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Much has been said about the renaissance of Kittery Foreside, spurred especially by a culinary prosperity in Wallingford Square that takes many guises: the billowy lightness of New England’s best cruller at Lil’s Café; the glorious bite from vampire-obliterating teardrop bulbs of roasted garlic in an Abby’s white sauce slice at AJ’s Wood Grill Pizz...

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It was dinnertime on a Friday, and my friend Jennifer and I decided to go out for a spontaneous dinner. But without reservations, we knew finding a table in Portland would be challenging. Drifters Wife had a 45-minute wait just to sit at the bar. At Baharat, a little more off the beaten path, the line of people waiting to be seated reached the door...

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The Maine House of Representatives initially approved a bill on Tuesday that would make the state join several others and a handful of municipalities including Bangor by recognizing the October holiday of Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day. After the 88-51 vote, a measure sponsored by Rep. Ben Collings, D-Portland, looks to be on track...

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For the second time in as many weeks, Maine's firefighting community is saying goodbye to one of their own. It was less than one week ago when firefighters from all over the state came out to the funeral services of Capt. Joel Barnes. It was during those services when Oxford Fire Chief, Gary Sacco, fell ill. The 63-year-old was rushed to a nearby h...

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Piccolo’s executive chef, Damian Sansonetti, is chuckling in the background. Despite his efforts, I can hear him over the speakerphone. I’ve just asked his wife, pastry chef Ilma Lopez, what inspired her to put smoked walnuts on a dark chocolate budino ($12) – an addition that pitch-shifts the tones of the custard-like dessert from bittersweet to t...

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Let’s get some initial questions about Tesoro, the newly revamped Italian eatery on Harlow Street in Bangor that reopened under new ownership this week after three months closed, out of the way first. Yes, it still offers pizza, pasta and carafes of wine. Yes, there’s still classic diner-style seating in the front room. And yes, nearly 25 years aft...

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The Light in the Piazza will be lighting up City Theater in Biddeford for 3 weekends in March. This exciting production features some the best vocal talent in Southern, Maine and an extraordinary 5 piece chamber orchestra. This new production has been said to have "the most intensely romantic score of any musical since West Side Story" (NY Times) T...

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Maine lawmakers are set to consider trading the Columbus Day holiday for a tribute to Native Americans. The Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee is set to hold a hearing on the bill Monday. Democratic Rep. Benjamin Collings of Portland sponsored the bill that renames the state holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October to Indi...

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Two months after putting it up for sale, Tesoro Pizzeria & Restaurant owners Fortunata and Rocco Agrusa have sold their business to a pair with extensive experience in the local restaurant scene. Johanna Harvey and Mark Greenleaf, both of Bangor, purchased Tesoro from the Agrusas last month, and have been busy over the past few weeks renovating the...

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Momma Baldacci's has been resurrected, a decade after the bricks-and-mortar Bangor restaurant closed, as a food truck. The Bangor Daily News reported that Paul Baldacci Jr., the fourth generation to be involved in the well-known restaurant, was in his early 20s when his father died in 2006. Baldacci Jr. wasn't ready for the operation, which closed...

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