Category: Maine

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

• A new bakery/cafe called Baked on Maine (facebook, instagram) opened for business in Brunswick (right photo) on Friday. It’s located at 41 Maine Street in the space formerly occupied by the Great Impasta. The menu includes breakfast options like pancakes, avocado toast, sausage biscuits and gravy, and a variety of breakfast sandwiches. For lunch they offer a wide range of sandwiches for lunch like beef on Weck, a caprese panini and a chicken parm. Baked on Maine also offers baked goods from Wildflours Bakery in Brunswick. They’ll initially be open Friday through Monday, 8 am – 2 pm.
• Stacy and Ryan Linehan have sold their business Treats (website, facebook, instagram) in Wiscasset (center photo). The new owners are Joeseph Swifka and Emily Hughes. The couple have most recently worked at the Costal Maine Botanical Gardens where Swifka was the executive chef and Hughes worked in the garden shop. The Linehans themselves bought the business and have operated it for the last 20 years. The founders were Helen and Denny Davis. Hughes and Swifka will be the fifth set of owners of Treats.
• Chef Christian Hayes has launched the Sparhawk Tavern (instagram) in Yarmouth in the space he formerly operated his restaurant The Garrison. The Garrison closed in July 2024. It’s currently open for takeout only Wednesday through Saturday, 4 – 8 pm with a menu of pub standards like nachos, burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and wings along with salads, beer, wine and cocktails. Hayes expects to open the dining room for indoor dining soon.
• A new business called Town Line Diner (facebook) is under construction on Route 302 (left photo) in Westbrook. The diner will be occupying the former Pine Tree Bakery building. It’s being launched by Kori Reece who has been the chef at Lenny’s at Hawkes Plaza and Josh Gelston, the owner of Duck Pond Variety. The menu will have a selection of what Reece is calling greasy spoon classics like omelettes, corned beef hash and biscuits and gravy as well as “silver spoon specialties” like chocolate banana foster pancakes, haddock Benedict’s and “monster” sized sandwiches. The team hopes to launch the 45-seat diner February 1st. When it does will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 6 am – 1 pm.
• Juiced in Hallowell has announced they’re closing “due to factors related to the sale of our building and its rising rents.” Their last day in business will be January 17th. Juiced opened for business in May 2014.
• John Paul Gagnon sold his Falmouth restaurant JP’s Bistro (website, facebook, instagram) to Christa Kelly and Bernie’s Foreside owner Adam Shapiro late last year. Long time sous chef Richard Carey is now the executive chef at the restaurant.
• The Barkery (web, facebook, instagram) is planning to hold their grand opening for their South Portland restaurant and dog park on February 5th. with a community preview day on January 31st.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that a food truck turned restaurant called Salsa Shack (website, facebook) has opened in Bucksport. It’s located at 84 Main Street in the space formerly occupied by My Buddy’s Place. Salsa Shack is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm.
• Jason Williams, the chef/owner of The Well in Cape Elizabeth was interviewed for the Atlas Obscura podcast.
• Sara Jenkins, the chef/owner of Nina June in Rockport, was interviewed for the Flipping the Table podcast.
• Meryl Kelly from A Longer Table Homestead in Bethel was interviewed for the Maine Famous podcast.
• As reported yesterday, La Laiterie (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction in Jonesboro. Chef Ross Florance and McKenna Koledo hope to soft launch the restaurant this spring and be fully operational in May. Read this article to learn more about their plans.

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.

Ross Florance and McKenna Koledo have purchased a building in Jonesboro where they plan to open La Laiterie (website, facebook, instagram) an all-day bakery/cafe. The couple shared that they’re excited to launch the restaurant and serve “accessible and approachable French food to Washington County.”

The restaurant’s menu will be draw its inspiration from the culinary traditions of Brittany. La Laiterie will offer a wide range of options from convenient grab-and-go items to dishes like moules-frites, oysters on the half shell, and classic French sandwiches like jambon-beurre for a sit-down meal. French baked goods and pastries, buckwheat crepes, and quiches will be available for breakfast. Additionally, La Laiterie will host Florance’s tasting dinner series Flora.

La Laiterie will be located on the first floor of the 2,500 sq ft building at 749 Route One in Jonesboro. Koledo and Florance are renovating the space which will have a bar in addition to table seating. They shared that the vision for the renovations is to create a room that feels ” warm, cozy and classy” with accents of Brittany culture.

Koledo and Florance hope to soft launch the restaurant this spring and be fully operational in May. La Laiterie will be a year round business and initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 8 am – 4 pm.

Florance’s resume includes several years spent working for chef Thomas Keller at Bouchon Bistro in California and Per Se in NYC, and for chef Eric Ripert at La Bernardin. He operated a previous iteration of La Laterie in Machias in 2023 and 2024. Koledo has a background in marketing and business management. She most recently at SpotCo with a roster of clients from Broadway.

Photo: From a Flora pop-up dinner held in Calais this past August.

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

•  Salty Spirits (instagram) opened for business in Kittery Foreside last week. The business is owned by Deb and Michael McCluskey who own a number of other restaurants in southern Maine and New Hampshire including Lil’s Cafe. Eating Through the Seacoast has shared a reel of the food and dining room.
• Sunrise Bagel (website, facebook, instagram) opened a new cafe in Gardiner last week. It’s located at 463 Water Street and is open weekdays 7 am – 1 pm, and on weekends  8 am – 1 pm. Sunrise also has shops in Waterville, Augusta and Oakland. They previously operated a location in Winthrop.
• The Rusty Rail restaurant at Rail Yard Brewing (facebook, instagram) in Milo is set to hold their grand opening on January 3rd, noon – 9 pm.  They’re located in the former Bissell Brothers Three Rivers spot and is being launched by John Riitano and Tracy Bonney-Corson. The first beers from Rail Yard Brewing will debut next year alongside the brews from other Maine breweries on the menu at Rusty Rail.
• Ichiban Japanese Restaurant is under development in the former Dizzy Birds space in Biddeford. Owner Danzhen Gongbhu plans on serving a menu that includes sushi, poke bowls and hibachi. Renovations are under way with the finished dining room expected to seat 35-40 including a sushi counter and full service bar. Gongbhu has 15 years experience in the restaurant industry. He hopes to launch Ichiban sometime in February.
• The owners of Bath Brewing Company have announced that a new owner will be taking over their space on Front Street to launch a new business. Bath Brewing initially opened for business in 2018.
• A fire at Time and Tide Coffee production space in Biddeford has knocked their coffee roaster out of operation for the time being. “While we take the time to figure out what comes next for the roastery, we want to assure you that our sunny Main Street cafe remains open and fully operational. We are collaborating with longtime coffee industry friends to have coffee roasted to our exact specifications. This means the same great quality and flavor will come.”
• The Midcoast Villager has published a report on Glo’s Carinderia (facebook), a Filipino market in Belfast. The business has been launched by Claire Fuller who hails from Magalang in the Philipines. “Fuller’s efforts will help localize and bring more authentic Asian cuisine options to Waldo County, just as she has had ambitions to do for years. Already, people who may have tried the unique blend of traditions and flavors that go into Filipino cuisine now line up regularly for her siopao, meaning ‘hot buns,’ empanadas, the rice noodle dish pancit, and kaldereta beef stew.”

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.

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

• Katie’s Confections (instagram) is scheduled to open for business today. It’s located at 894 Minot Street in Auburn. The grab-and-go market will have sweet and savory items like cinnamon rolls, donuts and cookies and lunch options like chowder, mac and cheese, chicken pot pies, and baked beans on Saturdays. Owner Katie Ray formerly operated Ally Kat’s Farm Land Market in West Gardiner for seven years. The business will be open Thursday through Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm.
• The Velvet Lounge (facebook, instagram) opened for business in Biddeford on Friday. They’re located at 61 Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Lorne Wine. The Velvet Lounge is open daily, 4 pm – 1 am with a focus on being a “nightlife lounge for the LGBTQ+ community”. Check their Facebook page for details on upcoming events.
• Owner Syd Coty has opened Born Yesterday Bakery (website, instagram). You can find Born Yesterday at 11 Mechanic Falls Road in Oxford just down the road from Oxbow Beer Garden with plans to hold a grand opening in January. They’re is now taking preorders for breads (deadline December 20th) for pick-up on the 23rd. Born Yesterday had previously been slated to open in Lewiston.
• Nina June in Rockport is holding a 6-course dinner on December 20th featuring this year’s olive oil vintage from chef Sara Jenkin’s family farm in Italy. The dinner is taking place during Hanukah and Jenkins shared that the dinner will feature Italian Jewish food and traditions.
• Clementina Senatore is moving her Camden cocktail bar (upper left), Paper Plane (website, instagram), from the Lyman Morse Wharf to 47 Bay View Street in the town center. Senatore has bought the former Maine Dog building and plans to operate the 16-seat Paper Plane on the first floor and apartments upstairs. Paper Plane’s last day at their current location will be New Year’s Eve, and Senatore hopes to launch at the new location sometime in February.
• The Morning Sentinel has published a report about Charros Theater Mexican Restaurant (facebook) in Waterville. The restaurant has announced plans to hold a soft opening on Friday, December 19th. “[Owner Juan Carlos] Sanchez, 23, said the restaurant will serve everything from tacos, burritos and fajitas to special offerings such as carnitas, or pork fried pork shoulder that is deep fried and then lightly grilled for a tasty exterior. ‘It’s served with rice and beans on the side and a flour tortilla with green sauce,’ Sanchez said Thursday.”
• Bucks Naked BBQ (website, facebook, instagram) launched their new restaurant in Gardiner on on Tuesday. The restaurant is located 252 Water Street and they will be open Tuesday through Sunday, noon – 8 pm with extended hours until 9 pm on Thursday and until 10 pm on Friday/Saturday.
• The Chef Summit is taking place at Sunday River on January 24th. The event brings together chefs from all over the state and along with it the Grand Tasting event that is open to the public. You can see the full list of participating restaurants and buy tickets on the Sunday River website.
• Down East magazine has published an article about The Omelette Factory (website, facebook, instagram) in Ogunquit. “As we scraped our plates clean, the line of people waiting for a table had started to wind out the door. I expect they were happy to see us getting up to leave. And as we skirted the queue, we overheard one guy toward the back of it talking to the rest of his party. ‘We could go somewhere else,” he said, “but this place is the best.'”
• Tootie’s Tempeh was the recipient of a 2025 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence. The Biddeford company “produces tempeh using a fermentation process that eliminates single-use plastic”.

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.

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

• A new restaurant called Sea Salt Fry Company (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction in Wells. Chef/owner Norman Owens has taken over the space formerly occupied by Lee Frank’s. Renovations are under way, and Owens hopes to launch Sea Salt on December 12th. A draft menu (see page 5) includes dishes like moules frites, salads, clam chowder, falafel smash burgers, lobster rolls and NY strip steaks. You can read more about Owens and his plans for Sea Salt Fry Company in this article from the Portsmouth Herald.
• The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a 4½ review of Finestkind in Saco (photos above). “Victoria and Tom Barthelmes consistently execute some of the region’s best brunch fare at Saco’s Finestkind. The couple scratch-cooks nearly everything they serve, and their extra effort, culinary know-how and near-obsessive attention to detail leads to stunners like the refined yet unfussy French omelet, a rich and wobbly deep-dish quiche, and a cheesy popover filled with poached egg and bacon-onion jam, a dish that delivers the savory comfort of French onion soup.”
• The Bangor Daily News reports that a new candy shop called Oh, Grow Up! (website, facebook) is under construction at 21 Central Street. “The store will feature a pick-your-own-candy wall that includes gummies, sours and chocolate, along with other sweets. Individual treats will also be available, but the wall will be the “main focus” that people see through the window, he said.”
• The Harpswell Anchor reports that Russell Coffin, Jeff Janvrin and Jen Brown are working to relaunch Fat Pat’s Take Out. The team hopes to open in spring or summer of next year.
• The Maine Food Narratives Work Group is holding a launch part for their new zine, Freedom Feast in Gardiner tomorrow night.
• The Chocolate Church in Bath will be hosting the 2nd Annual Hanukkah Mexicana on December 20th

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.

Episode 15 of the travel show Dirt pays a visit to Maine and features:

• Long Island Bake House on Long Island and Browne Trading and ISF Trading in Portland with chef Christian Hayes
• Oyster River Wine Growers in Warren
• Glidden Point Oyster in Edgecomb
• Primo in Rockland
• The Brewer family scallop aquaculture operation in Stonington
• Lobstering with Foy Brown from Brown’s Boatyard in North Haven
• Turner Farms with beekeeper Zeb Campbell also on North Haven

The episode also features creators, artists and organizations: Rancourt, Village Handcraft, Jaimie Wyeth, and the Wooden Boat School.