It’s Local Season at Maiz
Photo by Amanda Huebner Photography
A Neighborhood Full of Flavor
Our city’s dining culture is shaped by flavors, traditions, and stories from around the world. International dishes, family recipes, local ingredients, and deeply rooted traditions join together to create a vibrant and eclectic food scene. In Woodfords Corner you’ll find a host of dishes and food products that reflect the global roots of the people who call Portland, Maine home. One of those is Maiz Colombian Street Food, where food reflects heritage, process, and tradition.
Rooted in Tradition
The husband and wife team Niky Watler and Martha Leonard first opened Maiz in the Public Market House in Monument Square in 2017 after settling in Portland following years in Colombia and the Caribbean. What began as a small booth grew to a permanent restaurant on Forest Ave in Woodfords Corner two years later.
The intentionally crafted menu is inspired by traditional street foods prepared the same way for generations. While there is room for creativity and experimentation, the foundation always remains true to those core processes. These are dishes you may not find elsewhere, and the welcoming team ensures guests feel comfortable trying something new.
Whenever possible, the owners travel back to Colombia to visit family and reconnect with the original inspiration behind the business.
Far Away Flavors, Grown Close to Home
Over the years, the team has moved away from preprocessed corn flours and now grinds all corn in-house. They work closely with farms throughout Maine to grow, source, and refine ingredients close to home, including partnerships with Rusted Rooster Farm in Parkman and Sweet Land Farm in Starks.
Niky and Martha share that growing corn in Maine is not simple. The season is short, the process is long, and every year brings a new lesson. Something works, something does not, and you begin again. That cycle mirrors the heart of the team at Maiz. Hardworking, intentional, and focused on steady improvement year after year.
Showing Up for Each Other
When the pandemic hit, Maiz was still young. An online ordering system was pulled together quickly. Food sales were quiet that first day, but when they checked the numbers, sales matched a typical day despite fewer food sales. The community had shown up by purchasing gift cards. That moment was a powerful reminder that local support in Maine is not just a sentiment. It is something people act on, especially when it matters most.
Why Local Season Matters
The majority of businesses in Maine are locally owned, and Niky and Martha believe people truly value that. While support exists year round, it is especially evident in the winter. For the team at Maiz, Local Season is a chance to breathe, reflect, and work with intention. Each year, they chip away at something new, including this year’s first batch of Painted Mountain corn, grown in enough quantity to feature in specials and save seed for next season.
We Are Still Here
When asked what they are most proud of right now, their answer was simple and powerful. We are still here. Maiz has weathered a pandemic, opened and closed a second location, and continues to navigate uncertainty. Along the way, they have launched frozen foods, diversified their offerings, strengthened partnerships with local growers, and remained committed to the community every day. And they’ll be here as long as their community continues to show up for them.
