Category: Maine

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

• The latest episode of The Road Less Eaten (above) travelled to Freeport, Camden and Biddeford where host Biju Thomas visits with Spartan Sea Farms, the Freeport Oyster Bar, Brodi’s Blueberries, Blue Barren Distillery, Fish & Whistle and Magnus on Water.
• Seacoast Stories has publish a podcast interview with Black Birch co-founder Ben Lord.
• Maine Macarons has run into a setback in the final run to launching their new bakery in Auburn. They’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign for help to pay for some unexpected rework on the bakery.
• Perch in Waldoboro has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise the money to replace their espresso machine. $11,914 has been raised so far towards a $16k goal.
• Parade magazine has published an article about Biddeford. It highlights Palace Diner, Time & Tide Coffee, Elements, Edelweiss, Fish & Whistle, Magnus on Water, Reilly’s Bakery, Pizza by Alex, Colleti’s, Sacred Profane, Banded Brewing and Lucky Pigeon, Round Turn, Nibblesford, Rover and Sweetcream, Batson River and the Lobby Bar at the Lincoln Hotel.
• Eighty Ate Hospitality in Brunswick has announced plans to merge their restaurant operations under one roof. Bao Bao is shutting down on September 27th. Then starting October 1st ZaoZe Cafe and market will reopen for counter service lunch, and in the evenings ZaoZe Dreamscape will take over the space with a table service dinner menu prepared by chef Leon Vuong. The former Tao Yuan/Bao Bao space will transition to being used as an event space.
• The Midcoast Villager has published an article about the New York Times recent recognition of Sammy’s Deluxe in Rockland.
• The Biddo Foodies have shared a set of photos from Spanish Point which opened in Scarborough this summer.
• Nikaline Iacono from Vessel & Vine will be teaching a Vermouth making class at Full Hearts Farm at Durham this Sunday.
• The Pemaquid Oyster Festival is taking place this weekend in Boothbay Harbor. Ten Maine oyster farms will be participating in the festival on Sunday and an oyster wine dinner is taking place Saturday night.
• A Longer Table Homestead in Bethel is holding a farm dinner on Saturday. The meal is a collaboration with Morning Glory Farm and will feature dishes using recipes from a Kurdish family living in Lewiston.
• My Buddy’s Place has announced they’ll be closing their Bucksport restaurant at the end of September. “It is with heavy hearts that we share we will be closing our doors on September 30, 2025, due to a variety of ongoing issues, one of them being health. This has not been an easy decision, as this restaurant has been more than a business—it has been a place where we’ve shared meals, laughter, stories and memories with all of you. I truly love the community that has been made, each of you individually have a purpose, place and belong. Thank you.” The announcement goes on to say that the owners open another restaurant someday in the future. My Buddy’s Place opened in July 2024.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that Evenrood in Bangor is planning to close at the end of the year, that Serendib in Ellsworth plans to close December 20th, and that MeMe G’s Bakery in Old Town has closed. They’ve also explored what might be driving this recent set of closings.

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:

• Marsh Island Kitchen (website, facebook, instagram) has launched in Hampden. The menu includes soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, wings, poutine and entrees like fish and chips and ribeye steaks. Joe Robbins joined the team earlier this year as the executive chef for Marsh Island Kitchen. Robbins was a 2024 Beard Awards semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category, and has cooked at the White House Tribal Nations Summit in 2023 and 2024. This is the second Marsh Island Brewing location, they were founded in 2016 in Orono.
• A breakfast food truck called Actual Foods (instagram)  launch yesterday in Bass Harbor on Mount Desert Island. Owner Steffy Amondi is serving a build-your-own menu from which customers choose the bread, protein, vegetables and sauce for a breakfast scramble. The menu also includes the egg dish shakshuka. Actual Foods is located next to the ferry terminal in Bass Harbor at 53 Granville Road, and is open Thursday through Sunday, 7 am – 1 pm. Amondi had operated a earlier iteration Actual Foods truck in in Portland in 2020.
• A wine and cocktail bar called Lemon Bar (instagram) is under construction in Rockland. As reported by the Midcoast Villager, “[Co-owner] Carly Summers said Lemon Bar will be an intimate bar/lounge with an extensive focus on wines and cocktails. ‘The real focus will be a multi-faceted space where you can come for a date night, or a book club can meet,’ she said.” Lemon Bar will be located in the former Brass Compass Cafe at 305 Main Street. The space is under renovation and owners Carly and Wesley Summers hope to open for business this fall.
• The Lincoln County News reports that a bakery called Savory Moose has (re)opened in Nobleboro. “Close to a year after they shuttered Ginger Mousse Bakery, Karen and John Kelly have reopened the business with a new name and some familiar favorites.”
• Down East magazine has published an article about Watershed in Bethel. “Up the front steps and inside, the atmosphere is relaxed, the layout is snug, the pastas are house-made, and the chocolate pot de crème is served in vintage Italian espresso cups, quite a few of which have been in chef-owner Victoria Fimiani’s family for generations. What the place is, in essence, is a proper trattoria.”
• The New York Times has included Sammy’s Deluxe in Rockland and Pilgrim’s Inn on Deer Isle in their 2025 Restaurant List of the “50 best places in America right now.”
• The Bangor Daily News has word on Yahweh Cafe and Bakery which is set to open this Saturday in Old Town, and a report on the closure of Safe Harbor Cafe in Castine.
• The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a 3½ star review of the Ram & Bull in Brunswick. “The menu includes classic pub fare like fish and chips, mussels, a variety of sandwiches and burgers — including a cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy, in a nod to Khristine [Leeman]’s native Minnesota.”
• New England Fishmongers has announced plans to close their shop in Kittery which opened in 2021. “We’ve made the tough choice to not renew our lease so that we can return to our roots, commercial fishing. This shift will give us more time on the water and allow us to bring you even more seafood directly from our vessel.”
• Eating Through the Seacoast has provided a look at Color Field Coffee Company (instagram), a honor system self serve coffee shop in East Boothbay. Colorfield is a micro-roastery run by a “family of artists”.

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:

• New entries have been added to the Maine Food Map: Marmee Dearest Espresso in Kingfield, The Corner Bar in Rangeley, Cafe Grazie , Luce Spirits and Claws in Rockland, Spark Bagel in Northport, The Donut Grove in Orono, Momo’s Cheesecake in Ellsworth, Sassafras Cafe in Bar Harbor,  Tinder Hearth in Brooksville, Rosie’s Hot Dogs in Eastport, and Waxwing Bakery in Windham. We’ll continue to expand our statewide dining guide in the weeks to come, and will highlight new additions here as they’re made. The guide currently has 85 entries representing 50+ communities from all of Maine’s sixteen counties.
• Marvelous Macarons (instagram) owner Jenna Roberts has announced she’ll be opening her new Auburn bakery on September 13th. Roberts will offer a menu of cupcakes, pastries, macarons and other sweet treats.
• Chad Sarno will be the guest chef for a 5-course vegan dinner at Salt +Pepper Social in Newcastle on Sunday, September 28th.
• Front & Main in Waterville will be holding A Fungi Feast, a 5-course mushroom dinner on Thursday, September 25th.
• Downeast Famous has published a set of images and article about Table Salt (website, instagram) which launched earlier this year in Bar Harbor.
• The Harpswell Anchor has published an article about Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath.
• The Bangor Daily News reports a new restaurant called Stowaway’s Town Tavern and Ugly’s Bar is under development in Bucksport in the former MacLeod’s space. Stowaway’s owner is concurrently closing his Stonington restaurant Crybabies. Additionally, the BDN reports that Castine-based Ebee’s Sweets has opened a second location in Orland.
• The Press Herald reports that Bay Bowls is opening their fourth location in Freeport.
• The Times Record has published an article about the opening of the King’s Head Pub in Freeport last month.

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

• The Quoddy Tides has published article about Phoenix Fine Wines in Eastport and their new chef Philipp Player. “The day starts well before that with Philipp Player coming in from his Rob-binston farm to start prepping homemade pasta and fillings that might feature lobster or garlic scapes, dough for flam-mkuchen or a variation on beef Wellington featuring haddock. The menu changes fre-quently, but with some stalwarts, and this is as Player and the Phoenix’s owner, Laura Stanczyk, want it, with a wide net cast out to local food sources.” Shown above is the panzanella salad served this past weekend at Phoenix.
• Are you excited for the start of apple season? Then you may want to plan a trip on Sunday to Monroe where North Branch Farm is holding a tasting with 10+ varieties plus a farm tour.
• A new restaurant called Sumo Sushi & Grill is under construction in Westbrook. It will be located at 57 Bridge Street in the space formerly occupied by Tacos La Poblanita. An announcement on facebook shares “Our kitchen will bring the best of Asian flavors to the community — from fresh sushi and poké bowls to sizzling hibachi, flavorful noodles, and delicious fried rice. Every dish is made with clean, healthy, and fresh ingredients you can feel good about.” The owners hope to launch the restaurant in September.
• The Maine Bagel Bake-Off is taking place at the Crystal Spring Farmers Market in Brunswick on Saturday. Taking part in the event are Rover from Biddeford, Dutchman’s and Knead & Nosh from Brunswick, Union Sourdough from Camden, ORchard Ridge Farm from Gorham, Forage from Lewiston/Portland, Hootenanny from Nobleboro, Spark Bagel in Northport, Miller’s Table from Skowhegan, Scratch from South Portland, Sunrise from Waterville/Augusta, and La Tartine Artisan Breads.
• Chef Ross Florance is participating in Pépin 90/90, a celebration of the chef Jacques Pepin’s 90th birthday with 90 dinners by 90 chefs throughout the country. The dinner is taking place at the Downeast Institute in Beals, Maine on October 18th. Tickets are available online.
• Owner Kyle Apel has announced he’ll be closing down Wiley’s in Rockland at the end of this summer. September 6th will be the last day in business for the downtown food shack. “Wiley’s has been a transformative work of passion for me, but I always knew it was a stepping stone on my journey. I’m incredibly excited for what is coming next and I’m happy to be staying in Rockland and being able to continue serving this community.”
• Definitive Brewing announced plans to close their Kittery location. The Kittery tasting room opened 5 years ago and their last day in business will be Monday September 1st.
• The Lewiston Sun Journal published a report on the closing of Luigi’s in Lewiston.
• The Bangor Daily News has reported on the opening of Bucks Cafe in Stockton Springs.
• Dok Mali is closing down their South Portland location. Taking it’s place is Asia House Kitchen and Bar.

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

• Molly Pritchett and Josh Grindstaff have leased the former Secundo space at 279 Main Street in South Berwick where they plan to open Catbird (website, facebook, instagram). The menu is still under development but will include options like an oxtail ragu, house made pastas, and dishes inspired by their travels complemented by wine and cocktails. They aim to offer a menu that “will feel approachable but full of surprises”. They shared some thoughts on their vision for Catbird “We’re building it with heart, humor, and a little edge. I [Pritchett] care deeply about creating an environment where staff feel supported and trained to succeed, while Josh brings a calm and grounded energy to the kitchen that inspires trust. With the right team, Catbird won’t just be a restaurant; it’ll be a space that feels alive, approachable, and a little extraordinary.” The couple initially met when working at Dufour in 2021 and have continued working together at several restaurants since including Northern Union where Pritchett was the GM and Grindstaff the executive chef. Interior design renovations are underway and they hope to launch Catbird by the end of October.
• The Biergarten (instagram) opens today. During this first phase of the launch the Skowhegan restaurant is serving an abbreviated menu (“selection of classics from our menu and cold drinks”) using a counter service model. Biergarten is expected to fully open sometime this fall. You can pay them a visit Thursday through Sunday, noon – 8 pm.
• The new 8-lane bowling alley and bar called The Gutter (website, instagram) opened for business yesterday in Biddeford (above, left). The Gutter is located at 129 Main Street in the building known as the Marble Block. They’re serving a menu (above, right) of hot dogs, pressed sandwiches, a meatloaf plate, a caesar salad, frito pie, and bar snacks. The Gutter offers a range of draft beer and has a full liquor license They’ll be open daily, noon – 1 am with 7 pm onward reserved for 21+ customers. Eating Through the Seacoast has published a video walkthrough of The Gutter.
• The King’s Head has opened their Freeport location. They’re located in the building formerly occupied by the Jameson Tavern which closed this past November.
• The Midcoast Villager has published an article about Brian Smith, the founder of Oyster River Winegrowers in Warren.
• The Bangor Daily News has published an article about Katahdin Kitchen (instagram) which recently opened in Old Town. “The Kitchen offers Indigenous food using local ingredients that would have been the cuisine before settlers came to the area, he said. The menu creates contemporary dishes, like wraps and smoothies, using ingredients like squash, corn and game meats.” Additionally, the BDN has reported that DragonFire Pizza in Ellsworth has gone out of business.
• Frannie Eats Maine has provided a look at the food, drink and games inside the new Rift Arcade in Biddeford.
• The Press Herald reports that a restaurant called Rambler Irish Bistro (facebook, instagram) is under development at the former Old & Elm space in Yarmouth. Rambler is being launched by Rick Boyd who also operates Backwoods Burger Shack in Gorham and Wonderdogs in Naples. Owl & Elm closed in July.
• We posted a new Maine road-trip report on instagram with photos Spark Bagel in Northport, The Corner Bar in Rangeley, Wakie Wakies in Westbrook, TunkJoy Bakery in Steuben, Claws in Rockland, and the Keag Store in South Thomaston.
• Dutchman’s in Brunswick will be participating in the 2025 New York BagelFest. They’re one of 23 bagel producers from around the globe participating in the event, and the only one from New England.

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:

• Ken Sparta and Thomas Henninger, the owners of the Freeport Oyster Bar, are launching a new business in town called Sparta’s Sips and Subs (instagram). They plan to serve upscale deli sandwiches like muffulettas and a smoked pollock sandwich made with harissa mayo and pickles. Located on the first floor of 7 Mill Street (top right photo) in Freeport, Sparta’s is expected to launch in August.
• Moving into the second floor of 7 Mill Street is What the Actual Fudge (website, facebook, instagram). WTAF sells a wide range of house-made fudge. New to the line-up in Freeport will be some new flavors including a ghost pepper sea salt. Owners Kathy and James Welle will be holding a ribbon cutting at noon this Friday, August 15th. Hours for the business will initially be Monday through Saturday 11 am – 7 pm, and Sunday 11 am – 6 pm. What the Actual Fudge also operates a store at the Maine Mall in South Portland.
• Modestman Brewing has consolidated all their brewing operations in South Portland. The brewery was founded in New Hampshire and launched their South Portland location in the summer of 2023.
• Daily Soup, the takeout soup shop that’s operated in Belfast since 2012, has announced plans to close. Their last day in operation will be October 23rd. Owner Courtney Sanders shared on facebook, “Despite our best efforts to keep it going, we have watched our customer base slowly decline over the past year and a half. We had high hopes for this summer, but it has been a lackluster tourist season for us, compared to year’s past. It is clear that we have not made the gains needed to soldier through another winter.”
• Katie’s Confections (instagram) has leased the building 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 hopes to launch the business sometime in September. Ray formerly operated Ally Kat’s Farm Land Market in West Gardiner for seven years.
• BiddoFoodies has published a set of photos from the Sunday brunch at Pacifico in Saco. They show menu items like French toast, a flank steak sandwich, chilaquiles and more.
• The Harpswell Anchor has a report on Cribstone Coffee (instagram), a donation based coffee truck that’s raising funds for the Santa Fund. Cribstone Coffee is located at 1845 Harpswell Island Road on Orrs Island.
• Marvelous Macarons (instagram) has leased a 1,540 sq ft space at 245 Center St in Auburn where owner Jenna Roberts is relocating her Sabattus bakery. Roberts will offer a menu of cupcakes, pastries, macarons and other sweet treats. She also will be teaching cake baking classes starting August 31st. Roberts hopes to open her new bakery in late August, and when it does it will be open Wednesday through Saturday.
• A new 8-lane bowling alley and bar called The Gutter (website, instagram) is scheduled to open on August 20th in Biddeford. The Gutter is located at 129 Main Street in the building known as the Marble Block. The menu will include pressed sandwiches, hot dogs, and draft beer. They’ll be open daily, noon – 1 am. This will be Gutter’s fourth bowling alley, they have three existing locations in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
• Katahdin Kitchen (instagram) has launched a new grab-and-go location in Old Town. They’re located at 136 Center Street and plan to be open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 am – 3 pm. You can see their menu on instagram.
• The Times Record reports on the launch Showman’s and The Big Cheese, a food truck in West Bath operated by David Crocker. “Crocker created a menu offering two hot dogs, chips and a drink for under $9 for lunch, but he eventually added crabmeat and lobster rolls. Showman’s also has The Big Cheese, which features Texas toast and double portions of cheese, and the grilled cheese pizza, which is a grilled cheese sandwich with pepperoni and marinara sauce.”
• The Midcoast Villager has published articles about Circumstance in Swanville (bottom two photos), “Circumstance is a small but exquisite restaurant right off 141 in Swanville where the dedication to local sourcing is no gimmick: 95% of what is served is from the Midcoast. Khris Hogg, the chef-owner of Circumstance, uses many ingredients grown on and around his family’s homestead, where he opened the restaurant in the barn last summer.”
• The Villager has also published an article and about QP Burger which chef Michael Mastronardi opened last month in Martinsville. “Simplicity. Consistency. Quality. Those three words sum up Mastronardi’s vision for QP Burger, a takeout restaurant with three main items on the menu: burgers, hot dogs and fries. The ground beef comes from Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. The dogs are either all-beef Sabretts or red snappers from W.A. Bean and Sons, made in Bangor since 1860.”
• Fish & Whistle in Biddeford was featured in the July issue of Down East magazine. “The fish sandwich is typical and, at the same time, exceptional. Typical as far as what it comprises: bun, fried fish, tartar sauce, lettuce. Exceptional because every detail is carefully attended to by husband-and-wife owners Jason Eckerson and Kate Hamm, who shared a semifinalist nod from the James Beard Awards earlier this year in the category of emerging chefs.”
• The Midcoast Villager and the Bangor Daily News both have reports on 8 Bells (website, facebook, instagram), a new Irish pub that recently opened at 45 Mechanic Street in Camden. They’re open daily, 2 – 10 pm.
• The Maine Sunday Telegram gave Winona’s (top left photo) in Camden a 4 star rating in last week’s restaurant review. “The first dish to hit our table at Winona’s on a late June Thursday evening — a divine halibut crudo with drinkably delicious coconut milk sauce — set a high bar for the rest of the meal. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have great expectations even before I arrived.”
• The Allagash Bungalow in Scarborough opened for business on August 2nd. See our previous article for all the details.

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.