Game Changer: American Unagi

| Posted in People

Sara Rademaker and her Waldoboro-based company American Unagi has been featured by Food & Wine in their 5th annual Game Changers article. The Game Changers article recognizes “the people, products, and companies changing the way we eat and drink for the better — are meeting those challenges with creativity and grit.”

The unagi supply chain has long been convoluted — eels were caught in Maine, then shipped to Asia to grow to maturity. Now, thanks to American Unagi, eels never have to cross international waters to reach dinner plates. The first large-scale, land-based eel aquafarm in the United States is making eel more accessible and sustainable for American consumers and chefs alike.

American Unagi eel is available in the Portland area at Harbor Fish, SoPo Seafood and Brown Trading, and online via their e-commerce site.

2025 Portland Pocket Guide

| Posted in Openings

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 Returning

| Posted in Openings

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.

Upcoming Food and Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – Winemaker Michael Terrien will be at Old Port Wine Merchants 4–6 pm for a tasting of wines from Maine-based Bluet and two California wineries he cofounded Obsidian Wine Co and Terrien Wines.

Saturday – BayCider 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.

June 18-20 – The Yarmouth Clam Festival is taking place.

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.

Restaurant Real Estate: June 2025

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the June 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).

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

650 Congress St – This 705 sq ft retail space near Longfellow Square is available for $1,800/month (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.

65-67 Portland St – The 2,750 sq ft former Thai Esaan/Back Bay Grill space is available for $20/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.

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).

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 $60/sq ft (MG).

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).

15 Monument Square – The 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 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).

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.

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.

123 Washington Ave – The 4, 123 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 $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.

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 $775,000. 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 $1,900,000.

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.

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.

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 Crispy Gai

| Posted in Reviews

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

Cabbage Salad ($11) offers a fresh, vibrant counterpoint — crisp sliced napa and purple cabbages tossed in gingery dressing with mint, cilantro, plenty of fried shallots and peanuts and a judicious scattering of bird’s eye chili. In Crying Tiger Ribeye ($16), Reynolds wok-fries a crust onto marinated beef, then finishes it on the grill to rosy medium rare. Herbaceous, limey nam jim jaew cuts through the rich steak, while the sauce’s fermented anchovy gives the dish seductive pull.

Maine Food & Dining News: Norway, Bucksport, Ellsworth, Lewiston, Brunswick, Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Hope, Cumberland, Falmouth, Westbrook

| 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 Laughing Loon (website, instagram) in Norway is launching tomorrow, May 31st. It’s located in Norway at 15 Harrison Road. They’ll initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 11 am – 8 pm and are serving a menu that includes burgers, hot dogs, fried foods, and ice cream.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that Sweet Cheeks Bakery is buying Glenn’s Place in Bucksport which they plan to rename Sweet Cheeks Diner. The BDN also shared news that Chalee Thai-Sushi To Go recently opened in Bucksport.
  • The Ellsworth American has published an article about Fancy Plants, the vegan food truck that recently launched at 424 High Street in Ellsworth. “After switching to a vegan diet four years ago, Tague said, opening a 100% vegan food truck was a no-brainer for him to help fill a food gap for vegans in the Downeast area.”
  • Cafe Obscura in Lewiston has announced plans to close their Lisbon Street establishment. They plan to remain open through the end of June. For additional reporting see this article from the Lewiston Sun Journal.
  • The Brunswick Hotel has relaunched their restaurant Noble Kitchen & Bar. See their new website for a full menu and some photographs of the dishes. They’re located at 4 Noble Street in Brunswick and are open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 – 9 pm (until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays).
  • Salsa Mexican Grill (website, facebook) has opened in the former Thoroughfare space in Yarmouth’s town center. The menu offers a variety of tacos, burritos, quesadillas and bowls along with salsa flights, and an agave spirits-focused cocktail menu. Their hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11:30 am – 9 pm.
  • Eating Through the Seacoast has shared some photos from Coastal Alchemist which has re-opened in a new space at the recently launched The Trident Inn.
  • The Portsmouth Herald has written about the Omelette Factory in Ogunquit and its new owners David and Sara LeBlanc. The eatery opened in 1982 and its menu includes 40 different omelette variations.
  • The Old Village Inn (website, facebook, instagram) in Ogunquit has reopened under new ownership and after undergoing a renovation.
  • The Midcoast Villager has published an article about Sunflour Bakery (instagram) in Hope and its owner Carrie Laurita.
  • After an extended hiatus, Wander at Longwoods in Cumberland has announced plans to relaunch in mid-June.
  • Cafe Luna held the grand opening for their new Falmouth location yesterday. It is located in the same build as Sapporo at 267 US Route One.
  • Owlbear’s Rest opens today in Westbrook. See yesterday’s article for all the details.
  • Veggies to Table, a Midcoast non-profit farm that “grows and donates organic produce and flowers to help local people experiencing hunger and needing joy,” is holding their annual fundraising sweepstakes. The grand prize is a week-long stay in a Paris apartment. So far they’ve raised more than $48,000. The sweepstakes closes out on June 8th.

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.

 

Stone Fox on Washington Ave

| Posted in Openings

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.

Sunday Breakfast at the VFW

| Posted in General News

Delicious Musings has published a field report on the monthly Sunday breakfast at the VFW along with some observations on breakfast and a dive into Appalachian biscuits and gravy.

I pushed open the door and stepped into a long hallway lined with faux brown wood paneling—the kind that was really popular in the 1970s. Professor A and I passed the kitchen, where Jessica, an omelet wizard from Bayside American Café, was in her element. At the back of the building, we reached the bar area, which looked exactly like the kind of place where faithful regulars could slide onto a stool and feel right at home. No haze of smoke or Christmas lights here, but the past is present in the form of flags and plaques. Two women took our cash and handed us slips of paper to mark our orders— I went for a veggie omelet, and Professor A chose scrambled eggs with bacon and toast.

The VFW is located in Woodfords Corner next to Veranda Market. Their breakfasts are $10 and are held the first Sunday of every month, 8 – 10 am.