Portland, Maine

Beginning in the Summer of 2020, I couldn’t scroll through Instagram without seeing images of the Maine coast paired perfectly manicured hands holding lobster rolls. It became a pandemic pilgrimage of sorts — and I was jealous. I, too, wanted to make the trek. But I couldn’t rationalize a solo venture, and nor would I have enjoyed it. Part of the joy of travel is getting to meet people in trendy restaurants or farmers’ markets or passing by on a cobblestone street.

With the first shot of Moderna pulsing through my veins, I calculated the four weeks + two until I would be fully inoculated and booked a week-long stay in Portland — though it would not be a solo venture. At least not in the traditional sense. I would bring my then-10-month-old rescue dog, Luna. She had proven more than capable of handling a car ride, and I felt like this adventure was perfect for us. I was right.

Portland, Maine is such a walkable, charming city. And one of the few “benefits” of a global pandemic is the emergence of outdoor dining in places it didn’t previously exist. It made traveling with a puppy even more enjoyable, and as she had proven in Manhattan too, more social. On our first night, Luna began playing with a giant Bernese Mountain dog named Angus (after the Senator), and I learned all about his owner’s experience working on a boat fishing for herring, which would then be used to catch lobster. Two couples at dinner the first night with their cute dog told me about East End Beach, an naturally enclosed beach where dogs play freely in the off-season.

It was a perfect, albeit rainy, week. But even the rain didn’t stop us. If anything, it allowed for two nights of take out in a cozy hotel room — something that only feels acceptable being in the same city for a full week. I ate well, Luna fell in love with lobster and salmon skin from Fish & Bone — a pet supply store with the best treats selection I’ve ever seen (I made the terrible of mistake of not signing up for their rewards on the first day, thinking we were just there for a week — we went every day).

Because I was working remotely, cute coffee shops often served as breakfast, nicer establishments as a late lunch, and I sprinkled in the occasional “fancy” dinner. I truly loved all of these meals, and cannot wait to return.

Coffee/Breakfast

Picked up a morning bun (no nuts, as recommended) at Standard Baking Co. and walked to the aforementioned East End Beach to watch Luna dig in the sand and play with a golden retriever puppy.

Open Wednesday-Sunday, Tandem Coffee Roaster’s Congress Street location is located close to the Portland Farmers’ Market (open Saturday). Grab a Malted Iced Coffee and a Carrot, Za’atar + Cream Cheese scone before heading to the market to snag Lost and Found Farm’s Wild Blueberry and Cardamom Jam.

Quite possibly my favorite coffee of the trip came from Arabica Coffee thanks to their maple cold brew.

You can’t go to Portland without getting a donut, or two, or three. HiFi Donuts in the downtown area offers a diverse selection with the key lime pie being a favorite. Holy Donut came highly recommended, and I popped in grabbing a six-pack of the potato donuts in a variety of flavors to bring as a gift when visiting Luna’s littermate who lives in the area. I didn’t get to try, but can vouch for the cuteness of the location!

While I ended up ordering from the lunch side of the brunch menu, Hot Suppa combined fresh ingredients with comfort food in the best way possible. I had been told it would be an hour wait when I arrived at 1pm, but keeping with a lucky streak that defined the trip, I was seated in the back garden area (with Luna) within 5 minutes. I ordered the fried green tomato BLT and sweet tea and felt like I was in the South for an hour.

With a beautiful view of the water, Porthole is the type of place that works for any meal. It’s got a divey, vintage feel that I imagine would be really fun at night. During brunch, it’s really chill outside and the Casco Bay omelette stuffed with lobster and crab meat did not skimp out.

Lunch/Dinner

Late lunches became a staple of my stay, arriving at that awkward in between time of 2-3pm at some of the city’s most popular (and highly recommended) restaurants. It allowed me to avoid wait times, which was incredibly helpful when traveling with a puppy.

It’s always a good idea to begin a trip with oysters and rosé. And in this case, specifically from Eventide Oysters where local and seasonal oysters are paired with various shaved ices (I loved the horseradish). For my first lobster roll of the trip, their brown butter version on a bao bun confused and delighted my senses. It was not traditional by any means, but man, was it good. The meal was rounded out with a tuna sashimi topped with fresh grated ginger, scallions and thinly shaved radishes.

Sharing a block with Eventide is the Honey Paw, a modern pan-Asian restaurant owned by the same team. This might have been my favorite meal of the trip — solely based on the lobster toast. Sandwiched in between perfectly toasted brioche is a delicate scallop and lobster mousse, prepared in a similar style to shrimp toast, topped with radishes, cilantro and Fresno pepper for a kick of heat. It’s buttery, it’s savory, it’s spicy — it’s perfect. I wouldn’t normally order fried ribs, but the waiter raved about them, and my god. Coated in gochujang sauce and topped with scallions and sesame seeds, I’ve never been happier to make a mess. And you can’t leave without dessert — a honey soft serve covered in chocolate shell and candy honey comb.

Down the same street, Duck Fat serves fries cooked in its namesake paired with five different dipping sauces — I recommend the Thai Chili mayo. But the real star for me was the Duck Fat Bahn Mi, an incredible combination duck confit, pate, traditional pickled vegetables and cilantro. Across town, Oxbow Brewery houses a Duck Fat outpost to enjoy their delicious brews made on site — and is anything better than Belgium-style fries and a crisp pale ale?

As if I timed it perfectly, Portland Lobster Co. opened for the season during my stay. Sitting outside on the water with a live band rocking out and eating a classic lobster roll — does it get any more Maine? Maybe only at the Lobster Shack at Two Lights, which is a 25 minute drive from the city in Cape Elizabeth. Here, you order at the shack, and snag a bright red picnic table and watch the ocean crash against the rocks. You’d be remiss to not order the fried clams, so plump and juicy, you think it might be better than the 1.5lb lobster. Afterwards, spend some time climbing and exploring the rock formations and lighthouse.

During my stay, the famed Central Provisions had converted to a to-go sandwich and salad shop. I picked up an incredible Caesar salad to eat by the water, and returned later in the trip for a few bottles of wine and four small plates that I treasure every time I use them.

One night, I was oddly craving garlicky pasta. And lucky for me, Street and Co., around the corner from my hotel, specializes in just that. I ordered the clams over linguine, which was served in a piping hot pan. It was heavenly.

I made zero reservations before arriving in Maine, embracing the “winging it” attitude. But after walking by Fore Street on the first day, I knew I needed to go. Fortunately for me, I was able to get a table on the last night of my trip. While the locally sourced and season food was delicious (the foie gras, especially), the service was fairly disappointing. It was one of those meals where I could tell the waiter wasn’t interested in me, giving a lot more attention to other tables and pushing back on my order (two appetizers and a side, even though one of the apps was priced like an entree). It was only at the very end of the meal when where I work casually came up did he change his tune about this single gal (sans dog). It’s one of the more frustrating elements to traveling alone.

But a meal I’ll always remember was at Helm Oyster Bar. After a mix-up with my reservation time and a short wait, I had one of the best dishes of my life — Johnny Cakes in ghee topped with salmon roe. Upon my return home, I promptly bought cornmeal in a desperate attempt to recreate this dish (I’ve yet to succeed).

Cocktails

Blythe and Burrows serves craft cocktails with an adorably cozy outdoor space mixing couches with wooden barrels as tables. The Slight of Hand cocktail, which comes bottled — they bottle their own drinks in house — was a bright pink marvel with raspberries, lemon and whiskey. Paired with Captains Board of meat and cheeses, you’ve got a lovely evening.

One rainy night with Luna, I could not find an open restaurant to get food to-go. Somehow, I found myself at The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club where I ordered a hodgepodge of items that ended up hitting the spot — a massive bag of the best popcorn I’ve ever had, a cucumber salad to die for, and an incredible espresso martini. Pair that with a cozy night inside as lightning illuminates the sky, you’ve got a perfect evening.