The definitive guide to Portland's food scene
The Wall Street Journal has published an interview with CEO Briana Warner from Atlantic Sea Farms.
One of the biggest producers in the U.S. is Maine-based Atlantic Sea Farms. The 40 or so farmers that work with the company harvested 1.3 million pounds of kelp, a type of seaweed, in 2024. Atlantic Sea Farms then buys the kelp at a fixed price. The company tests and treats the seaweed before incorporating it into food products sold at retail stores including Whole Foods, and ingredients it sells to other companies to add to their products.
Mainebiz reports that a new bubble tea shop called Bubble Bliss has opened at 23 Temple Street. It’s located in the space formerly occupied by Old Port Nutrition.
Bubble Bliss offers 23 varieties of bubble tea, including strawberry, brown sugar, taro and vanilla chai. The teas are made with real milk, not milk powders, which gives the drink a richer and creamier taste.
The cafe will also offer refreshers, flavored iced Red Bull drinks and hot tea. 
New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:
For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.
Thames Landing (website, instagram) is set to open in early July. The restaurant is located in the space formerly occupied by Helm at 60 Thames Street in the first floor of the WEX building.
The dinner menu (see below) includes appetizers like salt cod croquettes, mussels and deviled eggs, a variety of salads and dinner entrees that range from lobster rolls and smashed burgers to lobster dinners and NY strip steaks. The lunch menu slots in some sandwiches in place of larger entrees, and the brunch menu offers some dishes like eggs benedict and French toast.
Thames Landing is being launched by owners Mark and Renae Roy who also operate Navis Cafe. Kristen Smedberg is joining the Thames Landing team as the head chef. She’s was most recently the sous chef at Isa Bistro. David Lacy will be the Thames Landing bartender. Lacy was previously a veteran member of the bar staff at Fore Street.
The Roys have made some changes to the layout of the dining room to open up the entrance area and replace the banquette with table seating. The bar area and private dining room remain in place and the Roys will be launching an expanded outdoor seating area.
Thames Landing will initially open on July 3rd and will hold a grand opening on July 10th. It will be open Monday and Wednesday through Friday 11 am – 9 pm and Saturday/Sunday 10 am – 9 pm.
The Roys are hiring to fill a few last positions at Thames Landing. Visit thames-landing.com for more information and to apply.
Low Stakes Lodge (instagram) will be opening for business on Thursday. The new steakhouse is located at 106 Exchange Street in the space adjacent to Highroller. The restaurant includes a 13-seat bar, booth seating and upper dining area with a capacity of about 70 overall.
Owners Andy Gerry, Baxter Key, and Peter Bissell—the owners of The Highroller Lobster Company—drew inspiration from traditional steakhouse design and blended it with Maine history and some twists from the owners’ memories of the Bugaboo Creek chain.
The menu (see below) will include prime Rib Eye (shown above), Filet Mignon, New York Strip, and Bavette as well as pork chops, a burger and some other entrees. A Bloomin’ Onion, Wedge Salad and French Onion Soup are among the appetizers. Classic and house cocktails (see below), draft beer and wines by the glass and bottle are available to drink.
Low Stakes Lodge will be open this Thursday through Sunday starting at 5 pm. They’ll be closed the week of the Fourth of July and then hold their grand opening on July 11th. When you go check out the animatronic moose head in the dining room named Moosifer and the mounted Big Mouth Billy Bass in the bathroom that sings Don’t Worry Be Happy and Take Me to the River.
CNN has published a profile of Portland as part of their series on the America’s Ten Best Towns to Visit. Portland’s restaurants and breweries are highlighted in the article including Allagash, Il Leone, Fore Street, Mr. Tuna and Eventide.
The 4th Biennial Maine Apple Camp is taking place Labor Day weekend in Hope, Maine.
Experts from across the country will deliver presentations and participate panel discussions about orcharding, cidermaking, foraging, and apple breeding and genetics. Maine Apple Camp will also have arts and crafts, outdoor activities, and communal meals and cider shares and tastings.
The 3-day event is open to everyone “from the apple-curious to the pome-obsessed.” Maine Apple Camp is being organized by the Maine Heritage Orchard and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. It will be taking place at Camp Bishopswood in Hope, Maine August 30 and 31 and September 1st.
More information and the full schedule are available on the MOFGA site, and you can register for Maine Apple Camp online.
All Week – The 2nd Annual Wurst Week Ever is taking place at Highroller, Hunt & Alpine, Room for Improvement and Bar Futo. See this Wurst Week instagram post for details on some events taking place during the week.
Tuesday – The grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new Stonewall Kitchen shop at 215 Commercial Street is taking place noon to 2 pm.
Thursday – Nina June in Rockport is hosting Naama Shefi for a multi-course prix-fixe dinner in celebration of Shefi’s new book The Jewish Holiday Table.
Saturday – The 3rd Annual Mast Landing Wavy Days Festival is taking place.
Saturday/Sunday – The Maine Oyster Festival is taking place in Freeport.
July 19-21 – The Yarmouth Clam Festival is taking place.
July 25/26 – The Kneading Conference is taking place in Skowhegan.
August 3/4 – The Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend is taking place.
August 30 – September 1 – The Maine Apple Camp is taking place.
September 8 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.
September 20-22 – The Common Ground Fair will be taking place.
October 13 – The 16th Annual Open Creamery Day is taking place.
The Maine Sunday Telegram includes a 4 star review of OystHers in Bath,
Lauren Crosby, the duo have put together an expertly chosen and overall remarkably affordable list of food-friendly beverages – everything from Armenian bubbles to nonalcoholic lavender-and-forsythia-infused soda ($10). Moreover, they’ve built a varied menu that comprises fat, overstuffed sliders (crab or lobster), salads, caviar and well-composed charcuterie boards. Sitting indoors is perfectly lovely, but if the weather is decent, head outdoors and snag a picnic table with views over Bath’s new riverwalk on the Kennebec River.
and an article about the Secret Supper outdoor dinner series and the South Portland couple who manage the company.
Owners Chris Gamble and Jason Kroot are opening the new Blue Lobster Urban Winery (website, facebook, instagram) tasting room today. The tasting room serves Blue Lobster wines and cider as well as beer, cocktails, mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks. See below for their full menu.
Blue Lobster will initially be open Monday through Thursday 2 – 7 pm, Friday 2 – 8 pm, Saturday noon – 8 pm and Sunday noon – 6 pm.
BLUW was founded in 2017 and for the last 7 years has been located in the Rockingham Electric building just down the road at 219 Anderson Street. Both the production facility and the tasting room are now relocated to 200 Anderson Street.
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, the Maine Food Map guide, and Maine news reporting.
The 2024 editions of the Portland and Midcoast Pocket Guides are now out. Pick-up a copy Portland and Midcoast guides at local businesses, and if you need a bunch for an event you’re organizing or for your business you can buy them in packs of 25 on our online store.
Do you have some details you’d like to pass on about an upcoming business or development in the Portland food scene? Then please fill out our Contact Form, we’d love to hear all about it.
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