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Best Places to Drink

December 4, 2023 | Posted in Reviews

Maxim magazine has published a list of the 10 Best Places for Drinks in and around Portland.

Highlighted in the article are Blyth and Borrows, Hunt and Alpine, Batson River, Magnus on Water, Great Lost Bear, Via Vecchia, Wandby Landing, Papi, East Ender and Cabelleras.

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Nosh Tacos Now Open
Pulling Corks in Belfast

About Portland Food Map

Portland Food Map launched in 2007 as a simple directory of the local food community. Other features have been added over the years including food event listings, the Under Construction page, guides to Maine apples and cider producers, the restaurant real estate listings, Year in Review reports, the My Kitchen Their Table chef interview series, the Maine Food Map guide, Maine news reporting, and the annual Maine Thanksgiving List.


The 2024 editions of the Portland and Midcoast Pocket Guides are now out. Pick-up a copy Portland and Midcoast guides at local businesses, and if you need a bunch for an event you’re organizing or for your business you can buy them in packs of 25 on our online store.

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Lady Shuckers (@ladyshuckers) has leased the snack Lady Shuckers (@ladyshuckers) has leased the snack shack at Willard Beach where owner Libby Davis will be serving a menu (second photo) that includes lobster rolls, sandwiches, curly fries, ice cream, sides and, of course, oysters. The surfside Lady Shuckers will have a soft opening on May 31st and June 1st and will be in full operation June 5th. This summer you can also find Lady Shuckers at Thompson’s Point during their events and Summer Sunsets series, and at Hearts of Pine (@hearts_sc) home games where they’re serving oysters on the half shell to fans including recently Patrick Dempsey. #southportlandmaine #willardbeach #ladyshuckers
Leda (@leda.portland) is now open for business. Th Leda (@leda.portland) is now open for business. The cafe and drop-in childcare facility is co-located with the new Salud (@saludportland) fitness studio at 265 Marginal Way. Leda offers coffee, smoothies, cold-pressed juice, bowls and pastries from Belleville (@blvlme). They’re sourcing their coffee beans from Lay Day Roasters (@laydayroasters). Leda has been launched by Naomi Hall, co-owner of the former Omi’s coffee shop. It’s open daily, 8 am – 2 pm. #portlandmaine #ledacafe
Terlingua has leased the 858 sq ft storefront at 3 Terlingua has leased the 858 sq ft storefront at 34 Washington Ave where they’ll be launching Terlingua Outpost (@terlingua_outpost). The Outpost will be an all-day 12-seat cafe with grab-and-go food to takeaway as well as the new home for the restaurant’s market. The Outpost team, led by general manager Justine Smith, hope to launch the new venture in early summer. The menu will include sweet & savory kolaches, “pocket-ritos”, ice cream, espresso drinks, coffee & tea, as well as iced and hot NA drinks like an adaptogen latte made with chaga, and a mojito-cino made with mint, brown sugar and half-and-half. For customers dining at cafe there will also be a beer, wine and spirits selection. The market will continue to offer prepared food and staples like enchiladas, Terlingua’s cornbread, chili, soup and house made sauces and spice blends. They are aiming to be open daily, 8 am – 8 pm. The launch of The Outpost will enable Terlingua to reformat the current market space at 40 Washington Ave as a side dining room for restaurant guests and for use for private dinners and events. Terlingua initially launched in 2015 at 52 Washington Ave (where Lil Chippy is today). They moved to their current spot in 2020 and launch Ocotillo in the West End last year. #portlandmaine #mainefood #terlinguaoutpost #alldaycafe #comingsoon #kolaches
Yosaku (@yosakumaine) owners Rattanak Tray and Hop Yosaku (@yosakumaine) owners Rattanak Tray and Hope MacVane-Tray have purchased the former Elsmere BBQ building in South Portland where they plan to open a new restaurant. The as-yet-to-be-named business will serve a similar sushi menu to Yosauku and in addition will offer a choice of small plates and grilled Japanese dishes with a seasonal approach to the menu. The menu will reflect a vision chef Tray has had for a number of years that the South Portland location provides an opportunity to bring to life. Renovations to the building are underway with the goal of opening the restaurant in the spring of 2026. The couple became the owners of Yosaku upon the retirement of the restaurant’s founder Takahiro and Susan Sato in 2022. Elsmere BBQ launched in 2013 and closed in November last year. #mainefood #yosakusushi #southportlandmaine #comingsoon
Here’s a look inside Benny’s (@bennys_maine) t Here’s a look inside Benny’s (@bennys_maine) the new red sauce Italian restaurant and Philly sandwich shop that’s been under construction the last few months at 545 Congress Street in the Arts District. The 32-seat Benny’s is being launched by Josh Sobel the chef/owner of Ramona’s (@ramonas_maine). The dining room features an 11-seat bar opposite a row of 2-top banquet tables along with some counter seating in the front windows. The room is decked out with art and memorabilia evocative of Philadelphia like a portrait of Sylvester Stallone in his role of Rocky Balboa. Sobel worked with @mey_and_co on the design of the restaurant. As you can see (photos 4 and 5) the menu includes Italian-American standards like chicken parmesan and spaghetti with meatballs. Shown here (3rd photo) are Benny’s pretzel garlic knots. The bar menu includes a line-up of Italian wines representing regions from the Veneto to Sicily. The cocktail list has some house creations like a Margherita pizza inspired Margarita, and the Benny’s Handshake Spritz made with the locally produced Handshake bitters, as well as classic cocktails. Benny’s official opening day is this Wednesday May 14th. They’ll initially be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, 4 pm – 9 pm (and until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday). #redsauceitalian #bennysrestaurant #mainefood #pretzelgarlicknots #rockybalboa #margheritamargarita #portlandmaine
Alex Wight has taken over the Jefe Juan’s space Alex Wight has taken over the Jefe Juan’s space at 47 Wharf Street where she plans to open Elizabeth (@elizabeth.portlandme) a French-inspired wine bar that will be “unapologetic, sexy and fun”. Joining the Elizabeth team are chef Duncan Biddulph and pastry chef Ashley Robinson. The couple have relocated to Maine from Chicago where Biddulph worked at Lula Cafe, Publican, and was the executive chef at Rootstock and Tortello. Robinson grew up in Cape Elizabeth and after attending Harvard worked in New York and Chicago, notably as the head chef at The Bakery at Fat Rice. Together with Wight they’re planning a forward-thinking menu inspired by classic French cuisine along with a bar menu of natural wine and French cocktails. Wight is planning a full renovation and redesign of the space. She hopes to launch the 30-seat space in late fall. Wight is the owner of Crown Jewel restaurant. She launched the 35-seat restaurant on Great Diamond Island in July 2018. She previously ran the influential Flanagan’s Table dinner series in Buxton. #mainefood #elizabethwinebar #wharfstreet #frenchwinebar #alexwight
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