The Portland, ME food scene continues to draw me in. This trip was an opportunity to explore this surprisingly giant gastronomic hub The Culinary Delights of Portland, Maine – HER//Excursions (herexcursions.com) in a comparatively small city. Living inland, I planned to immerse myself in the pleasures of the Portland seafood food scene in particular.
Now, in case you were wondering about how I chose (and generally choose) where to eat. It’s simple. Research. I typically cross reference TripAdvisor reviews with city visitor guides, food review magazines, in addition to target restaurant websites. Lastly, I simply choose what looks (I always check pictures) and sounds good to me.
Breakfast/Brunch
I enjoy breakfast from time to time. And I relish it even more when I travel. So, I had to try a few places.
The Porthole
Menu – The Porthole Restaurant & Pub (portholemaine.com) was a random breakfast choice. Initially, I had wanted to try the Lobster Benne (benedict) or the Casco Bay. I changed my mind when I arrived, to my detriment I now believe. I opted for the Steak and Eggs instead. It was by far the worst meal of the trip. Both the eggs and steak were cold (they were probably sitting on the window for a while), with the steak more of a medium well than medium-rare. I admit that I am unlikely to want to return here for breakfast. But maybe their seafood dishes are better.
Norimoto Bakery
The sweet promise of European pastries with a Japanese twist was all I needed Home norimoto Bakery (square.site). I had a rather unusual (and possibly the best) breakfast sandwich ever. I devoured a steamed egg and what I assume was seaweed, sandwiched between slices of soft, focaccia type bread. The pork belly and cabbage, as well as the sausage roll were also blissful. And because I’m a believer in breakfast dessert, trying their Cinnamon bun with miso butter and Pear and Apple chiffon swiss roll was a given. Both were dreamy, big on flavor instead of sugar. My kind of pastries.
Central Provisions
I obsessed over the tapas-style Central Provisions (central-provisions.com) from the time I arrived in the city. The restaurant is located right in the mix of the tourist district in a corner on Fore Street. While dinner reservations were a little limited, Sunday brunch was easy to get into.
I found the vibe to be buoyant. It being brunch, there were mimosas and Bloody Mary’s aplenty. I opted for an Andalusian Sour. I gotta say, it was one of the best cocktails of the trip.
Brunch began with the Spicy Beef. I know I say ‘the best’ a lot but realize, dear reader, I mean it. And when I state that the Spicy Beef is one of the most transcendent things I have ever tasted, it’s not lie. The spicy, flavorful red sauce with roasted peanuts and cilantro, did a fantastic job of ‘cooking’ the luscious beef. I was hard pressed to tell it was raw. The nuts were the only things that required chewing.
Next, I gobbled up pickled zucchini served with bits of spicy halloumi. Phenomenal. The open-face Bone Marrow toast was an inspired take on a cheese melt. A pair of very thick slices of fresh bread were covered with a red onion jam, schmeared with bone marrow and topped with fontina and cheddar cheeses. Think decadent French onion soup but richer, as crunchy as it is soft. It was peak indulgence to make me want to weep with happiness.
The Foie gras torchon finished up this amazing meal. Buttery, silky smooth and rich to boot, it paired well with the toast it came with.
I cannot recommend a visit enough. And in hindsight, I think brunch was the perfect meal to experience this restaurant. Be as it may, Central Provisions showcases the gastronomic range of the Portland food scene.
Lunch
Crispy Gai
What better place for a first meal after an early morning flight that Home | Crispygai. I chose it partly due to location and partly due to the menu that intrigued me.
I had the Cabbage Salad. First of all, the innocuous name does not do it justice. I eat a lot of salads and I can tell you this is one of the most amazing I have ever tasted. The ginger, garlic and soy dressing married well with the shredded cabbage, earthy cilantro, all punched through with rousing mint. And while I ordinarily pick nuts off virtually all food with added nuts, somehow this salad made a believer of me. I think it was because they were not as overpoweringly earthy as they tend to be (for me), and, instead, added to the flavor and texture of the dish.
I also had the Bangkok Hot Sandwich. Now, I’ve heard of the Tennessee Hot sandwich (and others). I’ve never tried them. However, I can confidently say the Bangkok Hot chicken sandwich would blow them out of the water (just sayin’). Perfectly fried, lightly battered, tender, and incredibly juicy chicken thigh meat with an exact ratio of heat and flavor set atop a sesame bun with pickles. Whoa. Mind. Blown.
And dare I say the creative cocktails were not too shabby either. They offer mocktails for the teetotalers as well, and I suspect they are quite phenomenal as well.
Luke’s Lobster
Portland, Maine Lobster Restaurant | Luke’s Lobster Portland Pier (lukeslobster.com) was a lobster roll lunch recommendation from the Harbor tour crew. I got the sense it saw a lot of tourist activity.
I tried the Clam Chowder. It was hot, creamy, and delicious but did not have enough clams for me. The Haddock Bites on the other hand were amazing! They were simultaneously perfectly crunchy and flaky at the same time. I thought the tartar sauce that came with them made them the star.
The restaurant offers half roll options of different fillings and I jumped at the chance to try them. It was Half lobster/half shrimp/half crab: They were Maine-style, a buttered roll with a hint of Mayo and served cold. I don’t like cold sandwiches, but I found I liked these. Still for me, in order of preference; it was shrimp, lobster and crab dead last. I found a little dull, and bland for my palate.
The Blueberry salad was enormous. The dressing was light, just like I like, and I would eat it : light dressing, outstanding
The Portland, ME food scene continues to draw me in. This trip was an opportunity to explore this surprisingly giant gastronomic hub. The quality food scene is easily reflected in the number of award wins/nominations (James Beard) for such a small city. Living rather inland, I wanted to immerse myself in the Portland, ME food scene of seafood.
Bite Into Maine
Bite into Maine | Lobster Rolls | Portland | Nationwide Shipping on Goldbelly is made up of three storefronts and a food truck. I visited the latter. The truck appears to be a permanent feature at Fort Williams Park.
While they offer lobster rolls in a few varieties, I tried the Connecticut and Picnic versions. The former is served drizzled with butter and the latter has coleslaw and butter. Both were Maine-style, served cold and were loaded with meat. Of the two, I liked the Picnic more. Probably because the coleslaw added another dimension to the roll but didn’t overpower it because there was a lot of lobster meat anyway.
Dinner
Scales
This is an upmarket restaurant on the bay front. It is a flagship seafood restaurant four amazing establishments owned by the same group. Plan to reserve rather well in advance. I was stuck with very limited options due to booking late. Also, only one late reservation remained for the next 5 days. And this was not even in the height of summer.
Dinner began with salt cod croquettes with red pepper aioli. I excitedly wanted to compare them to the ones I had in Portugal to be honest. I found them perfectly crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, but I admit I would have preferred a more cod flavor. They were good though and the aioli was the perfect accompaniment.
I ordered the Scallops. I loved the accompanying creamy corn sauce and, interestingly, pieces of pork belly. Then of course, sweet yellow peppers. It was genius. The mix of flavors and texture just gelled. 10/10. It was also very filling.
I also tried the Branzino, an item that I don’t commonly see. It came whole but the waiter offered, then proceeded to fillet it quickly and efficiently (still, watch out for the little bones though). The fish lay in a pool of olive oil and herbs. Which was fine because it needed nothing else. Simple flavors, magnificent result.
Union
I admit a bias against hotel restaurants. In general, I’ve found them to be okay to not bad at best. As such while I was tempted by Union, The Press’s restaurant, due to the menu, I lowered my expectations of the meal itself. And I was happily, wrong!
The UNION Restaurant in Portland, ME | Hotel Dining (thepresshotel.com) dinner menu offers tapas-style dining. Basically, one of my favorite types to dine as I get to sample a wider range of food.
So, I’m a bread fanatic and I almost never miss a chance to sample it. Union bread came piping hot with butter drizzled with a little honey black pepper and salt. It was a surprisingly mouthwatering combination made in heaven.
Next up was Swiss chard and bok choy which came with mushrooms and miso butter. Delicious. And of course, I had to have the Squid. It’s delicate softness and flavor profile jazzed up my palate. Next came the special, a perfectly crusted and meltingly soft halibut on a bed of watercress. I found no fault in the dish.
Now, that was supposed to be the end of the meal. Then the surprise. The manager brought over a complimentary dish; none other than Scallops. This amazing dish was the perfect end to a surprisingly great hotel restaurant meal. I recommend Union unreservedly. Not least of all it was very easy to get into.
Fore Street
The Fore Street Restaurant is owned by the same folks that own Scales and Standard Bakery Co. Street and Co is their other establishment, and it appears as amazing as the others.
The Fore Street Chef owner has won the James Beard Foundation northeast ‘Best Chef’ award in the past. Meanwhile the restaurant has, over the years, featured as a semifinalist for the ‘Outstanding Restaurant’ category. It goes without saying that getting a reservation at short notice was impossible. However, I found out that the restaurant offers dining walk-ins at the bar. There was a long line by the time I arrived at the restaurant, about 15 minutes before opening. Serendipitously, I snagged the final chair for the first sitting.
I of course did not turn down the bread offered. But I admit I had to reign myself in and refuse a second helping despite wanting more of the warm, crusty and soft goodness. Which was just as well because I indulged in a small plate of oysters. I followed those up with a perfectly cooked haddock in a creamy corn sauce. I had ordered a side of carrots that were sprinkled with crunchy nuts. Again, I was shocked by how much enjoyed a food sprinkled with nuts.
Yes, the atmosphere, the service and food were outstanding. Yes, I ate a lot. No, I couldn’t squeeze in dessert (despite wanting to). I drank a phenomenal 30 year old tawny port instead. It was so smooth that my brain melted into a puddle from paroxysms of ecstasy.
Isa
Isa Bistro | A Cozy Neighborhood Bistro in Portland, Maine (isaportlandme.com) is little off the main tourist drag and seemed to be patronized mostly by locals. Interestingly enough, reservations were limited.
Dinner consisted of Halibut with asparagus and potatoes in a vermouth sauce. The other was Sole with broccolini in a lemongrass sauce. The latter was delightfully light, and both dishes were good.
Broken Arrow
I came upon tapas-style Broken Arrow – Portland Maine (brokenarrowmaine.com) while walking around. High ceilings, exposed wood beams, and a long, dark polished bar top of dark wood encouraged me to take a look at the menu. I approved.
Unfortunately, they were out of the very first dish, oysters. Fortunately, the lox was otherworldly. Thinly sliced planks of fish were neatly staggered in a cold buttermilk broth and finished with dill oil. It was the star of the night.
A giant fried mushroom topped with a honey and siracha sauce. It was unlike any mushroom I’d ever had. And I loved it. It was incredibly crunchy, with I great flavor I would not have attributed to mushroom. I liked the siracha sauce but would have liked it with less honey. I found the sweetness a little too overpowering for an otherwise brilliant dish.
The fish of the fish and chips was listed as haddock. Cod was served instead without an explanation. Very disappointing. The fish was lightly Panko crumbed and was decent enough, especially dipped in the dill-based aoli. I suspect the haddock would have been outstanding. Still, the “chips” turned out the be cubed, perfectly browned and crunchy cumin flavored potatoes They were stupid good.
I finished off with the only dessert offered – pudding made with Irish moss and sprinkled with brûlée (caramel bits). It reminded me what I think a chia pudding would be like. It was unique, with the right amount of sweetness. But I would not order it again.
Bakeries
Gross
Do not be fooled. The food is the exact opposite of the name. Dessert Bar | Restaurant & Cocktails in Portland, Maine | Gross Confection Bar is part bakery and part cocktail cum dessert bar. I regret not experiencing the latter.
This lovely bakery introduced me to a canele. It was reminiscent of a bread and butter pudding, but with a more complex flavor and texture. This chewy yet crunchy treat was my favorite bakery find in Portland. I have no doubt these would feature too regularly on my diet if I lived in Portland.
I also sampled the bakery’s sesame miso pulled pork croissant, their giant jalapeno scallion and cheddar biscuit, handpie as well as sausage roll. Everything was beyond impressive.
Standard Bakery Co
Located on Commercial Street, this is possibly the most known bakery to visitors in the city. For one it’s been around awhile. For another, they churn out tastebud teasing bread and pastries that ensure long lines into their courtyard every day. And yes, the wait is well worth it; be it for their gloriously sticky morning buns (with and without nuts), to their crusty and soft baguettes, or fruit tarts. I shamelessly declare that I made sure to bring home their pistachio shortbread. First of all, it held up well over several days, secondly, those cookies are knock your eye out good.
Special Mention
I didn’t get a chance to visit Donuts | The Holy Donut this time, but I figured it deserves a special mention. I’m not typically a donut fiend, but I admit a taste for these donuts. Made with potato flour, they are cake-like soft and come in wonderful flavors like chocolate, maple bacon, pomegranate, lemon and chai to mention a few. Just plan for long lines when you visit and realize they may run out. And from experience, I know they keep well enough to take across state lines. You’re welcome!
Gorgeous Gelato Gelato in Portland, Maine | Authentic Italian Gelato and Espresso (gorgeousgelato.com) is indeed, gorgeously divine. Their fior de latte and zabione flavors were the perfect finish to my amazing brunch
Suffice to say, I highly recommend a foodie trip to Portland, ME. The culinary scene is ridiculous, especially when you consider the size of the city.
