Ugly Duckling at Rising Tide

| Posted in Under Construction

Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti , the owners of Chaval and Ugly Duckling, are partnering with Rising Tide to launch a new food program at the Fox Street brewery.

The menu under development for Ugly Duckling at Rising Tide is expected to blend the spirit of Ugly Duckling with the context of a coastal Maine brewery. It will include options like a house made pork sausage sandwich, a maple-brined fried chicken sandwich, and a Korean-inspired Cubano made with pork braised in Coke and topped with a gochujang mustard. The menu will also include salads and some vegetable dishes. For dessert you’ll be able to get Spanish fruit popsicles that can be paired with a beer for a shandy-like finish to the meal.

Oxbow Brewing acquired Rising Tide from its founders, Nathan and Heather Sanborn, in December 2024. Sansonetti and Lopez are working with Greg Jasgur from Oxbow on launch the new operation. Jasgur shared,

We’re incredibly excited to partner with Damian and Ilma from Ugly Duckling. Beyond their thoughtful, ingredient-driven cooking, what really stands out is a shared commitment to community, creating spaces where people feel welcome, connected, and taken care of. That alignment means a lot to us at Rising Tide and makes this collaboration feel like a natural fit. We’re especially excited to see their take on coastal street food, it pairs perfectly with our beers, and they are so unbelievably creative. Their food will truly elevate the experience we’re hoping to provide at Rising Tide. We can’t wait to bring great food, great beer, and great people together in a way that reflects that spirit.

They hope to launch the new food program in early May and expect to be in operation seven days a week by July.

Just last weekend Sansonetti and Lopez launched a food truck called Ugly Duckling on Wheels.

Maine Food & Dining News: Wiscasset, Brunswick, Westbrook, Camden, Wells, Yarmouth, Belfast, Deer Isle, Blue Hill, South Portland, Biddeford, York, Waterville

| 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:

  • Meg Randall has leased space at 564 Bath Road in Wiscasset where she plans to launch Maine Ocean Buzz Coffee (instagram). Ocean Buzz will serve tea, beer, wine, and coffee from Coffee on the Porch, Swift River Roasters, and Claw Coffee Roasters. The menu includes quiches, breakfast burritos and sandwiches, baked French toast and other house made baked goods as well as locally made donuts, scones, cupcakes. The coffee shop will seat 75 people between indoor and outdoor seating. Randall plans to launch on May 1st. After the opening day when they’re open until 8 pm,  Ocean Buzz will be open Thursday through Monday, 8 am – 3 pm.
  • Black Pug Brewing (website, facebook, instagram) has announced plans to move to 103 Maine Street in Brunswick. They will be moving into the Moderation Brewing space when Moderation vacates it this summer to move into their new building at 21 Town Hall Place in the old Central Fire Station. The move will enable Black Pug to expand their brewing capacity by 150%. They’ll also begin using a canning line rather than packaging in bottles.
  • The Purple Whisk in Westbrook is launching a Pie Club. Subscribers to this pie CSA will be signed up for a series of four fruit pies—one each in June, July, August and September. “Lots of berries, peaches and apples will be in these all butter crusts! Signing up for Pie Club gets you a 15% discount on each pie, a thank you from me (Lizz) for supporting the bakery.”
  • Maine Famous has published an interview with Camp DeForest owners Jessica and Brady Brim-DeForest. As reported earlier, Camp DeForest is launching a tiki bar this summer and they delve into the plans for Tiki Scout (instagram) around the 13 minute mark.
  • Wild Bevy Distilling has announced plans to launch the Wild Fire Kitchen in Wells.
  • Owner Rick Boyd shared his plans to convert the back patio of Rambler Irish Bistro in Yarmouth into a seasonal seafood restaurant called Rawbar. The menu will include local oysters, lobster along with sandwiches, small plates, cocktails and local beers.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that The Chocolate Drop is for sale, and has published an article about the Deer Isle Apple Corps, and about a beer garden planned for the Mainescapes garden center in Blue Hill. “Janney wants to “recenter beer as an agricultural product,” which led to the purchase of Mainescape. He aims to create outdoor space there for customers to linger, with tables for beer and hot food among the plant displays.” Spencer Janney is the owner of Naiad Country Brewery in nearby Orland.
  • WCYY reports that Maine Jamaican Kitchen is taking the place of Elevation Burger at 85 Western Avenue in South Portland.
  • The Press Herald reports that chef and restaurateur Jose Garces (wikipedia) has built a “culinary studio” called Shokutsu where Garces will be holding pop-ups, cooking classes and other uses. Garces was a Beard Awards winner in 2009 in the Best Chef Mid-Atlantic category. Reservations for upcoming pop-up dinners in May and June are available on chefgarces.com.
  • The Portsmouth Herald has published an article about York Street Kitchen (facebook). It is located at 7 York Street in York next to SoMe Brewing. “Although York Street Kitchen has been open only since March 28, 2026, owner Jon Adelson’s café‑style restaurant is already off to a sizzling start.”
  • The Waterville Sentinel reports that Juliette’s Bakery and Deli (website, facebook) is for sale and set to close on the retirement of owner Gerard Turmelle.

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.

Salud Cafe

| Posted in General

Salud Cafe (website, instagram) is operating at the Salud fitness studio on Marginal Way. The menu includes a selection of ready-made salads, snacks, drinks and packaged goods from LB. Minimart, as well as made to order smoothies, Forage bagels, toasts and Bard coffee prepared by the cafe staff. The cafe is open on weekdays 7 am – 4 pm, and on weekends 8 am – 1 pm.

For a time last year the cafe space at Salud was occupied by Leda. Leda opened in May and closed in October.

Abbiocco Closing

| Posted in Closings

Chef/owner Cole Curcio has announced the closure of Abbiocco. It reads in part,

Over the past six months, you filled my dining room with laughter, celebration, and support in ways I’ll never forget. What started as a vision became something real because of all of you, my guests, my community, and everyone who walked through the doors.

To my incredible staff, thank you for your passion, your resilience, and the care you brought to every service. You are the heart of Abbiocco, and none of this would have been possible without you.

Abbiocco opened last October. It was located at 634 Forest Ave in Woodfords Corner.

Terlingua Side Car

| Posted in Under Construction

The team from Terlingua, Terlingua Outpost, and Ocotillo have announced plans for Terlingua Side Car (website). The food truck will be stationed on Washington Ave in the outdoor seating area in front of Oxbow Brewing and Hardshore Distilling.

Side Car will be serving street tacos along with a 7-layer dip and tortilla chips, and frozen fruit pops. The draft menu includes options like Smoked Pork Carnitas tacos topped with Winter Hill cotija, onions, spicy taco sauce, cilantro, and Mushroom tacos made with local mushrooms and topped with refried beans, crispy potato, cilantro and salsa matcha.

Side Car will launch in June and be in operation through the end of October, open Thursday through Sunday.