Upcoming Food and Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – Leda (instagram) is having a launch party for their cafe at Salud in East Bayside. Owner Naomi Hall, co-owner of the former Omi’s coffee shop, is launching Leda—stay tuned for an official opening day. In addition to serving coffee, snacks and smoothies, Leda will also offer drop-in childcare “providing caregivers a chance to relax, recharge, or enjoy a fitness class while their little ones have fun in a supervised play space.” Also, Cuties is starting their daytime hours opening at 8 am.

Wednesday – It’s the opening day of Benny’s.

Thursday – Mrs Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner. Browne Trading is holding a sparkling wine and caviar tasting.

Saturday – The new Nordic candy store at 119 Cumberland Ave, Sodt (instagram), is scheduled to launch at noon. The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport. Camden Famous is cohosting a Spring Market featuring 20 bakers, restaurants and other food producers.

Sunday – Taj, Boda, Thanh Thanh 2, Mi Sen, and Pulutan are producing a 5-course dinner at Crispy Gai in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.

May 22 – Allagash is hosting an event to support Farmers for Food Equity. The event, Let’s Spring into Action, is a tasting event where attendees can try oyster, beer, sausages and other Maine produced foods. Farmers for Food Equity supports local farms by purchasing produce that might otherwise go unharvested and redirect that food to organizations like Good Shepherd Food Bank or Preble Street.

May 30 – June 1 – The Maine Fungi Fest is taking place.

June 13/14 – The Rockport Donut Festival is taking place.

June 26-28 – The Holy Trinity Greek Festival is taking place.

June 28 – The Wavy Days beer festival is taking place.

June 28/29 – The Maine Oyster Festival is taking place in Freeport.

September 14 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

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

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.

Maine Food & Dining News: Kennebunk, Bath, Monmouth, Biddeford, Greenville, Camden, Brunswick, Verona Island, South Berwick, Lewiston, Waterville

| 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:

  • Old Vines in Kennebunk served their last glass of wine on May 3rd. Kyle Robinson and Yazmin Saraya Jean, the owners of Chez Rosa, are taking over the Old Vines space where they plan to relocate their Kennebunkport restaurant. The last day of business at the current Chez Rosa location will be May 25th. Jean and Robinson plan to relaunch at 173 Port Street in Kennebunk in mid-June.
  • Bay Bowls will be opening a new location in Bath in May. The new Bay Bowls will be moving into the former gas station at 45 Water Street. Bay Bowls serves a menu of bowls made with acai, dragon fruit, coconut and mango as well as smoothies. They also have locations in Portland and Brunswick.
  • Bluuma Flowers (website, facebook, instagram) in Monmouth has rolled out the schedule for their 2025 farm dinner series. Each of the 5-course dinners (June through October) features a seasonal menu with dishes drawing from Eastern European cooking traditions.
  • Biddo Foodies have published a dozen photos showing dishes from the new brunch menu at Banded Brewing.
  • The Blair Hill Inn has hired chef Jason Borajkiewicz for their in-house restaurant Slate.
  • The Bangor Daily News has published an article about the Villager Cafe in Camden. “It’s also the only eatery in the state — possibly even the nation — where they can expect to speak regularly with reporters, editors, the publisher and owner of the region’s local paper.”
  • The Harpswell Anchor has published an article about Pomelia in Brunswick.
  • The Bangor Daily News has a report on the recent discovery of a rare French variety of apples on Verona Island. “Called the Drap d’Or de Bretagna, the cultivar came from the Brittany region of France and was likely brought to Maine by Castine’s early French settlers in the late 1600s. The tree, believed to be a direct descendant of early plantings, was rediscovered by a group of local “apple explorers” who are passionate about old apples and what they reveal about history.”
  • The Portsmouth Herald has a report on chef Lee Franks appearance on the cooking TV show Yes, Chef! Franks is the owner of Lee Franks in Wells and South Berwick as well as The Otis in Exeter, NH.
  • The Lewiston Sun Journal reports that Casey and Ali Peacock are opening a new restaurant called The Blue Feather Kitchen + Bar (facebook) at 49 Lisbon Street in Lewiston.
  • The Morning Sentinel has a report on Popo’s Food Truck Park which recently launched on Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville.

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.

A Look Inside Benny’s

| Posted in Openings

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).

 

A French Wine Bar on Wharf Street

| Posted in Under Construction

Alex Wight has taken over the Jefe Juan’s space at 47 Wharf Street where she plans to open Elizabeth (instagram) a French-inspired wine bar that will be “unapologetic, sexy and fun”.

Joining the Elizabeth team are chef Duncan Biddulph and pastry chef Ashley Robinson. The couple have relocated to Maine from Chicago where Biddulph worked at Lula Cafe, Publican, and was the executive chef at Rootstock and Tortello. Robinson grew up in Cape Elizabeth and after attending Harvard worked in New York and Chicago, notably as the head chef at The Bakery at Fat Rice.

Together with Wight they’re planning a forward-thinking menu inspired by classic French cuisine along with a bar menu of natural wine and French cocktails. Wight is planning a full renovation and redesign of the space. She hopes to launch the 30-seat space in late fall.

Wight is the owner of Crown Jewel restaurant. She launched the 35-seat restaurant on Great Diamond Island in July 2018. She previously ran the influential Flanagan’s Table dinner series in Buxton.

Interview with Chef David Turin

| Posted in People

The Boulos Beats podcast has published an interview with chef David Turin who owns and operates David’s, David’s 388 and David’s Opus Ten. Listen to the podcast to hear about Turin’s early career, his thoughts on a wide variety of business management topics, and advice on running a successful restaurant and having a successful culinary career.

North Deering Tavern is Open

| Posted in Openings

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.

Upcoming Food and Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Thursday – Will Fisher, cofounder of Kit NA Brewing, will be the feature guest speaker for this month’s Crafted Conversations event at Five of Clubs. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson will be the guest of honor at the next Nina June author dinner. The multi-course dinner includes oysters from Deer Isle, mussels from Blue Hill and eel from American Unagi.

Friday – Botanically Curious is hosting the first of a monthly Curious Mocktail series in collaboration with Elevate Mushrooms.

Saturday/Sunday – The Taste of Nations Food Festival is taking place. Vendors will include Amira Cuisine, Battambang Bistro, Cambodia’s Best, Eduardo’s Brazilian Grill One, Flores Restaurant, Gunnar’s Icelandic Hot Dogs, Hellenic Kitchen, La Gallera, Niyat Catering, Yardie Ting, and Young Nonna. Tickets are now available.

Sunday – It’s Mother’s Day—check the websites and social accounts of your favorite restaurants for special dinners and brunches being held. The 2025 edition of Cider Feast is taking place.

May 15 – Mrs Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.

May 17 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport. Camden Famous is cohosting a Spring Market featuring 20 bakers, restaurants and other food producers.

May 30 – June 1 – The Maine Fungi Fest is taking place.

June 13/14 – The Rockport Donut Festival is taking place.

June 26-28 – The Holy Trinity Greek Festival is taking place.

June 28 – The Wavy Days beer festival is taking place.

June 28/29 – The Maine Oyster Festival is taking place in Freeport.

September 14 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

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

October 12 – The Maine Open Creamery Day 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.
25-packs of the Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now available on our online store.

Restaurant Real Estate: May 2025

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the May 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 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

87 Brackett St – The 1,077 sq ft former OhNo Cafe is for lease for $2,700/month + utilities (MG). The space also includes a 825 sq ft basement area.

189 Brackett St – The 520 sq ft space that was the original location of Chocolats Passion is for lease for $1,400/month (MG). Contact Amber Dorcas (amber@redfernproperties.com) for more information.

919 Congress St – The 4,770-9,540 sq ft former Salvage BBQ building is available for $20/sq ft (MG).

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

211 Valley St – A 1,260 sq ft former garage and the .13 acres it is on are for sale on Valley Street for $1,300,000.

235 Vaughan St – The former Vaughan Street Variety storefront in the West End has been completely renovated. The 620 sq ft space is available for $2500/month (MG). Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

486 Congress St – A 2,400 sq ft former cannabis retail space is available for $22/sq ft (NNN).

511 Congress St – The 2,875 sq ft former Golden Lotus space is available for $16.50/sq ft.

554 Congress St – A 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space is available for $17.04/sq ft (NNN).

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).

594 Congress St – The 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper H. H. Hay Building formerly occupied by Starbucks is available for $28/sq ft (MG).

600 Congress St – Two spots in the Schwartz Building at the corner of Congress and High Street are available. The 2,200 sq ft corner unit is listed at $23/sq ft (MG) and an 800 sq ft space facing Congress Street at $27/sq ft (MG).

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

Bayside/Inner Washington

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.

178 Kennebec St – A 2,644 sq ft space is available in a newly constructed Bayside building for $25/sq ft (NNN).

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.

186 Washington Ave – The 7,620 sq ft Am Vets building is for sale for $1,600,000. See the listing for photos of the bar and seating area.

Old Port

0 Canal Plaza – The 1,350 sq ft former Nosh Taco building in Canal Plaza is for lease for $47.74/sq ft (NNN).

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 $2,450,000.

185 Commercial St – A new building on Commercial Street has a 2,334 sq ft ground floor retail space that is available for $55/sq ft (NNN).

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).

8 Exchange St – The 1,800-3,600 sq ft space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $60/sq ft (MG).

85 Exchange St – The space that had previously been the home of Dobra Tea is back on the market. The 1,350 sq ft space is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – A 2,300 sq ft space in the new 18-story Casco building is available for $40/sq ft (MG). The building owners are seeking a business to open a market in that space.

373 Fore St – The 7,500 sq ft former Henry’s Public House building is for lease for $32/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 for $30/sq ft (MG).

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

127 Marginal Way – The 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $35/sq ft (NNN).

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

115 Middle St – The 2,065 sq ft space formerly occupied by Beach Boys Cannabis is for lease for $39.75/sq ft (MG). Back in the 1970s it had been the home of Model Food Importers which retailed wine, cheese and other imported foods.

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).

5 Milk St – A 2,199 sq ft former hair salon is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

15 Monument Square – The 1,000 sq ft former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease for $30/sq ft (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 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).

2 Wharf St – A 632 sq ft retail space is for lease for $1,950/month.

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 new Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Old Port Bar – An undisclosed 1,160/sq ft bar/restaurant in the Old Port is for sale for $175,000.

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 for $16.50/sq ft.

546 Deering St – The 2,198 sq ft former Dunkin Donut building in Woodfords Corner is for lease for $35/sq ft (NNN).

332 Forest Ave – A 1,992 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 $10-15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

634 Forest Ave – the 1,364 former Sissle & Daughters wine bar/cafe is for $3,000/month (NNN). The property includes 13 parking spots and a fully built out kitchen and cafe space.

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.

783 Forest Ave – The 663 sq ft former Elevation 207 building and parking lot is for lease for $3,500/month (MG).

1569 Forest Ave – The Riverton Station Pizza, Bar & Grill and the property its on are for sale for $1.9M.

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

239 Congress St – A 780 sq ft space is available for $2,500/month (Absolute Gross). It’s near The End of Portland bar, Quanto Basta and LB Kitchen.

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

448 Cottage Rd, South Portland – The 4,433 sq ft former Elsmere BBQ is for sale for $1,395,000. The property includes a fenced in outdoor patio and seating area, a warehouse portion with drive-in door, and on site parking.

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 $14.98/sq ft (NNN). Taco Trio has returned to their original location at 119 Ocean Street.

145 Ocean St, South Portland – The ~1,000 sq ft former BenReuben’s space in South Portland is available for $3,000/month (MG). Contact Josh at (207) 408-3879 for more information.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – The 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $749,000.

Elevation Burger, South Portland – The business franchise, infrastructure, equipment and lease for 2,600 sq ft space are for sale for $250,000. Call (207) 838-2274 for more information.

Elsewhere in Maine

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.

The Downs – A 2,019 sq ft restaurant space is for sale in The Downs a 577-acre mixed use development in Scarborough.

881 Route 1, Yarmouth – Shared kitchen space formerly utilized by MaineFlavor before they moved to the West End is available.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bed room apartment are for sale for $1,895,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

Billy’s Chowder House – Both the building and business of Billy’s Chowder House in Wells is for sale. The ~200 seat restaurant comes with a 62-car parking lot and sits on Mile Road which connects Route 1 with Wells Beach. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $795,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

3 East Grand Ave, Scarborough – a 4,000 sq ft turnkey restaurant is available to lease for $17.50/sq ft (NNN).

Bayley’s Seafood, Scarborough – This 3,018 sq ft turnkey seafood restaurant is available to lease for $24/sq ft.

256 Main St, Kingfield – A 1,550 sq ft space formerly occupied by a retail shop is available for $2,325/month and is negotiable. Contact Polly MacMichael at KingfieldUSA@gmail.com or (207) 491-6431 for more information.

863 Main St, Westbrook – The former Frog & Turtle and adjacent retail spaces are for sale for $2,190,000.

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.

261 Shore Rd, Ogunquit – The Northern Union restaurant property is for sale for $3,250,000.

10 Church Street, Stockton Springs – The former The Hichborn property is for sale for $825,000.

In Good Company, Rockland – In Good Company on Main Street in Rockland is for sale for $211,000.

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.

Review of Ocotillo

| Posted in Reviews

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a 4 star review of Ocotillo.

The warmth and brightness pervade the service staff and the flavors as well. You need to try the Mushroom Taco and its addictive salsa macha; it’s as savory and satisfying a vegetarian dish as you’ll find anywhere. Birria Grilled Cheese with red chile broth featuring ZUbakery’s sourdough bread is a full-body hug of a dish, while Buttermilk-Masa Pancakes demonstrate Chef Ali-Marie Zoni’s deftness with gluten-free cooking.