Local Flavor: Bay Bowls in Biddeford and an upcoming gluten-free bakery in Saco

Bay Bowls is now serving up fresh fruit bowls and smoothies at 288 Main St., Biddeford.

The Biddeford store opened a few weeks ago, and is Bay Bowls' third location. Founders Sal and Soraia Matari opened the first Bay Bowls in January 2021, and after its success, opened a second location in Portland. The Biddeford smoothie and bowl cafe is the first eat-in location, said Sal Matari.

Bay Bowls sets itself apart from other cafes by using fresh, whole ingredients. The bowls use a base of frozen acai, coconut, pitaya (dragon fruit) or mango puree and then topped with chopped fruit, granola, cacao nips, chai or flax seeds, or coconut flakes. Bowls can be topped with a drizzle of peanut butter, or if you want extra sweetness, honey or Nutella.

The most popular bowl is the Zaida, named after Matari’s granddaughter. Made with a base of frozen pureed acai berries, and then topped off with granola, blueberries, slices banana and strawberries, cacao nips and honey.

“This is not a smoothie bowl. It’s not blended. It’s filled with straight Acai and pieces of fresh fruit,” said Matari.

The smoothie drinks are made with the same care as the bowls, using freshly chopped fruit and almond milk, and without fillers like ice or water.

“We make them like you would at home,” said Matari.

The Bay Bowl location in Biddeford is owned by Essa Gassab. Gassab is a familiar face in the downtown Biddeford community, as he worked at the Alhadidi Market – a downtown Middle Eastern grocery store owned by his cousin. The market, now located at Alfred Street, was formerly located at 288 Main St., where Bay Bowls now is.

All bowls and smoothies are vegetarian and menu items can be customized, said Gassab.

I was given a complimentary Zaida Bowl, drizzled with peanut butter instead of honey. The peanut butter was a nice complement to the natural sweetness of the fruit, and the cacao nips added a sprinkle of chocolate flavor without any added sugar. It seemed so indulgent, yet was healthy.

“It’s a big bowl. It will make you full all day,” said Gassab.

He and Matari said if I ate it at lunch time, I wouldn’t be hungry until dinner time, and they were right. The bowls are pretty hefty, and what I thought would be a snack turned out to be a satiating meal.

Saco

Sweets and Co., a gluten-free bakery, has announced on social media that it will be opening at 294 Main St., Saco in the fall. The café and bakery will offer, gluten-free bagels, cinnamon rolls, pastries, custom cakes and bread as well as bubble tea and coffee. Also offered will be monthly chef’s table dinners and cooking classes.

Hillview Market and Deli now has a food truck in addition to its neighborhood market at 21 Buxton Road, Saco. The food truck will serve some of the market’s favorites, including smash burgers, wings and French fries, and will be available for booking in July.

Liz Gotthelf is the publisher of Saco Bay News. She also loves to eat – and support local businesses. If you have any local restaurant or food news, she’d love to hear from you. Send her an email at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.