Maine’s Portland is Worth the Visit
After nearly 18 years, my friend Melissa and I finally went on a girls' weekend trip away. Both of us avid foodies, a visit to the trendy hot spot of Portland, Maine was in order. Portland is home to some very cute shops. But that, of course, was not why we were here. We were on a mission to try as many yummy things as possible. This quaint fishing village turned restaurant mecca has just about any dish you may desire.
Our first stop was Eventide Oyster Co. on Middle Street. Wood floors, huge windows letting in oodles of natural light, and a raw fish bar with an ice layer the size of a small city. There were a gazillion different kinds of oysters both near and slightly far away, including close to home in North Haven, Conn. Slivers of radish and a ginger scallion drizzle made the tuna crudo a nice accompaniment to the oysters. An Austrian sparkling rose added a lovely touch.
On our way to Duckfat further down Middle, we stopped off for an aperitif at East Ender—one Italian and the other French. Cocchi was a the Italian quinine-based liqueur and Bonal was the French wildflower-infused wine. Both were a little sweet and a little bitter doing a nice job of getting our appetites going.
Appetite is exactly what is required for Duckfat. Everything is made with duck fat, hence the name. Not so much a cute moniker as it is pure honesty. We had French fries with gravy and cheese curds, or what Canadians affectionately call poutine. It’s an odd combination, but some weird reason it works. The potato cries out for the luscious brown gravy while the cheese makes it gooey. Next, a beautiful bowl of roasted Brussels sprouts, lardon, and pickled apple. Sprouts and bacon is always a good pairing. The apple added a little tart and a little sweet to the dish. See, the veg that balances out the fries. The calories don’t even count.
After a mind-bendingly fattening snack, it was time for another drink. Vena’s Fizz House on Fore Street did not disappoint. Both Melissa and I opted for tequila- and mezcal-based drinks. But for those that appreciate vodka, gin, or rum, there’s plenty to choose from. Melissa had the Spaghetti Western with Mezcal, Campari, lime, grapefruit liqueur, ginger, and Bitter Tyrone. I had the Sweet Heat with tequila, jalapeno, lime juice, and bitters. Vena’s bar area is behind a little shop front with all the fixings for making your own great cocktail. Shakers, glasses, stirrers, jiggers, and every liquid bitter you could possibly find.
Stopping for a flight at Sebago Brewing Co. a little past Vena’s, we each had four little beers. They’ve got a range of different styles of IPAs, stouts, session ales, and even a barley wine. The beers were fine. A nice frosty one on a hot day would certainly hit the spot. But, I would say they were unexceptional. With thousands of craft beers in the U.S., I’ve had better.
With that many drinks in our bellies, it was time for another snack. On Congress Street, we ducked into Emilitsa. A sweet, little Greek restaurant with as much souvlaki, spanakopita, and moussaka to quell your craving for the Mediterranean. We chose a quick dish of three dips and pita all washed down with a Macedonian wine. The wine was ruby red and velvety smooth. The dips were thicker than I would have imagined. The tzatziki was whipped with cucumber, dill, and yogurt with a touch of garlic and lemon. The htipiti was a mixture red pepper and feta with a swirl of olive oil. In the melitzanosalata—eggplant, tomatoes, and herbs brought together with olive oil—was a nice foil to the other two. It was honestly the perfect end to a lovely evening.
The next day, we started bright and relatively late with a quick coffee at Bard and brunch at Petite Jacqueline on Market Street. If you are looking for a true French bistro, this is it. Adorable little marble topped tables with grand windows and frilly chandeliers give the place just the right ooh-la-la. And the menu? I had a hard time choosing what to eat. We settled for mimosas to start followed by two phenomenal crepe dishes—duck confit and smoked salmon with capers. I could easily have chosen the Lyonnaise, a frisée salad with lardon and a poached egg. That happens to be my absolute favorite. Add a crisp Sancerre and that’s all you need for a perfect lunch. But wait, there’s more. Why not try the quiche Lorraine, croque Madame, or steak frites? The menu was a joy to read—and probably a joy to eat if I could fit that much in my belly all at once.
Moving on to Shipyard Brewing Co., we snagged another flight. They have an adorable system of providing the flight tray with chalk for you to hand-pick which beers you’d like to try. And because they’ve got an ungodly amount of beers to choose from, your best bet is to put down the number of the beer. Writing the name in a tiny space? Waste of time. These beers were definitely better than Sebago, in my opinion. They had a little more balance of hops and malt and a crisper taste. But then again, beer is beer in a lot of ways. You can only manipulate hops, barley, malt and yeast just so much.
After our burp-y beer, we were in need of a walk. Melissa and I took a stroll to the East End Promenade, which is a park area by Casco Bay. Just our luck, the clouds rolled in as we attempted to take a photo of the sweeping shoreline. I hopped down the hill a little closer to the water and got a few good pics. But still, the view was a little narrow.
The fog gave in to a pouring rain later on, which led us to a great little place I would happily return to any time. Lolita Vinoteca + Asador has an actual fire-burning oven in which they roast their chickens slowly and purposefully. With a glass of bubbly in hand, we asked for a cheese and charcuterie plate. When asked what we’d like, “surprise us!” was the answer. And oh, they did. Fennel salami with whole grain mustard, cornichons, and hunks of sourdough bread complemented the Weybridge and Dorset cheeses. A drizzle of local honey gave the plate just the right kick of sweetness necessary to nearly lick the plate.
With a brewpub practically on every corner, it was obviously time to have another beer. We hit Oxbow Blending & Bottling on Washington Ave. I had the Space Cowboy, a French-style ale brewed with oats. Melissa had the Farmhouse Pale Ale. Both were refreshingly good. There was an incredibly long list of other beers. But of all the breweries we tried, I would say I liked this one the best. Plus, Duckfat has a little outpost outside. Wash down your poutine with a crispy ale and life is good.
Then, we visited a staple spot in Portland: Central Provisions on Fore Street. Originally, the space was a storefront to hold provisions for the East India Trading Company in the 19th century. Many iterations later, it became the hot spot it is today focused on local and organic foods, small plates, and craft cocktails. We could have had a range of delicious bites. Yet, we settled for arctic char crudo with a fig reduction and more sparkling wine. The char and the wine were great. I’m not so sure the fig worked, but I liked the idea of a sweet component to raw fish when so often it is paired with savory sauces.
Just a few doors down, Miyake was a sweet little find. Two glasses of sake—one with earthy, mushroomy notes and the other more floral and fruity. Both were really good. Pairing the sake with sashimi was obviously a lovely, light combination. Then, we tried something totally different: monkfish pâté. It seemed to be fish liver steamed then whipped and molded into a turine, given time to set, and then sliced. A lacing of a ginger soy topped it off.
From there, we made our way to Hot Suppa on Congress Street. A high-ceilinged brick Victorian in Portland’s West End, we finished our food frenzy for the night with more oysters—two platters of them, in fact. This time we paired them with a light, crisp Provençal rosé.
The last stop for the night was the Bearded Lady’s Jewel Box just down the street from Hot Suppa. This place was worth the visit if only because it was so off the beaten track. Formerly a speakeasy, you could easily miss this place if you sneezed. A one-room bar with lacy tulle strips hanging from the ceiling giving the feel of a music boxe that plays tinny tunes every time you open the lid. But that’s not the fun part of this place—it’s the cocktails with enough alcohol to grow chest hair. Drinks containing bitters and distilled liqueurs are offset by brown sugar, honey, fruits, and herbs. My drink had a base of cynar (pronounced chee-nar), which is an Italian distilled spirit made from artichokes. It sounds as medicinal and bitter as it tasted. However, the sweetness of orange balanced it out...a little.
Heading out the next day, we needed a good breakfast. We tried stopping off at Dutch’s, but the line was out the door. Strolling along a little further on Cumberland Ave, we came across a little German place called Schulte & Herr. Small space, but very quaint. The menu detailed a platter of meats and cheeses, cucumber dill salad in vinaigrette, spaetzle, schnitzel, potato pancakes. The list goes on. This was as authentic as it gets. In fact, the owner closes shop a couple of times a year to visit family in Germany. If you’re ever craving Octoberfest, this would be the spot for you.
We hit as many places as possible in the short time we were there. Yet, there are still so many we missed. Clearly, we need to visit again soon and I really hope we do.
