Category: General News

Portland Public Schools have rolled out their Summer Meals program. The program provides free meals to children and teens 18 years old and under. Most of the venues are serving both breakfast and lunch. Information on hours and locations where meals are available can be found on the Portland Public Schools website.

South Portland, Westbrook and communities from all around the state operate similar summer meal programs.

The USDA has a directory of summer meal programs from around the country that list dozens of communities in Maine that offer free meals during the summer.

A Go Fund Me crowdsourcing campaign has been set-up for The Jewel Box. $2,600 have been raised so far towards a goal of $20k.

Owner Nathaniel Meiklejohn recently shared financial challenges that threaten the cocktail bar’s continued operation.

For more on Meiklejohn and The Jewel Box see this interview with him from 2022.

Delicious Musings has published a field report on the monthly Sunday breakfast at the VFW along with some observations on breakfast and a dive into Appalachian biscuits and gravy.

I pushed open the door and stepped into a long hallway lined with faux brown wood paneling—the kind that was really popular in the 1970s. Professor A and I passed the kitchen, where Jessica, an omelet wizard from Bayside American Café, was in her element. At the back of the building, we reached the bar area, which looked exactly like the kind of place where faithful regulars could slide onto a stool and feel right at home. No haze of smoke or Christmas lights here, but the past is present in the form of flags and plaques. Two women took our cash and handed us slips of paper to mark our orders— I went for a veggie omelet, and Professor A chose scrambled eggs with bacon and toast.

The VFW is located in Woodfords Corner next to Veranda Market. Their breakfasts are $10 and are held the first Sunday of every month, 8 – 10 am.

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes an article on the efforts by W.A. Bean & Sons to find an alternative to artificial red dye in their hot dogs.

“We’ve been working on a replacement for that dye for a long time — it’s been a goal of ours,” said W.A. Bean Director of Sales Sean Smith, pointing to a rack of red snapper links fresh out of the dye shower in the “kitchen” at Bean’s production plant. “We’re not fighting science. We want to get ahead of it as well. We want to make sure we can stand behind a product the people of Maine are proud of.”

The Press Herald reports that both the building and the business of Tony’s Donuts is for sale.

The article quotes manager Michelle Goddard “We were trying hard not to have to do it,” Goddard said. “I’m still hoping somebody buys it and keeps it what it is.”

Tony’s was founded by Antonio Fournier in 1965 and his son Rick Fournier took over in 2005.

The Bollard reports that Fresh Approach Market is at risk of closing due to an administrative issue that’s impacted their ability to process food stamp EBT transactions.

Federal authorities have pulled the food-stamp retail license of a mom-and-pop neighborhood market in Portland’s West End due to what appears to be an administrative snafu at the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s office is attempting to rectify the situation, but without a speedy resolution, the market’s owners say they may not make it through the month.

Fresh Approach is located at 155 Brackett St. They’re open Monday through Friday, 8 am – 7 pm, Saturday 9 am – 7 pm, and Sunday 9 am – 5 pm.

Update: A GoFundMe has been launched to raise funds to help Fresh Approach while they regain their ability to process food stamp transactions.

Mrs. Gee Free Living (website, instagram) has published a guide to gluten-free food and drink in Maine and New Hampshire.

It includes 19 fully gluten-free establishments like Bam Bam Bakery and Lucky Pigeon Brewing, as well as dozens of other places that offer gluten-free options and resources like dedicated GF fryers.

Kaitlin Gee expects to update the guide on a quarterly basis.

Two Maine businesses are looking for your votes:

Allison Lakin from Lakin’s Gorges Cheeses is being considered as an Entrepreneur of Impact with the chance to win a $25,000 grant, mentorship with Daymond John of Shark Tank, and an appearance in Forbes magazine. You can vote up to once per day at the entrepreneurofimpact.org website.

The Canopy Hotel in Portland has been nominated in the Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards 2025. You can cast a vote for them on wba.m-rr.com and be entered for a “chance to win a $15,000 cash prize or a Viking cruise for 2 people to Australia & New Zealand.”

Eat Drink Lucky is once again offering a Maine artist tea towel subscription for the coming year. Each month subscribers will receive a tea towel designed by a different Maine artists—see the EDL website for a list of partners.

Subscriptions are available in 3-month increments for the full year. The New York Times has included the Eat Drink Lucky subscription in their 2024 Gift Guide.

The photo above shows an assortment of towels from the 2024 subscription.