Maine Craft Pizza
By now you’ve heard that Maine has amazing cheese makers, incredible bakers and thriving local farms growing seasonal produce and farm-raised meats. So, what can you get when you combine all these? Pizza.
Maine’s all-star pizza makers are bringing unparalleled creativity and a passion for the local food movement to the humble pizza. And they are nailing it. Everyone loves pizza which means you can find these pizza-gurus across the state, from rural farms to city streets.
Don’t miss the wood-fired pizza and beer made from grains milled onsite at Maine Grains sister cafe, The Miller’s Table in Skowhegan. If the local pizza and beer combo makes your heart sing, you can follow the Maine Craft Pizza trail, too, and find pizzas that are made with grains grown and milled in Maine, with seasonal toppings from local farms that are baked in wood-fired ovens and served with Maine craft beers. Talk about local!
You could say that Otto first made the words “Maine” and “Pizza” mean anything special. They started out with one shop in Portland in 2009 and grew to ten locations in Maine, with simple standards and showstoppers like their Mashed Potato, Bacon & Scallion and Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Cranberry pizzas. And Tinder Hearth in Brooksville has special pizza nights where you can dine in the farm’s charming garden. Cushnoc Brewing in Augusta’s revitalized downtown serves up tasty thin-crust pies alongside their popular beers. And up north, you can find Italian-style pizza in Fort Kent at DiOddo’s Pizza where Robert Oddo uses an extended fermentation process to create a light airy dough. In Damariscotta, Oysterhead Pizza Company serves up hand-crafted, wood-fired pizzas and even a couple deep-dish varieties. And Burano’s makes old-world style pizzas at their wood-fired pizzerias in Hallowell and Bath.
Neighborhood markets are upping their game with some pretty darn good slices! Micucci’s in Portland, long-time favorite for Italian staples, has been making incredible Sicilian slices to rave reviews. The Sheepscot General Store in Whitefield has enticing pizzas (try their homemade hot shots) as does Owen’s General Store. Check out The Whim – a specialty pizza made on a whim.
There’s something about a pint of beer and a slice, you know? Indulge in exceptional craft beer and pizza (and perhaps even hiking, snowshoeing or other outdoor activities) at these multifaceted brew and pizza havens:
- Bigelow Brewing Company (Skowhegan)
- Fogtown Brewing Company (Ellsworth, Bar Harbor)
- Maine Beer Company (Freeport)
- Odd Alewives Farm Brewery (Waldoboro)
- Oxbow (Oxford)
- Cushnoc Brewing (Augusta)
- Brickyard Hallow (Yarmouth, Freeport, Portland, Ogunquit)
- Flight Deck Brewing (Brunswick)