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

• Love Point Oysters has launched their new oyster shop and market, Love Point Provisions (instagram). It is located at 43 Old South Freeport Road in Freeport selling tinned fish, wine, beer, and, of course, LP oysters. They’ll be open Wednesday through Saturiday, 11 am – 6 pm.
• Nikaline Iacono , the owner of Vessel & Vine in Brunswick, has launched Full Hearts Farm Store (facebook, instagram) in Durham (above, right). It’s located at the former site of the Replanova Farm store and will continue to sell Replanova’s organic produce. Full Hearts is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 am – 6:30 pm, and 11 am – 5 pm on the weekends. The market sells Maine raised meats, locally baked bread and pastries, dairy products and eggs, and a selection of other locally produced foods. There’s a menu of sandwiches and salads liked smoked bluefish and a meatball sub to grab-and-go or to enjoy on the back deck which looks out over the farm. The kid’s menu offers PBJs and grilled cheese sandwiches. Iacono is working with the local historical society to develop names for sandwiches that connect with history of the community. Starting next month she plans to hold classes at Full Hearts and hopes the store will become a gathering space for the community.
•  Sodt (website, facebook, instagram) plans to launch their new store in Freeport on Saturday. It is located at 58 Main Street downstairs from Vineyard Vines and will be open that day 10 am – 7 pm.
• Moderation Brewing (website, facebook, instagram) will be holding the grand opening for their new location in Brunswick on June 19th at 4 pm with food trucks, live music and an official ribbon cutting.
• The 2026 edition of our Midcoast dining guide has been released.
• The owners of Saint George Pizza have shared plans to launch Upstairs Books (instagram) in Warren. The stock is expected to have “a heavy focus on cookbooks”. They expect to launch Upstairs Books this summer.
• As previously reported, a new restaurant that will serve Nepali and Tibetan cuisine called Himalayas on the Bay (instagram) is under development at 60 Ocean Street in South Portland.
• Portersfield Cider (instagram) will close at the end of this year. David Buchanan founded Portersfield in 2015 and initially began selling his cider at the Portland Farmers’ Market. The tasting room at the Portersfield orchard in Pownal launched in 2017. Portersfield received a Good Food Award in 2019 for their Ridlon 16/2 cider. Buchanan shared “When I started collecting apple trees and making cider 16 years ago, I had only a vague idea where wild and heirloom apples might lead. It’s been a wonderful run, more gratifying and fulfilling than I’d imagined. Part of the reason I’m stepping back now is that I feel satisfied with the ciders I’ve made, happy with the way things have turned out. I’m ready for something new, and prefer to end on a high note. Although this year will be my last for alcohol sales, I don’t intend to give up the community presence at my farm. I’m excited to develop new uses for the tasting room and outdoor gathering spaces, and I look forward to exploring ways to collaborate with other food businesses in the years ahead.” The photo above (left) shows Buchanan preparing buckwheat galettes at the Portersfield tasting room in 2022.
• The owners of X Vault Pub and Provisions have announced they’re is closing their South Paris restaurant. Their last day in business will be Saturday. Their statement reads in part “A restaurant is never just a restaurant. It’s the people who walk through the doors every day, the staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes, and the community that chooses to support it. We want to thank our community for always being our biggest supporter. Thank you for trusting us, whether that meant ordering your usual favorite or stepping outside your comfort zone to try something new. From oysters and sushi to craft cocktails and chef-driven specials, your willingness to embrace new flavors allowed us to create, experiment, and share our passion for food with all of you.” The statement also mentions that a new restaurant is expected to move into the space next year—more details on that are TBD.
• The Rockport Donut Festival (website, facebook, instagram) is taking place Friday and Saturday. Ruckus Donuts, Old Time Donuts, The Only Doughnut, Eighty 8 Donut Cafe, Graffiti Donuts, The Donut Grove, and The Holy Donut will be taking place in the event.
• The Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro is staging a production of Don’t Dress for Dinner on June 13th, 14th, 19th and 20th.
• In celebration fo the Common Ground Fair’s 50th anniversary, MOFGA has produced an exhibit of the fair’s posters from the last 5 decades. “Fifty Years of Common Ground, an exhibition of five decades of the posters of the Common Ground Country Fair, is free and open to the public, now in Augusta until August 30th; then moving to Waterville September 4 through 30, in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission and Waterville Creates.”
• The Ark restaurant on Deer Isle has released the details for this year’s guest chef series. Lucy Gibson will be at The Ark mid-June to mid-July, followed by Sam Fore, Neftalí Duran, and then Justin Tootla and Jennifer Jackson. See The Ark website for all the details on the chefs and their upcoming tenures.
• The Graze dinner series is once again taking place at Pineland Farms. Dinners are taking place this Friday as well as dates in July, August and September.
• Three more dinners in the Wolfe’s Neck Center farm-to-table dinner series are taking place in Freeport this September, October and November with guest chefs from Sawyer’s, Fire & Company, and Douro.
• The Portsmouth Herald reports that Feile Irish Pub in Wells is expected to reopen later this month.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that the Dockside Family Restaurant—which went of business last year after a 36-year run—will be reopening in June.
• Maine Famous has assembled a list of festivals and events taking place across the state this summer.

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.