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

• The Chametz (website, facebook, instagram) is scheduled to open on May 19th and has begun taking reservations. Founders Lina Mamut and chef Jared Rudnick plan to serve a locally sourced chef’s tasting menu with the option of alcoholic or nonalcoholic pairings. The sample menu on their website includes dishes like duck rillettes with poached peach, green strawberry and duck gribenes. For additional background information see our earlier report on the restaurant from December 2023..
• Knead & Nosh (website, facebook, instagram) has leased space at 4 Bowdoin Mill Island in Topsham where they plan to open a retail shop and cafe. They hope to launch this June serving bagel sandwiches and coffee, and retailing NY-style bagels. The new space will also provide space to hold baking and cooking classes.
• Makoto (see photos above) is now open for business and taking reservations on Resy. The Japanese restaurant has been launched by the owners of Yosaku at 448 Cottage Road in South Portland in the building formerly occupied by Elsmere BBQ. In addition to similar range of sushi options as Yosaku, the restaurant also serves a selection of wood-fired dishes like the mackerel shown above. You can see the full menu on their website.
• Camp DeForest in Lincolnville plans to launch a cocktail bar this summer. Tiki Scout (instagram) is envisioned as a “spirited cocktail bar opening in July that brings a touch of tropical fun to the Maine woods. With playful tiki-inspired drinks and laid-back camp energy, the bar offers a lively new social hub for guests looking to toast the end of a day outdoors.” When it launches the 20-seat bar is will be open Thursday through Saturday evenings serving a menu of  “Maine-influenced tiki style pupu platters and nostalgic camp favorites.”
• Swell House (website, instagram) has leased space adjacent to their coffee shop in Cape Neddick where they will open Swell Kitchen (instagram) this spring. They plan to offer grab-and-go foods as well a build-a-bowl option and house signature bowls. “Executive Chef, Mathew Barksdale and Operations Manager, Randy De Vega will be lining up Goldilocks’ favorite beds of eggs/breakfast potatoes, healthy starches, and mixed greens ready to be topped with fresh produce and proteins, unique toppings like house-made kimchis and dreamy dressings to pair so that it is JUST RIGHT.”
• Ross Florance and McKenna Koledo have published some renovation photos of La Laiterie. The grand opening weekend for the Jonesboro cafe is scheduled for April 23-26. As reported back in January, the restaurant’s menu will be draw its inspiration from the culinary traditions of Brittany. Florance and Koledo plan to offer a wide range of options from convenient grab-and-go items to dishes like moules-frites, oysters on the half shell, and classic French sandwiches like jambon-beurre for a sit-down meal. French baked goods and pastries, buckwheat crepes, and quiches will be available for breakfast. Additionally, La Laiterie will host Florance’s tasting dinner series Flora.
• The Kennebec Journal has published a Q&A with Pear Nalaphas and Trever Cherette, the owners of Bao and Beyond, which launched in Augusta this past October. “For Nalaphas and Cherette the focus goes beyond serving food, it’s about sharing flavors and cultures that have helped shape their cooking, while also creating an experience that feels both approachable and exciting for the local community.”
• The Midcoast Villager reports that a group of three residents have formed a nonprofit community development corporation to buy the Thomaston Grocery.
• The Portsmouth Herald has published an article about Bob’s Ugly Bagels in Shapleigh.
• Eating Though the Seacoast has published a selection of 15 Hotel Bars Worth Exploring in Maine.
• Moderation Brewing has published an update on the new location they have under development in Brunswick

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:

• Several of Maine’s seasonal destination restaurants are now taking reservations for 2026: Aragosta on Deer Isle has begun taking reservations and opens for the season on May 7th, Circumstance in Swanville is now taking reservations and launches their season on April 24th, The Lost Kitchen in Freedom has begun gathering postcards for their reservation lottery, and The Well at Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth is taking reservations and opens for the season on June 10th.
• Chef Jordan DiDonato is launching a food cart called Beef Haus (instagram) in Oxford. He plans to serve a menu of meatball sub variations and a set of hot dog sandwiches like the House Dog topped with mustard, grilled onions, sauerkraut and celery salt. DiDonato hopes to launch by the beginning of June.
• The Cork & Cow (website, instagram) has launched their new wine bar. Located on the second floor of their shop at 47 Main Street in Belgrade, it is open Friday through Sunday, 3 – 9 pm. The menu includes a selection of white, rose and red wines by the glass, draft beer and some bar snacks.
• Taste Me (website, instagram) has opened for business in Scarborough. The Asian fusion sandwich shop serves a menu that includes baked goods, rice bowls, ramen, banh mi, breakfast sandwiches, standards like BLTs and a set of house specials like an orange chicken sandwich served on a brioche bun. They’re located at 680 US Route One and are open Wednesday through Monday, 7 am – 3 pm.
• Siren & Sailor (website, facebook, instagram), a new Bar Harbor cocktail bar and restaurant from the owners of The Travelin Lobster, is scheduled to open on April 9th, 3:30 – 8:30 pm. You can see their full food menu and drink list on their website.
• Me Lon Togo is holding a pop-up Gather in Yarmouth on April 12th serving a 4-course dinner.
• The Midcoast Villager reports that the Megunticook Market in Camden is under new ownership “Megunticook Market and Catering on Gould Street will be undergoing a “facelift” and offering a new expanded selection including Asian cuisine items, the new owner has announced.”
• The Pen Bay Pilot has published an article about Nomad, the new cafe operating at the Knox County Airport in Owls Head.
• The Bangor Daily News reports that Northern Maine Kolache in Van Buren will be opening their new shop early next month. “Ayotte plans a grand opening at the new spot, located on 46 Main St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. The new store will maintain the business’s regular hours of 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on all weekdays except Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.”
• The Press Herald reports that Doughty’s Island Market on Chebeague Island is closing after 65 years in business.

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.