She's in Rockland, waiting to belay. Who, you might ask? The Victory Chimes, of course! A few weeks ago I had the privilege of joining Kristen Vermeulen of Makers of Maine (and now Makers of the USA!) to be a part of the Maine Windjammer Association's Schooner Gam event. Every year, the MWA kicks off their summer cruise season with a gathering of every windjammer in their fleet. Your 4-6 night stay on these beautiful, historic boats includes delicious food, good company and fun events that introduce you to the history of not only the association, but the rich pasts of each and every vessel in ..read more

Recently, for the first time in 10 years, I moved out of Portland. I lived in every conceivable nook and cranny of our beloved little port city, from the commoner's end of Sheridan St to the little beige building at the end of State St that looks like a tiny prison. So needless to say, moving out to Scarborough with an actual backyard and guaranteed off-street parking was welcome change to my living situation. While I'll dearly miss being within walking distance of my favorite haunts and not having to pay $50 to take an Uber home, the change to a calmer pace of life has already done wonders fo ..read more

While we may not be packing into sports bars and friend's living rooms to watch the Super Bowl this year, that doesn't mean your munchie game has to take an L as a result. If you don't feel like spending game day in front of an oven, there's an abundance of insanely tasty specials and deals to take advantage of to keep you fueled until the 4th quarter. Bell the Cat Belfast If you're spending Super Bowl weekend up at Sunday River or you just happen to be in the area, Bell the Cat has you covered with sliders, wings, and more! Pre-order by 3PM Saturday the 6th. Duckfat Friteshack Portland We're ..read more

It's been quite a year. We've seen less of each other, haven't visited our favorite restaurants and bars, and have spent more time in our houses than we would've liked to. I know that for the past few months, I've felt rather uninspired (Hence the lack of blog posts since November. I'm sorry for that). Between the rising cases and the colder weather, going out and enjoying the food I love to enjoy has been getting harder. But I'm not going to let this crummy year get the better of me and I'm gonna go out with a bang. I'm gonna enjoy some of the best New Years to-go offerings that this city has ..read more

On a regular year, if we didn't feel like cooking an entire Thanksgiving feast, having a nice dinner out was the next best option. Timber was always a tried and true option for my family when we didn't feel like turning on the oven. But this year, if you're not in the market to cook, dining out isn't as easy as years past. Thankfully, a number of restaurants in Southern Maine are rising to the occasion and meeting us halfway: Thanksgiving meals to-go! Whether you're looking for the whole shebang or just need some last minute sides (and I'm NOT talking about a side salad) these establishments ..read more

In a surprising post this morning, Holy Donut announced via Instagram that they will be closing their 7 Exchange St. location. They cite the pandemic as the primary cause for their decision. In a statement from Jeff Buckwalter, CEO of The Holy Donut, Inc.: “The Holy Donut team would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to everyone that has helped make our Exchange Street location a success over the last 7 years.  We are humbled by the amount of guests that chose to stop in for a treat.  It is with a heavy heart that we announce that our last day of business at our Exchange ..read more

We're back online, Franimals! With a bit of elbow grease and some beautiful photography from local photographer Coco McCracken, we're ready to launch the new FrannieEatsMaine website. A lot of familiar content is still present, like the FrannieBlogsMaine page and the On/Off the Peninsula restaurant guides. But we've also implemented some new features as well! You can now subscribe to FrannieBlogsMaine posts and receive email updates on the latest blog articles! Blog posts are now categorized for your convenience so finding a specific topic or keyword has never been easier. Plus, the format of ..read more

When you think of Stevens Avenue, the long stretch of road that starts off of Congress Street and ends right outside of the Deering neighborhood, what comes to mind first? The sprawling Evergreen Cemetery? Mayer Baxter Woods, dog walkers aplenty? Nestled quietly in the heart of Deering Center, you may not know that Stevens Ave holds one of Portland, Maine’s best kept secrets: Elsmere BBQ and Wood Grill. South Portlanders may already be familiar with the Elsmere BBQ location that sits along Cottage Road, but while the SoPo location has had a tenancy of 8 years, not many people may realize that ..read more

We've all heard the term 'staycation' before. A portmanteau of "stay" and "vacation". Usually taken when you need some time off but might not have quite enough to fly away to a tropical getaway so you pamper yourself at home instead. However, with the past few months resulting in the complete shuttering of most restaurants and hotels, staycations in our own homes became not only our only option, but required by law. You don't realize how much we take going out for a drink or eating dinner on a restaurant patio for granted until it's gone. However we're slowly starting to see the tides shift ba ..read more

We made it to June! While we're not out of the woods yet, we're in a very different place than we were three months ago. Shuttered doors are opening again and dining service is resuming, albeit under strict guidelines, for outdoor seating at a number of restaurants around Maine. Our new normal is a little different than it used to be, but the people of Maine are resilient and have done a stellar job of adapting to these new conditions. We've seen some go for good and others change completely, but we're still Maine and we still love our good food! Below is an updated list of all the establishme ..read more