This Maine Restaurant Just Unveiled 10 Ice Cream-Stuffed Pastries That Sound Almost Too Good To Be True

A sushi restaurant famous for local bluefin tuna is now handing its dessert over to ten other kitchens. Each one gets to remix a pressed, toasty bun stuffed with ice cream. That sounds like a dare, and I love it.

The original version pairs vanilla ice cream with miso caramel. Some folks compare it to a fried ice cream sandwich topped with sea salt. Others call it a pressed Hawaiian roll with ice cream inside.

The new series runs from November through March. Bakeries, taco spots, and noodle shops across Maine are all taking a turn.

I have a soft spot for friendly team-ups like this, because everyone gets to show off a little.

So what happens when a pastry shop, a taco joint, and an Indian kitchen all get the same sweet canvas? Ten very different answers, served one at a time.

Ten Kitchens Just Got Handed The Keys To One Famous Dessert

Mr. Tuna calls the project Toastie Takes, and the idea is wonderfully simple. Ten Maine bakeries and restaurants each create their own version of the house ice cream toastie.

Each collaborator’s toastie lands on the menu for a stretch of the season. The series runs from November through March, so there’s time to try more than one.

Think of it as a dessert relay race with no losers.

The lineup reads like a tour of Portland’s food scene. Luncheonette, Cherie, Taj, Onggi, Benny’s, Tandem, Lotso Tacos, Solo Pane, Bread and Friends, and Norimoto all signed up.

That’s pastry, tacos, Indian food, Korean flavors, and more in one sweet format.

Why does this matter to you? Because a single dessert now becomes a reason to come back again and again.

Every few weeks, a new kitchen puts its stamp on the same toasty bun.

My advice is to treat it like a collection. Snap a photo of each one you try and keep track.

By March, you could have a full set of ten, plus some strong opinions about your favorite.

Luncheonette Fired The Starting Pistol On November First

Someone had to go first, and Luncheonette got the honor. Their toastie kicked off the whole Toastie Takes series on November 1st.

Going first is a big job in any team project. You set the tone and show everyone else what’s possible.

Luncheonette basically got to open the party and pick the first song.

The toastie format gives every collaborator a clear starting point. There’s a pressed, toasty bun on the outside and cold ice cream tucked inside.

From there, each kitchen chooses its own flavors and toppings.

Here’s a practical tip for the early birds. Specials in a rotating series don’t stick around forever, so the first one can disappear before you know it.

If you spot it on the menu, grab it while you can.

I also think the first entry is the best way to learn the game. Try it, notice what makes it different from the classic, and then compare later versions.

You’ll start to see how each kitchen thinks. Soon you’ll be guessing what the next one might taste like before it even shows up.

The Classic Version Explains Why Everyone Wanted In

Vanilla ice cream and miso caramel. That’s the standard toastie on recent menus at Mr. Tuna, and it’s the blueprint every partner gets to play with.

Miso might sound like an odd guest in a dessert. It’s a salty, savory paste often used in soups.

Mixed into caramel, it adds a deeper, almost nutty flavor that keeps the sweetness in check.

Fans have tried to describe it in many ways. Some say it looks like a deep-fried ice cream sandwich topped with sea salt.

Others call it a pressed Hawaiian roll with ice cream inside, which is a delightful sentence to say out loud.

The hot and cold contrast is the real trick. You get a warm, toasted outside wrapped around something cold and creamy.

That surprise is what makes a dessert memorable.

If you’re new to the toastie world, start here. Ordering the original gives you a baseline for everything else.

Once you know the classic, the collaborations make a lot more sense. It’s like learning the main song before you hear all the cover versions.

Bakers Bring Some Serious Bread Energy To The Lineup

Bread is half of a toastie, so it makes sense that bakeries showed up in force. Solo Pane, Bread and Friends, and Tandem are all part of the series.

A baker sees a toastie differently than a sushi chef might. They think about crust, chew, and how dough behaves when it gets pressed and heated.

That gives these entries a fun, behind-the-scenes angle.

Cherie and Luncheonette add even more pastry-minded perspective to the list. With so many bread lovers involved, the outside of the toastie could get just as much attention as the filling.

That’s good news for anyone who always picks the crispy corner piece.

Since exact recipes change from partner to partner, I won’t guess at flavors here. The best plan is to check the menu when you visit.

Ask your server which bakery’s version is currently featured.

My suggestion is to taste slowly on a bakery week. Notice the texture before the ice cream hits.

You might discover you’re secretly a bread person who just happened to love dessert first.

Tacos, Curry, And Noodles Walk Into A Dessert Menu

Lotso Tacos making an ice cream sandwich? Yes, please.

Some of the most curious entries come from kitchens that don’t usually focus on dessert.

Taj brings Indian cooking into the mix. Onggi adds Korean flavor, and Norimoto rounds things out too.

Benny’s also joins the party, giving the lineup even more variety.

This is where the series gets exciting. Chefs from savory kitchens often think about spice, salt, and surprise.

Put that mindset on a sweet toastie, and you might taste something you’ve never had before.

I love the thought of that kind of creative crossover. It’s like asking a drummer to write a love song.

The results can be bold, unusual, and totally worth trying.

A practical tip for picky eaters is to stay curious anyway. You don’t have to finish something you don’t love, but you can share it.

Splitting a toastie with a friend lets you both try a wild version without much risk. Then you can argue happily about it on the walk home.

Dessert Comes After Some Very Famous Maine Tuna

Before the toastie, there’s the fish. Mr. Tuna is first and foremost a sushi spot, with a big focus on local, sustainable seafood and Maine bluefin tuna.

The Tuna Tasting is a signature move. It features four different cuts of local bluefin, so you can taste how each part of the fish differs.

Think of it as a flavor map of one tuna.

Hand rolls are another big draw. Some folks say they look a bit like ice cream cones, which feels fitting at a place famous for an ice cream dessert.

Spicy salmon, mango tuna, and Maine crab are among the choices.

Other favorites include bluefin toro, Tuna de Tigre, and the Mr. Tuna Burrito. There are maki rolls, sashimi, and donburi rice bowls too.

That’s a lot of tasty options before dessert even enters the chat.

My tip is to order a few smaller things and share. That leaves room for a toastie at the end.

Nobody wants to stare at a special collaboration dessert while feeling way too full.

From Food Truck To Award-Season Buzz

Mr. Tuna started started as a refurbished hot dog cart in 2017 and later expanded into a trailer. Today it has a flagship restaurant in the Old Port, which is a pretty great glow-up story.

The owners are Chef Jordan Rubin and Marisa Lewiecki. They built the business from street-side service into a sit-down spot with a loyal following.

That kind of growth takes years of steady work.

Chef Rubin has collected some serious honors lately. He was a 2025 James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Northeast.

Food and Wine also named him one of its 2025 Best New Chefs.

Those awards are a big deal in the food world. They put Portland, Maine, on even more radar screens.

And they help explain why a dessert collaboration here gets so much attention.

I can understand why people care so much about stories like this. A truck turning into an award-winning restaurant feels hopeful.

It shows that good food and patience can really pay off. Plus, a chef with that resume playing around with ice cream toasties is just plain fun.

Pink Tile And Neon Make Ice Cream Taste Even More Fun

Bold neon lighting. A striking pink tile palette.

The inside of Mr. Tuna looks like a place that would happily serve ice cream inside a bun.

The 1,300-square-foot space was designed by Mey and Co. and finished in 2024. Light maple finishes balance the bright colors.

The look blends modern Japanese-inspired design with Portland’s coastal charm.

A 14-seat sushi counter sits at the heart of the room. The open kitchen lets you watch chefs at work.

That’s prime entertainment while you wait for your toastie.

Don’t skip the restroom, oddly enough. It features custom toile wallpaper with the restaurant’s signature wrestling fish design.

Yes, wrestling fish, and yes, it’s as playful as it sounds.

Seasonal outdoor seating is also available when the weather cooperates. Since the Toastie Takes series runs through the colder months, indoor seats may be the main event.

Honestly, a cozy pink room with neon glowing overhead sounds like a solid winter hideout. Cold ice cream, warm room, happy you.

Plan Ahead Or Risk Missing Your Favorite Flavor

Small room, big popularity. That combo means planning matters if you want a seat at Mr. Tuna.

Restaurant officially welcomes both reservations and walk-ins. You can book through OpenTable.

Walk-ins may work at quieter times, but counting on that is risky, especially after a long drive.

Hours can shift, so double-check before you go. Recent Google listings show the restaurant open Thursday through Monday and closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Opening time is 11 AM on open days.

The dining style is casual, so no need to dress up. Come as you are, ready to eat and maybe compare toastie notes.

The space is described as cozy and bustling, with attentive service.

Here’s my practical strategy for the series. Pick a few collaborations you’re most excited about and plan visits around them.

Then book early and keep a little flexibility. That way you won’t hear about an amazing toastie only after it’s gone.

Missing one would sting more than brain freeze.

An Old Port Address Makes This An Easy Sweet Detour

Middle Street sits right in Portland’s historic Old Port district. That puts Mr. Tuna at 83 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101, in one of the most walkable parts of town.

The Old Port is known for brick buildings and busy little streets near the waterfront. It’s a fun area to wander before or after a meal.

You can easily turn dinner into a full evening out.

Portland has earned plenty of praise as a food city lately. Food and Wine even helped spotlight it, and Mr. Tuna is part of that conversation.

A visit here feels like tasting a slice of what makes Maine’s dining scene so lively.

The Toastie Takes series adds another layer. Since the collaborators are local businesses, you might want to visit their spots too.

Try a toastie, then go check out the bakery or restaurant that inspired it.

That makes the whole series a mini food tour of Maine. One dessert leads to ten new places to explore.

Not a bad deal for a little ice cream sandwich.