Category: Openings

The 2025 Midcoast Pocket Guide is now available—see below for where to pick one up. 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.

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

Are you holding a wedding, running a business event, operating a hotel, or simply want a bunch of the guides on hand for out of town visitors? The pocket guides are now for sale online in packs of 25 at our online store.

Many thanks to our sponsors! Their support is so essential to making this resource available: Evergreen Credit Union, Allagash Brewing Company, The Boulos Company, and Great Pine Financial Services. Give them a follow to learn more about their businesses.

While supplies last you can pick-up a free copy of the guide at these locations: Vessel & Vine in Brunswick, Treats in Wiscasset, The Alna Store, Fernald’s Country Store in Damariscotta, The Waldoboro Inn, Honey’s in Thomaston, the Villager Cafe in Camden, and Dot’s Market in Lincolnville. In Portland at Rabelais Books, Portland Trading Company, Allagash Brewing, at Table Bar in Gardiner, and Bresca and the Honey Bee in New Gloucester.

One final note: This dining 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.

The 2025 Portland Pocket Guide is now available—see below for where to pick one up. As in past years the guide highlights a cross section of the restaurants, bakeries, breweries, coffee shops, cocktail bars, and cafes that make eating and drinking in Portland so compelling.

Use the guide as a starting point for your ongoing exploration of the Portland and Maine food scenes. See the Portland Food Map directory for full list of independent eateries in the city to put together your own selection. We’d enjoy seeing your list and hearing about your eating adventures.

Are you holding a wedding, running a business event, operating a hotel, or simply want a bunch of the guides on hand for out of town visitors? The pocket guides are now for sale online in packs of 25 at our online store.

Many thanks to our sponsors! Their support is essential to making this resource available: Evergreen Credit Union, The Boulos Company, the Canopy by Hilton Waterfront, Wine Wise, Allagash Brewing Company, The Longfellow Hotel, and Vertical Harvest.

While supplies last you can pick-up a free copy of the guide at these local businesses: Tandem Coffee Roasters, Portland Trading Company, Allagash Brewing, Rose Foods, Oxbow Brewing, Onggi, Ugly Duckling, the Portland Yoga Collective, and starting this weekend at  Bresca and the Honey Bee in New Gloucester.

One final note: This dining 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.

Vena’s Fizz House announced this morning that the business—which announced they were closing down in April—is going remain in operation after all.

According to a press release,

Steve and Johanna Corman, who launched Vena’s in 2013, will remain hands-on with product development and mixology education. Behind the scenes, a new, passionate team has joined the operation to support Vena’s growth in retail and wholesale markets. Dan and Stefanie Cisowski have stepped into the front lines to ensure the brand you love remains innovative, small-batch, and botanical-infused. “We’re proud to build on Vena’s legacy of innovation,” said Dan Cisowski. “This next chapter is about expanding the brand’s creative spirit, while staying true to our roots and introducing new ideas to the marketplace.”

Vena’s first launched in Boothby Square on July 10, 2013. They closed that location, and had at one point pursued plans to re-open in a larger space at 867 Congress. From 2023 they’d focused on their house branded products.

Stone Fox Creamery is launching a mobile scoop shop on Washington Ave. The ice cream trailer is located in the parking lot between Sissle & Daughters and the Black Box shops and is expected to launch this weekend. It will be open Friday through Sunday, noon – 8 pm.

They will be serving flavors like Maple Walnut, Ginger, Strawberry, Rum Raisin, Grape Nut, Vanilla, Maine Wild Blueberry, Salted Caramel, Allen’s Coffee Brandy and more. Customers will have the option of one to three scoops served in cups, plain cones, waffle cones, sugar cones. Pup cups and ice cream floats will also be available.

Portland innkeeper Stephen Simonds bought the company from founders Bruce and Kathy Chamberlain earlier this year. Their main Stone Fox ice cream shop and production space is at 398 East Main Street in Searsport.

A new board game cafe called Owlbear’s Rest (website, facebook, instagram, bluesky) is scheduled to open this Friday in Westbrook.

Owner Patty Turnquist has assembled a wide range of games to enjoy from 5-Minute Dungeon right through the alphabet to Zendo. You can explore the collection and even get a little help selecting the right one for you via their online catalog. The attractive space features a number of gaming tables that can seat 40+ people overall, a long food and service counter, shelves of games and gaming retail items, and a private side room available for gaming or other events with a table for 10.

The food menu includes options like soft pretzels, chips and dip, meat/cheese and vegetarian boards, a variety of hand pies (German sausage, chicken pot pie, vegan curry, etc), grilled cheese sandwiches and cookies. Liquid refreshments include a range of craft beers, drip and espresso-based coffee drinks, teas, cider and non-alcoholic options.

Owlbear’s Rest will initially be open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am – 9 pm (until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday). They’re located at located at 506 Maine Street in Westbrook in the same building as the Stockhouse restaurant.

Leda (website, instagram) is now open for business. The cafe and drop-in childcare facility is co-located with the new Salud fitness studio at 265 Marginal Way. Leda offers (see full menu) coffee, smoothies, cold-pressed juice, bowls and pastries from Belleville. They’re sourcing their coffee beans from Lay Day Roasters.

Leda has been launched by Naomi Hall, co-owner of the former Omi’s coffee shop. It’s open daily, 8 am – 2 pm.

A Nordic candy shop called Sodt (website, facebook, instagram) opened for business on Saturday. It’s located at 119 Cumberland Ave in the space formerly occupied by Sticky Sweet. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday,  noon – 8 pm (and until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays).

Sisters Nikoline and Signe Ostergaard have been bringing candy back to Maine from trips to Denmark to share with friends. Sodt, which means sweet in Danish, is an effort to share the sweets they love with the people of Portland. The sisters are being joined in the business by their mother Liz Ostergaard.

The Ostergaards are selling treats from Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and England. Customers are able to put together a mixed bag from the wide range of sweet and sour candies, chocolate, caramels and black licorice available. Sodt also offers some house packaged mixed bags of candy plus jars of licorice and chocolate bars. Gluten-free and vegan options are available.

Here’s a look inside Benny’s (website, instagram) the new red sauce Italian restaurant and Philly sandwich shop that’s been under construction the last few months at 545 Congress Street in the Arts District.

The 32-seat Benny’s is being launched by Josh Sobel the chef/owner of Ramona’s. The dining room features an 11-seat bar opposite a row of 2-top banquet tables along with some counter seating in the front windows. The room is decked out with art and memorabilia evocative of Philadelphia like a portrait of Sylvester Stallone in his role of Rocky Balboa. Sobel worked with Mey & Co and the design of the restaurant.

As you can see below the menu includes Italian-American standards like chicken parmesan and spaghetti with meatballs. Shown above are Benny’s pretzel garlic knots. The bar menu includes a line-up of Italian wines representing regions from the Veneto to Sicily. The cocktail list has some house creations like a Margherita pizza inspired Margarita, and the Benny’s Handshake Spritz made with the locally produced Handshake bitters, as well as classic cocktails.

Benny’s official opening day is this Wednesday May 14th. They’ll initially be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, 4 pm – 9 pm (and until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday).

 

The North Deering Tavern opened for business on Tuesday. It’s located in the former Parker’s building at 1349 Washington Ave in Allen’s Corner. It will be open daily  11:30 am – 1:00 am with brunch available on the weekends starting at 8:00 am.

The new business was launched by brothers Sam and Rob Minervino along with Marcus Bailey and Anthony Peters. The Tavern serves a menu that includes burgers, pizza, wings, soups, salads and entrees like fish and chips and chicken parmesan (see the full menu below).

The Tavern is a backfill of sorts for Samuel’s Bar & Grill which Minervino closed earlier this year. He sold the building to Amanda and Matt Lebel who opened Mandy & Matt’s Cafe in its place last month.

Loco Taco (instagram) opened for business today. The “fusion taqueria” is located at 849 Forest Ave. The menu at Loco Taco includes tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos with a range of fillings/toppings like chicken tikka masala, Greek doner and falafel. Also available are enchiladas, fajita wraps, fajita bowls and a Southwest style salad as well as desserts like chocolate baklava, wedding cookies and churros cheesecake.

The restaurant has a couple tables indoors and a deck off the front side of the building with four picnic tables. Loco Taco will be open daily noon to 9 pm.