Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

July 19-21 – The Yarmouth Clam Festival is taking place.

July 24 – Christina Zani from Pasta Night (instagram) in Philadelphia will be holding a pasta making workshop and dinner at Subcircle Residency in Biddeford.

July 25/26 – The Kneading Conference is taking place in Skowhegan.

August 3/4 – The Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend is taking place.

August 30 – September 1 – The Maine Apple Camp is taking place.

September 8 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 20-22 – The Common Ground Fair will be taking place.

October 13 – The 16th Annual Open Creamery Day is taking place.

Lil Chippy Now Open

| Posted in Openings

A  new fish and chips shop called Lil Chippy (website, instagram) opened for business on Friday. They’re located at 52 Washington Ave in the space formerly occupied by Radici (and before that Terlingua). The restaurant will be open Wednesday through Sunday, noon – 8 pm.

Owners Ashley Wolf and William Durst have lightly renovated the space. In addition to bar and table seating there are three sidewalk picnic tables for outdoor seating.

Fish and chips is the signature dish on the menu (see below). Durst and Wolf are also serving a variety of buddy sandwiches, salads and crudos, sides, and a selection of wine, beer and non-alcoholic drinks.

Wolf was previously the GM of Liquid Riot and when the couple lived in Vermont she was the GM at Hen of the Woods in Waterbury. Durst also worked at Hen of the Woods, and was the original chef at Bistro Leluco is South Portland when it opened in 2023.

 

Looking Back at June 2009, 2014, and 2019

| Posted in History

The Portland Food Map archive  provides a chronicle of the past 16+ years of the Portland restaurant scene. While a lot of the reporting here is about what’s happening now and coming next, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at what the hot topics were from 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

Here’s are highlights from June 2009, 2014 and 2019:

  • Governor Baldacci signed into law LD 904 which empowered breweries to sell half gallon containers of beer (aka growlers).
  • Shannon Tallman launched a food blog called Edible Obsessions. Tallman shared at the time that she may gush about foie gras but is more likely write about “fried bologna sandwiches (slathered with butter, like how Mom made them)”.
  • Construction got underway for Figa, a restaurant being launched by chef Lee Farrington. These days Farrington and her partner Bryna Gootkind operate LB Kitchen.
  • The West End Neighborhood Association produced a 60 foot lobster roll in an attempt to set a new world’s record. In 2017 Shediac held the record with a 180 foot lobster roll. A note from 2024: this seems like a record the people of Portland should work  together to reclaim. As Atlas Obscura pointed out the biggest challenge is in baking a single continuous roll, but with the amazing baking talent in the Portland area certainly that’s an obstacle that can be overcome.
  • The Out on a Limb rare apple CSA was announced in 2009. Shares were $120 and promised to participants  “30-40 varieties of rare, interesting and highly flavored apples over the course of the season accompanied by a newsletter with descriptions, history, tidbits and lore about each variety, as well as recipes and ideas for how to best use them.” The apple CSA continues to this day—here’s how to sign-up.
  • In 2009, The Salt Exchange opened for business on June 8th, Kon Asian Bistro on June 9th, and Otto Pizza opened on June 17th.
  • In 2014 Lolita opened on June 1st, the Fishin’ Ships food truck was launched by Arvid Brown and Sam Gorelick, The King’s Head opened. Also in June 2014 Clayton Norris and Jenna Friedman launched the CN Shwarma food truck which a few years later scaled up to become Baharat. Slab opened for business on June 18th, and the Hilltop Superette on June 30th.
  • Uncle Andy’s Diner was featured in an episode of television show Restaurant Impossible.
  • Chef Yana Gilbuena brought her 50-state SALO Filipino pop-up dinner series to Portland.
  • Speckled Ax held a Panamanian/Gesha coffee tasting.
  • Family Feast served an Indonesian prix fixe dinner at The Well in 2014. Family Feast organizers Thomas & Mariah Pisha-Duffly have since gone on to launch several award winning restaurants in Oregon including Gado Gado, Oma’s Hideaway and The Houston Blacklight.
  • Will Garfield and Masa Miyake ended their 8-year business partnership in 2014. While Miyake and Pai Men weren’t impacted, the change did result in the closure of Miyake Diner.
  • A new food cart called A&C Food Factory launched on June 4th 2019. The West End LB Kitchen, the Forest Ave Blake Orchard and the Tacos La Poblanita food truck launched. Coals Pizza also opened in June as did the Island Lobster Co. Yardie Ting opened in the Public Market House on June 15th, Banh Appetit opened on June 23rd, and Lorne Wine in Biddeford on the 30th. Huong’s also launched an ice cream shop in June 2019.
  • Construction got underway for Erika Colby’s restaurant cider bar Anoche.

Review of Asian Combo in Biddeford

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram includes a review of Asian Combo in Biddeford.

Pan-Asian restaurants can be hit-or-miss, often over the course of the same meal. Biddeford’s Asian Combo, a casual, counter-service restaurant on Pool Street that opened in October, is no exception. What’s different here is that, among slapdash fresh rolls with off-putting radicchio and lackluster crispy pad thai, are a few first-rate dishes.

Q&A with Briana Warner

| Posted in Fisheries

The Wall Street Journal has published an interview with CEO Briana Warner from Atlantic Sea Farms.

One of the biggest producers in the U.S. is Maine-based Atlantic Sea Farms. The 40 or so farmers that work with the company harvested 1.3 million pounds of kelp, a type of seaweed, in 2024. Atlantic Sea Farms then buys the kelp at a fixed price. The company tests and treats the seaweed before incorporating it into food products sold at retail stores including Whole Foods, and ingredients it sells to other companies to add to their products.

Bubble Bliss on Temple Street

| Posted in Openings

Mainebiz reports that a new bubble tea shop called Bubble Bliss has opened at 23 Temple Street. It’s located in the space formerly occupied by Old Port Nutrition.

Bubble Bliss offers 23 varieties of bubble tea, including strawberry, brown sugar, taro and vanilla chai. The teas are made with real milk, not milk powders, which gives the drink a richer and creamier taste.

The cafe will also offer refreshers, flavored iced Red Bull drinks and hot tea. 

Maine Food & Dining News: Milo, Guilford, Damariscotta, Jay, Saco, North Haven, Bath

| 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:

  • Whittle Bird Coffee Co (website, instagram) have opened their new coffee shop and cafe. They’re located at 44 North Main Street in Guilford in the space formerly occupied by Craft Cafe. Their hours are open Monday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8 am – 3 pm, and on Sundays 8 am – noon. Stop by this weekend for the launch of their Sunday brunch service (menu).
  • James Beard nominated chef Ben Jackson is now working at the North Haven Inn & Market (website, instagram) where he’s preparing a weekly Monday night 3-course prix fixe dinner. Reservations open weekly on the preceding Wednesday.
  • Today is the opening day of Rue 77 (instagram) in Damariscotta. The cafe is being launched by Roger and Prudence Kiessling who own the home goods shop The Kingfisher & The Queen right next door. Rue 77 will be serving Stumptown Coffee, baked goods from Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath and gelato from Gelato Fiasco. Their hours today will be Tuesday through Sunday, 7:30 am – 5 pm.
  • Bissell Brothers Brewing announced they’ll be closing their brewery, tasting room and restaurant in Milo at the end of this summer. The full text of their letter explaining the decision is available on the Three Rivers website. It beings, “We are writing with immensely heavy hearts to communicate some very sad news. Summer 2024 will be the last season of operations at Bissell Brothers Three Rivers. This has been the hardest decision we’ve ever had to come to grips with as owners of Bissell Brothers…”
  • Mainebiz has published an article about Sweets & Co, the new gluten-free bakery under construction in Saco.
  • The Sun Journal reports that My Dad’s Place in Jay (facebook) will be featured on the Food Network television show America’s Best Restaurants. A film crew was onsite yesterday.
  • The Press Herald has published a review of the Saturday smash burgers at the Kennebec Meat Company in Bath.

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.

Thames Landing Opening in July

| Posted in Openings

Thames Landing (website, instagram) is set to open in early July. The restaurant is located in the space formerly occupied by Helm at 60 Thames Street in the first floor of the WEX building.

The dinner menu (see below) includes appetizers like salt cod croquettes, mussels and deviled eggs, a variety of salads and dinner entrees that range from lobster rolls and smashed burgers to lobster dinners and NY strip steaks. The lunch menu slots in some sandwiches in place of larger entrees, and the brunch menu offers some dishes like eggs benedict and French toast.

Thames Landing is being launched by owners Mark and Renae Roy who also operate Navis Cafe. Kristen Smedberg is joining the Thames Landing team as the head chef. She’s was most recently the sous chef at Isa Bistro. David Lacy will be the Thames Landing bartender. Lacy was previously a veteran member of the bar staff at Fore Street.

The Roys have made some changes to the layout of the dining room to open up the entrance area and replace the banquette with table seating. The bar area and private dining room remain in place and the Roys will be launching an expanded outdoor seating area.

Thames Landing will initially open on July 3rd and will hold a grand opening on July 10th. It will be open Monday and Wednesday through Friday 11 am – 9 pm and Saturday/Sunday 10 am – 9 pm.

The Roys are hiring to fill a few last positions at Thames Landing. Visit thames-landing.com for more information and to apply.

Low Stakes to Open Thursday

| Posted in Openings

Low Stakes Lodge (instagram) will be opening for business on Thursday. The new steakhouse is located at 106 Exchange Street in the space adjacent to Highroller.  The restaurant includes a 13-seat bar, booth seating and upper dining area with a capacity of about 70 overall.

Owners Andy Gerry, Baxter Key, and Peter Bissell—the owners of The Highroller Lobster Company—drew inspiration from traditional steakhouse design and blended it with Maine history and some twists from the owners’ memories of the Bugaboo Creek chain.

The menu (see below) will include prime Rib Eye (shown above), Filet Mignon, New York Strip, and Bavette as well as pork chops, a burger and some other entrees. A Bloomin’ Onion, Wedge Salad and French Onion Soup are among the appetizers. Classic and house cocktails (see below), draft beer and wines by the glass and bottle are available to drink.

Low Stakes Lodge will be open this Thursday through Sunday starting at 5 pm. They’ll be closed the week of the Fourth of July and then hold their grand opening on July 11th. When you go check out the animatronic moose head in the dining room named Moosifer and the mounted Big Mouth Billy Bass in the bathroom that sings Don’t Worry Be Happy and Take Me to the River.