With recent features in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and a day trip “gourmet getaway” guide from Boston Magazine, the secret is out about Biddeford. Now a trendy food destination with gorgeous beaches, this former mill town on the Saco River is becoming a culinary mecca and even has stunning oceanfront homes for sale.
This past spring’s Travel + Leisure feature on Biddeford, This Small Maine Town Has Some of the Best Beaches in the State — Plus a Great Food Scene and New Boutique Hotel, highlights award-winning restaurants, plus scenic trails in the seaside Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, unique bookstores like Rabelais and Elements, and the new boutique Lincoln Hotel in an old brick mill. Boston Magazine’s guide to Biddeford includes a stop at the East Point Audobon Sanctuary Did we mention the extraordinary birding in the area and the incredible spring striper fishing at the mouth of the Saco River?
The beach town also has one of the most scenic college campuses in the country, though we might be a little biased. Nestled behind the University of England campus is the beautiful Hills Beach, and beyond Biddeford Pool is the sandy stretch of Fortune Rocks Beach.
Food & Wine magazine’s May 2022 issue announced its editor’s picks for the 11 rising food destinations in the nation, with Biddeford named as one of the four smaller towns with a “big food scene.” Biddeford was the only city in New England to make the list.
Read the excerpt from the article below:
Think of Biddeford as Portland, Maine’s quiet older sister with great taste—the one you ask for recommendations on nicely curated bottle shops and vintage clothing boutiques. A 30-minute drive south gets you from Portland to Biddeford; check into The Lincoln Hotel, a new 33-room boutique property in a former textile mill opening this summer (rooms from $299, lincolnhotelmaine.com). Visit Magnus on Water for Brunswick clams and a glass of sparkling Chenin Blanc, and carb load at Night Moves Bread, known for breads like anadama, a loaf made here with nixtamalized heirloom flint corn and molasses. For a soul-soothing cardamom bun, you’ll want to head to Jackrabbit Cafe from 2011 F&W Best New Chef Bowman Brown—once you’ve fallen in love with his food, book a table for his nightly tasting menu at Elda, just upstairs. You’d be remiss to skip a pilgrimage to Rabelais, which has one of the country’s largest selections of rare cookbooks, as well as a breakfast stop at vintage comfort food mecca Palace Diner. Oh, and that bottle shop recommendation? It’s Lorne Wine.
Looking to be closer to all the excitement in this up-and-coming coastal town? We’re highlighting three oceanfront homes we love in Biddeford:
1 Sea Spray Drive, Biddeford, Maine
Offered at $3,750,000
Represented by Andi Robinson and Elaine Prendergast
Begin your day with the sound of shorebirds and ocean waves at this extraordinary home in Biddeford with deeded ownership of a private sandy beach and 230 ft of waterfront. The 4-bedroom house boasts a beautiful sunporch and water views from every room, with an unparalleled location on a dramatic southeast-facing point as the sentry to Hoyt’s Neck in Granite Point. Learn more about this oceanfront home for sale in Biddeford here.
4 Brackett Point Road, Biddeford, Maine
Offered at $3,500,000
Represented by Bill Gaynor
This quintessential coastal retreat on Granite Point in Biddeford overlooks Curtis Cove and Timber Island Preserve, perfect for morning walks. The idyllic backyard on the water has an expansive lawn, a sparkling pool, and a great deck. Launch your canoe or kayak for a quick paddle to famed Goose Rocks Beach. Learn more about this Biddeford Maine home for sale with a pool here.
121 Mile Stretch Road, Biddeford, Maine
Offered at $1,375,000
Represented by Andi Robinson and Elaine Prendergast
This rare 4-bedroom home in the coveted Biddeford Pool is a historic cottage originally built in 1820 with a strong rental history. Enjoy the lounging back deck for viewing endless sunsets and explore the quaint beachfront village with miles of pristine beach and almost 30 acres of the East Point Audubon Sanctuary. Learn more about this historic Maine home for sale here.
