sat down in late June with Law and Rosemont co-founder John Naylor – who led the company for 18 years before stepping aside for Law, though he remains involved as president and chairman of the board – to talk about Rosemont’s role in the local community, where the company is headed, and what five items are their must-haves in a Rosemont shopping basket.

Four New Openings

| Posted in Openings

Four new Portland area food enterprises have recently launched:

George + Leon’s (instagram) opened for business on Saturday. Fans of the George’s North Shore food truck were in Westbrook in force to celebrate the launch of the new restaurant. The menu (see below) included the Super Beef and Jr Beef sandwiches the food truck built their reputation on as well as sides, additional sandwich options and a full bar program with beer, cocktails and natural wines by the glass.

A new business called Kim Boba Tea & Coffee is operating out of the bar at the Mellen Street Market. The menu includes Vietnamese coffee, tropical teas (flavored jasmine or black tea), Vietnamese smoothies, and a caramel flan dessert. There are 10+ styles of boba (tapioca, crystal, popping, jelly) that can be added to the drinks.

The South Portland outpost of New Hampshire-based brewery Modestman Brewing (instagram) opened last weekend. Modestman is located in the former Fore River Brewing tasting room on Huntress Ave. They’re serving a range of their New England-style IPAs, sours as well as some ciders from Oyster River Winegrowers. Later this summer they’ll be operating their own food truck and serving house-made pizza.

The Portland Free Pantry (website, instagram) launched their mobile pantry on Friday. This week it will be located in the parking lot of the Urban Farm Fermentory in East Bayside. It’s stocked with food, clothing, hygiene products, and dental products.

Maine Food & Dining News

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

Here are some food and dining highlights from around the state:

  • The Lincoln County News reports that Jodie Roquemore, owner of Jodie’s Cafe and Bakery, has purchased the former Sarah’s Cafe in Wiscasset where she plans to open a new restaurant later this summer.
  • The Penbay Pilot includes an article about the Maine Produce Alliance (website, instagram) which is a network of ~50 Maine farmers that sells to restaurants accounts, natural food stores, farmer’s markets and other wholesale customers.
  • And a little further afield Boda co-owner Nattasak ‘Bob’ Wongsaichua is opening an Isaan Thai restaurant and bar in Portsmouth called Five 81 NE (website, instagram). Wongsaichua plans to open Five 81 NE later this month.

Sebago Brewing

| Posted in Beer

The Press Herald Tap Lines column has taken a look back at the 25-year history of Sebago Brewing.

The year is 1998. Bill Clinton is impeached by the House of Representatives. Viagra is approved by the FDA. Google is founded. “Titanic” wins 11 Academy Awards, and “The Big Lebowski” debuts. The Chicago Bulls win their sixth NBA title in eight years, as Michael Jordan plays his final game for the team, the same year that Celtics star Jayson Tatum is born. The historic Ice Storm slams Maine. And a new brewpub, Sebago Brewing Co., opens in the Maine Mall parking lot, in a building previously occupied by a Chinese restaurant called Hu Ke Lau.

Bayside Bowl Expanding to SoPo

| Posted in Under Construction

Bayside Bowl (website, facebook, instagram) is in the process of buying the former Sea Dog bowling alley in South Portland where they plan to open Broadway Bowl (instagram) this fall.

The new outpost will be modeled after the original Bayside Bowl with some overlap in food and drink menus and a similar experience at the smaller South Portland location. The back side of the building is adjacent to the cycling/pedestrian trail and features a 52-seat enclosed deck with a view of Casco Bay.

Broadway Bowl will be a 10-lane bowling alley. Owner Charlie Mitchell plans to take the same approach to equipment and maintenance and there will be opportunities for  tournament and league play.

Sea Dog Brewing closed their Broadway bowling alley in April of 2023. Bayside Bowl launched their operation on Alder Street in Portland on June 1, 2010.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants under development visit our Under Construction List.