Maine Food & Dining News: Wiscasset, South Portland, Rockland, Freeport, Cape Elizabeth

| 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:

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.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Monday – Peer Workforce Navigator is holding two sessions to help recently unemployed restaurant workers understand the process to apply for unemployment. Anyone interested in attending can register online.

All Week – 207 Beer Week is taking place. You can see the full schedule of events on the Maine Brewers Guild website.

Tuesday – Gross Confection Bar is holding a (sold out) pastry baking class.

Friday-Sunday – The Downeast Cider and Cheese Festival is taking place in Ellsworth.

Saturday – Chef Jeremiah Langhorne from The Dabney in DC will be at the White Barn Inn for a 5-course collaboration dinner. Onggi is holding the 4th Annual Kimjang kimchi-making class. Two Fat Cats is holding a Grand Opening for their new location in the West End.

Sunday – Coals will be holding a pop-up at the Leisure Time Cocktail Company serving their wings and “and other delicious creations.”

November 11 – Chef Amadeus Florendo will be holding his next Filipino Pulutan pop-up at the Hunt and Alpine Club.

November 11-17 – Brunswick Wine Week is taking place—here’s a link to their full calendar of events.

November 12 – Table Bar in Gardiner is teaching a Thanksgiving wine class.

November 14 – Angoor Wine Bar and Taj are collaborating to hold a Friendsgiving Feast with a 3-course meal from Taj paired with a set of wine pairings.

November 16 – Primo is celebrating their 25th anniversary with a dinner in collaboration with 6 guest chefs along with chef/owner Melissa Kelly: Nancy Silverton, Ilma Lopez, Jody Adams, Emily Luchetti, Kathleen Blake, and Larry Forgione. SaltWater Fields in Thomaston is hosting their 1st Annual Cider Gala featuring cider from Orchard Girls Cider, Ayuh Cider, Freedom’s Edge Cider, Apres Cider and Absolem Cider.

November 17 – Wander at Long Woods is holding a 6-course harvest wine dinner.

November 20 – GMRI is holding an event to discuss Climate Resilience Potential in Gulf of Maine Fisheries.

November 21 – Nina June in Rockport is serving a dinner featuring the new pressing of olive oil from chef/owner Sara Jenkin’s family farm in Italy.

November 25 – Friends & Family is holding a Thanksgiving wine tasting with a 10% discount off bottles that are part of the event.

November 27 – It’s the last day of the outdoor Portland Farmers’ Market for the 2024 season. The market will operate indoors starting on December 7th, see below for details.

Thanksgiving – See our 2024 Thanksgiving Resource Guide for a fast growing list of dinners, community resources and take-out options as well as turkeys, baked goods and side dishes for your meal at home. We’re adding new info every day.

November 30 – The deadline to submit recommendations for the 2025 Beard Awards.

December 1 – Sean Turley will be delivering a presentation on cider & pomology at Lambs in South Portland.

December 7 – It’s the first day of the indoor Portland Farmers’ Market. It will be once again located at 631 Stevens Ave, and will run from Dec 7th through Apr 12, 2025.

December 15 – A gingerbread house decoration event is taking place at the Hilton Garden Inn. The event is a fundraiser for Portland Firefighters Children’s Burn Foundation.

December 31 – Elk’s Lodge 188 is holding a Vegas-themed New Year’s Eve party; $80 per person.

February 2 – Rafael Zimmerman from Magnus on Water⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 2 – Sara Jenkins, Dustin Martin, and Lauren Radel from Nina June will be the guest chefs at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

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.

 

Review of Thames Landing

| Posted in Reviews

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a review of Thames Landing.

After nearly four months in business, Thames Landing is finding its feet, albeit slowly…If you visit, order the expertly fried salt cod croquettes, the autumn salad, and perhaps the Statler chicken. And if you’re lucky enough to drop by in the winter, try to score one of the 36 seats in Thames Landing’s new heated, plexiglass “hyperdomes” that allow for a cozy outdoor nosh, even in winter.

Restaurant Real Estate: November 2024

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the November 2024 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

West End/Valley/Libby Town

87 Brackett St – Ohno Cafe is closing the day before Thanksgiving and the owners are seeking someone who might want to take it over.

919 Congress St – the 9,540 sq ft former Salvage BBQ building is available. Lease terms are negotiable.

1227 Congress St – Anania’s on Congress Street is set to close on Christmas Eve. The business and property is for sale for $1,235,000.

211 Valley St – a 1,260 sq ft former garage and the .13 acres it is on are for sale on Valley Street for $1,300,000.

235 Vaughan St – the former Vaughan Street Variety storefront in the West End has been completely renovated. The 620 sq ft space is available for $2500/month (MG). Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space for $17.04/sq ft (NNN).

555 Congress St – the 1,908 sq ft former 555 dining room and mezzanine are available to lease for $20/sq ft (NNN).

594 Congress St – the 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper H. H. Hay Building formerly occupied by Starbucks is available for $28/sq ft (MG).

602 Congress St – The ~1,500 sq ft ground floor space at the corner of High and Congress is available to lease. The Schwartz Building has been under renovation for more than a decade. For more info contact Joe Atwood at (207) 899-7373.

77 Free St – the space previously occupied by the Free Street restaurant and bar is available. The 17,000 sq ft space is for lease for $5/sq ft (NNN). Call (207) 761-6500 for additional details.

Bayside/Inner Washington

170 Anderson St – a 5,519 sq ft industrial space in East Bayside is listed for $35/sq ft (NNN).

52 Hanover St – On the first floor of the Armature is 1,500 – 3,000 sq ft of retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has earmarked for a coffee shop.

65 Hanover St – the 1,800 space formerly occupied by the When Pigs Fly bake shop is for lease for $24, sq ft.

178 Kennebec St – 2,644 sq ft of space are available in a newly constructed Bayside building for $25/sq ft (NNN).

55 Washington Ave – this 7,815 sq ft space is in the Nissen Bakery building right in between Cong Tu Bot and Hardshore Distillery. It’s available for $21.05/sq ft (NNN).

186 Washington Ave – the 7,620 sq ft Am Vets building is for sale for $1,600,000. See the listing for photos of the bar and seating area.

Old Port

0 Canal Plaza – the 1,350 sq ft oval-shaped build in Canal Plaza is for lease for $60/sq ft (NNN). Nosh Taco continues to operate in that space but the owners are open to speaking with people who may be interested in the space.

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

15 Chestnut St – the building that was home to Grace restaurant is for sale. It includes the property, business assets and all FF&E. The restaurant seats 175 and features a large circular bar on the first floor of the former church. The building has 14,358 sq ft of space. It’s for sale for $2,595,000.

185 Commercial St – a new building on Commercial Street has a 2,334 sq ft ground floor retail space that is available for $55/sq ft (NNN).

266 Commercial St – a 6,689 sq ft retail space is available in this new construction building for $20-22/sq ft (NNN).

327 Commercial St – the 6,981 – 7,981 sq ft space currently occupied by Tiqa is available for lease or to buy. The lease rate is $30/sq ft (NNN). The sale price is $3,500,000.

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

10 Cotton St – Thistle & Grouse closed in September. The business is now for sale for $975,000.

8 Exchange St – 1,800-3,600 sq ft of space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $34.99/sq ft (MG).

89 Exchange St – The space that had previously been the home of Dobra Tea is back on the market. The 1,350 sq ft space is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – a 2,300 sq ft space in the new 18-story Casco building is available for $40/sq ft (MG). The building owners are looking for someone who wants to open a market in that space.

433 Fore St – a 930 sq ft space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

477 Fore St – the 1,361 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available for $30/sq ft (MG).

40 Free St – a 1,511 sq ft space in the new building constructed by JB Brown is available for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).

127 Marginal Way – the 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $35/sq ft (NNN).

100 Middle St – a 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (MG).

115 Middle St – the 2,065 sq ft space formerly occupied by Beach Boys Cannabis is for lease for $6,840/month (MG). Back in the 1970s it had been the home of Model Food Importers which retailed wine, cheese and other imported foods.

121 Middle St – a 2,482 sq ft retail spot is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

157 Middle St – 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

184 Middle St – this newly renovated space was formerly occupied by Blanche & Mimi. It includes 1,169 sq of first floor retail and 808 sq ft of basement storage space all for $48.43/sq ft (MG).

5 Milk St – this 2,199 sq ft former hair salon is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

1 Monument Square – 1,500 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

28 Monument Square – a number of spots on the first and second floors of the Public Market House are available.

25 Pearl St – 1,689 sq ft former Subway space available for $30/sq ft (MG).

66 Pearl St – the 5,796 sq ft space that was formerly the home of Bull Moose is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

35 Silver St – The North Point closed in October. The business is now for sale for $75,000.

3 Spring St – the space formerly occupied by Stage Cannabis is for lease; 2,000 sq ft for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

54 York St – a 1,605 sq ft space is available for $30/sq ft (MG). It’s located in the same building as the new Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Old Port Bar – an undisclosed 1,160/sq ft bar/restaurant in the Old Port is for sale for $195,000.

India Street Area

239 Congress St –the 780 sq ft space formerly occupied by Tiny Tims is available for $2,500/month (Absolute Gross). It’s nearby Cocktail Mary, The End of Portland, Quanto Basta and LB Kitchen.

144 Fore St – the former VA building is near the Portland Foreside development and adjacent to several new office buildings off Thames Street. It has 1,560 – 10,620 sq ft of space available for $22-29/sq ft (NNN).

Outer Forest Ave

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $10-15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

1871 Forest Ave – the former Tortilla Flats is for sale. The 8,771 sq ft building is on 3.43 acres of property and is listed for $1,750,000.

Deering

164 Veranda St – the 1,000 sq ft former location of Other Side Deli is available for $2,500/month (Gross).

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Elsewhere in Portland

Northgate Shopping Center – 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease 1,400, 3,800 and 5,000 sq ft. The lease rates are negotiable and the property owner has a strong interest in finding a restaurant tenant for the shopping plaza.

Other Spaces – some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for insights on where those opportunities may be.

Outside of Portland

The Downs – A 2,019 sq ft restaurant space is for sale in The Downs mixed use development.

881 Route 1, Yarmouth – Shared kitchen space formerly utilized by MaineFlavor before they moved to the West End is available.

188 Lincoln St, Lewiston – This 2,371 – 5,554 sq ft former fire station has been renovated for use as a retail/restaurant space. It’s listed at $5-14/sq ft (NNN). See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

372 Cottage Rd, South Portland – The building that formerly was home to Omi’s Coffee Shop is for sale for $675,000. Contact Gail Bruzgo at 372maine@gmail.com for more information.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bed room apartment are for sale for $2,095,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

449 Main St, South Portland – The former Rudy’s Diner and an adjacent home are for sale for $849,000.

Billy’s Chowder House – Both the building and business of Billy’s Chowder House in Wells is for sale. The ~200 seat restaurant comes with a 62-car parking lot and sits on Mile Road which connects Route 1 with Wells Beach. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $875,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – the 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $895,000.

145 Ocean St, South Portland – The BenReuben’s building in South Portland will become available with the closure of the knishery in September. The ~1,000 sq ft space is for lease for $3,000/month (MG). Contact Josh at (207) 408-3879 for more information.

Trudy Birds, North Yarmouth – The business, land and both building are for sale for $1,450,000.

358 Main St, Yarmouth – The building that had housed a collection of gluten-free baking businesses is for sale for $440,000.

Bayley’s Seafood, Scarborough – This 3,018 sq ft turnkey seafood restaurant is available to lease for $24/sq ft.

1200 Portland Rd, Arundel – An undisclosed turnkey 9,938 sq ft restaurant is for sale for $2,500,000.

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.

Elsmere BBQ Closing

| Posted in Closings

The owners of Elsmere BBQ, Jeremy Rush and Adam Powers, have announced they plan to close their South Portland barbecue restaurant. November 9th will be their last day in business.

Their statement on instagram reads in part,

After 11 amazing years in South Portland, Jeremy and I are leaving the Elsmere ownership group. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you this entire time. We will carry with us fond memories of creating and testing all the wonderful recipes that became the backbone of Elsmere, of learning the subtleties and nuances of Mama, our big beautiful smoker, and of staying up until 3:00 AM painting the dish room so we could get our food license in time to open the next day on August 17th 2013…We never could have anticipated the warmth and encouragement the community would provide to us. We thank you all for embracing us with open arms and allowing us to be the cornerstone of the neighborhood.

Powers and rush launched Elsmere in 2013. They went on to open a second location on Stevens Ave which opened in 2018 and closed in 2022.

Sissle & Daughters Opening Friday

| Posted in Openings

The new Sissle and Daughters (website, facebook, instagram) all-day cafe is set to open this week. It’s located at 634 Forest Ave, and starting Friday, November 1st, Sissle & Daughter will be open daily 8 am – 8 pm.

The new Woodfords Corner business is a coffee shop by day, a wine bar in the afternoons and evening, and a food retail and grocery shop that stocks wine, pantry goods, prepared food, take-and-heat meals and their wonderful sandwiches all day long.

In the morning Sissle and Daughters serves brewed and espresso-based coffee drinks made with whole or oat milk as well as tea, iced tea and chai. Daytime snacks include a frittata, blueberry coffee cake, and other baked goods. They source the coffee for the cafe from Precipice Coffee in Ellsworth.

During the afternoon and evening the menu features house-made pates and rillettes prepared by chef Joe Gaudet along with cheeses and charcuterie, olives, and other wine bar fare. The menu is complemented by a selection of 14 by-the-glass pours along with draft and packaged beer, non-alcoholic beverages and a few wines by the bottle.

The furniture and bar for ~20-seat cafe were designed and built by Studio 89 and design elements including the two portraits were selected with help by Jenny Bravo from Viand Mercantile.

Owners Mary Chapman and Will Sissle opened their first business The Cheese Shop of Portland on September 28, 2018 and moved it into larger digs in 2019. They recently renamed the Washington Ave store Sissle & Daughters Cheesemongers and Grocers. At the new Forest Ave location the Chapman-Sissles run the business with the help of Adelia Scheck who leads the front of office staff and chef Gaudet who manages the kitchen.

Cargo Pizza on Forest Ave

| Posted in Under Construction

Gregory Mihos, the owner of the Cargo Pizza Company (website, facebook, instagram) food truck, has leased the former Falafel Time space at 1053 Forest Ave where he plans to open a pizzeria. He hopes to launch the new restaurant in December.

Cargo Pizza will be serving “Neo-Neapolitan/New Haven-style brick oven pizza”, smash burgers, and house-made fried foods (mozzarella sticks, fries, wings, etc.)  for lunch and dinner. Mihos is also developing a breakfast menu with breakfast sandwiches and coffee to go. He shared,

Our goal is for as many items as possible to be made in-house, delivering a quality product free from fillers, preservatives, and unnecessary ingredients. We aim to create options that are mindful of health and autoimmune considerations, allowing people to enjoy their favorite foods without compromising their wallet or well-being.

The counter service pizzeria will have seating for 20 people with additional outdoor seating in warmer months. The menu will also be available for takeout and delivery.

Mihos launched the Cargo Pizza food truck in 2019. His father Dimitrios Mihos owns Romeos Pizza, and the younger Mihos gained experience working at a number of their locations and managing the Scarborough Romeos.

Next Tea on Congress

| Posted in Openings


Next Tea (instagram) has opened their Arts District tea shop. It is located at 543 Congress Street near Another Round and Regards. The space has a variety of table seating options and a children’s play area stocked with toys.

A wide assortment of hot and iced tea-based drinks (menu below) are available to enjoy including fruit teas like their Hong Kong Lemon Tea and an assortment of milk teas. Six different options for toppings are on the menu including brown sugar and crystal boba. They also have a selection of baked goods like egg tarts and tiramasu.

Next Tea is open weekdays 11 am – 7:30 pm and until 8 pm on the weekends.

Looking Back at October 2009, 2014, and 2019

| Posted in History

The Portland Food Map archive  provides a chronicle of the past 17 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 each month at what the hot topics were from 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

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

  • Shima opened for business on October 2nd in 2009 in the space in Boothby Square that’s now the home of Mami.
  • Binga’s Stadium held their grand opening on October 8th.
  • Dawn Hagin launched her food blog (remember those!) called Appetite Portland. These days you can follow her world travels through her instagram account WayfarerDawn.
  • Veranda Noodle Bar opened for business on October 12th.
  • Word was out that the owners of Bangkok Thai were going to convert the Longfellow Square restaurant into a “a new Asian fusion eatery similar in some respects to their other Congress Street restaurant, the Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro” called Boda.
  • Lindsey Sterling wrote about learning how to prepare Bulgarian Bean Soup & Spanikopita from Svetla Popova for her blog Inside Immigrant Kitchens.
  • Stephen Lanzalotta launched The Baker’s Gallery on Market Street. It served as a gallery for his art and a retail space for his Italian pastries and cookies.
  • Rachel’s L’Osteria closed their Woodford Street restaurant.
  • Chef James Tranchemontagne and members of his family began planning to launch a multi-roaster coffee shop and cafe in Westbrook called The French Press Eatery.
  • Bramhall held their grand opening on October 9, 2014.
  • A new restaurant that we now know as Isa Bistro was under development on Portland Street.
  • The Muthah Truckah food truck launched on October 6th.
  • We all learned that the owners of Eventide and Hugo’s were working on a new restaurant called The Honey Paw that promised to be a “non-denominational noodle restaurant.”
  • Bao Bao opened on October 21st.
  • Briana Warner shut down her business Maine Pie Line, and went on to a roll at the Island Institute. These days she’s the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms.
  • A lot of changes were taking place in the landscape of Italian restaurants in 2019.
  • Flying Fox Juice Bar closed on Washington Ave, and news broke that the space was going to become the home of a new restaurant being launched by Josh Sobel and Chad Conley. The name and concept were TBD at the time but we now know it was slated to become Ramona’s.
  • Candy’s, a coffee shop, bar, cafe and queer community hub, opened for business on Portland Street.
  • The 6th Annual Heirloom Apple Tasting took place. It brought under one roof 213 apples varieties gathered from 21 orchards in 4 states. The event featured New England ciders from Bent Bough, Rocky Ground, Cornish and Citizen and heirloom apple-based dishes by Ilma Lopez at Chaval, Josh Berry at Union and Krista Kern Desjarlais at The Purple House. The apple tasting took place at The Oyster Shop on Washington Ave and the following week was reprised at the Blaine House in Augusta.
  • Pliny and Melanie Reynolds leased the former Silly’s buildings on Washington Ave with plans to move their restaurant Terlingua to that location.
  • The ownrs of the food truck Falafel Mafia leased 1 Monument Way where they began the development of their restaurant Nura.
  • A emerging topic of discussion was that lack of staff was becoming a challenge for hospitality businesses.

Ocotillo Adding Dinner in November

| Posted in Under Construction

Ocotillo has shared plans to begin serving dinner—in addition to brunch—starting on November 21st. Dinner will be available 5 – 9 pm with a happy hour 3 – 5 pm during the post-brunch/pre-dinner part of their day. The restaurant will be open Thursday through Monday. Reservations are now available via Resy.

The dinner menu will feature Southwestern and Mexican-inspired dishes like their Cowboy Cassoulet (frijoles a la charra, smoked chicken drumstick, house sausage, smoked pork belly, cornbread) and Enchiladas Suiza (potato and corn enchiladas, creamy pumpkin seed suiza sauce, chihuahua cheese, cilantro).

Owners Melanie and Pliny Reynolds launched Ocotillo on April 11. The Reynolds launch their first restaurant, Terlingua, in 2015.