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

• A new cafe called Wakie Wakie’s (facebook, instagram) has opened for business in Westbrook. They’re located at 652 Main Street (above left) in the space formerly occupied by Ritche Ribeye’s. The menu (see facebook for the full menu) includes coffee, fruit tea (top right), smoothies, acai bowls and breakfast items like breakfast sandwiches, bagels and avocado toast. Notably, the Wakie Wakie’s menu includes a variety of Thai-style breakfast and lunch dishes like Kai Kra Ta (2 fried eggs, Thai sweet chicken sausage, ground chicken, shredded dry pork, fried shallot, scallion, cilantro and toast)  and the delicious Ocean Toast (avocado, grilled shrimp, scrambled aggs, sprouts, fried shallots on sourdough) shown above (top left). Wakie Wakie’s is open Tuesday through Sunday, 7 am – 3 pm and is located at 652 Main Street.
• Chef/owner TJ Castiello is planning to open Bene’s Beef (instagram) on Friday June 27th. He’ll be serving North Shore roast beef sandwiches, tallow fries and “other tasty provisions”. The Lewiston restaurant is located in the former El Pochos location at 990 Lisbon Street and will be open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 7 pm.
• Marcy Taubes and Marjory Sweet have launched their new Rockland cafe, bakery and market Cafe Grazie (website, instagram). They’re serving a range of Italian-inspired baked goods, tea, Tandem Coffee, wine, breakfast items like a focaccia breakfast sandwiches, lunch options like a the green goddess salad (bottom right) and rigatoni with kale walnut pesto, and desserts. Cafe Grazie is located at 148 Main Street and is initially open Wednesday through Saturday, 8 am – 2 pm.
• Elevenes (website, instagram), a hobbit-themed all-day cafe (middle left) and bakery, in Brunswick opened for business last week. Elevenses is located at 50 Maine Street and is initially open Thursday through Sunday, 9 am – 3 pm. The menu includes options like breakfast sandwiches, Lembas Bread (rosemary shortbread), avocado toast, loaded baked potatoes, salads, specialty coffee drinks like a Two Towers tiramisu latte, matcha, mocktails and cocktails.
• Dizzy Bird owners Tom and Barb Peacock have permanently closed their Biddeford restaurant. The restaurant had initially closed late last year to consider how they might restructure the business and then reopened in February. The last day of business for Dizzy Bird was this past Saturday June 21st.
• Tern Coffee Roasters (website, instagram) has opened for business in Brunswick. Owners Chris and Heidi Townsend are serving a wide range of coffee drinks including Kyoto ice coffee and espresso-based drinks as well as teas and house made baked goods. The storefront is a to-go coffee counter, a retail shop for coffee making equipment, and a production space for their coffees and teas. Tern is located at 141A Maine Street and open Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30 am – 2 pm (until 3:30 on Saturdays).
• Chez Rosa (website, facebook, instagram) has reopened at their new location in Kennebunk (bottom right). You can make reservations on OpenTable. Chez Rosa is now located at 173 Port Street in the former Old Vines space. To read more about the challenges of moving a restaurant, read this article from the Maine Sunday Telegram.
• Gelato Fiasco has launched a food truck. They’ll be stationed all summer at Lighthouse Bikes in the Knightville neighborhood of South Portland, and initially will be open from 12:30 p.m. to sunset daily. The food truck will be serving 16+ flavors of gelato and sorbetto.
• Chef Ross Florance has announced dates for his Flora pop-up series in Washington County. They’re taking place in Harrington, Beals, Pembroke and Jonesport this summer. Last year Florance had operated a cafe and restaurant in Machias and is currently searching for a new home for the business.
• Solo Pane reopened their coffee bar with an expanded seating area (middle right). The Bath bakery has expanded into the adjacent storefront providing for additional kitchen space and a larger seating area.
• The Bollard has published an article about Mabel “Tyce” Reid who operates the Jamaican restaurant Go See Tyce in Saco.
• The Portsmouth Herald has published an article about The Front Porch in Ogunquit which this year is celebrating its 45th anniversary.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that a new ice cream shop called The Downtown Spot is under construction at 73 Main Street with plans to open in July.
• The Mainebiz reports that a new food truck called Sojourn Ice Company is serving Philly-style water ice in Waterville
• The Lewiston Sun Journal reports on Luigi’s in Lewiston and the changes new owners are making at the 60+ year old business. “embracing tradition is good, but it doesn’t pay the bills in today’s economy”.

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:

• The Crooked Spoon (instagram) is moving into The Block Saloon space in Thomaston which will now serve as their production kitchen and where they’ll operate a weekly dinner service on Friday nights, 5:30 – 11 pm beginning on June 20th. You can also experience their hand made pasta at their weekly Monday night pop-up at The Waldoboro Inn and at the Rockland Farmers Market. The Crooked Spoon is run by chef Samuel Emery and Chloe Chalakani.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that Maineport Brewing in Searsport has debuted a new tasting room.
• Sam Ostrow has closed down Secundo, the South Berwick outpost of his Kittery restaurant Festina Lente. “It is with a lot of mixed emotions that as of today we are closing Secundo. We built a beautiful space, served exquisitely crafted food & beverage, and provided warm hospitality since opening. Thank you to all of our patrons that have shared their evenings and special occasions with us, and thank you to all of the staff members that made Secundo such a wonderful place to spend our time.”
• Sara Rademaker and her Waldoboro company American Unagi were featured by Food & Wine magazine in their 5th annual Game Changers list.
• Crooked Keg Brewing has launched a $25k Go Fund Me crowdfunding campaign to help them launch an arcade and tap room in Lisbon. They previously operated a tasting room in Brunswick.
• The owner of Riverside Grill, in Dover-Foxcroft is running a restaurant give away essay contest. The winner will gain ownership of the Riverside Grill, all equipment, the building it’s in as well as a $10,000 vendor credit. There’s a $100 entry fee for the contest and the drawing is taking place on October 1st.
• Bay Bowls has launched their new location at 45 Water Street in Bath.
• A new food truck called QP Burger (instagram) is under development in Tenants Harbor. The menus is expected to include “hybrid smash burgers, red snapper hot dogs, and crinkle cut French fries” and the Bangor Daily News reports that a new food truck park is expected next week in Belfast.
• The Press Herald reports that Mornings in Paris will be opening a new cafe in Falmouth.

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.