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New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:
- Sun Korean Ramen House (website, facebook, instagram) opened last weekend. They’re located at 209 Western Ave in South Portland. They’re open noon – 10 pm on Sundays, Monday through Thursday, 11 am – 10 pm, and Friday/Saturday, 11 am – 10:30 pm. Along with a variety of appetizers and rice and noodle dishes they also offer hot pot (shown above).
- Owner Marina Pensinger has been building out a new restaurant called North Star Cantina (instagram). It’s located in Wells in the building formerly occupied by Fotogo at 1574 Post Road. You can see some photos of interior here and here. Pensinger is planning to launch North Star on November 7th.
- The Biergarten (website, facebook, instagram) is planning to launch their Skowhegan restaurant this Monday, October 20th. They’ll be open Sunday through Thursday, 7 am –8 pm, and Friday/Saturday, 7 am –9 pm. They serve a continental breakfast until noon and then their lunch/dinner menu until close. It’s located at 7 Island Ave at The Spinning Mill development.
- A new brewery called Auxiliary Brewing Company (website, facebook, instagram) is under development. They’re located in Limerick in the space formerly occupied by Gneiss Brewing which closed in 2024. An opening date is still TBD but the last word was that owners Elliot Dearborn and Korali Day are hoping to open in November.
- The Sanford Springvale News has published an article about the Baking and Pastry Program at Sanford Regional Technical Center which is led by chef Kristin Perry. “At the heart of the program is practical, immersive training in the fundamentals of baking and pastry. Students gain experience with professional techniques and equipment, developing skills that translate directly to careers in bakeries, restaurants, and pastry shops. This hands-on approach gives students a complete understanding of the modern baking industry, from preparation to presentation.”
- Civil Eats reports that wild oyster populations are re-establishing in Maine. “While wild oysters were an important part of an Indigenous diet in what is now Maine, by the 1900s they had all but disappeared. Most people considered them functionally extinct, in fact, until this spring, when researchers from the University of Maine published a study confirming their return, often in close proximity to the oyster farms that have populated the waterfront over the last few decades.”
- The Lincoln County News has published an article about Medicini, a new Italian restaurant that opened this summer in Newcastle.
- Rocky Ground will be holding a 6-course cider dinner on October 24th at their location in Newburgh.
- The Portsmouth Herald has published an article about Food for Thought which moved from Ogunquit to York earlier this year.
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.