sc

  • More Discussions About

  • Search

Top Restaurants in Portland, Maine

1 to 5 of 5

  1.  
  1.  

    I'll be traveling to Portland in January and would like to get some recommendations for restaurants in Portland, Maine. I've often read that Portland is home to some amazing restaurants, as it has access to a wide range of fresh ingredients from the ocean and nearby farms. So, I'm interested in hearing about the best of what Portland has to offer from someone who has been. First-hand recommendations are appreciated! Thx.

  2.  

    You have made a wise choice. Portland is a walkable city that allows easy access to the mountains and ski areas in January, yet provides lively social and dining scenes. Consider events at the downtown Merrill Auditorium- there is a local symphony, and the Portland Concert Association has numerous visiting performances. There are nice but not great hotels and B & Bs downtown-the Portland Harbor Hotel being the newest and best; Portland Regency is a second choice. I work in the area and steer vistors to the Portland Harbor Hotel for its amenities and proximity to the waterfront and Old Port. Dining options in Portland are excellent- a favorite is 555 on Congress Street. The chef won national awards, and if you ask for a table upstairs, you observe the open kitchen and lively action. Items I favor are the grilled ceaser salad and the local blackened scallops. Most reviews of Portland mention Fore Street and Street & Co. as dining options- both excellent- but other favorites are Vignola on Wharf Street and Rachel's in the Rosemont area. Diverse food with italian orientation, and Rachel's is an intimate restaurant run by the owners. Well worth a try, and an excellent wine list. Reservations are helpful on weekends, even in winter. For breakfast, Becky's on the Commercial Street waterfront is the famous local restaurant. For an informal meal, try Norm's BBQ on Middle Street for excellent ribs, pulled pork and pub food, and its neighbor Duckfat run by nationally recognized chef Rob Evans as a companion to his highly rated restaurant, Hugo's. Hugo's is tops and our special occasion restaurant. Good luck.

  3.  

    Portland does have a bizzarre number of amazing restaurants for a small New England city. Hugo's chef, Rob Evans, is probably the most renowned in Portland. He previously worked at the Inn at Little Washington and then The French Laundry, under Thomas Keller. So, if you have only one night in Portland and are looking for innovative haute cuisine from fresh local ingredients, you should definitely try to go. Especially if you're celebrating a special occasion. Reservations are often necessary since the room isn't that large. It also has a casual feeling to it and you can even eat at the bar if there's room and you aren't able to reserve a table. It's pricey for Maine, but seems like a bargain if you're used to higher prices, like in New York.

    But, if you're looking for something even more relaxed, you can't go wrong with ffrye1's recommendations above. I've been to a few of them, and they are all excellent.

  4.  

    One of the best resources to sort through all of the top dining options in Portland is http://portlandfoodmap.com It also has daily updates of all the culinary buzz in Maine.

    I go to Maine every so often and that site has helped me discover some amazing finds.

    This Spring I'm looking forward to trying Evangeline (Erik Desjarlais' new restaurant, formally of Bandol) which is opening up in April.

    And I've heard that Hugo's is redecorating and also revamping its menu when they reopen in May. They're supposed to move the menu towards more à la carte options.

  5.  

    Bresca, which is new to Portland, now ranks as one of my favorite restaurants in the world (right now). Although the menu is a little on the small side, which is understandable given the size of the restaurant, some of the dishes coming out of the kitchen are probably worthy of a Michelin star. The space is shockingly tiny and feels very casual. The food is anything but casual.

    There are only 20 seats in the whole restaurant (yes that's "seats," not tables), some of which are located at a counter, so reservations are almost always needed to get in. A few weeks after dining there, I noticed that it was featured in Condé Nast Traveler as one of the top new restaurants in the world for 2008. I'd say that the distinction is well deserved.

1 to 5 of 5

  1.  

Add your comments

  • Formatting Tips
 
Back to Discussions Top of Page
 
tr