Weekend Getaway: Portland, Maine
The coastal city is home to impeccable lobster rolls, fresh oysters, bagels, hot dogs, martinis, and so much more.
It’s September and to celebrate the last days of summer we’re featuring one of our favorite cities: Portland, Maine! We will be spotlighting the bars and restaurants that make that city such a delight to visit. Plus, we’ll also send along some dispatches from other parts of the country, highlighting our favorite burrito in Nashville, a must-order sandwich in Baltimore, and our picks for how to spend a day eating and drinking in Grand Rapids.
In Today’s Newsletter
Overnight Stay: Why you should put Portland, Maine at the top of your eating and drinking travel list and where you should go for one great day.
Weekend Reading List: Emma Janzen on mezcal, Brad Thomas Parsons on the charms of Pennsylvania, Bill Addison’s favorite new restaurants, and more.
Featured Field Guide: Download our Field Guide to Portland, a 42-page dining guide featuring all our restaurant and bar recommendations.
Exploring Modern New England Cuisine in Portland
PORTLAND, MAINE — As someone who grew up going to Maine each summer (I’ve somehow been visiting for three decades!) it doesn’t surprise me that the state has become an eating and drinking destination for people outside New England. Yes, everyone knows there’s plenty of lobster. And there are also things like wild blueberries, whoopie pies, Moxie soda, Allen’s Coffee Brandy, and electric red hot dogs, the food and drinks that are quintessentially Maine.
But while Portland’s food scene today celebrates the things that make Maine Maine, it also pulls in international and wider American influences that push the cuisine forward. As I see it, Portland’s chefs and bartenders are serving the best examples of modern New England cuisine. You see it in Bite Into Maine’s curry lobster roll, Portland Hunt & Alpine Club’s espresso martini with Allen’s Coffee Brandy, The Shop by Island Creek’s seaweed ranch dip, and Twelve’s smoked coppa with mussel XO sauce. The food and cocktails here glance back then jump forward, and we can’t get enough.
While summer is the time most people think about visiting, we highly recommend the off-season — waits for tables are shorter, hotel prices come down a bit, and there’s plenty of good weather before June and after August. So with that in mind, this month we’ll be diving into all of it with cover stories and Weekender Favorites picks for the new spots that deserve more attention. And paid subscribers will get access to our four-day downloadable dining guide that packs in all our recommendations for where to go and what to order. Here are some of our Portland favorites to get you started.
Breakfast: Rose Foods
Why you should go: Portland’s top bagel spot serves crisp, chewy golden rounds that come stuffed with everything from classic nova lox with cucumber, dill, onion, and capers to salami and cheese. Rose offers daily specials, which might be anything from Old Bay or seaweed bagels to fried hake sandwiches with tartar sauce. The line to order can get long, so pop by early and grab a table in the side room or take your order to go.
What to get: Classic nova, sesame bagel
428 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04101
@_rose_foods_
Lunch: Mr. Tuna
Why you should go: Mr. Tuna, AKA Jordan Rubin, got his start peddling sushi hand rolls from a cooler around town. Now, you can find his hand rolls, maki, and other Japanese dishes at the Portland Public Market. Snag a seat at the sushi bar and order Maine crab maki gilded with yuzu mayo, spicy crunchy shrimp hand rolls, and creamy Japanese potato salad.
What to get: Shrimp hand roll, Maine crab maki
28 Monument Sq, Portland, ME
@mr.tuna_maine
Drinks and Snacks: Portland Hunt + Alpine Club
Why you should go: This Alpine-inspired bar, owned by Andrew and Briana Volk, has been serving some of Portland’s best cocktails since 2013. It’s an all-day spot that’s as perfect for post-dinner drinks as it is for a quick lunch. We love it in the afternoon, when you can relax over bites like Lil’ Devils, spicy deviled eggs made with sriracha, trout roe, and furikake. Start with two classic Hunt cocktails: the Green Eyes, a chartreuse sour, and the White Noise, which is floral and low in alcohol.
What to get: Lil’ Devils, Green Eyes, White Noise
75 Market St, Portland, ME
@huntandalpine
Dinner: Fore Street Restaurant
Why you should go: A stalwart on Portland’s dining scene, Fore Street has been turning out excellent American plates since 2006. Chef-partner Sam Hayward, who was named the Best Chef Northeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2011, has a knack for perfecting classics like Maine mussels, which are roasted in the wood oven with garlic-almond butter and dry vermouth, and marinated roast chicken, which is cooked on a turnspit and served with collard greens, duck fat-fried nobs of sourdough, and chicken jus. The bar, which has a solid wine list, is an excellent spot to post up.
What to get: Mussels, chicken
288 Fore St, Portland, ME
@288forestreet
The Trip to Portland, Maine
🚘 2 hour drive from Boston
🚘 4 hour drive from Burlington, Vermont
🚘 6 hour drive from New York City
✈️ 90 minute flight from Washington, DC
✈️ 2 hour and 30 minute flight from Chicago