Restaurant Real Estate: September 2025

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the September 2025 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This month marks the seven-year anniversary of the project to create this service. See this morning’s article for the story of our collaboration with Boulos to develop the restaurant real estate list.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

West End/Valley/Libby Town

270 Saint John St – A 2,714 sq ft space in Union Station Plaza is available for $17/sq ft (NNN).

Arts District

540 Congress St – The 27,800 sq ft building currently occupied by Reny’s is for lease for $9.50/sq ft (NNN). Reny’s has decided not to renew their lease when it expires at the end of March.

555 Congress St – The 1,908 sq ft former Five Fifty-Five dining room and mezzanine are available to lease for $20/sq ft (NNN).

582-584 Congress St – The 680-1,555 sq ft space formerly occupied by Harmon’s is for lease for $2,500 – $5,850/month (NNN).

649 Congress St – The 3,000 sq ft space formerly occupied by Rebel Munchies and Libations is available for $22/sq ft (MG).

Bayside/Inner Washington

105 Fox St – a 1,950 sq ft space located between Rising Tide and Austin Street is available for $5,220/month (NNN).

52 Hanover St – 1,500 – 3,000 sq ft of retail space on the first floor of the Armature building is available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has been earmarked for a coffee shop.

127 Marginal Way – The 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $27/sq ft (NNN).

65-67 Portland St – The 2,750 sq ft former Thai Esaan/Back Bay Grill space is available for $16/sq ft (MG).

114 Preble St – The former Coals building is available to lease. The 4,424 sq ft turnkey restaurant is listed at $26/sq ft (NNN) and includes onsite parking and outdoor seating.  For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

Old Port

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

15 Chestnut St – The building that was home to Grace restaurant is for sale. It includes the property, business assets and all FF&E. The restaurant seats 175 and features a large circular bar on the first floor of the former church. The building has 14,358 sq ft of space. It’s for sale for $2,175,000.

327 Commercial St – The 6,981 – 7,981 sq ft space currently occupied by Tiqa is available for lease or to buy. The lease rate is $30/sq ft (NNN). The sale price is $3,500,000.

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

10 Cotton St – The 4,606 sq ft former Thistle and Grouse is available for $19.05/sq ft (MG). It has a fully built out kitchen and the dining room was recently renovated.

8 Exchange St – The 1,800-3,600 sq ft space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

373 Fore St – The 7,500 sq ft former Henry’s Public House building is for lease for $26.50/sq ft (MG).

425 Fore St – This 1,548 sq ft space had been built as a restaurant which never opened. It’s now available for $70/sq ft (MG).

433 Fore St – A 930 sq ft lounge space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

477 Fore St – The 1,361 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available.

40 Free St – The 1,358 sq ft space occupied by Auntie’s House is available for $27/sq ft.

100 Middle St – A 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (Gross).

151 Middle St – the 2,741 former Anthony’s Italian Kitchen space is available.

157 Middle St – A 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

191 Middle St – The 1,500 sq ft retail space formerly occupied by Crystal Joys is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

15 Monument Square – The 700 – 1,000 sq ft former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease for $3,600/month (NNN).

28 Monument Square – The building owner is seeking someone to lease the Public Market House and develop the food hall as an incubator space for new food businesses. The 8,064 sq ft space spans the 1st and 2nd floors and has a commercial kitchen in the basement. The well-loved Jamaican restaurant Yardie Ting already occupies part of the first floor and Bub’s Home Kitchen is moving in on the second floor with the remainder of the building vacant and already built out with kitchen infrastructure needed for new businesses. 28 Monument Square is listed at $12/sq ft (NNN). For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

66 Pearl St – The 5,796 sq ft space that was the former home of Bull Moose is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

110 Thames St – Two spaces in the Sun Life building are available: a 5,772 sq ft space for $35/sq ft (NNN) and 2,575 sq ft space for $35/sq ft (NNN).

54 York St – A 1,605 sq ft space is available for $30/sq ft (MG). It’s located in the same building as the  Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Camp Pennant – this brewery, distillery and restaurant is for sale. Contact Karen Rich for more information at karen@malonecb.com or (207) 210-6637.

Outer Forest Ave Area

49 Dartmouth St – A 1,310 sq ft retail space adjacent to Bow Street Beverage is available.

332 Forest Ave – A 2,309 sq ft space in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – When renovations are completed this year, this building will have 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

683 Forest Ave – a space in Woodford’s Corner most recently occupied by a restaurant called Merveille is for lease. Call (207) 766-8845 for more information.

1569 Forest Ave – The Riverton Station Pizza, Bar & Grill and the property it is on are for sale for $1,700,000.

1871 Forest Ave – The former Tortilla Flats is for sale. The 8,771 sq ft building is on 3.43 acres of property and is listed for $1,750,000.

631 Stevens Ave – The 1,000 sq ft cafe space inside the Stevens Square Community Center is for lease.

Elsewhere in Portland

75 Washington Ave – A 770 sq ft kitchen space is available to lease for $1,600/month.

123 Washington Ave – The 10,894 sq ft space formerly occupied by Maine Craft Distilling is available for $16/sq ft (NNN). It includes a restaurant, an outdoor seating area and onsite parking.

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Northgate Shopping Center – 1,700 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – Three spaces are for lease 1,440, 3,800 and 5,000 sq ft. The lease rates are negotiable and the property owner has a strong interest in finding a restaurant tenant for the shopping plaza.

Other Spaces – Some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for insights on where those opportunities may be.

South Portland

60 Ocean St, South Portland – The restaurant space had been occupied by Taco Trio is for lease. The 6,006 sq ft space is available for $12.98/sq ft (NNN). Taco Trio has returned to their original location at 119 Ocean Street.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – The 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $695,000.

Elsewhere in Maine

Bandaloop, Arundel – After 20 years in business the owners of Bandaloop have shared plans to sell the restaurant property. It’s priced at $2,100,000.

186 Main St, Auburn – A new building under construction along the Androscoggin River will include a 5,400 sq ft space that the owners hope to lease to a brewery or restaurant. It’s available for $18.50/sq ft (NNN). An additional 1,450 sq ft space will also be available when construction is completed later this year.

9 Centre St, Bath – A 2,700 sq ft space at the corner of Centre and Front Streets is available for $3,000/month (MG). It hasn’t been used for a restaurant before but the building owner is eager to find a restaurant operator to locate there. Contact Bath Maine Rentals at bathmainerentals@gmail.com for more information.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $775,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

137 Longwood Rd, Cumberland – A 2,110 sq ft building that’s been partially converted for use as a restaurant is available for $20/sq ft (NNN). See photos in the listing for a look at the current state of construction.

319 Main St, Cumberland – The 2,148 sq ft former Rise Pizza & Pub building is for sale for $995,000, or available to lease for $6,500/month (NNN).

261 Shore Rd, Ogunquit – The Northern Union restaurant property is for sale for $2,950,000.

23 Terminal Lane, Owls Head – A restaurant space at the Knox County Airport is available. FF&E is $65,000 which comes with a $200/month lease which includes utilities.

In Good Company, Rockland – In Good Company on Main Street in Rockland is for sale for $187,140.

151 Congress St, Rumford – The town of Rumford is seeking proposals for the town’s 6,000 sq ft former fire station. The deadline is September 29th.

267 Scarborough Downs Rd, Scarborough – Six retail spaces in a new building at The Downs are available. They range in size from 1,091 – 2,208 sq ft. They’ll be available to occupy in the spring of 2027.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bedroom apartment are for sale for $1,695,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

863 Main St, Westbrook – The former Frog & Turtle and adjacent retail spaces are for sale for $1,900,000.

4 & 7 Dana St, Westbrook – 2 retail spaces are available in a new building under construction in downtown Westbrook. The building is under construction with plans to open in 2027. 1,250 – 5,085 sq ft of space (NNN).

100 Larrabee Rd, Westbrook – The owners of Phoever are looking for someone to takeover their space when they move to a new location. They’ll be moving to 1227 Congress Street by this summer.

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.

An Anniversary for the Real Estate List

| Posted in Real Estate

On an otherwise uneventful September evening in 2018 a message came in via the Portland Food Map website that immediately got our attention. As you can imagine, most of the unsolicited messages we get are from spam accounts offering instant social media fame and an endless variety of other questionable business solutions. However, the thoughtful message from Jessica Estes was different not just because she turned out to be a real person, but because she had a great idea and one that aligned so well with the community service perspective of Portland Food Map.

A broker and partner at The Boulos Company, Estes’ vision was for a commercial real estate list for Portland’s food and dining industry. Through the fall and early winter the idea took shape, and the outcome was what’s now known as the monthly Restaurant Real Estate list.

Now 6+ years after the first edition went live it’s become a popular feature, and helped many entrepreneurs find the right home for their cafe, bakery, retail shop, bar or restaurant. Perhaps you’ve been one of them?

A recent success story of the list was Luncheonette. Owners Angela Lee and Alex LeBlanc found the former Union Bagel spot in the September 2024 edition of the list. LeBlanc shared this about their search for the right space,

When the time came to find a home for Luncheonette, we really had no idea where to start. It often began with Google searches that led to nowhere and some hazy understanding of lease terms. Eventually we discovered Portland Food Map’s real estate listings and it made so much sense. It’s truly a one of a kind and something we couldn’t find in any city let alone Portland. Every month we would eagerly await the newest list to publish and our daydreaming would start. Then daydreaming turned into action when 147 Cumberland Ave became available and we met Paul from Union Bagel. Fast forward nine months later and Luncheonette is more than anything we thought possible. Oh and we also know the difference between triple net and modified gross now.

Originally focused just on Portland, the list now also includes opportunities in the Greater Portland area and even as far afield as Kingfield and in the Midcoast. From the very start it has featured listings from all the local real estate agencies and from building owners wanting to independently manage the lease of their properties.

The Boulos Company itself recently celebrated an important milestone–the 50th anniversary of when Joe Boulos launched the company. In those early days Joe (later joined by his brother Greg) helped many companies find their first storefront. In fact the Boulos team assisted David Turin in the 1990s to find and lease his landmark location in Monument Square.

Since that first email arrived from Jessica Estes, Portland Food Map’s relationship with The Boulos Company has grown from their initial sponsorship of a popular feature to becoming a valued partner that helps support our overall mission. If you’ve been enjoying the site, social media content and printed pocket guides, you have them in-part to thank for it.

We’re looking forward to working with Boulos in the years to come, and would encourage anyone looking for help in leasing a property or finding a new home for their business to drop them a line at: boulos.com, 207-772-1333 and @thebouloco.

Maine Food & Dining News: Auburn, Newcastle, Waterville, Bar Harbor, Bath, Bucksport, Orland, Freeport

| 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:

  • 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.

2025 Maine Apple and Cider Season

| Posted in Farming, Cider

Today is the first day of September and the unofficial start of the apple season. Fall is the perfect time to plan a Maine road-trip. See the guides below for where to find great orchards and heirloom apple varieties, Maine’s cider tasting rooms, apple events, and other pomological resources to help you enjoy all that the season has to offer.

The Maine Heirloom Apple Guide  is a co-production with the intrepid apple expert Sean Turley at The Righteous Russet (instagram). It provides all the information you need to go out for a self-directed exploration of Maine orchards and the many heirloom apples they offer. Use it throughout the fall to go exploring so you can take advantage of the entire season.

The Guide to Maine Cider is a directory to 26 Maine cider producers. They’re located all over the state from Kingfield to Cornish and Portland to Hancock. Stop by cidery tasting rooms like Absolem in Winthrop, Bon Vent in Hancock, or at one of the retail shops highlighted in the guide to experience the taste of autumn in a glass.

Other Resources and Events:

Upcoming Food and Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – It’s the grand opening day of Henny’s at 87 Brackett Street in the West End. They’ll be open 6 am – 4 pm.

Thursdays – Fork Food Lab (website, facebook, instagram) is extending their weekly Local Goods Market through December. The market features hot foods, baked goods, beverages and packaged goods produced by Fork Food Lab members. It takes place at 95 Darling Avenue in South Portland, 4 – 7 pm.

Friday – It’s the grand opening of Bub’s Home Kitchen at the Public Market House in Monument Square. Stop by for a meal 11 am to 4 pm, and/or to pick-up a prepared meal to take home.

Sunday – Cherie (instagram) will be holding a pop-up at Lambs. The menu includes gougeres, tomato galette, seared scallops, grilled lamb and corn creme caramel with wine pairings by Lambs. Cherie is being produced chefs Melody Medina and Quinn Williams.

September 11 – A Loire wine dinner is taking place at Crown Jewel.

September 12 – The Portland VFW is holding a bourbon tasting.

September 13 – The Portland Hotdog Safari is taking place at eight locations around town including Allagash, Crispy Gai and Thirsty Pig. Proceeds from the $10 Hotdog Safari scorecards will benefit The Locker Project.

September 14 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield. The Tender Table Night Market is taking place.

September 19-21 – The Common Ground Country Fair is taking place in Unity.

September 21-28 – Maine Lobster Week is taking place.

September 23 – Luncheonette is holding a Korean dinner.

September 25 – A part of Maine Lobster Week is the Lobster Roll Remix, a benefit for the Maine Lobstermen’s Relief Fund. It will on September 25th at Southern Maine Community College. Chefs from Chaval, Dok Mali, Douro, Great Wave Sushi, Little Pig, Portland Lobster Company, Sichuan Kitchen, Sicilian Table, Taj, and Terlingua/Ocotillo will each be serving their own creative take on the classic Maine lobster roll.

October 12 – Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.

November 1-9 – 207 Beer Week is taking place.

November 10-16 – Brunswick Wine Week is taking place.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.

The Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now for sale in packs of 25 on our online store.

Y%F in Congress Square

| Posted in Under Construction

Yousif Albadri has leased the long vacant space at the corner of Congress and High Streets where he plans to open the Y%F (instagram), an 80+ seat cafe. Albadri has begun building out the 2,200 sq ft space and hopes to open Y%F by the end of November.

The cafe will have their own in-house coffee roasting operation. In addition to the standard line-up of drip and espresso-based drinks, they’ll be serving some specialty hot and cold drinks like Spanish lattes, pistachio lattes and Turkish coffee. Albardi also plans to have teas and a variety of nonalcoholic mojitos on the menu. Their in-house bakery will make a wide range of cakes and sweet treats, and breakfast sandwiches will be available in the mornings.

Visit the Y%F instagram account to see some photos of the construction underway, and follow them to stay in the loop as they work towards an opening day.

Maine Food & Dining News: Eastport, Monroe, Westbrook, Brunswick, Beals, Rockland, Kittery, Lewiston, Stockton Springs, South Portland

| 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:

  • 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.

Silver Street by Taj Opens Today

| Posted in Openings

Silver Street by Taj (instagram) is opening today at 5 pm. It is located at 35 Silver Street in the Old Port in the space formerly occupied North Point. It will be open daily, 5 pm – 1 am.

Owners Sai Guntaka and Jim Baldi and beverage director Cody Brann will be serving (see menu below) a range of cocktails as well as wine by the glass or bottle, non-alcoholic cocktails, and local draft beer including the Sai Lager produced in collaboration with Oxbow Brewing Company and the Talwar IPA produced in collaboration with Bissell Brothers.

Silver Street will launch with a more limited food menu but they plan to expand the offerings in the near future. You can see from the menu below there are a pair of entree, taco appetizers and desserts already available.

The 1,000 sq ft space has been completely renovated. It features a 10-seat bar, flexible banquette seating and can accommodate 40 people overall. The interior design is reminiscent of the look of Guntaka’s South Portland restaurant.

Guntaka is the owner and Baldi is the bar manager of the popular South Portland restaurant Taj Indian Cuisine.

 

Henny’s Now Open

| Posted in Openings

Henny’s (instagram) is now open. The 22-seat cafe is located at 87 Brackett Street in the West End. Today and tomorrow they’ll be open 8 am – 2 pm. They’ll be closed over the long weekend and then starting on Tuesday they’ll be open daily 6 am – 4 pm.

Owners Heidi and Kenny Chestnut are serving breakfast and lunch. The breakfast menu that includes standards like pancakes, scrambles, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and biscuits and gravy. Shown above is the Mill Stack made with a fried egg, bacon, cheddar jack cheese, blackberry jam and served on house made waffles.

For lunch Henny’s will offer a range of sandwiches like a Henny’s Italian, a chicken Caesar wrap and the Pea’s Knees made with grilled falafel, tomato, red onion, tzaziki on a grilled pita. Salads and grilled options round out the lunch menu. There is also a kids menu with breakfast and lunch options like PB&J, junior sized sandwiches and a short stack of pancakes.

Weekly specials will augment the regular menu, and grab-and-go sandwiches, salads and cut fruit for customers will also be available. Henny’s will be sourcing bread from Big Sky and coffee from Carrabassett.

LB Kitchen in NY Times

| Posted in General News

The New York Times has published an article about (and the recipe for) The Classy Chip cookie that’s a staple on the menu at LB Kitchen.

Ashton’s cookies, which Ms. Farrington had to adjust only slightly, are now best-sellers at LB. Kitchen in Portland, Maine (co-owned by Ms. Farrington and her wife, Bryna Gootkind). I sampled one on a visit to Maine earlier this summer, and I couldn’t get the snappy texture and butterscotch flavor out of my head. I wrote to ask for the recipe the minute I got back home.

They’re absolute bangers: candy-like and crunchy at the edges from caramelized brown sugar; chewy and dense at the center from a mix of almond and oat flours; and speckled all over with mini chocolate chips.