Gather Restaurant in Yarmouth is rolling out Cucina, an Italian-style takeout service. Sande Updegraph / For The Forecaster

Despite the pandemic and the winter season, food events and innovations are thriving in the southern Midcoast region.

Sande Updegraph lives in Brunswick and is a longtime food writer. She can be reached at sandeupdegraph@gmail.com.

Yarmouth is jumping with culinary excitement. Gather Restaurant, 189 Main St., has introduced Cucina, a new Italian-ish takeout menu at reasonable prices. It features house-made pasta, unique sandwiches, fresh salads and Neapolitan-style pizzas. Most dishes come as servings for two. Pizzas range in price from $11-$17, sandwiches from $13-$15, entrees $23-$30 and soups and salads from $5-$12. There is also a kids and dessert menu. gathermaine.com. Delivery will be available soon.

The Muddy Rudder, 1335 U.S. Route 1, has a new menu which, according to its website, will change weekly. Some of the unique new items include Beef and Turkey Pot Pie topped with Puff Pastry ($15), Seafood Scampi ($24), and Lobster Egg Rolls (2/$12). The restaurant offers in-house dining, carry out and curbside delivery. 846-3082.

Thoroughfare at The Garrison will open this month or next at 367 Main St. It will be a takeout operation featuring burgers, crispy chicken, fish sandwiches and lamb ($12-$16), breakfast sandwiches and malted milkshakes ($6). More later on the exact opening date.

Bath

Now You’re Cooking has weekly virtual cooking demos via Facebook live on Thursday afternoons at 5 p.m. An ingredient list and/or recipes are posted in advance so it is easy to follow along. The videos can be seen after the class on the store’s YouTube channel and there are many demos archived from which to choose. Virtual cooking classes via Zoom will start again soon and will be listed on acooksemporium.com.

Centre Street Bakery, 29 Centre St., is offering a build-a-bowl concept for online ordering only. Each bowl contains a choice of protein and base, two veggies, two toppings and one sauce ($12-$16). Order at centrestreetbakery.com and pick up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The website opens for ordering and payment at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and closes an hour before the bakery opens. The bakery also offers daily bread selections with choices on the website.

New Gloucester

Chef’s Table Valentine Dinner at Coolidge Family Farm, 1084 Lewiston Road, will be held Feb. 13, with two seatings at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Catered by Delicious Thymes Catering, the menu includes five courses, with a choice of entrees (Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Dijonnaise or Seared Swordfish). The event is BYOB. All pandemic guidelines will be observed with proper table spacing and a maximum of six guests per table. Advance tickets only are $100/guest plus fee at eventbrite.com.

Brunswick

Vessel and Vine, 4 Pleasant St., introduces its Winter Outdoor Dinner Series, at which a maximum of 16 guests will be seated on the covered, heated patio and served piping hot food and drink. $65/person plus tax and gratuity. Northern European cuisines will be explored, including Sweden (Jan. 15 and 16) and Iceland (Jan. 29 and 30). Reservations required at 721-3000.