Sailboat sailing in the Atlantic Ocean near Kennebunkport, Maine.
During the pandemic, chef Rafael Zimmerman made a decision to curtail the detailed culinary school influenced food that he was creating in various restaurants in Portland, Maine. “I started thinking about what I really wanted to eat,” he says. And what he wanted was a comfort food return to his Peruvian roots, to the food he grew up eating in his mother’s kitchen. Now, as the chef of Magnus on Water which he joined last year in the town of Biddeford, 20 miles south of Portland, he’s putting a creative, elevated spin on those dishes, adding another reason to stop off in this town, named by Food & Wine Magazine as one of America’s next great food cities.
Amberjack sashimi with salmon roe, crispy quinoa and cherimoya leche de tigre at Magnus on Water in ... [+]
Among the standouts on his menu: Striped Bass Sashimi with Passionfruit Tiger’s Milk, Avocado & Orange; Cabbage Salad with Aji Amarillo Fish Sauce Dressing, Sesame, Peanut & Lime, Chicha Morada Char Siu Pork Belly, Peruvian Baked Beans, Slaw and Cilantro ( an elevated form of his mother’s pork and beans) and the classic Tres Leches Cake with Horchata Whip, Cinnamon & Vanilla. The restaurant is also known for Beverage Director Brian Catapang’s distinctive cocktails such as Black Mamba, a concoction of Blanco Tequila, Pear Eau de Vie, Caramelized Citrus, Sparkling Yuzu and Wild Blackberry Salt, that earned it a place on the new Pinnacle Guide of the 37 best cocktail bars in the world.
The Mixed Grill including BBQ Rotisserie Chicken and BBQ Ribs at Dizzy Birds Rotisserie.
Elsewhere in town is an evolving array of food purveyors and dining spots, the result of what Magnus restaurant manager Cherie Kahrman describes as a creativity magnet—one taking root leading to other creatives moving in, many into now abandoned spaces in this former mill town. The pioneers of the movement opened a decade ago: the reinvented Palace Diner, known for its all day breakfasts and perfectly executed comfort food such as fried chicken and cabbage slaw in a restored 1927 railcar and Elements: Books Coffee Beer, known for its in house roasted coffee, craft beer and wine and housemade pastries. More recent arrivals include Fish & Whistle, a fish and chip shop from two upscale restaurant veterans showcasing the best of Maine seafood, Nibblesford, a shop spotlighting artisan New England cheese, Dizzy Birds Rotisserie which apart from juicy rotisserie chicken serves New England pot roast, baby back ribs and an assortment of cookies, cheesecake and pots de crème from its bakery. There’s also a large selection of solid ethnic restaurants including the Vietnamese Que Huong, the Chinese Happy Dragon Restaurant, The Jewel of India, Thai ME, the Middle Eastern Layalina Restaurant and the Mexican Coco Bar & Grill.
The Biddeford, Maine skyline on the Saco River.
On any night, though, a large number of locals are also settled in at Batson River Brewing & Distilling, a sibling of other restaurants in Portland, Wells and Kennebunk located downstairs at recent arrival The Lincoln Hotel. The menu runs the gamut between well executed classics and inventions: Duck Fat Cornbread with hot honey and Maple Bourbon Butter, Crabcakes Remoulade, Fried Shrimp with Sesame Glaze and Pickled Ginger Aioli, a Lobster Roll and Short Rib Cheesesteak.
A room at The Lincoln Hotel in Biddeford.
Upstairs, the 33 room boutique hotel, opened in the fall of 2022 in another former mill, has the sharp design usually on view in much larger city hotels: expansive rooms with exposed brick walls, architectural details, gas fireplaces, Oriental rugs and tufted leather chairs along with a buzzy lobby bar. There’s also a rooftop pool with views over the city.
The lobby of The Lincoln Hotel
“Biddeford is a city rich in history, with industrial bones and unique spaces just waiting to be brought back to life,” explains Tim Harrington, owner of Atlantic Hospitality detailing why the company opened the hotel here. “It’s also Maine’s youngest and fastest-growing city, home to craftsmen and designers, just like it was centuries ago. We had seen an interest in revitalizing this city with new cafes, shops, and entertainment hubs but what was missing was a truly luxe hotel. Now, after eight years of work, The Lincoln is representative of the heart and soul of Biddeford, allowing visitors to come and experience the city’s vibrancy in a way they never could before.”
Fortunes Rocks Beach near Biddeford Pool
Biddeford is located inland on the Saco River but it’s just a 15 minute drive out to the coast, to the village of Biddeford Pool and steamed lobster, steamers or a lobster roll overlooking Saco Bay at Goldthwaite’s Pool Lobster. The village also has one of three public beaches on the bay; the other two are Middle Beach and Fortunes Rock Beach, a local favorite for surfers. Parking permits are available in one, three and seven day time frames and are available to buy from kiosks in the parking lots.
The exterior of the The White Barn Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Kennebunk, Maine
Ten miles south in the famous resort town of Kennebunk (separated by a bridge from even more famous Kennebunkport) The White Barn Inn & Spa, now part of Auberge Resorts Collection, has been a classic New England inn for over 150 years. That history is reflected in the four shingled, period buildings all with vintage and contemporary furnishings and the 19th century barn that serves as the setting of the more formal White Barn Inn Restaurant and more casual Little Barn. (The fine dining menu currently includes dishes such as pumpkin and lobster agnolotti and grass fed beef tenderloin with sauce Périgueux plus a 7 course tasting menu with lobster in the six savory courses; that may change somewhat when a new chef starts in August.)
The historic barn housing the White Barn Inn Restaurant.
The inn is a 16 minute walk to Gooch’s Beach for ocean swimming; kayaking is also nearby on the Kennebunk River. For a completely waterfront stay, though, the inn has five cottages, measuring between 400 and 1,035 square feet and designed with a similar mix of vintage and fresh, contemporary décor, located near the marina on the Kennebunk River. Starting in September, there will be a way to stay directly on the river when the inn launches the purpose built houseboat Cora named after one of the inn’s previous owners and measuring 512 square feet with a 640 square foot rooftop. It will be moored at the inn’s private dock near the site of the al fresco dinners and movie nights held during the summer. But guests can always come back on land to go to the barn for dinner.
A junior suite at the White Barn Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection