PORTLAND, Maine — The city’s food scene never stays the same for long. There’s a constant parade of new foodie destinations popping up all over Greater Portland while others quietly subside into the realm of “what used to be there.”
This spring and summer are no exception.
Local taste buds will soon enjoy new ice cream, Cambodian and seafood options while a local distillery has shut down and put its equipment up for auction. Meanwhile, at Woodfords Corner, a long-running, popular and tiny Cajun joint has licensed its recipes to a much larger venue a few miles away.
Here’s what we know, right now, about Portland’s ever-shifting summer food scene.
Buns, stir fry and fresh licks
Melissa Lombardi, owner of ice cream food truck Twist, has announced she’s opening a year-round location at the Public Market House in Portland’s Monument Square, sometime around Father’s Day. The stall will be called Twirl. Lombardi specializes in serving soft, creamy — but not soft serve — ice cream in interesting combinations. The frosty delights include Pebbles the Redhead, which is Fruity Pebbles cereal twisted into vanilla ice cream, topped with freeze-dried strawberry dust and then sprinkled with more cereal.
Khmer Kitchen opened this week at the Public Market House. The new Cambodian-themed stall is already serving a regular menu of on-the-go food and daily specials, including cha kruong (stir fried lemongrass with ground chicken) and cha kdow (stir fried lemongrass with beef). According to the Portland Food Map, Khmer KItchen owner Khanya Mimande also has plans to open a Laotian restaurant in town.
And though not strictly Portland, it might be worth a half-hour drive to Brunswick where chef Bizhan Eslami opened the BiziBuns food truck this week. Eslami has steaming buns, nifty rice bowls and other snacks on the menu. The truck is headquartered on Maine Street’s grassy mall from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Distilled news
Oxbow Brewing and Hardshore Distilling have leased the former home of Maine Mead Works on Portland’s Washington Avenue. The expansion into its former neighbor’s space will give both operations more room to stretch out, according to the Portland Food Map. Construction has already started and is expected to be completed sometime this summer.
Stroudwater Distillery on Portland’s Thompson’s Point has shut down and its equipment is up for auction. Bidding has already started and closes later this month. The spirit maker opened in 2016 and offered a line of rum, vodka, bourbon and gin.
Back in February, Caleb Landry, Adam Sousa and Matt Brown announced they were launching Portland Distilling Company at 135 Walton St. in Portland. The trio hopes to launch their first product by the fall, called Goldie’s Cocktail Gin. Landry and Sousa help run Blyth and Burrows, a cocktail bar on Exchange Street.
The same but bigger
The Bayou Kitchen has been serving up spicy eggs, savory sausage and jalapeno-and-blueberry muffins at Woodfords Corner in Portland for close to 30 years. The breakfast nook has always been tasty but tiny. On the weekends, it’s tough to get a seat — but that might be changing.
A group of owners led by Louisiana native Samuel Eakin has plans to open a 40-seat, 1,805 square-foot pub at Allens Corner. According to the Portland Food Map, Eakin has licensed the Bayou Kitchen’s time-tested recipes. Eakins is also owner of Cherished Possessions, an estate liquidator, and plans to furnish the new eatery with his own stock of unique furniture. The restaurant will likely open sometime later this year, feature takeout, outdoor seating and stay open until 10 p.m.
Other food news you can use
The 1980s vintage Great Lost Bear on Portland’s Forest Avenue has been sold to longtime managers. No major changes are expected. Staples such as the “mother and child reunion,” a chicken and fried egg sandwich, the “angry bird,” a chicken sandwich with Hellfire hot sauce, jalapenos and blue cheese, and the “spic of spanikopita,” will stay on the menu.
A new, Thursday, Woodfords Corner farmer market launched this week at the Congregational Church.
The new Casco Bay Seafood Festival takes place Sunday in Brunswick.
Portland Wine Week kicks off June 12 and pours until June 18.
If you long for tzatziki sauce and pita bread, you’re in luck. The annual Holy Trinity Church Greek Festival gets underway in Portland on June 22 and runs until June 24.
