New restaurants are popping up in Kittery and South Berwick, while others are shutting down in Kittery and Portsmouth.

The Seacoast’s ever-evolving restaurant scene has experienced a number of developments in recent weeks, as some local eateries have closed, others have opened, and still others have shifted to new locations.

Much of the shuffling has occurred in Kittery, Maine, where Tulsi Indian Restaurant recently moved from its previous site on Government Street to a more spacious building at 20 Walker St., former location of Enoteca Italiana (which has relocated to Pepperell Road at the former site of Frisbee’s Market). 

Tulsi’s prior spot at 2 Government St. is now occupied by The Black Birch, a new restaurant slated to open in December in the space adjoined to Buoy. Owners Ben Lord and Gavin Beaudry revamped the space to create a casual atmosphere, with wood tables, benches and bar tops, for sharing food and drinks with friends.

Before launching The Black Birch, Lord worked for five years at nearby Anneke Jans, most recently as bar manager. Beaudry worked for seven years at Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe in Portsmouth, including a stint as bar manager, and also worked part-time at Anneke Jans, where he met Lord. The two recruited Jake Smith, formerly of Towne Stove and Spirits in Boston, as their head chef.

The menu includes “first bites” like chicken liver mousse, “small plates” like poutine and duck confit, and “large plates” like cider brined pork porterhouse. The chef will use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Small plates are priced between $5 and $10, while large plates are $12 to $19.

Lord said they’re tentatively planning to hold a grand opening for The Black Birch during the first weekend in December.

Chef’s Cove Café shut its doors in mid October after more than four years at 70 Wallingford Square. The lunch and breakfast nook closed after the owners failed to reach a new lease agreement with the landlord. But the business still offers catering services, and its goods are still available at the York Farmer’s Market.

Taking the café’s place in Wallingford Square will be Mojo’s BBQ Grill & Tavern, which plans to open its second location there in February. Mojo’s currently has a barbecue restaurant on Brewery Lane in Portsmouth.

The new businesses will add to an increasingly vibrant dining scene in Kittery Foreside, where restaurants like Tulsi, Anneke Jans, AJ’s Wood Grilled Pizza and Loco Coco’s Tacos have already earned favorable reviews from customers.

Another new restaurant recently cropped up in downtown South Berwick, Maine. Isidor on the Rocks Tavern opened at 18 Portland St. in November, offering entrees like lobster macaroni and cheese and grilled lamb porterhouse, flatbreads cooked in a wood-fired brick oven, plus soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches and kids’ meals. All entrees are priced between $19 and $24, while flatbreads are $11 to $14.

The restaurant is named after a ship destroyed in a storm near Cape Neddick during its maiden voyage from Kennebunkport in 1842. Local legend tells of a ghost ship that still patrols the waters off the coast of York. 

The latest development in downtown Portsmouth is not so cheery. The Portsmouth Baking Company, formerly at 121 Congress St., closed on Nov. 19, citing financial difficulties that forced one of the owners to take a job in New York.

Owned by Harvey Hosack Jr. and Ed Connolly, the business opened about six months ago, offering artisan breads, soups, salads, sandwiches, cupcakes and other baked goods. It developed a loyal customer base but made “some early core-team mistakes” that jeopardized its financial footing, according to a letter to customers. Those mistakes forced Connolly to return to his former job as a television producer in New York, and he and Hosack decided to close the bakery.

But there are more positive dining developments on the horizon. According to the letter, an “exciting new restaurant” will take over the Portsmouth Baking Company’s former space early next year.