Down East readers first voted in a write-in round. The top-five vote getters in each category became finalists (give or take, in the event of ties). Then, readers picked winners in a multiple-choice final round. Here and there, we’ve spotlighted some notable winners and finalists, businesses both new and old, in retail, food, hospitality, and more.
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HOME & GARDEN
ARCHITECT
Knickerbocker Group
Boothbay, Portland
FINALISTS
Hay Runner
Portland, Rockport
Maple Street Design Studio
Camden
Phelps Architects
Damariscotta
North Sky Seven Architects
Blue Hill
BUILDER
Knickerbocker Group
Boothbay, Portland
FINALISTS
Marden Builders
Boothbay Harbor
O’Shea Builders
Waterford
BH Builders Inc.
Farmingdale
M.R. Brewer
Portland
FLORIST
Berry & Berry Floral
Hallowell
FINALISTS
Shelley’s Flowers & Gifts
Waldoboro
Willow Rose Flower Shoppe
Damariscotta
Flowers by Hoboken
Rockland
Flaura Flowers & Wine
Thomaston
HOME-IMPROVEMENT STORE
Hammond Lumber Company
Various locations
FINALISTS
Damariscotta Hardware
Damariscotta
Grover’s Hardware
Boothbay Harbor
E.L. Spear
Rockland
Head upta Davis Bros to outfit the camp. Photo by Dave Waddell
SPOTLIGHT
Davis Bros Furniture
9 Elm St., Guilford. 207-876-3354.
Camps all over the state are full of fittingly rustic furniture: armchairs upholstered in patterns with bears and pine cones and moose, rough-hewn wooden bed frames with a crisscross of bent boughs for headboards, lamps made from antlers, dining tables with skinny tree trunks for legs. That aesthetic isn’t what you find at most furniture stores, but it’s the prevailing look in the showrooms at Davis Bros, in Guilford, right in the heart of camp country. Our readers rightly count it among the best shops around. It could certainly stake a claim as the Maine-iest.
FURNITURE STORE
Dow Furniture
Waldoboro
FINALISTS
J.Plum Home
Lisbon Falls
Sproul’s Furniture
Newcastle
Sweet Dreams Home Furnishings
Brunswick
Davis Bros Furniture
Guildford
DÉCOR SHOP
GooeyGump Designs
Portland
FINALISTS
J.Plum Home
Lisbon Falls
Pistil & Page
Gardiner
The Rusticators Emporium
Hallowell
COVE by Knickerbocker Group
Boothbay
GARDEN CENTER/NURSERY
Longfellow’s Greenhouses
Manchester
FINALISTS
Moose Crossing Garden Center
Waldoboro
Skillins Greenhouses
Brunswick, Cumberland, Falmouth
Estabrook’s
Kennebunk, Yarmouth
Plants Unlimited
Rockport, Trenton
SHOPPING & STYLE
TOY STORE
Island Treasure Toys
Various locations
FINALISTS
Out on a Whimsey Toys
Belfast
Treehouse Toys
Biddeford, Portland
Planet Toys
Camden
Kennebunk Toy Company
Kennebunk
WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE
The Grasshopper Shop
Rockland
FINALISTS
Women Of Substance
Damariscotta
Coyote Moon
Belfast
Daisy Jane’s / Daisy Trading Co.
York
Beal House
Damariscotta
SPOTLIGHT
J.Plum Home
9 Union St., Lisbon Falls
Businesses get voted into multiple categories often enough, but considering that J.Plum Home only found a permanent storefront last fall, its Best of Maine debut in no less than four categories — gift shops, antiques/vintage stores, décor shops, and furniture stores — makes for a pretty impressive feat. Back in 2021, husband- wife duo Josh Newton and Jenny Madden started driving around New England to purchase classic old furniture that they could restore and then sell at other shops. Last summer, they gave the brick-and- mortar model a trial run with a pop-up in Sebago, before moving into their current Lisbon Falls location. Coming in as a finalist in four categories is a credit to the shop’s mix of quality and eclecticism. Beyond furniture, offerings include candleholders, books, throw pillows, wall art, figurines, totes, stationery, glassware, cutting boards, scarves, welcome mats, and plenty more. Maybe J.Plum will wind up in five categories next year.
PET-SUPPLY STORE
Loyal Biscuit Co.
Various locations
FINALISTS
Two Salty Dogs Pet Outfitters
Boothbay Harbor
Ames True Value Hardware & Supply
Wiscasset
The Animal House
Brunswick, Damariscotta, Westbrook
Pet Pantry
Freeport
BOOKSTORE
Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops
Various locations
FINALISTS
Owl & Turtle Bookshop
Camden
Left Bank Books
Belfast
Quiet City Books
Lewiston
Grump & Sunshine Bookshop
Belfast
BARGAIN STORE
Renys
Various locations
FINALISTS
Marden’s
Various locations
Miles in Motion Thrift Shop
Damariscotta
St. Andrews Thrift Shop
Boothbay Harbor
The Butterfly Barn
Union
Inside one of Seacraft’s two small spaces. Photo by courtesy of Seacraft
SPOTLIGHT
Seacraft
2 Morning Walk Ln., Kennebunk
Jackie Greaney and Paul Havel started collecting nautical-themed odds and ends to deck out their home. Then, they just kept on going. So, four years ago, they decided to open a vintage shop stocked with model boats, oars, nautical flags, lobster buoys, so on and so forth. The inventory is always changing, and their two snug, adjacent spaces in Kennebunk’s Lower Village are always chock-full of curiosities. Still, a pleasing sense of orderliness — a sort of fastidiously uncluttered clutter — somehow prevails. Wes Anderson fans should approve. One senses in Greaney and Havel’s retail sensibilities the influence of their other occupation: running a marketing studio that produces stop-motion animation — bright, cheery, and quirky — for clients ranging from L.L.Bean to Alaska Airlines to Allagash Brewing.
GIFT SHOP
The Grasshopper Shop
Belfast, Rockland
FINALISTS
GooeyGump Designs
Portland
J.Plum Home
Lisbon Falls
The Rusticators Emporium
Hallowell
Pistil & Page
Gardiner
ANTIQUE/VINTAGE SHOP
The Rusticators Emporium
Hallowell
FINALISTS
Miles in Motion Thrift Shop
Damariscotta
J.Plum Home
Lisbon Falls
Talking Threads Market
Oqunquit
Seacraft
Kennebunk
SHOE STORE
Lamey Wellehan Shoes
Various locations
FINALISTS
Colburn Shoe Store
Belfast
Log Cabin Shoes
Boothbay Harbor
Selby Shoes Etc
South Portland
Curtis Family Shoe Store
Ellsworth
Grump & Sunshine owner Cassidy James Taylor. Photo by Tara Rice
SPOTLIGHT
Grump & Sunshine Bookshop
159 High St., Belfast. 207-323-9577.
Belfast is surely home to a disproportionate tally of bibliophiles. Within a few downtown blocks, local literati can browse the public library’s amply stocked shelves, the wide- ranging selection at Left Bank Books (also a finalist on this list), and the used and rare volumes at Craig Olson Books. It wouldn’t have been unreasonable, in the little city of 7,000 people, to figure the market was saturated. Then, last year, Cassidy James Taylor opened Grump & Sunshine — and brought something different to the table. If, upon first stepping inside the bright and charming shop, you didn’t realize its name references the romance genre’s timeless opposites-attract formula, Taylor’s niche focus would become clear enough after a quick glance at titles: As Long as You Love Me, A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime, Bonds of Cupidity. Some of the novels are cozy happily-ever-afters, while others have considerably more, shall we say, zing. All together, they add up to a new chapter in Belfast’s long-running romance with books.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
The wood-fired sauna at Nurture Through Nature. Photo by Corey Fitzgerald
SPOTLIGHT
Nurture Through Nature
77 Warren Rd., Denmark. 855-207-7387.
Saunas seem to have picked up some steam lately, with new options — both fixed locations and mobile units — cropping up around the state. But Nurture Through Nature, a retreat tucked awayin the western Maine woods, is among just a handful of time-tested establishments that offer the opportunity to sweat it out. Steeped in Finnish tradition, the wood-fired sauna has been firing for 15 years now. And sure, YMCA saunas are great too, but guests at those can’t cool off by taking a plunge in the cold spring that runs down the hillside just outside.
NAIL SALON
Mainely Nails
Damariscotta
FINALISTS
Mia Bella Salon
Rockland
Serenity Nails Lounge
Brunswick
Art Nails
Lewiston
Cozy Nails & Spa
Yarmouth
HAIR SALON/BARBER
Mia Bella Salon
Rockland
FINALISTS
The Hair Lab
Gardiner
Salty Waves Salon
Rockland
Mechanic Street Barbershop
Camden
River’s Edge Spa & Salon
Kennebunk
YOGA STUDIO
FINALISTS
Crow Point Yoga
Boothbay Harbor
Chill Yoga
Lewiston
The Daily Sweat
Kennebunk
Sundara Yoga
Brunswick
DAY SPA
Senator Inn & Spa
Augusta
FINALISTS
Lucinda’s Day Spa & Hair Studio
Cumberland Foreside
River’s Edge Spa & Salon
Kennebunk
Soothe Medical
Augusta
Alexsandra Esthetics
Sanford
MASSAGE STUDIO
Wicked Good Massage Therapy
Lewiston
FINALISTS
Revelation Massage
Lewiston, Manchester
Camden Maine Massage Therapy
Camden
Deeply Rooted Massage & Wellness
Kennebunk
*Corrections: Finalist Destination Health Inn & Spa, in Bar Harbor, has closed. In the print issue, we listed Vital Healing, in Rockland, as a finalist. The business owner has clarified that it does not offer massage services, only bodywork; an LMT uses the space part-time to provide massage services.
GYM/FITNESS CENTER
Central Lincoln County YMCA
Damariscotta
FINALISTS
Lawrence Family Fitness Center
Blue Hill
CrossFit Breakwater
Ellsworth
The Daily Sweat
Kennebunk
Shelby Trained
Yarmouth
SAUNA
Cedar Grove Sauna
Montville
FINALISTS
Nurture Through Nature
Denmark
Big White Barn Yoga
Readfield
Richmond Sauna
Richmond
TRAVEL & PLAY
MARINA
Boothbay Harbor Marina
Boothbay Harbor
FINALISTS
Carousel Marina
Boothbay Harbor
Lyman-Morse
Camden
Journey’s End Marina
Rockland
BOAT CRUISE/EXCURSION
Hardy Boat Cruises
New Harbor
FINALISTS
Balmy Days Cruises
Boothbay Harbor
A Morning in Maine
Rockland
Schooner Olad & Cutter Owl
Camden
Schooner Surprise
Camden
GOLF COURSE
Samoset Resort
Rockport
FINALISTS
Boothbay Harbor Country Club
Boothbay
Sugarloaf Golf Club
Carrabassett Valley
Rockland Golf Club
Rockland
Wawenock Golf Club
Walpole
Spruce Point Inn’s pool and dock. Photo by courtesy of Spruce Point Inn
SPOTLIGHT
Boothbay Harbor Resorts
Maine’s lodging lineup has more small inns and bed-and-breakfasts than amenity-laden resorts, but the latter exist in relative abundance along stretches of the coast, including in Boothbay Harbor, where not one, not two, but three reader favorites are located. Golfers might prefer the waterfront Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Golf Resort, with packages that include rounds at Boothbay Harbor Country Club (35 Atlantic Ave.; 207-633-4455). But both Linekin Bay Resort (92 Wall Point Rd.; 207-633-2494) and Spruce Point Inn (88 Grandview Ave.; 207-633-4152) are right on the water too, and all offer similar slates of services and activities. The real takeaway is that if you’re looking for a resort, check out Boothbay Harbor.
SKI MOUNTAIN
Saddleback
Rangeley
FINALISTS
Sugarloaf
Carrabassett Valley
Camden Snow Bowl
Camden
Sunday River
Newry
Pleasant Mountain
Bridgton
B&B/INN
The Craignair Inn by the Sea
Spruce Head
FINALISTS
Topside Inn
Boothbay Harbor
Blue Harbor House Inn
Camden
The Saltair Inn
Bar Harbor
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast
Freeport
HOTEL/RESORT
Samoset Resort
Rockport
FINALISTS
Cliff House Maine
Cape Neddick
Spruce Point Inn
Boothbay Harbor
Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Golf Resort
Boothbay Harbor
Linekin Bay Resort
Boothbay Harbor
ARTS & CULTURE
CONCERT VENUE
Strand Theatre
Rockland
FINALISTS
State Theatre
Portland
Thompson’s Point
Portland
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
Boothbay Harbor
Johnson Hall Opera House
Gardiner
THEATER GROUP
Maine State Music Theatre
Brunswick
FINALISTS
Ogunquit Playhouse
Ogunquit
The Public Theatre
Lewiston
Penobscot Theatre Company
Bangor
Boothbay Region Y-Arts Performance Group
Boothbay Harbor
SPOTLIGHT
Johnson Hall Opera House
280 Water St., Gardiner. 207-582-7144.
In the mid-1800s, hotelier Benjamin Johnson decided Gardiner needed another draw, so he had his livery stable turned into a theater. The venue hosted plays, lectures, movies, concerts, and more, but it eventually fell into disuse and disrepair. In the 1980s, a group of volunteers started trying to get it back on its feet, but funding fell short. In 2016, a fresh push commenced. Both the interior and exterior required major work — more than nine million dollars’ worth when it was all said and done. Finally, this past March, the immaculately restored 400-seat Johnson Hall Opera House reopened with a show by Grammy-winning blues artist Robert Cray.
FESTIVAL
Common Ground Country Fair
Unity
FINALISTS
Damariscotta Pumpkinfest
Damariscotta
Maine Lobster Festival
Rockland
Yarmouth Clam Festival
Yarmouth
North Atlantic Blues Festival
Rockland
MUSEUM
Farnsworth Art Museum
Rockland
FINALISTS
Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
Portland
Portland Museum of Art
Portland
Colby College Museum
Waterville
ART GALLERY
Saltwater Artists Gallery
New Harbor
FINALISTS
Gleason Fine Art
Boothbay Harbor
Littlefield Gallery
Winter Harbor
Black River Gallery
Boothbay Harbor
Lemont Block Collective
Brunswick
SPOTLIGHT
Colby College Museum of Art
5600 Mayflower Hill Dr., Waterville. 207-859-5600.
Worthy exhibitions abound right now, from Jeremy Frey’s mind-bogglingly complex Wabanaki basketry at the Portland Museum of Art to Jamie Wyeth’s distinctively dark style at the Farnsworth Art Museum to the Maine Maritime Museum’s highly original exploration of the maritime soundscape. Flying a bit under the radar is an excellent show at the Colby College Museum of Art: Eastman Johnson and Maine. Johnson grew upin Fryeburg and Augusta and became a 19th-century master. He was skilled at portraiture (his subjects included two U.S. presidents), but portrayals of everyday life were his strongest work, and he often looked homeward for inspiration. Almost unbelievably, Colby’s show is the first solo exhibition of his work mounted in Maine.
A Boy in the Maine Woods. c. 1868, oil on board, 12 x 201⁄8 inches. Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine. Bequest of Mrs. Elizabeth B. Noyce 97.3.23.
PRIVATE SCHOOL, SECONDARY
Lincoln Academy
Newcastle
FINALISTS
Thornton Academy
Saco
Cheverus High School
Portland
Hebron Academy
Hebron
Saint Dominic Academy
Auburn
PRIVATE SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY
Center for Teaching and Learning
Edgecomb
FINALISTS
Saint Dominic Academy
Auburn
St. Brigid School
Portland
The Riley School
Rockport
The Bay School
Blue Hill
FOOD & DRINK
LOBSTER ROLL
Red’s Eats
Wiscasset
FINALISTS
McLoons Lobster Shack
South Thomaston
The Lobster Haul
Damariscotta
Bite into Maine
Cape Elizabeth, Portland, Scarborough
LDI Lobster
Little Deer Isle
DISTILLERY
Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery
Portland, Union
FINALISTS
Split Rock Distilling
Newcastle
Chadwick’s Craft Spirits
Pittston
LOBSTER SHACK
Red’s Eats
Wiscasset
FINALISTS
McLoons Lobster Shack
South Thomaston
Five Islands Lobster Co.
Georgetown
The Lobster Shack at Two Lights
Cape Elizabeth
LDI Lobster
Little Deer Isle
ICE-CREAM MAKER
Gifford’s Ice Cream
Various locations
FINALISTS
Fielder’s Choice Ice Cream
Various locations
Round Top Ice Cream
Damariscotta
Dorman’s Dairy Dream
Thomaston
Blanchard’s Creamery
Edgecomb
LDI Lobster owner Anneliese Riggall. Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
SPOTLIGHT
LDI Lobster
202 Little Deer Isle Rd., Little Deer Isle. 207-348-2848.
If the meal gracing this issue’s cover whets your appetite, you’ll want to head for Little Deer Isle, which connects the Blue Hill Peninsula to the larger Deer Isle. Drivers used to breeze right through the in-between island, but since 2018, there’s been a good reason to stop: LDI Lobster. A relative newcomer among Maine seafood shacks, LDI looks like it’s been sitting for ages along placid Eggemoggin Reach, where sailboats glide beneath the Deer Isle Bridge. A finalist in both the lobster shack and roll categories, its roll is a best-of-both-worlds delight: meat tossed lightly in mayo and drizzled with butter. And quality work runs in the family. Owner Anneliese Riggall’s brother, Gavin, saw his architecture firm, North Sky Seven, land as a finalist for best architect this year.
FOOD TRUCK
Taco the Town
Brunswick
FINALISTS
The Zack Shack
Thomaston
Portable Pie Place
Searsport
Mow’s Munchies
Raymond
Black Salt
Portland
BAKERY
Wild Oats Bakery & Cafe
Brunswick
FINALISTS
Atlantic Baking Co.
Rockland
Sweet Cheeks Bakery
Verona Island
The Place Bakery
Camden
Vail’s Custom Cakes & Icelandic Bakery
Dover-Foxcroft
BAR
King Eider’s Pub
Damariscotta
FINALISTS
The Abbey
Brunswick
Table Bar
Gardiner
Lucky Betty’s
Camden
Sonder & Dram
Lewiston
SEAFOOD MARKET
Harbor Fish Market
Portland, Scarborough
FINALISTS
Delano Seafood Market
Waldoboro
Jess’s Market
Rockland
Pinkham’s Gourmet Market
Boothbay Harbor
Graffam Bros.
Rockport
BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH SPOT
Home Kitchen Café & Bakery
Rockland
FINALISTS
Bintliff’s Corner Brew
Gardiner
Deb’s Bristol Diner
Bristol
Peace Love & Waffles
Dover-Foxcroft
Barn Door Breakfast
Damariscotta
WINERY
Cellardoor Winery
Lincolnville, Portland
FINALISTS
Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery
Union, Portland
WillowsAwake Winery
Leeds
Winterport Winery
Winterport
Oyster River Winegrowers
Warren
SPOTLIGHT
King Eider’s Pub
2 Elm St., Damariscotta. 207-563-6008.
The venerable King Eider’s Pub has won best bar five years running, and the last time it didn’t win, in 2019, there wasn’t even a category for best bar. Rather, bars were split into distinct categories for beer bars and cocktails bars back then. That Eider’s streak would start once those specialized designations got the ax makes plenty of sense. It’s an unspecialized sort of place, in the best possible way. Everything is good. Some things — the whiskey list comes to mind — are very good. And the atmosphere is darn near unbeatable, as regulars consistently fill the space — wood-beamed ceilings, exposed brick walls, and a general across-the-pond vibe — with conviviality. Two years ago, new owners took over, and though they’ve left their mark on the menu, they didn’t shake things up too much. Best to stick with a winning formula.
COFFEE ROASTER
Coffee By Design
Portland
FINALISTS
Carrabassett Coffee Company
Kingfield
Rock City Coffee Roasters
Rockport
44 North Coffee
Deer Isle, Stonington
Coffee On The Porch
Rockport
BURGER
Owls Head General Store
Owls Head
FINALISTS
King Eider’s Pub
Damariscotta
Newcastle Publick House
Newcastle
Blazes Burgers
Westbrook
Mow’s Munchies
Raymond
BREWERY
Allagash Brewing Company
Portland
FINALISTS
Maine Beer Company
Freeport
Oxbow Brewing Company
Newcastle, Oxford, Portland
Bissell Brother Brewing Co.
Milo, Portland
Odd Alewives Farm Brewery
Waldoboro
HARD-CIDER MAKER
Ricker Hill Mainiac Hard Cider
Auburn, Greene, Turner
FINALISTS
Sea Hag Cider Co.
Rockport
Freedom’s Edge Cider
Albion, Portland
Absolem Cider Company
Winthrop
Winterport Winery
Winterport
Freedom’s Edge makes year-round and seasonal ciders. Photo by Dave Waddell
SPOTLIGHT
Freedom’s Edge Cider
420 Quaker Hill Rd., Albion; 207-437-1050.
31 Diamond St., Portland; 207-802-7331.
Cider hasn’t undergone a craft-beer type of boom, but between dedicated cideries plus breweries and wineries that produce at least some cider, Maine is home to a solid tally of cider makers — two dozen, at least. Most cider production plays out on a small scale (in part, scaling up requires more apples, and apple trees can mature slowly). In just five years, though, Freedom’s Edge has become the most ubiquitous Maine cider around. It has more than 1,500 trees in its Albion orchard and, crucially, brings in a steady stream of apples from elsewhere. So while the ciders might not be as grounded in terroir as some, they’re well-balanced, consistent, and — no minor feat — easy to find, including at Freedom’s Edge tasting rooms in Albion and Portland. The latter just opened earlier this year.
NEW RESTAURANT
Bred in the Bone
Damariscotta
FINALISTS
Oak & Ember
Buxton
Dos Gatos Gastropub
Belfast
Bon Vivant
Lewiston
*New Restaurant finalist Thistle & Grouse announced its closure on September 27, 2024, via Facebook.
CHOCOLATIER
Wilbur’s of Maine
Brunswick, Freeport
FINALISTS
Bixby Chocolate
Rockland
Haven’s Candy Store
Westbrook, Portland
Ragged Coast Chocolates
Westbrook
Len Libby
Scarborough
APPLE ORCHARD
Ricker Hill Orchard
Turner
FINALISTS
Hope Orchards
Hope
Biscay Orchards
Damariscotta
Rocky Ridge Orchard
Bowdoin
Wallingford’s Orchard
Auburn
CANDY SHOP
Wilbur’s of Maine
Freeport, Brunswick
FINALISTS
Scrummy Afters Candy Shoppe
Gardiner
Granite Hall Store
Round Pond
Orne’s Candy Store
Boothbay Harbor
*Candy Shop finalist Uncle Willy’s Candy Shoppe closed in July 2024.
DINER
Moody’s Diner
Waldoboro
FINALISTS
A1 Diner
Gardiner
Becky’s Diner
Portland
Deb’s Bristol Diner
Bristol
Palace Diner
Biddeford
DONUT SHOP
Holy Donut
Various locations
FINALISTS
Frosty’s Donuts
Brunswick
Ruckus Donuts
Rockland
Old Time Donuts
Damariscotta
The Only Doughnut
Belfast
SPOTLIGHT
Seeing the Bissell Brothers outpost in the small Piscataquis County town of Milo atop our taproom list is bittersweet. Sweet because the location began as a passion project for the Portland-based brewery’s founders, Peter and Noah Bissell, Milo natives looking to do right by their hometown, and also because of the sleek renovation of the former snowmobile shop, the lovely beer garden, the kitchen led by a James Beard Awards “emerging chef” candidate, and the ready supply of some of Maine’s best beer. Bitter — incredibly so — because the space will close by summer’s end. The brothers said it was subsidized by the rest of their operations over its six years, and against inflated costs, declining beer drinking, and a saturated market, they can’t swing it anymore. A big loss for the beer scene, and even bigger for the community.
COFFEE SHOP
Rock City Cafe
Rockland
FINALISTS
Bintliff’s Corner Brew
Gardiner
Greenville Grinds Coffee Shoppe
Greenville
Woodsong Market
Boothbay Harbor
Blue Jay Coffee
Lewiston
GENERAL STORE
Hussey’s
Windsor
FINALISTS
Owls Head General Store
Owls Head
East Boothbay General Store
East Boothbay
Lincolnville General Store
(now Owen’s General Store)
Lincolnville
Washington General Store
Washington
FOOD CO-OP
Rising Tide Co-Op
Damariscotta
FINALISTS
Belfast Community Co-Op
Belfast
Blue Hill Co-Op
Blue Hill
Portland Food Co-Op
Portland
Good Tern Co-Op
Rockland
PIZZERIA
Pat’s Pizza
Various locations
FINALISTS
Cushnoc Brewing Co.
Augusta
Oysterhead Pizza
Damariscotta
Tinder Hearth
Brooksville
Nomad Pizza
Brunswick
TAPROOM / TASTING ROOM
Bissell Brothers Three Rivers
Milo
FINALISTS
Mast Landing Brewing Co.
Freeport, South Portland, Westbrook
Odd Alewives Farm Brewery
Waldoboro
Footbridge Brewery
Boothbay Harbor
Winterport Winery / Penobscot Bay Brewery
Winterport
SPOTLIGHT
Bintliff’s Corner Brew
153 Water St., Gardiner. 207-588-7148.
When torrential rain sent the Kennebec River surging over its banks last December, many homes and businesses in riverfront communities were damaged, Bintliff’s Corner Brew among them. The café — a bustling standby for pastries, cappuccinos, and all-day brunch in Gardiner — lost ovens, mixers, coolers, and pretty much anything else that had been set up or stored in the basement. Reopening took more than two months, but as soon as Bintliff’s was back, the atmosphere was as warm and cozy as ever. Maximalist décor — potted plants all around, dried flowers dangling from the ceiling, and plenty else to catch the eye — helps to reinforce that feeling. So do the equally maximalist portions of standout dishes like bananas-Foster French toast and asparagus-and- prosciutto eggs Benedict.
Roger Bintliff, the namesake owner of Bintliff’s Corner Brew. Photo by Hannah Hoggatt
