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

• A new wood-fired bakery called Bagel Witch (instagram) is under construction in Damariscotta. Bagel Witch will be located at 72 Courtyard Street. Owner Caroline Zeller hopes to have the shop open in mid-January. Zeller will offer bagels, cream cheese and spreads, and prepared bagel sandwiches as well as coffee and other beverages. While primarily a retail shop there will also be some limited seating available.
• Marvelous Macarons (instagram) owner Jenna Roberts has announced she’ll be opening her new Auburn bakery tomorrow on Sunday, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. Roberts had encountered some last minute construction needs that delayed the opening from September.
• Baker Barak Olins and historian Jordan Rosenblum will be giving a lecture at Bowdoin on November 6th entitled The Recipes and Rules of Jewish Bread. The event descriptions reads in-part “…this wide-ranging conversation will explore the recipes and regulations that have governed and continue to govern the production and consumption of Jewish bread across history. Bread, both as a powerful metaphor and a tangible substance, has always held profound historical and religious significance for Jews. Bringing their unique and complementary perspectives to bear, Rosenblum and Olins will discuss the relationship between the history of Jewish bread, the mechanics of making it, and the distinctive reverence it garners.”
• Frosty’s Donuts (website, facebook, instagram) opened a new location in Bath on Friday. It’s located at 56 Centre Street and will be open Thursday through Sunday, 7 am – sellout.
• Bistro La Cave in Camden has announced that they’re moving their business to Chicago.
• The Midcoast Villager has published a feature article on Ægir’s Den (website, facebook, instagram), a meadery and restaurant located in Palermo. “Tucked along Banton Road, past hayfields and quiet woods, a simple, unmarked building hides one of Maine’s most surprising dining experiences. Inside, long tables glow under warm light; horns of mead and platters of slow-cooked food move from hand to hand. Guests, some strangers when they arrive, often leave as friends. This is Ægir’s Den Meadery, part restaurant, part farm, part cultural experiment: a modern mead hall where ancient Nordic hospitality meets Waldo County agriculture.”
• Carousel Wine & Cheese (website, instagram) in Belfast was highlighted in the latest issue of Culture magazine.
• The Bangor Daily News has published an article about the new Stowaways Town Tavern (website, menu) in Bucksport. “With a vast menu reminiscent of home cooking, generous portions, lower prices and a focus on a welcoming atmosphere, DeGennaro and his crew of nearly 30 want to create a “wow” factor that keeps people coming back weekly, employees said Thursday.” Stowaways is located at 63 Main Street.
• The Biddeford Gazette has published an article about Thank You Cookie Box.
• The owners of the Eighty-Ate Hospitality, Cecile and Cara Stadler and Emily Topaz, have announced they’ll be closing ZaoZe Café & Market. Their last day in business will be November 1st.

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:

• 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.