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Higher Grounds

Opened for business on October 12, 2017

Higher Grounds, 45 Wharf St Portland, ME 04101

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About Portland Food Map

Portland Food Map launched in 2007 as a simple directory of the local food community. Other features have been added over the years including food event listings, the Under Construction page, guides to Maine apples and cider producers, the restaurant real estate listings, Year in Review reports, the My Kitchen Their Table chef interview series, and Maine news reporting.

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Prolific Maine restaurateur Walter Loeman has leas

Prolific Maine restaurateur Walter Loeman has leased space in the Tontine Mall in Brunswick where he plans to open a new business called Walter’s Cafe. Loeman hopes to launch the cafe in May.

This new Walter’s will be a counter service cafe serving soups, stews, salads, sandwiches and drinks along with grab and go food to go as well as stock and bone broth for cooking/enjoyment at home. Four Maine farms (Whatley, Six Rivers, Goranson, Morning Dew) will be featured on the salad menu, each with a dish that highlights seasonal ingredients sourced from them. Bread will be baked in-house and Loeman plans to serve his grandmother’s lobster bisque that some diners (including this writer) will recall was on the menu at Perfettos nearly 25 years ago.

Walter’s will be located in a space formerly occupied by Butchers & Bakers which closed in October 2022. The cafe (located downstairs from Brickyard Hollow) will seat ~30 and Loeman hopes to create a community space where people will want to remain for a time and return to often. He also sees part of the cafe’s mission is to showcase the bounty of Maine farms. He shared that an guiding principle for Walter’s Cafe will be to make it approachable, affordable and repeatable experience.

Loeman has been a member of the Maine restaurant community dating back to the 1980s when he launched the Mariner’s Church Bakery. He’s been the creator or co-creator of many noted establishments including the bakery, the original Walter’s Cafe on Exchange Street, Perfettos, Joe’s Boathouse, Cotton Street Cantina, 15 Independence, Maza, Perfettos Kennebunkport, Fresh, and Farm Truck Juice. In addition he’s the founder of the Farm Truck Institute.. #mainefood #farmfood #brunswickme #farmtotable.

Here’s a new set of photos from across Maine’s

Here’s a new set of photos from across Maine’s burgeoning food scene. Between old standbys and new/er establishments there are a seemingly endless number of spots to visit and share with you. Give the ones highlighted here a follow and a visit on your next Maine road-trip.
**Do you have a favorite eatery outside the Portland area? Tag or mention them in the comments so we can keep them in mind for future road trips.**
This post has photos from 7 establishments located in 4 Maine counties: Lincoln, Piscataquis, Knox and Cumberland. The details (in order of the photos):
-Odd Alewines Brewery (@oddalewives) is located in Waldoboro. In addition to their delicious beer they also serve wood-fired pizza. Shown here is their chorizo, broccoli rab and cherry pepper pizza paired with a glass of their Odd Night black ale.
-Morse’s (@morseskraut) has been in business since 1918. They’re known for their sauerkraut and pickles but also stock an enormous range of specialty good at their store in Waldoboro.
-Costa Media (@_costamedia) is the Midcoast rendition of highly regarded Honduran/Caribbean Cafe Louis (@_cafelouis) in South Portland. The caramelized tangerines are served with panela, yogurt, pepitas and toasted sourdough.
-Here’s a look at the seven-napkin burger from the Owl’s Head General Store (@owls_head_general_store). The general store was recognized in 2023 by Down East (@downeastmagazine) magazine as having the Best Burger in Maine.
-Albatross (@albatrossmaine) launched in late 2023. Owners Maggie and Jeffrey Harris are serving a menu of internationally-inspired small plates. They’re located just outside the town center of Camden.
-Turning Page Farm (@turningpagefarm) is a brewery and goat farm in Monson. They produce beer and a range of house made cheeses and other specialty foods. Stop in to enjoy the food and beer and their sunny warm tasting room.
-Lenny’s at Hawke’s Plaza (@lennys_westbrook) is a pub and music venue on the far side of Westbrook near the Windham border. Shown here is salmon plated over crispy potatoes and spinach.
#16countieseats #mainefood #pizzaandbeer #tangerines #piscataquiscounty #knoxcounty #lincolncounty #cumberlandcounty

Ryan Carey has purchased the former Elsmere BBQ bu

Ryan Carey has purchased the former Elsmere BBQ building at 476 Stevens Ave in Deering Center where he plans to open Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue. The new restaurant will serve the barbecue menu his restaurant Noble Barbecue ( @noble_barbecue) has become known for, and will expand the offerings to include New York-style pizza and milkshakes.
Carey intends to do some light renovations to the building before opening in July. The Noble BBQ restaurant on outer Forest will remain in business until shortly before the new restaurant is ready to open. In addition to Noble BBQ, Carey also operates the Fire & Co. (@fireandco) catering company.

The former Stars and Stripes tasting room space at

The former Stars and Stripes tasting room space at 3 Spring Street has been leased and is slated to become a new bakery called Yuri’s Desserts (@yuri_dessert). The owners hope to launch Yuri’s in September.
The menu at Yuri’s will include items like whipped cream cakes, fruit tarts, macarons, cookies, and milk shaved ice as well as croissants and donuts with a variety of cream and fruit toppings.
Daewon Kim and his wife Eunjee Park will operate Yuri’s along with bakers Yuri Kim and Gunsang Park who have a combined 34 years of baking experience including work for Paris Baguette and Tous les Jours in South Korea and in the US.
The Stars & Stripes Brewing tasting room closed earlier this year, and prior to that 3 Spring Street was the location of Cara and Cecile Stadler’s restaurant Lio. #mainefood #comingsoon #portlandmainefood

Welcome to the quarterly restaurant property highl

Welcome to the quarterly restaurant property highlight sponsored by The Boulos Company (@theboulosco). This quarter we’re featuring 188 Lincoln Street (1st and 2nd photos) in Lewiston, Maine. This former fire station was built in 1964 and fully renovated in 2020 anticipating its potential utilization as a restaurant or food production facility.
188 Lincoln is located at the intersection of Cedar and Lincoln Streets, and is just a couple of streets away from the historic downtown corridor of Lisbon Street and 2 miles from Bates College. The building has 3,183± SF of space on the first floor ($14/SF) and 2,371± SF ($5/SF) on a lower level. The building has ample parking in the lot adjacent to the building and nearby garage. See the 3rd and 4th images for a conceptual floor plan and an artist’s rendering of a restaurant on the ground floor.
The intersection (7th image) had been the location of a fire station dating back to 1908 when Phillipe Bazinet was the first Captain of the Hose Company No. 4. It is in the heart of the historic Little Canada neighborhood that was the center of the Franco-American community in Lewiston. Nearby you’ll find a living part of the neighborhood’s food culture at Labadie’s Bakery (5th image) which has been in business since 1925 and is well-loved for their donuts and whoopie pies.
A city of more than 39,000 people, Lewiston is the home to Forage Bagels which Food & Wine magazine named one of the best bagel shops in the country. Nearby there’s also Baxter Brewing, Davinci’s, Sonder & Dram cocktail bar, Cafe Obscura, Simone’s Hot Dogs (since 1908!), and the new fine dining restaurant Bon Vivant...to name just a few. Even so, Lewiston remains an underserved community when it comes to restaurants and other food and beverage businesses representing an opportunity for a restaurant operator with the right concept.
Contact Noah Stebbins or Roy Donnelly at @theboulosco with inquiries; see link in our bio for further details on the property.
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with The Boulos Company (@theboulosco). #lewistonmaine

@smokedportland opened for business today. They’

@smokedportland opened for business today. They’re located in the former Maelily Ryleigh’s building at 951 Forest Ave.
The menu includes wings, burgers, sandwiches/wraps, apps and more. Shown here are the Smoked Dirty Wings coated in their Jamaican Jerk Dry Rub, a glass of Allagash White and a plate of beef sliders and fries in the background. Visit the Smoked website for a look at their full menu.
The redesigned space has a long bar along the left side of the dining room, with table seating up front, booths along the right wall and high top table towards the back of the room.

Smoked will be open 11am – 11pm daily.
#mainefood #smokedportland #smokedwings

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