Portland Food Map

10/27/2025

Today we have ten delicious meals to give out. These meals are FREE to anyone in need. Just stop by Backwoods Burger Shack and let us know you’re here for a Dinner Bell.

We have Shepherd’s Pie, Lasagna, and Smoked Chicken, all with sides.

And thank you again to everyone who helped us out. We look forward to giving out many more meals ❤️

10/26/2025

This week’s Maine Food & Dining Report includes word of a wood-fired bagel shop under construction in Damariscotta, today’s opening of Marvelous Macarons in Auburn, the new Frosty’s in Bath and additional news from Brunswick, Camden, Palermo, Belfast, and Bucksport.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know: A new wood-fired bakery called Bagel Witch (instagram) is under construction in Damariscotta. Bagel Witch will be located at 72 Courtyard Street. Owner Caroline Zeller hopes to h...

10/23/2025

The owners of the Eighty-Ate Hospitality, Cecile and Cara Stadler and Emily Topaz, have announced they’ll be closing ZaoZe Café & Market in Brunswick. Their last day in business will be November 1st.

The owners of the Eighty-Ate Hospitality, Cecile and Cara Stadler and Emily Topaz, have announced they’ll be closing ZaoZe Café & Market. Their last day in business will be November 1st. After much reflection and with full hearts, we’ve made the decision to close ZaoZe Café & Market. Our last ...

10/21/2025

Our latest Maine Food & Dining Report includes word of the opening of The Biergarten in Skowhegan and Sun Korean Ramen House in South Portland along with other news from Wells, Limerick, Sanford, Newcastle, Newburgh, and York.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know: Sun Korean Ramen House (website, facebook, instagram) opened last weekend. They’re located at 209 Western Ave in South Portland. They’re open noon – 10 pm on Sundays, Monda...

10/20/2025

A Korean food truck called K-pop Kimbap under development and expected to launch next year.

Josh and Yunhee Keough plan to serve variations of the popular Korean dish kimbap. The menu is still under development but will likely include: a ham kimbap with veggies and egg, a beef kimbap with kimchee, a vegetarian kimbap made with marinated tofu skin, and both a spicy chicken and spicy pork kimbap. There will also be a kid’s kimbap made with eggs and ham. For sides the truck will have both kimchi and scallion pancakes. They expect to augment the regular menu with specials.

The Keoughs plan to fully launch the food truck in the spring, but hope to pop-up at some spots this winter to get feedback on the menu and get familiar with working out of the truck. They’re exploring a variety of spots to locate K-Pop Kimbap in Portland and towns in surrounding area.

Yunhee Keough was adopted and grew up on Peaks Island. She began cooking Korean dishes for friends while in college as a way to further connect with her Korean heritage. Both Keoughs worked at Korea House which was located in the space on Congress Street where Mi Sen is now located and was in business 2010 – 2013.

The photo below is a rendering of what the truck is expected to look like once the wrapping of the truck with the K-Pop Kimbap branding and design is completed.

10/17/2025

CN Traveler has published their list of the 15 Best Restaurants in Portland. The article highlights: Cong Tu Bot, Douro, Dry Dock, Fore Street, Honey Paw, Leeward, Miyake, Mr. Tuna, Papi, Sur Lie, Terlingua, Twelve, Union, Wayside, Woodfords.

Fresh seafood, inventive pizzas, and masterfully made sushi are just a few reasons why this tiny Maine city has such an outsized reputation in the food world

10/16/2025

A new restaurant in South Berwick called Catbird (Catbird Restaurant) is set to open today. Catbird is located at 279 Main Street in the space most recently occupied by Secundo. They’ll be open Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30 – 9:30 pm. Catbird is being launched by Molly Pritchett and chef Josh Grindstaff. 🐈🦜

Grindstaff and his team are serving a contemporary American menu (see below) with dishes like the Braised Cabbage (XO butter, crispy garlic, shallots, kimchi powder), Cavatelli Pasta (braised oxtail ragu, ricotta, parmesan, Calabrian chilis) and a Duck Breast (braised cabbage, green lentils, squash, persimmon pan sauce).

In advance of opening Pritchett had shared some thoughts on the vision for Catbird “We’re building it with heart, humor, and a little edge. I care deeply about creating an environment where staff feel supported and trained to succeed, while Josh brings a calm and grounded energy to the kitchen that inspires trust. With the right team, Catbird won’t just be a restaurant; it’ll be a space that feels alive, approachable, and a little extraordinary.”

The couple initially met when working at Dufour in 2021 and have continued working together at several restaurants since including Northern Union in Ogunquit where Pritchett was the GM and Grindstaff the executive chef.

10/12/2025

This week's Maine Food & Dining report includes news from Bangor, Palermo, Falmouth, Brunswick, Kittery, Norway, Milo, and Kennebunk. Including a Wall Street Journal article about Maine's 'apple renaissance" and a new Filipino market under construction in Bangor.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know: Buena Vista Filipino Food Market has leased space at 1012 Stillwater Avenue in Bangor where they’ll be opening a second location. Buena Vista opened their first market in South...

10/10/2025

John Riitano and Tracy Bonney-Corson have taken over the former Bissell Brothers location in Milo where they plan to launch Rail Yard Brewing and the Rusty Rail restaurant. Corson has extensive experience in the healthcare field and will be leading operations. Riitano is the brewer and co-owner of Two Knights Brewing in Sangerville and will head-up brewing at Rail Yard as well. They hope to launch the business by the end of year.

They shared this vision in a post on Facebook, “The railroad industry played a significant role in connecting the great state of Maine and its lumber industry to the rest of America. Rail Yard Brewing and the Rusty Rail tap room will do the same for the breweries, wineries, and distilleries of Central and Northern Maine. Highlighting some of the best beverages from the Maine Highlands and beyond. Join us in the tap room for a true taste of Maine.”

The tap list is expected to include their own beer, a tap for Two Knights as well as beer and cider from other producers in rural Maine like Turning Page Farm in Monson, Stone Tree Farm in Unity, Knife Edge in Millinocket, and Gordon’s Grog in St Albans. In a nod to the space’s previous occupant there will also be a tap for Bissell Brothers beer. Riitano shared that he’s looking forward to using the larger 10-barrel system and hopes to use the Milo brewery to experiment with new techniques like coolship open fermentation. His goal is to add a canning line in the next year or two and eventually branch out to producing beverages like cider and gluten-free beer. The larger Milo system will also expand production capacity for Two Knights through a contract brewing relationship.

The food menu the Rusty Rail is still under development but expected to feature elevated pub/comfort food with seasonal specials and an focus on local sourcing. Seth Ostrosky is joining the team as the general manager for the Rusty Rail. Ostrosky was the chef/owner of the Nor’easter in Dover-Foxcroft earlier in his career had run Flatlanders in Greenville.

10/09/2025

The owners of Crispy Gài are working on opening a second location in Providence, Rhode Island.

Crispy G*i is looking to open a second location in Providence, Rhode Island reports Alexa Gargosz, in her weekly Food Club newsletter for The Boston Globe, “There’s a lot of opportunity,” said [Crispy G*i co-owner Jordan] Rubin, who said they are currently looking at Providence locations and h...

10/08/2025

Praewpran Yiamjanya and Patrick Udomsay, the owners of the Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen food truck, have leased space at 650 Congress Street where they plan to open a salad and smoothie cafe called Paak.

At Paak they’ll be serving appetizers and smaller bites like fried pork dumpling. However center stage for the menu will be the salad section. Customers will have their choice of a variety of house designed special salads and dressings with the option to add-on proteins like braised caramelized pork belly, tofu, and chicken teriyaki. Customers can also build their own salads; rice and noodle bowls will be available too. For drinks Paak will offer both cold-pressed juice drinks and fruit smoothies. They shared they’re aiming to produce beverages that provide a sense of freshness and that are also rich in nutrients. Stay tuned for more details on the menu as they work towards a hoped for opening day in the spring.

Paak—which means vegetable in Thai—will have room to seat 12-13 people. Udomsay and Yiamjanya want to make it “chill place to hang out” and enjoy a snack or a meal. They plan to continue to operating the Sook Thai food truck after the launch of Paak.

10/07/2025

This week’s Maine Food & Dining Report includes word of new openings in Westbrook, Augusta and Freeport, and additional news from Pembroke, South Berwick, Orr’s Island, York, West Bath.

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know: Sumo Sushi & Grill (website) opened in Westbrook on Thursday. It’s located at 57 Bridge Street in the space most recently occupied Tacos La Poblanita. They’re serving an exte...