Maine Food & Dining News: Ellsworth, Brunswick, Damariscotta, Westbrook, Sanford, Biddeford, Windham, Bath

| 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:

  • Chloe’s Cafe is under construction at 30 Water Street in Ellsworth. The Bangor Daily News reports that owner Gabrielle Conners hopes to open the bakery cafe in January serving breakfast and lunch.
  • Brunswick’s Great Impasta is moving down the street to the space formerly occupied by Maiz at 11 Pleasant Street (right). They expect to reopen by the end of the year. Maiz opened their Brunswick restaurant in 2022 and closed it in August of 2024. The Great Impasta has been in business since 1984 and it was previously located at 42 Maine Street.
  • A new business called Barco Provisions (instagram) recently opened in Damariscotta. Owners Jamie and Penn Way have stocked the shelves with specialty foods from around the globe like Vietnamese fish sauce and panettone from Italy. For more information see this article from The Lincoln County News.
  • Pine Tree Bakery in Westbrook has permanently closed (left). Baker/owner Lesa Beck opened the business earlier this year in April. A message posted on facebook explained that “difficulty in finding staff and rising costs” made it “no longer feasible to continue operating the bakery.” The property is now for sale for $470,000.
  • Owner Billy Nichols has announced he’s searching for a new home for his company Downhill Bagel Company (instagram). Nichols opened his cafe in March and launched weekend wine bar hours later in August. Downhill will be open at their current location through the end of the year.
  • Dizzy Bird Rotisserie has announced they’re closing their Biddeford restaurant at the end of this month. Owner Tom Peacock plans to take some time in the new year to consider how he might restructure the business and space with hopes there might be a way to reopen Dizzy Bird in the future. Dizzy Bird opened for business in March 2019.
  • Waxwing Bakery (website, facebook, instagram) in Windham is set to open this morning at 7 am. Waxwing is being launched by baker Hannah Buoye and chef Billy Hager. Buoye is the former kitchen manager at Tandem Coffee and Hager had been the executive chef at Helm.
  • Down East has published an article about Linden + Front, a restaurant that opened earlier this year in Bath.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

Fizz Interview with Sean Turley

| Posted in Farming

Margo Mazur interviewed author and apple expert Sean Turley for a recent edition of The Fizz. They talked about the history of apples, the importance of teaching apple identification, and his new book Practical Pomology.

Three years later, they’re publishing a book I’m very excited to tell you about. Practical Pomology is a field guide for  the apple-curious, whether you’re a seasoned forager and cidermaker or someone who just loves that big apple tree in your neighbor’s yard. It’ll teach you how to recognize the difference between seedling and grafted trees, identify the apples you come across, and ultimately understand their traits. What you do with that long lost fruit is up to you.

Oxbow to Acquire Rising Tide

| Posted in Beer

Oxbow Brewing has announced plans to acquire Rising Tide Brewing. The deal is expected to be wrapped up by the end of 2024. When it does, both brands will remain independent and Nathan Sanborn will continue on as the brewer at Rising Tide.

The announcement reads in part,

We are honored to be taking the torch and excited for the future of this beloved brand.” said Oxbow’s founder and President, Tim Adams. “Their team does an amazing job and their brewing values are in line with our own. They take their time and make decisions with a quality-above-all-else mentality.”

The two breweries share similar brewing philosophies, but their beer portfolios are markedly different. Rising Tide excels at making traditional American and European beer styles, while Oxbow specializes in farmhouse ales and lagers.

Tim continues, “I love the classic styles and can’t wait to help bring more of them to the people. The pendulum is swinging back to traditional beers, and between Oxbow and Rising Tide we’ve now got those bases fully covered.

Rising Tide launched in 2010 and was initially located on Industrial Way. Founders Nathan and Heather Sanborn moved the business to its current location on Fox Street in 2012. Oxbow was founded in Newcastle and they opened their tasting room and brewery on Washington Ave in November 2014.

Luncheonette on Cumberland Ave

| Posted in Under Construction

Angela Lee and Alex LeBlanc have leased 147 Cumberland Ave where they plan to open Luncheonette (website, instagram). Luncheonette will be a counter service cafe and take-out spot serving a salad-centric menu along with sandwiches and a daily selection of house-made breads and pastries. Luncheonette will have draft beer, wine, house-made sodas, drip coffee and tea.

A sample menu on the Luncheonette website includes a Shredded Beetroot Salad plated with yogurt, dill and pistachio as well as an Eggplant Sandwich made with golden fried eggplant, baba ganoush and cabbage slaw. The daily selection of six salads can be ordered as described but customers can also choose to add on proteins like smoked salmon or roast chicken.

LeBlanc and Lee are just starting to plan out the renovation for 147 Cumberland Ave. They anticipate some additional indoor seating and making use of the back patio during warmer months, and hope to launch Luncheonette in late spring.

They have moved to Portland from New York. For LeBlanc who grew up in South Portland it’s a return home. Lee’s culinary career started in NYC baking at Petee’s Pie Co from there she went on to work as a whole animal butcher at Meat Hook and as a fish butcher at Osakana. LeBlanc’s most recent position was as the sous chef at Sailor in Brooklyn, and previously was the chef de cuisine at Gus’s. When he last lived in Portland, LeBlanc had worked for Abby Harmon at Caiola’s and for Matt Ginn at Evo Kitchen + Bar.

147 Cumberland Ave has most recently been the home of Union Bagel which is now located in Falmouth. Looking further back in the past it was also been a launchpad for Katie Made and Silly’s, and was the location of Peddleman’s/Falafel Underground. Here’s a look at what it looked like a century ago. The photo above is from September 2018.

Waxwing to Open Friday

| Posted in Openings

Waxwing Bakery (website, facebook, instagram) is opening for business this Friday. The ~16 seat counter service bakery/cafe will initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 7 am – 1 pm.

It’s being launched by baker Hannah Buoye and chef Billy Hager. Buoye is the former kitchen manager at Tandem Coffee and Hager had been the executive chef at Helm.

The opening menu will include breads, croissants, chocolate cream pie, savory items like sausage rolls and quiche, muffins, cookies, slices of lemon poppyseed olive oil cake, pear and blueberry buckle, apple oat crumble scones and slices of a caramel mocha cake. Waxwing is serving Tandem Coffee with a full range of espresso-based drinks as well as China Jade and English Breakfast from Mem Tea.

Hager and Bouye plan to add a lunch menu early next year that will offer salads and sandwiches.

Waxwing is located at 868 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, it’s just straight shot out on Route 302/Forest Ave from Portland.

Esquire: Oun Lido’s on Best New List

| Posted in Reviews

Oun Lido’s is on Esquire magazine’s list of the Best New Restaurants of 2024.

…Using Maine’s rightfully lauded ingredients, cooking in a space that’s still in the process of being built out, and tapping into hazy, precious memories of childhood, [chef Bounahcree “Bones” Kim] turns out plates that brilliantly synthesize Cambodian and Cantonese flavors. Baptized in pungent homemade prahok, a Cambodian fish sauce, his beef salad topped with toasted rice powder is a salty-sweet-crunchy-meaty mouth party…

Oun Lido’s is one of two businesses in New England and 35 establishments overall included in the Esquire list.

 

Robbins at Tribal Nations Summit

| Posted in Events, People

Maine chef Joseph Robbins has been invited to cook at the 2024 White House Tribal Nations Summit taking place on December 9th. He’s planning to prepare what he refers to “indigenous sushi” for the summit’s welcome event. Robbins’ dish will make use of rice from the Red Lake Nations in Minnesota, smoked salmon from Cowlitz Indian Tribe in Washington State, and a reduction sauce of apple juice and maple syrup flavored with chili peppers.

Robbins is Penobscot and is one of a growing number of chefs across the country raising the visibility of Indigenous American cuisine. He was a 2024 Beard Awards semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in General

Saturday – It’s the first day of the indoor Portland Farmers’ Market. It will once again be located at 631 Stevens Ave, and will run from Dec 7th through Apr 12, 2025. Leisure Time Cocktail is hosting a pop-up with Slab Pizza and the Sauce & Destroy pasta sauce company. As you may recall Slab closed their Preble Street restaurant in early October.

December 13 – Hanukkah Mexicana is taking place in Bath. The event will include food inspired by the Mexican Jewish cookbook, Sabor Judio, and a talk by authors Ilan Stavans and Margaret Boyle.

December 14 – Natalie’s at the Camden Harbor Inn will be holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner  in collaboration with Browne Trading Company and Barton Seaver.

December 15 – A gingerbread house decoration event is taking place at the Hilton Garden Inn. The event is a fundraiser for Portland Firefighters Children’s Burn Foundation.

December 16 – Bissell Brothers will be holding a (sold out) Feast of the Seven Fishes.

December 18 – Sacred Profane will be holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes at their location in Biddeford.

December 24 – Via Vecchia is holding a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner.

December 31 – It’s New Year’s Eve. We’ll be building a list of NYE special dinners and food/drink events here.

February 2 – Rafael Zimmerman from Magnus on Water⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta⁠ will be the guest chef at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 2 – Sara Jenkins, Dustin Martin, and Lauren Radel from Nina June will be the guest chefs at a 2025 Flanagan’s Farm Supper Club dinner.

May 17 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

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.
25-packs of the Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now available on our online store.

Community Plate & Review of Lucky Cheetah

| Posted in Reviews, Profiles

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes an article about Community Plate,

This is Community Plate’s 25th story-sharing potluck supper in the 18 months since Schatz and his wife, Margaret Hathaway, launched the nonprofit group in an effort to build community and combat loneliness statewide. Community Plate’s moveable feast has been held so far in 12 of Maine’s 16 counties, reaching as many as 700 people.

and a review of Lucky Cheetah.

Co-owners Wills Dowd and Jared Dinsmore (who together also own Bird & Co.) view their “dumpling lounge” as a destination for celebrations, champagne, cocktails and small plates. It’s easy to imagine the semi-subterranean space playing host to some seismic revelry. Bar manager Ben Bozeman’s cocktails are absurdly good, including non-alcoholic concoctions like the sparkling cherry-miso Double Zero. Service still has some kinks to iron out, as does the menu, which shines bright in some places — a custardy egg tart served with a scoop of malty black tea ice cream and crisp Wagyu top-round egg rolls wrapped in brittle sheets of phyllo dough are two highlights.

Restaurant Real Estate: December 2024

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the December 2024 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

West End/Valley/Libby Town

87 Brackett St – the 1,077 sq ft former OhNo Cafe is for lease for $2,700/month +utilities (MG). The space also includes a 825 sq ft basement area. It is available as of February 1, 2025.

919 Congress St – the 9,540 sq ft former Salvage BBQ building is available. Lease terms are negotiable.

270 Saint John St – a 2,714 sq ft space in Union Station Plaza is available for $17/sq ft (NNN).

211 Valley St – a 1,260 sq ft former garage and the .13 acres it is on are for sale on Valley Street for $1,300,000.

235 Vaughan St – the former Vaughan Street Variety storefront in the West End has been completely renovated. The 620 sq ft space is available for $2500/month (MG). Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

511 Congress St – the 2,875 sq ft former Golden Lotus space is available for $16.50/sq ft.

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space for $17.04/sq ft (NNN).

555 Congress St – the 1,908 sq ft former 555 dining room and mezzanine are available to lease for $20/sq ft (NNN).

594 Congress St – the 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper H. H. Hay Building formerly occupied by Starbucks is available for $28/sq ft (MG).

602 Congress St – The ~1,500 sq ft ground floor space at the corner of High and Congress is available to lease. The Schwartz Building has been under renovation for more than a decade. For more info contact Joe Atwood at (207) 899-7373.

77 Free St – the space previously occupied by the Free Street restaurant and bar is available. The 8,500 – 17,000 sq ft space is for lease for $5/sq ft (NNN). Call (207) 761-6500 for additional details.

Bayside/Inner Washington

52 Hanover St – On the first floor of the Armature is 1,500 – 3,000 sq ft of retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has earmarked for a coffee shop.

178 Kennebec St – 2,644 sq ft of space are available in a newly constructed Bayside building for $25/sq ft (NNN).

114 Preble St – The building formerly occupied by Coals is for sale for $1,475,000.

186 Washington Ave – the 7,620 sq ft Am Vets building is for sale for $1,600,000. See the listing for photos of the bar and seating area.

Old Port

0 Canal Plaza – the 1,350 sq ft former Nosh Taco build in Canal Plaza is for lease for $60/sq ft (NNN).

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

15 Chestnut St – the building that was home to Grace restaurant is for sale. It includes the property, business assets and all FF&E. The restaurant seats 175 and features a large circular bar on the first floor of the former church. The building has 14,358 sq ft of space. It’s for sale for $2,595,000.

185 Commercial St – a new building on Commercial Street has a 2,334 sq ft ground floor retail space that is available for $55/sq ft (NNN).

266 Commercial St – a 6,689 sq ft retail space is available in this new construction building for $20-22/sq ft (NNN).

327 Commercial St – the 6,981 – 7,981 sq ft space currently occupied by Tiqa is available for lease or to buy. The lease rate is $30/sq ft (NNN). The sale price is $3,500,000.

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

10 Cotton St – Thistle & Grouse closed in September. The business is now for sale for $975,000.

8 Exchange St – 1,800-3,600 sq ft of space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $34.99/sq ft (MG).

85 Exchange St – The space that had previously been the home of Dobra Tea is back on the market. The 1,350 sq ft space is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – a 2,300 sq ft space in the new 18-story Casco building is available for $40/sq ft (MG). The building owners are looking for someone who wants to open a market in that space.

340 Fore St – a 932 retail space at the corner of Fore and Silver Streets is available to lease for $35/sq ft (MG).

433 Fore St – a 930 sq ft space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

477 Fore St – the 1,361 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available for $30/sq ft (MG).

40 Free St – a 1,511 sq ft space in the new building constructed by JB Brown is available for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).

127 Marginal Way – the 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $35/sq ft (NNN).

100 Middle St – a 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (MG).

115 Middle St – the 2,065 sq ft space formerly occupied by Beach Boys Cannabis is for lease for $6,840/month (MG). Back in the 1970s it had been the home of Model Food Importers which retailed wine, cheese and other imported foods.

121 Middle St – a 2,482 sq ft retail spot is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

157 Middle St – 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

184 Middle St – this newly renovated space was formerly occupied by Blanche & Mimi. It includes 1,169 sq of first floor retail and 808 sq ft of basement storage space all for $48.43/sq ft (MG).

5 Milk St – this 2,199 sq ft former hair salon is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

1 Monument Square – 1,530 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

15 Monument Square – the former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease. Contact Core at (207) 744-3084 for more information.

28 Monument Square – a number of spots on the first and second floors of the Public Market House are available.

25 Pearl St – 1,689 sq ft former Subway space available for $30/sq ft (MG).

66 Pearl St – the 5,796 sq ft space that was formerly the home of Bull Moose is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

35 Silver St – The North Point closed in October. The business is now for sale for $75,000.

3 Spring St – the space formerly occupied by Stage Cannabis is for lease; 2,000 sq ft for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

54 York St – a 1,605 sq ft space is available for $30/sq ft (MG). It’s located in the same building as the new Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Old Port Bar – an undisclosed 1,160/sq ft bar/restaurant in the Old Port is for sale for $195,000.

India Street Area

239 Congress St –the 780 sq ft space formerly occupied by Tiny Tims is available for $2,500/month (Absolute Gross). It’s nearby Cocktail Mary, The End of Portland, Quanto Basta and LB Kitchen.

144 Fore St – the former VA building is near the Portland Foreside development and adjacent to several new office buildings off Thames Street. It has 1,560 – 10,620 sq ft of space available for $22-29/sq ft (NNN).

Outer Forest Ave

332 Forest Ave – two spaces (1,992 and 1,962 sq ft) in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave are available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $10-15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

630 Forest Ave – a 1,440 sq ft retail space in Woodfords Corner is available for $17 (NNN).

1871 Forest Ave – the former Tortilla Flats is for sale. The 8,771 sq ft building is on 3.43 acres of property and is listed for $1,750,000.

Deering

164 Veranda St – the 1,000 sq ft former location of Other Side Deli is available for $2,500/month (Gross).

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Elsewhere in Portland

Northgate Shopping Center – 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease 1,440, 3,800 and 5,000 sq ft. The lease rates are negotiable and the property owner has a strong interest in finding a restaurant tenant for the shopping plaza.

Other Spaces – some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for insights on where those opportunities may be.

Outside of Portland

The Downs – A 2,019 sq ft restaurant space is for sale in The Downs mixed use development.

881 Route 1, Yarmouth – Shared kitchen space formerly utilized by MaineFlavor before they moved to the West End is available.

188 Lincoln St, Lewiston – This 2,371 – 5,554 sq ft former fire station has been renovated for use as a retail/restaurant space. It’s listed at $5-14/sq ft (NNN). See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

372 Cottage Rd, South Portland – The building that formerly was home to Omi’s Coffee Shop is for sale for $675,000. Contact Gail Bruzgo at 372maine@gmail.com for more information.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bed room apartment are for sale for $2,095,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

449 Main St, South Portland – The former Rudy’s Diner and an adjacent home are for sale for $849,000.

Billy’s Chowder House – Both the building and business of Billy’s Chowder House in Wells is for sale. The ~200 seat restaurant comes with a 62-car parking lot and sits on Mile Road which connects Route 1 with Wells Beach. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $875,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – the 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $895,000.

145 Ocean St, South Portland – The BenReuben’s building in South Portland will become available with the closure of the knishery in September. The ~1,000 sq ft space is for lease for $3,000/month (MG). Contact Josh at (207) 408-3879 for more information.

358 Main St, Yarmouth – The building that had housed a collection of gluten-free baking businesses is for sale for $440,000.

Bayley’s Seafood, Scarborough – This 3,018 sq ft turnkey seafood restaurant is available to lease for $24/sq ft.

1200 Portland Rd, Arundel – An undisclosed turnkey 9,938 sq ft restaurant is for sale for $2,500,000.

1575 Bridgton Rd, Westbrook – the former Pine Tree Bakery building is for sale for $470,000. The 1,620 sq ft building is on 7.32 acres and has a 20+ spot parking lot. Visit ateammaine.com for additional information.

Elevation Burger, South Portland – the business franchise, infrastructure, equipment and lease for 2,600 sq ft space are for sale for $250,000. Call (207) 838-2274 for more information.

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.