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.