Midcoast Openings: Yonder & Alsace

A pair of new restaurants opened this past week in the Midcoast.

Yonder (website, instagram) opened Wednesday in Wiscasset. The sandwich shop is located  just across Middle Street from Treats. The menu includes a selection of sandwiches as well as daily soup and salad specials. The sandwiches are available in three sizes (small/large/big) and served on focaccia bread.

Yonder is owned by Kelsey and Jonathan Turcotte. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm.

Alsace (website, facebook, instagram) opened Wednesday night in Union. As the name suggests the menu features dishes from the Alsace region of France like choucoute garnie and tarte flambé. They also serve some traditional German dishes like jaeger schnitzel and ones whose origins are closer to home like the seafood chowder and grilled lobster. The wine list is weighted to Old World wines with most originating from France.

Chef Fabrice Roux (linkedin) and sommelier Jennifer Roux are new to Maine but not to the industry. They previously operated three restaurants in the Monterey region of California.

Alsace is open for dinner Wednesday/Thursday, 4:30 – 8 pm, Friday 4:30 – 9 pm and Saturday/Sunday 10 am – 2 pm.

Review of In a Silent Way

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a four star review of In a Silent Way in Wiscasset.

Co-owners Chandler Sowden and Zack Goodwin have put together a masterful selection of wines served in some of the best glassware you’ll ever encounter, as well as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-length menu of exquisitely prepared, vegetable-focused small plates. Sip a glass of tart, pale Guy Breton Régnié and order food with abandon. Everything I ate at In a Small Way was a delight, most especially a watermelon salad with peppers, tomato, feta and cilantro, and an exquisitely roasted eggplant in a nearly raw passata of Sungold tomatoes.

There have been a number of changes in the Wiscasset restaurant scene over the last year or so:

  • In late 2022 owners of the now closed Ruby’s West End in Portland opened Back River Bistro at the former location of Little Village Bistro.
  • Longtime mainstay Sarah’s closed earlier this year with the retirement of its namesake owner Sarah Heald. In its place Jodie Roquemore is opening a new rendition of her restaurant Jodie’s Cafe and Bakery.
  • A new raw bar named Jolie Rogers opened earlier this summer. They’re located on the water-facing side of the same building as In a Silent Way.
  • Treats and Water Street Kitchen + Bar remain established favorites in Wiscasset as are Sprague’s and Red’s.
  • Just a short drive away is The Alna Store, a restaurant and market in the small town of Alna.

Oak & Ember Opens Friday

Oak & Ember (website, instagram), the new farm-to-table gastropub in Buxton, is scheduled to open on Friday. Owner Shannon Keefe and her team have lightly renovated the former Buxton Common building. It includes an outdoor deck that seats 38, and a variety of rooms and seating areas inside the building that overall seats 60.

Chef Kirby Sholl is the executive chef at Oak & Ember. Sholl was formerly the chef de cuisine at Chaval. The menu (see below) includes a mix of small bites, apps, pasta and mains. Shown above are the Grilled Shrimp and the Grilled Iberian Pork.

The beverage program includes wines (mostly old world) by the glass, draft and packaged beer/cider/seltzer and a short list of house-designed cocktails. In addition to the restaurant there’s also a on-site wine shop that will sell all the wines of the by-the-glass and bottle list offered at Oak & Ember.

Oak & Ember will initially be open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner. Reservations are available online on Resy.com.

Maine Food & Dining News

Here are some recent food and dining highlights from around the state:

Maine Food and Dining News

Here are some recent food and dining highlights from around the state:

Maine Food & Dining News

Here are some recent food and dining highlights from around the state:

Maine Food & Dining News


Here are some recent food and dining highlights from around the state:

  • Rabelais Books owner Don Lindgren has announced he’s shutting down the bookstore’s Biddeford retail shop. Lindgren will continue to operate the rare book component of Rabelais as a virtual business. The bookstore will remain open through the remainder of August, Thursday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm with a 30% discount on all books priced under $1,000.
  • Wolfpeach in Camden will be closing permanently. The Camden restaurant opened in late 2021 and was a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2023. Earlier this year Wolfpeach transitioned to a pizza-centric menu and has also been home to Pastoralia Wines which has run a daytime wine shop and wine bar from the restaurant.
  • Jodie’s Cafe and Bakery has announced they’ll be moving their operations to 45 Water Street in Wiscasset where they’ll be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Last month owner Jodie Roquemore purchased the former Sarah’s Cafe from longtime owner Sarah Heald. The new Jodie’s is expected to open sometime in August.
  • The Bangor Daily News reported on the use of invasive green crabs on the menu at Must Be Nice Lobster in Belfast.

Maine Food & Dining News

Here are some food and dining highlights from around the state:

Maine Food & Dining News

Here are some food and dining highlights from around the state:

  • Scandinavia takeout bakery Fika (website, instagram) has opened for business in Saco. Fika is located just a few steps off Main Street at 17 Storer Street. Their menu included breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, cardamom buns, galettes, olive oil cake and other pastries plus coffee from George Howell Coffee. They’re open Friday/Saturday 7:30 am – 2 pm, and Sunday: 8 am – noon.
  • The Lincoln County News has a pair of updates from Round Pond. Dot’s Bakery has closed after 40 years in business., and the Round Pond Coffee has launched an evening wine bar. The new wine bar is called The Common House (facebook) serves wine, beer and meat and cheese boards Friday through Monday, 4 – 8:30 pm.