Category: Maine

Midcoast Pocket Guide

| Posted in PFM, Maine

We’re excited to announce a new Midcoast Pocket Guide. The guide highlights a cross section of the restaurants, bakeries, breweries, coffee shops, cocktail bars, and cafes that make eating and drinking in the Midcoast so compelling.

32 cities and towns are represented from smaller communities like Bristol, Searsport and Owls Head along with the bigger cities and towns along the coast and some inland locations like Brooks, Union, and Whitefield. The list features both longtime mainstays of the Midcoast food scene and newer spots that have launched in the last couple years. We hope that no matter where you live or are traveling to in the Midcoast that this guide has something to offer.

Please keep your recommendations on where to eat, drink and shop in the Midcoast coming our way. We’d really appreciate your suggestions for additions for next edition of the guide, and your thoughts will help inform the ongoing Food Map road-trip reports.

Many thanks to the Pocket Guide sponsors! Their support plays an essential role in making this resource available: Evergreen Credit Union, the Maine Office of Tourism, Allagash Brewing, and Great Pine Financial Services. Visit their websites to learn more about their businesses.

You can pick-up a free copy of the guide at these Midcoast locations: Vessel & Vine in Brunswick, Treats in Wiscasset, The Alna Store in Alna, Fernald’s Country Store in Damariscotta, Ida’s in Waldoboro, Honey’s in Thomaston, First Fig in Camden and Dot’s Market in Lincolnville. In Portland, you can find a copy at Allagash Brewing and the Portland Trading Company.

Do you need more copies of the pocket guide for a wedding or other event, for your hotel or inn, for a business function or to share with family or other visitors? Then visit our online store where you can purchase the Midcoast and Portland pocket guides in packets of 25.

One final thought: The pocket guide wouldn’t be as good as it, in fact it wouldn’t exist at all, without the skills and contributions of graphic designer Sofija Razgaitis and of Dawn Hagin from Rare Bird Strategic. Congratulate them on their work the next time you see them. Also, many thanks to the Portland Food Map readers who have encouraged and provided advice on the growth of PFM to become more of a statewide resource.

Maine Food & Dining News: Biddeford, Guilford, Bangor

| 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:

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.

Maine Food & Dining News: Sherman, Brunswick, Camden, Biddeford, Monson, Swanville, Bristol, Scarborough

| 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:

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.

 

Anjon’s Returning to Scarborough

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

Owner John DiSanto has announced plans to reopen Anjon’s Ristorante, the longtime Italian restaurant located on Route 1 adjacent to the Scarborough marsh.

Well it’s official the cat is out of the bag I am reopening Anjon’s Ristorante, I have missed it so much as much of you already know, and I wanna die there figuritively speaking and pass the legacy on to my family, I am shooting for a June 15th opening date it’s gonna be tough but I think I can pull it off, working with a shoestring budget so I am looking for help with money to paint the building, inside and out, new point of sale system, pave parking lot, pots, pans, dishes and glassware etc. etc.anyone willing to help me will get VIP treatment for reservations and seating plus your money back at the end of the summer, private message me if you can help, buon appetito manjard and just FUHGEDDABOUDIT

Anjon’s had been in business for more than 60 years when it closed in 2019.

Update: The opening has been delayed to mid-August.

Maine Food & Dining News: Waterville, Wiscasset

| 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:

Maine Food & Dining News: Brunswick, Lewiston, Hancock

| 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:

  • Elevenes (website, instagram), a hobbit-themed all-day cafe and bakery, is under construction at 50 Maine Street in Brunswick in the space formerly occupied by Kings & Queens. Owners Nicole and Chris Juntura  hope to open Elevenses in late spring or early summer. They describe Elevenses as “a place where you can enjoy delicious and gourmet treats while having fun in a unique hobbitcore atmosphere”. They will offer all-day brunch, cocktails, late night snacks, sweets and specialty coffee drinks, as well as grab-and-go options. Watch for the menu to includes a full English breakfast as well as scones with clotted cream and jam. The Junturas also own Plot Twist Pretzels (facebook, instagram).
  • The Lewiston Sun Journal reports that Mancini’s, an “Italian micro deli” is under construction at 5 Park Street in Lewiston.
  • Cider Craft has published an article about Bon Vent Cider which is located in the town of Hancock.

Maine Food & Dining News: Saco, Brunswick, Lewsiton, Bangor, Hancock, Belfast

| 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:

  • Lorraine Fagela has purchased the building at 294 Main Street in Saco where she plans to open Sweets & Co. (instagram) a gluten-free bakery/cafe. Fagela will be offering breads, bagels, cinnamon rolls, quiches, pies, pastries, coffee and bubble tea. She will also use the space to teach hands-on gluten-free cooking classes. Sweet & Co. is expected to open in early Fall. Fagela was a co-owner of Roots Cafe in Westbrook and is the founder of Hand + Heart (instagram) which produces gluten-free flour and baking mixes.
  • The Holy Donut will be opening their new Brunswick location on May 17th. They’ll be open 9 am – 4 pm with a ribbon cutting ceremony 9 – 10 am.
  • Down East has published an article about Bon Vivant, the fine dining restaurant that opened last August in Lewiston.
  • The Bangor Daily News has a report about three new food trucks launching in Bangor this year: Dreamer Food, Smoke & Steel BBQ, and Salt & Cedar Kitchen.
  • The Lewiston Sun Journal reports that the new Brazilian steakhouse Food Point is getting close to opening. Food Point will be located at 413 Main Street and will be open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
  • Bon Vent Cider (instagram) has launched a $15k crowdfunding campaign. They plan to use the funds to build out the tasting room for the cidery in Hancock, Maine.
  • The Little Italy Bus (instagram) food truck has launched a $5k crowdfunding campaign. The funds will help with renovations needed to relocate to Belfast. The Little Italy Bus serves wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza, espresso, and infused Italian ice slushies.

Maine Food & Dining News: South Berwick, Wells, Damariscotta, Lewiston, Camden, Saco, Machias

| 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:

  • Sam Ostrow, the owner of Festina Lente in Kittery, has launched a second restaurant called Secundo (instagram, menu) in South Berwick. Secundo is located at 279 Main Street and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 – 9 pm.
  • Bake Maine (instagram) which operates the Pottery Cafe on Washington Ave in Portland, has opened is opening a second location at 2178 Post Road in Wells.
  • Roger and Prudence Kiessling have leased the space adjacent to their shop The Kingfisher & The Queen in Damariscotta where they plan to open a European-inspired cafe call Rue 77 (instagram). The cafe will serve Stumptown Coffee, baked goods from Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath and gelato from Gelato Fiasco. The design will draw “inspiration from the old-school glamour of the late 1960’s/early 1970’s Italy, Amalfi Coast, Slim Aarons, and luxury sports cars (with a bit of understated chic French elegance thrown in), RUE 77 will transport you to a time and place that lives on in your imagination.” Watch for Rue 77 to open in late spring.
  • AfroTaste is Lewiston will be closing down at their current location on April 28th. They hope to re-open this summer in a new location.
  • Buttermilk Kitchen at Mariner’s (instagram) opened for business in Camden earlier today. Their hours are Monday and Wednesday through Friday 7 am – 2 pm, and Saturday/Sunday 8 am – 3 pm. For additional reporting, see this article in the Penobscot Bay Pilot.
  • Swell Nitro Coffee (instagram) is opening for business on Saturday April 27th in Saco.  The shop is located at 200 Main Street.
  • Mason’s Brewing Company’s new location in Machias opened for business on Wednesday. It’s located in the former Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant space at 78 Main St.

Maine Food & Dining News: Biddeford, Rockland, Richmond, Houlton, Rockport, Lewiston, Kittery

| 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:

  • Bay Bowls (instagram) is opening a location in Biddeford. Owners Sal and Soraia Matari hope to have the new shop open in May. Bay Bowls opened their Portland location in 2022 and the business is originally from Brunswick.
  • The Courrier-Gazette reports that a new kitchen store called Mis en Place is under construction at 425 Main Street in Rockland. According to the article owner Eileen Gaughan hopes to open the store in May.
  • The owners of Ruby Thailand in South Portland, Chonlathis Songprasert and Pavinee Ruangron, have opened a business named Sumrub Thai Cookery (website) in Richmond.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that the Shire Ale House in Houlton is closing.
  • Cookbook author Nancy Harmon Jenkins be delivery a presentation entitled “The Extra Virgins: How to Choose Them, How to Use Them” at the Rockport Public Library on May 1st.
  • South Portland’s El Rodeo has leased 2,898 square feet of retail space at 736 Sabattus St in Lewiston where the Lewiston Sun Journal reports they plan to open a restaurant.
  • A branch of the NH/Massachusetts company Ohana Market is opening a new shop in the former location of the gluten-free sandwich cafe Toast in Kittery. Toast closed earlier this month.

Maine Food & Dining News: Waterville, Belfast, Freeport, Scarborough, Waldoboro, Ellsworth

| 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:

  • Aki (instagram) has leased space at 10 School Street in Freeport where they hope to open a Japanese fusion restaurant. Aki was formerly located in Brunswick and closed in the summer of 2023. The new edition of Aki will serve favorites from their Brunswick menu plus a tapas menu. Aki will also feature a Boba bar.
  • The Black Point Inn has hired Michael Bergin to be their new executive chef. Bergin has worked at Del Posto in NYC and L’Espalier and Coppa in Boston, and was the executive chef at The Fat Hen and at The Salty Pig in Boston. In Maine Bergin has worked for Big Tree Hospitality and at Wandby Landing in Kennebunk.
  • Central Maine reports that former judge and mayor Tom Nale has taken over the former Lebanese Bakery building on Temple Street in Waterville where he plans to open a new Lebanese restaurant. Nale has renovated the building and in collaboration Jim Veilleux and Melissa Grant plans to launch Mezza (facebook) later this spring.
  • The Bangor Daily News published an article about Doug Hufnagel who passed away recently at the age of 78. Hufnagel operated the Coffeeman food cart at the Common Ground Fair and in Belfast.
  • The latest issue of The Lincoln County News includes an interesting article about the owners of the 220 Market & Deli in Waldoboro.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that the Black Moon Public House (facebook) is under construction in Ellsworth and expected to open later this month.