Portland Food Map

08/19/2026

The Boston Globe has published an article about the Portland area's excellent baking scene. "The city of roughly 70,000 people is home to an astonishing concentration of bakeries whose work rivals anything found in far larger cities. That didn’t happen by accident. Pioneering bakeries raised the standard decades ago."

The article highlights: Standard, Scratch, Night Moves, Zu, Ugly Duckling, LB, Tandem, Bread & Friends, Forage, Norimoto, The Purple House and Mère.

The talent is top-notch and the scene is warm and neighborly. Here’s a look at some of the city’s most delectable offerings.

08/15/2026

This week’s Maine Food & Dining Report includes word of a new restaurant (Sakura Harbour) in Searsport, the upcoming closure of The Holy Donut in Brunswick and Odd Alewives in Waldoboro, an article in The Boston Globe about chef Krista Kern Desjarlais and The Purple House in North Yarmouth, a new winery called Earth Dharma Winegrowers in Jackson, the addition of 15 more businesses to our Maine Food Map statewide dining guide as well as other news from Biddeford, Damariscotta, South Portland, Bath, Newcastle, Camden, Farmington. Visit our website (link on profile page) for all the details.

08/06/2026

This week’s Maine Food & Dining Report includes word of a new bagel🥯 shop (Knead & Nosh) in Topsham (photos and menu below), an Indian restaurant called Coastal Curry under construction in Scarborough, the upcoming opening of Himalayas on the Bay in South Portland, a new home for Maine Meat in Kittery, a new gluten-free eatery (Tin Roof Diner) in Dresden Mills, and the launch party for Oyster Society🦪 by Virginia Shaffer (Lady Oyster) as well as other news from Kennebunk, Ogunquit, Rockport, Bridgewater, Swanville, Freedom, Belfast, and Wiscasset. Visit our website (link on profile page) for all the details.

08/05/2026

The grand opening for Sawyer’s Butcher & Delicatessen is set for Friday August 7th. Sawyer’s is whole animal butcher shop and counter service sandwich cafe with a small market offering grab and go items and pantry standards.

Owner Chris Wilcox leased the 4,606 sq ft former Thistle & Grouse space at 10 Cotton Street earlier this year and has renovated the first floor which now includes a large open kitchen, dry aging refrigerator, meat counter, market area and seating for customers enjoying one of their sandwiches on site. In addition to the 15-seat indoor seating area, Sawyer’s also has an enclosed patio.

The menu (see photos) includes a selection of six sandwiches produced with housemade meats. Shown here is the rosemary ham and cheese sandwich, and the house salad.

Wilcox is exclusively sourcing animals from Maine farms tapping into the relationships he’s built over the past decade of working as a chef. He’s developed an in-house charcuterie program that will produce prepared meats like mortadella, pates, and terrines.

Wilcox formerly owned and operated Judy Gibson in South Portland, and previously had been the chef de cuisine at Eventide.

Sawyer’s will be open Wednesday through Saturday 11 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 10 am – 4 pm.

08/04/2026

Pho Viet Restaurant opened last Friday. They’re located at 865 Forest Ave in the space formerly occupied by Mekong Asian Bistro. The restaurant features a bar and dining room overlooking Forest Ave as well as a second upper level dining area. They’re open daily, 11 am – 9 pm.

Owner Chau Dang and his team serve 10 different types of pho🍲 (vegetable, tofu, seafood, rare steak, etc), several other soups like Bun Bo Hue as well as a wide range of noodle salads, noodle and rice dishes, and stir fries. Shown above are a big bowl of shrimp🍤 pho, and a plate of the chicken spring rolls.

08/01/2026

The Other Side Diner is holding their grand reopening today, August 1st. The diner is under the new ownership of Danielle Dubois and Dan Washington. Dubois has been a member of the Other Side kitchen staff for the last year, and Washington has several years experience cooking in the Portland area.

The layout of the room remains the same, and Washington and Dubois are taking a very similar approach with the menu (see below) continuing to serve dishes like the lamb gyro, Monte Cristo sandwich, falafel eggs benedict and pancakes🥞. Other Side offers coffee, tea and other soft drinks as well as a selection of local beers🍺, cider, kombucha and brunch drinks like mimosas. Dubois and Washington hope to eventually open the diner for dinner. Shown here are the turkey club sandwich🥪 and a side of Greek donuts.

The diner is located at 500 Washington Avenue and will be open Monday through Friday 8 am – 2 pm, and Saturday/Sunday 8 am – 3 pm.

Founders Peter and Jessica Sueltenfuss sold the business to Washington and Dubois in June. They initially opened it in April 2019.

07/29/2026

A Somali restaurant called Zaitun is under construction on Forest Ave in the building formerly occupied by Loco Taco. Owner Abdulrahman Idow plans to launch Zaitun this Saturday, August 1st at noon.

Idow hopes Zaitun can “be a place where people can experience authentic Somali cuisine, whether they’re reconnecting with the flavors of home or trying them for the very first time. We look forward to bringing our community together and introducing more of Maine to the rich culture of Somalia.”

The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner (see menus below) with options like Hummus Oodkac (hummus topped with Somali spiced beef jerky), injera-based dishes prepared with chicken, lamb or vegetables, Channa Masala (chickpeas simmered in tomato and onion gravy with ginger, garlic, cumin and coriander), shwarma wraps, sambusas, and desserts.

Zaitun is located at 849 Forest Avenue and will be open Monday through Thursday, 9 am – 9 pm, and Friday/Saturday, 9 am – 11 pm.

07/29/2026

Sweetfern Geometer is set to open today, July 29th. Owner William Justice has completely renovated the former Bake Maine Pottery Cafe space at 122 Washington Ave. It now features a 20-seat bar and overall seating capacity for 50 guests. Sweettfern will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 – 9 pm.

Justice is initially launching Sweetfern with counter service and an abreviated bar menu (see below) that includes Scallop Crudo plated with kielbasa, cucumber, scallion mayo, green oil and red currant, Spelt Demi-Boule served with radish and marigold butter, and the option of Marinated Chicken or Tofu served with charred heirloom tomato, basil, Irish moss, trumpet mushorooms, Szechuan pepper and masa. The beverage program will initially include, beer and wine with plans to add a cocktail with the launch of the full menu.

When the full menu and table service comes on line, Sweetfern will serve some a la carte options with the central offering of family-style meals utilizing seasonal ingredients and guided by dinner guest preferences (vegetarian, seafood, etc).

Justice began his career in hospitality running an underground catering operation in California as an offshoot of his work in the publishing industry. The side venture to provide food for book events eventually became center stage in his career. He went on to launch a farm-to-table restaurant and bookstore/coffee shop in Kansas, before moving to NYC where he was the chef and co-owner Tannat Wine & Cheese. Earlier this year he opened a bakery/cafe in an adjacent space called Mourning Cloak.

07/21/2026

The Argentine wine bar and restaurant Franciska has added a selection of cocktails to their menu. The program is a collaboration between Brian ‘Cat’ Catapang from Magnus on Water and Franciska owner Alex Marchesini.

Marchesini shared “Argentine bodegones have a rich drinking culture where vermouth, Amari, and sherry collide, simple cocktails have always had a place alongside the food. It felt like a natural and honest evolution to introduce a small cocktail program that reflects that tradition and gives guests another way to experience the culture…After visiting Magnus and experiencing Cat’s cocktails, I knew he was the right person to help bring the program to life. The balance, restraint, and creativity in his drinks really stood out to me.”

Shown here are the Poncho made with Bold Coast Spirits oyster vodka, Plymouth London dry gin & Tio Pepe fino sherry alongside a serving of Franciska’s flounder ceviche, the Beagle made with Amontillado sherry, La Fuerza vermouth, strawberry apertiff and Meletti amaro, and the Pipistrello made with Four Roses bourbon, Cocchi rosso, Bordiga bianco, passionfruit and Angostura bitters.

07/18/2026

This week’s Maine Food & Dining Report includes word of a new bakery (Periwinkle Pie Co.) under construction in Georgetown and new restaurant under construction (No Bones Grill) in Old Town; of the launch of a wine bar in Kittery (Kittery Wine Bar), the Bowdoinham Country Store (photos below), new food trucks in Madawaska (T&D Eatery) and York, and a kitchen at Wiggly Bridge Distillery; a review of Hank's Maine in Scarborough; the closing of three businesses; as well as other news from Wiscasset, Ogunquit, Bar Harbor, and Arundel.
Visit our website (link on profile page) for all the details.