Chérie at 249 Congress Street

| Posted in Under Construction

Chefs Melody Medina and Quinn Williams are taking over the Quanto Basta space at 249 Congress Street where they will open a neighborhood bistro and cafe called Chérie (instagram).

They plan on serving a seasonal menu of French and American cuisine offerings freshly baked breads, pastries, and bistro classics like steak frites, roast chicken, whole fish and pâtés.Chérie will also feature a full bar program run by Lucie Anderson. The beverage menu will include a variety of wines, local and imported beers and a cocktail program as well as non-alcoholic options.

Williams and Medina plan on making some light renovations to the dining room but otherwise retain the same general layout—including the Fiero Forni oven—as Quanto Basta.

The couple moved to Portland from Brooklyn in 2024. They met when both were working at Frenchette New York City. Medina is a 2011 graduate of the French Culinary Institute and helped launch bread program at Frenchette and open the Frenchette Bakery in Tribeca. Williams career began in his hometown of Pittsburgh and once in NYC worked at Le Rock and Lords. Since last fall they have been holding a series of Cherie pop-up events at Lambs, Hunt & Alpine and the Big Tree event space.

Watch for Chérie to launch in late spring serving dinner Thursday through Monday with plans to eventually expand hours to include summer lunch and brunch on the weekend.

Photo: A grilled lamb chop with cranberry beans and a tomato galette from a Chérie pop-up that took place at Lambs in September.

Maine Food & Dining News: Newcastle, Cumberland, Westbrook, Scarborough, Gardiner, Camden, Bath, Eliot, Augusta

| 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:

  • 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.

2026 Good Food Awards Finalists

| Posted in Reviews

The Good Food Foundation has released the list of Finalists for their 2026 awards program. Five Maine food producers are on the list:

The list of award winners will be announced by the foundation “on or before June 28, 2026”. See their Rules & Regulations and FAQ pages for more information on the awards program.

Salvatore’s Opening Thursday

| Posted in Openings

Salvatore’s Hoagie Shop (website, facebook, instagram) is set to launch their new Forest Ave sandwich shop on Thursday. It is located at 448 Forest Ave in the space formerly occupied by Pizza Joint.

At Salvatore’s Hoagie Shop, we believe that the secret to an unforgettable food experience lies in the details. What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to quality. Our Philadelphia-inspired hoagies are crafted with passion, using seeded rolls that are baked fresh in-house daily. Each ingredient is carefully selected and prepared with chef-driven techniques and plenty of love.

Owners Kara Picone and chef Owen Price will be serving a menu of hoagies, cheesesteaks, pizzas and salads. The shop will also have grab and go items to enjoy at home like chicken marsala and chicken Caesar, and ingredients to make your own home meal preparation a little easier like bolgnese sauce and meatballs.

Salvatore’s will be open Thursday through Saturday, noon – 8 pm, and Sunday, noon – 6 pm.

Salvatore’s originally launched as a sandwich delivery service in January 2023, and has developed a strong fan base of sandwich lovers ever since.

Fred’s Fries Food Truck

| Posted in Under Construction

Fred McNair, the owner of Fred’s Fried Dough, is in the process of launching a second mobile food business called Fred’s Fries (instagram). The menu is still under development but expected to include options like poutine, garlic marinara fries, fries topped with pulled pork or chicken and the We Love Maine fries which will be topped with Maine lobster and either butter or mayo. Watch for Fred’s Fries to launch in early spring and be located in the Old Port.

Iron Pollo Moving to Portland

| Posted in Under Construction

Chef/owner Alberto Mateo is moving his food truck New England Iron Pollo (facebook, instagram) and catering business to Portland early this spring. Mateo serves a menu of cast iron broiled chicken and dishes such as empanadas and chicken and churro waffles along with sides like yuca fries and maduros.

Mateo launched the business in Bangor in the summer of 2023. As part of the move to Portland he is planning to hold a series of pop-up events starting in early March so keep a watch on the Iron Pollo social media accounts (links above) for information about upcoming events.