MIDCOAST—This year, we are consolidating our annual “Welcome back” article to acquaint those who haven’t been around this winter to see what’s open, what’s closed, what's new, and what's happening in Rockland, Camden-Rockport, Belfast, and inland.

New Restaurants & Businesses

Lincolnville & Belfast

The Hoot in Northport has changed owners. According to their website: “Anna and Jon Poto are collaborating with the new owners, Robert Macdowell and Janiece Fazio, to provide a seamless transition. The new owners have no intention of changing The Hoot since the restaurant already works like a charm.”

This winter was a brutal one with some of the worst back-to-back noreaster disasters Maine has seen in decades. The Lincolnville Pound sustained heavy damage during the flooding that damaged much of the Midcoast coastline and put Lincolnville Beach under water twice this winter. It impacted every single business along that low strip of Route One by the beach. Soon after, real estate notices put “The Pound” as locals knew it up for sale with the listing stating: “The building is in need of extensive renovation to bring it back to its prior glory and open back up as a restaurant.” At the time of this story, the owners could not be reached for comment. 

McLaughlin’s Lobster Shack located next to the Lincolnville Beach ferry has now moved to the former Chez Michel location and has been advertising for summer help. 

Nautilus Seafood & Grill also re-opened under new ownership this winter. Shawna Aitken, Shelley Trisch, and Mary Marchini took on the restaurant on January 1 from its previous owners, Ron and Roz Peters, who founded the restaurant in 2012. Not long after they purchased it, the winter storms previously mentioned flooded the Belfast harbor flooding the restaurant twice. Here are photos from January. However, since then, they’ve cleaned up, recovered, and are ready for the summer season.

Bell The Cat moved across the street to 18 Hatley Road next to Athena Health and they’ve been busy this winter building a new outdoor patio.

Dos Gatos Gastro Pub took over the basement lounge of the former Sophia beer and wine bar on 84 Main Street. This underground taco & cocktail gastro pub offers traditional standards as well as some taco combos such as duck confit, crab, etc. Find out more here.

Camden

Buttermilk Kitchen at Marriner’s is the latest breakfast and lunch spot in Camden to open on 35 Elm Street once Marriner’s closed. The owners modeled the Maine location after their Buttermilk Kitchen restaurant in Atlanta. Read Chris Wolf’s story. Marriner’s Restaurant changed hands when Dan and Becki Gabriele sold the business to Suzanne Vizethann after 41 years.

Per the Camden town office, The Bagel Café will be moving from its long-time location on Mechanic Street to the former Boynton-McKay space on Elm Street, which has remained vacant since the midst of the pandemic.

First Fig, a neighborhood wine shop and bar at 31 Elm Street, opened for business in late February. Read that PenBay Pilot story here.

Costa Media, formerly wolfpeach, at 50 Elm Street is the sister restaurant, South Portland-based Cafe Louis, and opened just before Christmas, offering a menu inspired by Costa Rican and Caribbean flavors.

Almost simultaneously in mid-December, Albatross, a new restaurant opened at 115 Elm Street in Camden, on the same property as the Cedar Crest Inn. The menu is a bit eclectic with a definite Asian flare to it. There is Japanese-style cured mackerel, Thai pickled shrimp, and Pho egg drop soup with a beef shank. Read that PenBay Pilot story here.

Rockport

The biggest news coming out of Rockport this winter is the completion of the Rockport Harbor Hotel, facing the harbor. See the related article here. On May 8, the hotel announced its rooftop Atrium Restaurant was opened to the public with a Business After Hours event hosted by the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Another notable story this winter from MaineBiz announced, “Rock City Employee Cooperative, an employee-owned cooperative that owns a café and coffee roastery in Rockland, is planning to move the roastery from a leased space at 252 Main St. in Rockland to another building in the neighboring Knox County town of Rockport.”

Sea Hag Cider took over the space at 315 Commerical Street, also in mid-December opening Rockport’s first cidery. Sea Hag Cider features various Maine apples and orchards as well as other local ingredients like wildflower honey and even maple syrup to make their many ciders that you can try on tap in their tasting room.

Union

Jennifer and Fabrice Roux opened Alsace Restaurant & Dining Bar opened in October 2023 at 1422 Heald Highway offering French and German cuisine.

Rockland

Fresh & Co. is opening a sister restaurant in the former Cafe Miranda space on Oak Street. The owners could not be reached for any further comment.

Mise en place, a new shop for kitchenware recently opened this month. Located on 425 Main Street, it is Rockland’s first kitchen store since The Store closed. Owned by Eileen Gaughan, a home cook herself, the store is for home cooks, offering tools, cookbooks, and Maine-created ingredients. Read that story here. 

Thomaston

Honey’s Fried Chicken Palace is owner, Malcolm Bedell’s second eatery to open in the Midcoast this spring. Springing from Ancho Honey in Tenants Harbor, Bedell’s second restaurant features signature scratch cooking with chicken being the main star of the menu. Find out more here.

If we’ve missed a restaurant or business, email news@penbaypilot.com with the relevant details (who/what/where/when) and we’ll paste it into this story.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com