Maine Course by Sodexo

06/15/2026

Supporting local farmers, millers, and bakers! This is some carb-loading I can get behind! Maine Course partner, Maine Grain Alliance is hosting its 2nd Portland Bread Crawl featuring some of Portland's best bakeries. Follow the link to register for the event.

The Maine Grain Alliance presents the second annual PORTLAND BREAD CRAWL! ✨ Embark on a food odyssey through Portland, Maine, tasting the most delicious bread, pastry, and pizza offerings from beloved establishments. AND the fun continues after our downtown crawl with an after party at NIGHT MOVES...

06/02/2026

When the New York Times set out to find the best prepared yellow mustard in America, one Maine favorite rose to the top. Among more than 30 brands researched and 20 tested, Raye's Down East Schooner Mustard from Eastport, Maine, was praised for standing out from the pack and looking and tasting the most homemade.
Rayes Mustard Mill, a family-run business, has been stone-grinding mustard seeds for more than a century. Rayes is the last remaining traditional stone-ground mustard mill in North America, and we're proud to serve their mustard in Sodexo campus dining halls across Maine.
Another outstanding Maine-made product that the Maine Course by Sodexo is proud to support.

We tested 20 yellow mustards to find the best. Our crowd favorite was Market Pantry’s Yellow Mustard, while Raye’s Down East Schooner Mustard tasted homemade.

05/28/2026

🍔 Happy International Burger Day! The hamburger has a lengthy history. Evolving over the years, the hamburger has been traced back to 1758 and was originally named for the city of Hamburg, Germany, where it was known as "Hamburger Sausage." Over time, the hamburger has evolved, before truly capturing America's appetite at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Americans love their burgers and eat more than 50 billion burgers each year! In our Sodexo dining halls across Maine, we're proud to serve burgers made with Pineland Natural Meats' beef from New Gloucester, Maine. Pineland's roots date back to the 1950s. Their beef is 100% natural, free from antibiotics and growth hormones, and certified by the Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.), ensuring humane treatment of animals raised for food.

The burger is a classic favorite. Summer is the perfect time to throw a patty on the backyard grill, keeping it simple, or taking it to the next level with some of your favorite toppings.

05/25/2026

05/18/2026

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evolution-fish-filet-maine-course-by-sodexo-r90gc

For the team behind the Maine Course Initiative by Sodexo, the idea sounded simple enough: create a breaded fish filet made from responsibly harvested Gulf of Maine fish that students would love. After all, diners already knew and loved the classic fast-food filet-o-fish sandwich.

05/12/2026

Across Maine, communities are rediscovering the strength that comes from local food systems rooted in relationships, resilience, and community. For too long, our food supply has relied on distant networks that have disconnected us from the farmers, fishermen, producers, and makers right in our own backyard. Through the Maine Course, a Sodexo initiative, we are working to help change that story. By bringing more Maine-grown produce, locally made products, and regional services into campus dining halls across the state, we are investing in our local economy, supporting Maine producers, and helping our campus communities thrive together.
https://www.slowfood.com/blog-and-news/agroecology-and-resilient-food-systems-slow-food/

05/11/2026

Spring has sprung in Maine, and the ice cream stands are ready for their first customers of the season. And on Eat What You Want Day, why not make it Gifford's Ice Cream, ?

Made right here in Maine with cream and milk sourced from local dairy farms, Gifford's is a Maine Course favorite found in campus dining halls across the state. The Gifford family legacy dates back to the 1800s, growing from a family tradition into a Maine icon that now serves more than 1 million cones each year and produces over 2 million gallons of ice cream for grocery stores, restaurants, colleges, universities, and independent ice cream shops.

Every flavor starts from scratch, crafted through experimentation and the consensus of the taste testers... the Family. Favorites like Wild Maine Blueberry made with Wyman's berries and fresh local strawberries bring the taste of Maine to every scoop.

And for New England sports fans? Gifford's has flavors for you too: Dough Your Job for Patriots fans, Cookie Curveball for Red Sox Nation, and Power Play Fudge for Bruins faithful.

No matter who you root for, one thing is always easy to cheer for: Maine's favorite ice cream. Gifford's.

05/06/2026

Mainers don't need a calendar to know spring is upon them. Spring's arrival is announced with the arrival of the tightly curled fronds of the fiddleheads bursting along riverbanks and damp forest floors.

Fiddleheads are one of the truest signs that the long, cold winter has finally decided to leave and welcome spring. For just a few fleeting weeks, these tightly coiled fronds, which are named for their resemblance to the scroll of a violin, make their annual appearance.

An ancestral food, the Wabanaki Nations recognized fiddleheads as a symbol of renewal. The long, cold winter over, groups would head out foraging for the delicacy each spring. Fiddleheads are gathered, not grown. Even today, they're foraged by hand.

Their flavor? Earthy, fresh, somewhere between asparagus and spinach. However, it's important to note that fiddleheads must be properly cooked-steamed or sautéed-to remove toxins and ensure safety. Most often, you'll find them simply prepared, letting their unmistakable taste shine through.