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

• Down East magazine has published a profile of Joe Robbins, the chef at Marsh Island Kitchen in Hampden which opened last fall. Robbins was a Beard Awards semifinalist in 2024 and participated in the White House Tribal Nation Summit in 2023 and 2024. “Cooking in a little town in central Maine, sprinkling his menu with influences from Native American cuisines, he garnered national acclaim. Now, at a new restaurant, he’s doing things differently — and rethinking what it means to make Indigenous food.”
• A Bangor food truck called Dreamer Food (website, facebook, instagram) is set to open their new restaurant on February 18th. Dreamer Food serves a menu of Lebanese & Armenian food like shawarma, soujouk, falafel and baklava. They’ll be located at 97 Allen Ave.
• The Maine Famous has published a video interview owner Cody Gordon and Chef Brian Weber from Mountain Social in Bethel.
• Mainebiz has published an article about Belle Boulangerie, a bakery that opened this past May in Hallowell.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that Saylor DesJardin is soon to be the new owner of the Flexit Cafe cafe in Ellsworth. “Flexit Cafe, located at the center of Ellsworth’s downtown on Main Street, has been owned by Paul Markosian and Lorena Stearns since March 2015. The couple is selling the cafe to 24-year-old local Saylor DesJardin, who has worked on and off at Flexit since 2021. The sale will be official later this month, Markosian said.”
• The Portsmouth Herald reports that chef Jon Adelson is launching York Street Kitchen. It will be located at 7 York Street in York next to SoMe Brewing. “Now he’s launching a concept of his own with York Street Kitchen at 7 York St., where he’s building a menu around made-from-scratch soups, salads with homemade dressings, and sandwiches made on sourdough from his 20‑year‑old starter.”
• Tickets are now on sale for the Blenheim Hanami Picnic which takes place on May 17th in Bremen.
• We’ve added eleven new entries to the Maine Food Map: TunkJoy in Steuben, Neat in Boothbay Harbor, Circumstance in Swanville, Rooted Heart in Buxton, Marsh Island Kitchen in Hampden, Pier French Fries in Old Orchard Beach, Winona’s in Camden, Bintliff’s Corner Brew in Gardiner, Peng’s Pizza Pies in Biddeford, and both Mancini’s Italian Deli, and Bene’s Beef in Lewiston. Our guide on Where to Eat in Maine currently has 96 entries representing 50+ communities from all of Maine’s sixteen counties. We plan to continue catching up with the backlog of great spots to write about, and road-tripping around Maine to find more throughout 2026. Keep sending in your recommendations for places we should visit, share on social media and add to the list.

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.

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

• Mainebiz reports that Briana Warner is joining Oxbow Brewing as its new CEO. Warner was previously a leader in the American seaweed aquaculture industry as the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms and when she first moved to Maine ran a business called Maine Pie Line in Portland. “Tim Adams, founder and owner of the Newcastle-based brewer, will stay with the company after the transition, focusing on brand development, creative direction, sales, company culture and community engagement.”
• The owners of Rattle & Shake (website, facebook, instagram) in South Portland are taking over the former Rise Pizza & Pub building in Cumberland where they plan to open a second location. They are making some light renovations to the space and hope to open the 60-seat restaurant by April. The menu will be the same as the one offered in South Portland with the addition of pizza enabled by the ovens already onsite. Rise co-owner Tobey Moulton will be joining the staff at the new Rattle & Shake.
• A new restaurant called Ocha Thai (facebook) has been under construction in Westbrook at 100 Larrabee Road in the space formerly occupied by Phoever. You can see some photos of Ocha on their facebook page.
• The owners of Chaba Thai have taken over the former Terra Cotta Pasta space in Scarborough where they plan to open Taste Me (instagram). They hope to launch the Asian fusion sandwich shop this month.
• Bakers Briana Holt from Tandem Coffee, Kristen Lamontagne from Plum Pizza, and Kerry Hanney from Night Moves Bread will be taking part a panel discussion about baking at Table Bar in Gardiner on February 27th.
• Down East magazine has published a feature article about Winona’s in Camden. “A visit to Winona’s, in Camden, feels like walking into a groovy ’70s dinner party. Vintage landscapes and still lifes adorn moody emerald walls; mid-century-style wooden tables and bright salmon-colored chairs dot a checkerboard floor; cookbooks and kitschy cat figurines decorate an arched wooden bookshelf…”
• The Harpswell Anchor has published an article about Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath. “Making something better is Laboa’s goal with this summer’s expansion. The small bakery and coffee bar recently more than doubled its inside seating space, and Laboa plans to expand the menu from breakfast and lunch offerings by adding an evening menu featuring small plates, house-made pasta and sauces, Genovese street food and aperitivo cocktails.” Solo’s dinner service (see menu here) is now in operation and they’ll be open Fridays and Saturdays, 4:30 – 7 pm.
• Chef Cara Stadler of the former Bao Bao, Tao Yuan and ZaoZe in Brunswick is competing in the CBS TV show America’s Culinary Cup. The show is expected to premier in early March.
• The Portsmouth Herald published an article about A&B Breakfast and Brunch Diner (facebook) which opened in mid-January in Eliot. They’re located at 28 Levesque Drive.
• WCYY has a report on the Capital Bar and Grille (facebook, instagram) which is set to open today in Augusta. They’re located at 228 Water Street. Here’s a look at their food and drink menus.
• The Jack in Camden has announced they’re going out of business. This Saturday will be their last day.
• As previously reported, five Maine food producers are finalists in the 2026 Good Food Awards.

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.