The Velvet Dog Has Opened

| Posted in Openings

The Velvet Dog (facebook, instagram) has opened for business. The 70-seat restaurant and bar is located at 24 Preble Street next to Dutch’s and across the street from Za Pizza. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday, 3 – 9 pm, and until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday.

Chef Matt Burns and his family are serving a menu (see below) of small plates like fried sardines and corn ribs, entrees like the grilled white fish with butter bean and sausage ragu shown above. The bar menu includes wines by the glass ($9) and bottle ($32), beer, seltzer, cider, non-alcoholic drinks and a selection of classic cocktails. Shown here are the Paper Plane and Almond Sour.

Burns has has worked at a number of Portland area restaurants including Nonesuch River Brewing in Scarborough, and most recently Paper City Barbecue and Legends Rest in Westbrook. He envisions The Velvet Dog as a restaurant for local residents. “We are here for the people of Portland. Tourists are nice but I care about the people in the apartments next door, the industry workers and the people that commute in and out of this town a lot more. I want those people to always feel welcome and to get to know us as we know them.”

Maine Food & Dining News: Belfast, Lewiston, Thomaston, Ellsworth, South Paris, Kittery, Westbrook, Scarborough, South Portland, Biddeford, Northeast Harbor, Solon, South Berwick, Freedom, Brunswick

| 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:

  • Joshua and Dakota’s Cantina (website, facebook) recently opened for business in Belfast Park.  Joshua Kumrits and Dakota Danner are serving a menu of empanadas, sopas, bacalaitos and more. They plan to be open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am – 3 pm.
  • The Fifth Pillar Tea House (instagram) has opened for business. It’s located in a 2,000 sq ft space at 191 Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston. Owner Meg Giossi and her team are serving a menu of herbal and traditional teas as well as tea lattes and a selection of light snacks. Shown above is a pot of Gut Instinct herbal tea (anise, fennel, licorice, dandelion root, ginger) and a lemon basil cookie from Cozy Fox Bakery. Giossi’s goal is to create a place for people who want to get into tea that “feels accessible and natural” and also be a space for members of the community to meet and connect. Fifth Pillar has a variety of comfy lounge and table seating as well as a space with a low table and floor cushions. They will be open Wednesday through Saturday 11 am – 7 pm.
  • The Picnic Basket (instagram) held their grand opening this past Saturday in Thomaston. The specialty food and gifts market is located at 185 Main Street on the same side of the road as Crooked Spoon and Flipside Coffee. They’re open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 10 am – 3 pm.
  • Acadia Flatbread Brazilian Soul (facebook, instagram) recently opened in Ellsworth.  They’re located just off Route One at 56 Washington Street. The Bangor Daily News reports that Raquel de Assis and Jesrael Melo will be serving ‘the Brazilian rendition of the traditional Middle Eastern esfiha. Introduced to Brazil by Lebanese and Syrian immigrants in the late 19th century, and colloquially termed the “Arab empanada,” the dish has become a staple in Brazilian bakeries.’
  • The Midcoast Villager reports that Tender Nettle Herb Company (instagram), a “herb shop and tea counter” has opened in Belfast in the space formerly occupied by Daily Soup at 118 High Street. They’re open Wednesday through Saturday 11 am – 7 pm, and Sunday 11 am – 4 pm. “[Gabrielle] Aydnwylde, an herbalist, will make custom blends of herbs and preparations for customers and sell brewed teas and a range of salts. Some of the herbs the store stocks have culinary uses, such as grains of paradise and chunks of turmeric root.”
  • Former X Vault Pub and Provisions chef Alex White along with Anastasia Creaser have announced the launch of Pine + Plate (facebook, instagram) which will be a “multi faceted project for everyone” that will providing catering, private chef services, hold dinners, and operate a mobile bar called The Draught Horse. X Vault closed in South Paris earlier this month.
  • A new ice cream and candy shop called Wilsun’s (instagram) is under construction at 23 Walker St in Kittery. Owners Molly and Chris Jacobson hope to open in August serving locally made ice cream and a variety of candy options.
  • A new food truck called Kassa Cafe (instagram) will be launching on Friday July 3rd in Westbrook. Owner Iman Enan aims to bring “Middle Eastern inspired flavors and drinks into the menu”.
  • Mainebiz reports that Cafe Luna will be moving their Scarborough location to The Downs. The new location is expected to open in Spring 2027.
  • The Barkery, an indoor dog park and eatery in South Portland, has gone out of business. Their last day was June 22nd. The statement from owners Nate and Haley Viens reads in part “This is not the ending we hoped for, and it is not a decision we made lightly. It took nearly two years to bring The Barkery to life, and saying goodbye to this dream is deeply painful. Thank you to every guest who came through our doors, brought your dogs to play, shared a meal with us, joined us for trivia, attended a fundraiser, celebrated with us, told a friend about us, or simply believed in what we were trying to build.”
  • The Saco Bay News reports that New Morning Natural Foods in Biddeford is under new ownership and is being renamed to Cousin’s Natural Foods. The article includes the history of the market which has been in business since 1976.
  • Eating Through the Seacoast has published a field report from Good Wolf in Northeast Harbor on MDI.
  • The USM Free Press has published an article about Vertical Harvest in Westbrook.
  • Elise Schloff (instagram) and Meera Chauhan held their event Refectory (see photos below) on the 20th. The “monastic-inspired artist’s meal” featuring a multi-course vegetarian menu served in the church yard of the South Solon Meeting House in Somerset County.
  • Down East magazine has published an article about Lee Frank’s in South Berwick. “The menu divides into burgers, chili burgers, hot dogs, sides, and drinks, categories Frank borrowed from Carney’s, another of his favorite LA haunts. A note at the bottom of the board invites customers to make any dish “dirty” with the addition of grilled onions and a house-made Thousand Island–style sauce, a twist on In-N-Out’s “animal-style” offerings. I opted for the chili cheeseburger, which seemed dirty enough with its standard mustard, tomato, raw onion, dill pickle, and chili toppings.”
  • As previously reported, The Lost Kitchen has begun serving their summertime counter service lunch, Little Lost Kitchen.
  • As previously reported, Sai Guntaka has launched Cobblestone Coffee & Company in South Portland.
  • As previously reported, Jeremy and Marina Kratzer have launched their new Italian restaurant Paolo’s in Brunswick.

 

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Wednesday – Madonna Rosa will be holding a pizza pop-up at Anoche.

Saturday – It’s the 4th of July. Go see the fireworks on the Eastern Prom. The Casco Bay Wind Symphony will began playing at 7 pm, and the fireworks will start at 9:15 pm.

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

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

August 28-30 – Maine 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 29 – Dinner x Friends is holding their next event.

September 19 – PoutineFest is taking place.

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

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

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.

Paolo’s Now Open in Brunswick

| Posted in Openings, Maine

Jeremy and Marina Kratzer have launched their new Italian restaurant Paolo’s (instagram). It’s located in the former Frontier/Nomad space in the Fort Andross Mill building in Brunswick.

The menu (see below) reflects a New Jersey take on Italian American cuisine and utilizes the wood-fired oven for their pizza and other dishes on the menu. Shown above are Jersey Shore pizza (pickled peppers, clams, pecorino, salmoriglio, oregano), Bucatini pasta (preserved lemon, anchovy, Calabrian chili, breaddcrumbs), charred brocolini, Caesar salad, and Chicken Pamessan. The dessert menu includes a chocolate mousse, tiramisu, the wonderful lemon pie shown above and an affagato martini made with espresso martini and housemade gelato.

The drink menu includes wines by the glass and bottle, beer, NA beverages and a cocktail menu designed by general manager Matt Im. Making a cameo appearance in the photos above are the Salvatore Marino orange wine and the Paltrinieri sparking Lambrusco.

The Kratzers also own and operate Dutchman’s, a wood-fired bagel company that’s co-located with the restaurant. Paolo’s is open Thursday thorugh Sunday 5 – 9 pm, with drinks and snacks available starting at 4 pm.

4 Star Review of Franciska

| Posted in Reviews

This week’s Maine Sunday Telegram will include a 4 star review of Franciska.

The other part of the fun is sipping your torrontés, monastrell or Uco Valley petit verdot alongside some of the truly excellent food coming out of Chef de Cuisine Rudi Schnetzer’s kitchen. Shareable plates like Maine fluke crudo and burrata & tomato conserva perk up your taste buds as much as the invigorating wines. The seasonal menu changes frequently, but the braised short-rib empanadas with crisp, flaky crust are a perennial offering, and a must.

Franciska opened for business in April 2025.

Cobblestone Coffee Opens Thursday

| Posted in Openings, Maine

Cobblestone Coffee & Company (facebook, instagram) is set to open on Thursday. The ~40-seat bakery/cafe is being launched by Sai Guntaka, the owner of Taj and it will be located at 200 Gorham Road in the the building that was the first home of the Taj restaurant. Cobblestone will be open daily 6 am – 3 pm.

Baristas Zack Treadwell and Tyler Land will serve a full line-up of brewed coffee and espresso-based drinks as well as an Irani chai prepared in the style popular in Hyderabad where Guntaka’s family is from. It is flavored with cardamom, rose petals and a mix of spices. Cobblestone will be serving a special coffee produced by Tandem Coffee Roasters using single beans sourced from India.

Chef Adam Williams is leading the kitchen at Cobblestone. He and his team—which includes sous chef Remington McGuire and bakers Lucie Beau and Angela Young—will be serving a menu (see below) that includes baked goods, breakfast and brunch items and lunch options. Guntaka shared that their goal is to provide a range of offerings “you won’t find just anywhere else.” Baked goods like gulab jamun cardi and coconut croissants, tamarind kougin amann and a chai palmier certainly meet that goal. As do dishes like an avocado toast made with chaat masala and corriander-mint chutney, and a braised lamb bowl served of cracked rye with a vadav pav crumble.

Woodhull designed the cafe and it was constructed by Carlos Acosta with the neon sign behind the counter produced by David Johansen (aka Neon Dave). A notable and laudable element of Cobblestone Coffee is Guntaka’s plans to redirect all profits from the cafe to support his outreach program that provides free meals to people in need.

In addition to Taj, Guntaka is a cofounder Silver Street by Taj in the Old Port and Rasa in Bangor.

 

Interview with Micahel Angelone

| Posted in People, History

Portland Magazine has published an interview with Michael Angelone about the history of Pizza by Angelone.

It’s as unlikely for an origin story to be true as it is for a slice of pepperoni to realize it isn’t a savory island surrounded by icebergs of cheese in a sea of tomato sauce.

Angelone’s is the rare exception.

It was and is the first pizza shop ever in Maine. Established in 1947 and constant as the North Star, the local chain survives in the form of Angelone’s West at 768 Main Street in Westbrook.