Luncheonette (website, instagram) is set to open on Thursday. The new cafe is located at 147 Cumberland Ave in the space formerly occupied by Union Bagel Company. They’ll be open Thursday through Monday, 8 am – 2 pm.

As you can see from the menu and photos, Luncheonette serves sandwiches, salads, baked goods and dishes like squid escabeche and braised beans. They have coffee and tea as well as kombucha, wine and beer. Shown above is a slice of their blueberry pie, a roast pork sandwich with a side of the cabbage “Caesar” salad, and the savory bun which is made with a broccoli rabe and hazelnut pesto. The cafe has seating for 14 inside and also a sunny 20-seat patio located behind the building.

Luncheonette is being launched by Angela Lee and Alex LeBlanc. They moved to Portland from New York earlier this year. For LeBlanc who grew up in South Portland it’s a return home. Lee’s culinary career started in NYC baking at Petee’s Pie Co from there she went on to work as a whole animal butcher at Meat Hook and as a fish butcher at Osakana. LeBlanc’s most recent position was as the sous chef at Sailor in Brooklyn, and previously was the chef de cuisine at Gus’s. When he last lived in Portland, LeBlanc had worked for Abby Harmon at Caiola’s and for Matt Ginn at Evo Kitchen + Bar.

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.