ROCKLAND—This is our third “Welcome back” installment to acquaint those who haven’t been around this winter as to what's open, what's closed, what's new and what's happening. So, here is your rundown for the summer.

The Foodie Train Keeps on Rollin’

Just like last year, the main story here is how many cool eateries and food purveyors have popped up over the winter, cementing Rockland's reputation as a foodie town. Here’s what’s new and changed.

435 Main Street, the four-story brick building in the heart of downtown Rockland, is currently being renovated from top to bottom to emerge as Main Street Markets this summer, a new multi-use market and apartment complex. What makes this really special is that developer Rick Rockwell, who grew up in Port Clyde, is keeping it real and local. That is, he plans to offer a consignment space for locally produced food, beer and wine only. The café will offer salads, juices, shakes and smoothies while other sections of the market will be a one-stop shop for locally harvested seafood, produce and meats. He even has plans for a beer and wine section with a brew pub in the works. If that weren’t cool enough, check this out. The attic of 435 Main used to be a certified speakeasy in the Prohibition era. Visit our story: The mysterious speakeasys of Rockland: where history whispers old secrets.

Best breakfast and maybe now best ice cream? Home Kitchen Cafe recently got an award from Yankee Magazine for the best breakfast. Soon after that, the Rockland Planning Board approved the site plan review for owners James Hatch and Susan Schiro to open the Home Kitchen Ice Cream Shop and Bakery at 19 North Main Street, which abuts the Home Kitchen Café property at 650 Main St. The plans are to open the ice cream shop mid to late June with the bakery to open later in the year.

A plethora of take out stands and food trucks have cropped up in Rockland like spring flowers. We just did a story on Pho Sizzle titled Pho sizzle....is the shizz! about a new food truck in Buoy Park serving up Vietnamese bone-based soup and other traditional cuisine. Duo’s Takeout is going mobile and set up a trailer right next to Pho Sizzle. With organic burgers and seafood sourced from Jess’s market, they’re solidly in the food truck game now. Hazel’s Take Out at 557 Old County Road (at the corner of Rt 17) is taking shape with a new foundation laid and its plumbing in. Look for that to open soon. And remember the old red BBQ shack next to US Cellular on Route One? That will now become a seafood stand called Claws.

On to the larger establishments. A new deli replaced what used to be Amato’s on 77 Park Street earlier this month calling itself Black Board Deli, and the reviews from locals are great so far. A new seafood restaurant called Hill’s Seafood Company is opening soon where Brick’s Restaurant is located on Main Street. Looks like The Pearl has been taken over by a new celebrity chef from The Food Network. Chef Michelle Ragussis is looking to shake things up with an entirely new menu and happy hour scene.  This past March, Bixby & Company, a gourmet chocolate company, moved its headquarters to Sea St. Place, formally O’Hara Ice Company. And last month, its owner Kate McAleer won a $30,000 LaunchPad award to boost its production capabilities. Along with this award, McAleer plans on opening a tasting room in the future.

Speaking of chocolate, there has been talk of a chocolate shop, Snowdrop Confections, coming to downtown Rockland where GM Pollock’s space currently is.  And we know for sure that Coastal Main Popcorn, a new gourmet popcorn shop “popped” up on 371 Main Street this spring with bags of popcorn in the display window along with the sign that it will be opening soon.

Lincoln Street Center revives once again

As many of Midcoast’s residents know, the fate of Lincoln Street Center (formerly the old Rockland high school) as a cultural center has been a roller coaster ride over the past few years when the nonprofit that formed around it fell into financial hard times and was forced to let the building go back to Camden National Bank, which held the mortgage. Following that, a group of citizens tried to buy the building with a new non-profit group, but had to abandon the effort upon inspection of the building. In 2012, Mario Abaldo, a California native who’d gone to high school in the Midcoast, recently moved back to Maine with his family and purchased Lincoln Street Center with the intent to restore it back to an educational and cultural center. He and his crew have diligently done so over the past two years. Even though they’ve been replaced the roof and done extensive plumbing and electrical work, there is still much to be done. So, even though it won’t be ready for the summer season, it’s great to know that once again Rockland will be getting its cultural center back. And when it does, we’ll be there to cover it.

Two proposed new Rockland hotels

Two proposed hotel projects have been all over the news lately and haven’t been without some kind of public commentary or controversy. ADZ Properties LLC, whose principals include Cabot Lyman, owner of the Thomaston-based Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, has proposed a five-story, 26-room $2.9 million hotel on 250 Main Street to overlook Harbor Park. Some citizens have publicly opposed the height of the hotel, asking the Rockland Planning Board to decrease the number of floors from five to four. On May 20, there was a public hearing to voice approval, opinions and concerns about the hotel. Construction is anticipated to be completed by June 2015. More of the story here 

And Stuart Smith’s Rockland Harbor Park LLC has submitted plans to the Rockland code enforcement office to construct a $6.5 million 65-room hotel at 12 Water Street on the Rockland waterfront.  is The parcel is currently home to a building housing Boston Financial which also includes the former Amalfi Restaurant. Plans also call for converting the Amalfi space into a daycare center and fitness center. This past winter, approximately 125 citizens and members of the Rockland City Council were there to get answers to their questions about the $6.5 million project with particular concerns around its height and visual impact. Smith He said he expects the planning and the approval process to continue into the year with construction to begin in the fall.Click here for more of the story.

New businesses and other stuff you might have missed

As far as new businesses, many small businesses have cropped up this winter. Play Days opened this past spring on 169 Camden Street. It’s an indoor play center for kids offering more than 4,000 square feet with inflatables, climbers, playhouses, slides, swings, and tunnels.

Two consignment shops sprung up. C’est Le Vie Consignment Shop on 369 Main Street took over the former Lyn Snow gallery space as a consignment shop for clothes and jewelry while Sweet Peas Consignment moved to 229 Park Street.

The Fabric and Craft Supply Store opened on 428 Main Street and Function Junction opened on 31 New County Road.

And for those down the South Thomaston way who really missed their convenience store, Hoggy’s (and why wouldn’t you miss it with a name like that), are pleased to have a Maritime Energy in its place.

 If we've missed any new businesses that would be interesting to folks coming back to Maine, shoot us an email with the subject line "Add to Rockland story" and we'll add it into the list!

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com