A Cocktail Menu at Franciska

The Argentine wine bar and restaurant Franciska (websiteinstagram) has added a selection of cocktails to their menu. The program is a collaboration between Brian ‘Cat’ Catapang from Magnus on Water and Franciska owner Alex Marchesini.

Marchesini shared “Argentine bodegones have a rich drinking culture where vermouth, Amari, and sherry collide, simple cocktails have always had a place alongside the food. It felt like a natural and honest evolution to introduce a small cocktail program that reflects that tradition and gives guests another way to experience the culture…After visiting Magnus and experiencing Cat’s cocktails, I knew he was the right person to help bring the program to life. The balance, restraint, and creativity in his drinks really stood out to me.”

Shown here are the Beagle (top right) made with Amontillado sherry, La Fuerza vermouth, strawberry apertiff and Meletti amaro, the Pipistrello (bottom left) made with Four Roses bourbon, Cocchi rosso, Bordiga bianco, passionfruit and Angostura bitters, and the Poncho (bottom right) made with Bold Coast Spirits oyster vodka, Plymouth London dry gin & Tio Pepe fino sherry alongside a serving of Franciska’s flounder ceviche.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

Wednesday-FridayThe Kneading Conference is taking place in Skowhegan.

Thursday – Brunswick-based Reverie Coffee House will be holding a pop-up at Botanically Curious on Congress Street where they’ll be serving a menu of coffee, matcha and chai.

Friday – En-Noble and Ugly Duckling are collaborating on a global dinner series celebrating the food of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus of the July dinner is the food of Asia.

Saturday – The 22nd Annual Festival of Nations will be taking place.

Sunday – It’s Open Farm Day, see the Real Maine website for a list of participating farms.

July 29Twelve is holding a 5-course wine dinner featuring 00 Wines. Founders Chris and Kathryn Hermann will be attending the meal.

July 30Lucky Cheetah is hold a guided Champagne tasting.

August 13Twelve is serving a 5-course dinner featuring nightshades.

August 15 – En-Noble and Ugly Duckling are collaborating on a global dinner series celebrating the food of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus of the August dinner is the food of Africa.

August 22 – The Maine State Cake Decorating Championship is taking place in South Paris.

August 28-30Maine Apple Camp is taking place in Hope. The biennial event covers a wide range of topics including “innovative orcharding methods, identifying and preserving heritage varieties, foraging wild fruit, cider making and lots more.”

August 29Dinner x Friends is holding their next event.

September 13 – The 10th Annual Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 19PoutineFest is taking place. En-Noble and Ugly Duckling are collaborating on a global dinner series celebrating the food of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus of the September dinner is the food of Latin America.

September 25-27 – The 50th Annual Common Ground Fair is taking place in Unity.

October 8 – The Maine Food Producers Showcase & Golden Fork Awards is taking place in Portland.

October 24 – The 21st Annual Veg Fest is taking place.

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.

The 2026 Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now for sale in packs of 25 on our online store.

Interview with Rob Tod

The Worthy for Thirty podcast has published a really interesting interview with Allagash founder Rob Tod.

I sat down with Rob for a wide-ranging conversation about how Allagash grew from a fledgling brewery built with used equipment into one of the most respected and admired breweries in America. What ensues is not just a story about beer, but a case study in endurance, operational excellence, and values that are actually embedded in the business.

Maine Food & Dining News: Georgetown, Kittery, Madawaska, Bowdoinham, York, Old Town, Wiscasset, Ogunquit, Bar Harbor, Arundel, Belfast, Lebanon, Biddeford, Scarborough

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

  • Madeline Suhr, the owner of Periwinkle Pie Company (website, facebook, instagram) is constructing a building at 28 Bay Point Road in Georgetown where she plans to open a new bakery. Periwinkle currently operating out of the Robinhood Meeting house building and Suhr hopes to move to the new location in early 2027. Periwinkle now offers an assortment of sweet and savory hand pies, other baked goods and coffee. At the new location Suhr plans to expand the range of baked goods produced and to add espresso-based drinks to the beverage menu.
  • The Kittery Wine Bar (websiteinstagram) held their grand opening Friday. The bar and bottle shop is being launched by owners Katie Howard-Smith and Jody Smith along with help from Howard-Smith’s sister Sadie Bell. The menu includes wine by the glass, bottle, and flights along with shareable snacks. The Kittery Wine Bar is located at 10 Walker Street and will be open Thursday through Saturday, 4 –10 pm, and Sunday, 11 am –3 pm. Here’s a look at the wine bar, and a field report from Eating Through the Seacoast. For more information, see this article from the Portsmouth Herald.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a new food truck called T&D Eatery (facebook) has launched in Madawaska. According to the article, owner Amy Lagasse is serving a menu that includes “a little bit of everything with a focus on traditional Acadian cuisine.”
  • The Bowdoinham Country Store (website, facebook, instagram) has opened for business (photos above). The business is being launched by Logan and Ashleigh Feeney with chef Nate Fenn. In addition to a wider range of market goods, the store sells sandwiches, salads, burgers and pizza to enjoy in their seating are or to grab and go. Later in the summer they hope to begin serving a dinner menu Thursday through Saturday.
  • The Portsmouth Herald reports that Wiggly Bridge Distillery (website, facebook, instagram) in York has launch a food program named Wiggly Kitchen with a menu developed by chef Scott Samiya.
  • The owners of the No Bones Grill (website, facebook, instagram) food truck have leased space in Old Town where they plan to open a brick and mortar restaurant. The Bangor Daily News reports that Daniel and Christine Terrill plan to hold a soft opening on July 14th and a grand opening July 20th.
  • The father and daughter team Steve and Emily Brill have announced that the opening date for Brill’s Bakery (instagram) will be September 5th. The bakery is under construction in Wiscasset at 27 Summer Street.
  • Kennebunk-based Pinsa has opened a second location in Ogunquit. They’ll be serving the same Roman-style sandwiches and will be open Wednesday through Saturday from their shop at 166 Main Street.
  • Eating Through the Seacoast has published a field report from Siren & Sailor (website, instagram), a new cocktail bar and restaurant launched by the  owners of The Travelin Lobster in Bar Harbor.
  • A new ice cream food truck called Salty Airs Scoops (instagram) has launched in York. The Ciampa family are serving ice cream from Shaker Pond Ice Cream in Alfred. See this article from the Portmouth Herald for additional information.
  • The Portsmout Herald reports that Bandaloop in Arundel is under contract and the sale expected to close later this year. The new owners will be opening a new restaurant and not continuing to operate Bandaloop. Bandaloop has published a statement on facebook.
  • Bowen’s Pizzeria & Deli in Belfast has announced they are closing. July 19th will be their last day in business. “We have some news we would like to share with you all. After many weeks of hard conversations and sleepless nights, we have made the difficult decision to close down the pizzeria. There are a lot of factors that led us to this decision. The volatility of the industry has gotten the better of us — the numbers just aren’t in our favor anymore.” For additional reporting see this article in the Bangor Daily News.
  • Union Breakfast & Pizza in Lebanon will be going out of business. Their last day of service will be July 26th. The owners are focusing their energy on the launch of their new Azul Agave restaurants in Wells and Ogunquit.
  • As previously reported, Banded Brewing in Biddeford will be closing at the end of August.
  • The Bollard has published a breakfast review of Hank’s in Scarborough. “My friend ordered Hank’s Breakfast Sammy ($11 with meat, $8 without) with Vermont cheddar cheese. The English muffin from Not a Bakery was outstanding — airy, crisp and slightly chewy. The fried egg was expertly cooked, with lacy browned edges and a just-set yolk, and the irregularly shaped sausage patty was flavorful and well seasoned.”

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.

2026 Must Eat List

Eat Drink Lucky has released their 2026 Must Eat List. It includes dishes from 71 different eateries in Portland and South Portland from the Yakitori Soba at Aomori to the Danish Rye at Zu Bakery.

This year’s list reflects a dining scene that’s constantly evolving. There are plenty of newcomers making a splash, alongside iconic dishes that continue to earn their place year after year. From Japanese, Vietnamese, Italian and more to classic Maine seafood and comfort food, Portland’s culinary identity has never been more diverse, or more delicious.

On the webpage you check off the spots you’ve been to and keep track of the ones you hope to visit in the coming year.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

Thursday – The Bar of Chocolate (instagram) will be re-opening under new ownership. Founder  Sarah Martin sold the Wharf Street bar to James Mack last month and it has been closed for renovations since.

Friday – The Pierogi Prince is holding a pop-up at the Local 188 event space. Tickets are now on sale.

July 23 – The Brunswick-based Reverie Coffee House will be holding a pop-up at Botanically Curious on Congress Street where they’ll be serving a menu of coffee, matcha and chai. The pop-up will take place 7 am – noon.

July 24 – En-Noble and Ugly Duckling are collaboration on a global dinner series celebrating the food of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus of the July dinner is the food of Asia.

July 24-26The Kneading Conference is taking place in Skowhegan.

July 25 – The 22nd Annual Festival of Nations will be taking place.

July 26 – It’s Open Farm Day, see the Real Maine website for a list of participating farms.

July 29Twelve is holding a 5-course wine dinner featuring 00 Wines. Founders Chris and Kathryn Hermann will be attending the meal.

August 15 – En-Noble and Ugly Duckling are collaboration on a global dinner series celebrating the food of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus of the August dinner is the food of Africa.

August 22 – The Maine State Cake Decorating Championship is taking place in South Paris.

August 28-30Maine Apple Camp is taking place in Hope. The biennial event covers a wide range of topics including “innovative orcharding methods, identifying and preserving heritage varieties, foraging wild fruit, cider making and lots more.”

August 29Dinner x Friends is holding their next event.

September 13 – The 10th Annual Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 19PoutineFest is taking place. En-Noble and Ugly Duckling are collaboration on a global dinner series celebrating the food of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus of the September dinner is the food of Latin America.

September 25-27 – The 50th Annual Common Ground Fair is taking place in Unity.

October 8 – The Maine Food Producers Showcase & Golden Fork Awards is taking place in Portland.

October 24 – The 21st Annual Veg Fest is taking place.

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.

The 2026 Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now for sale in packs of 25 on our online store.

Banded Brewing to Close

Banded Brewing has announced plans to shut down operations at their Biddeford brewery and kitchen. Their last day in business is expected to be August 31st. Their statement reads in part,

Unfortunately, the past several years have brought significant and sustained challenges to many independent brewers like us. Despite the continued support of our customers and community, we have reached a point where continuing operations is no longer sustainable.⁠

There is so much we could say—but for now, we just want to say thank you.⁠

Launched in 2013 as Banded Horn Brewing, the brewery went on to open a Portland outpost in 2020 (now occupied by Argenta) in Bayside, and add a pub to their headquarters in 2022.