5 replies to this topic

[matty]

Hey now,

Heading up to Portland, ME on Saturday for Yonder Mountain. Going to go up a bit early, maybe check out some craft breweries or food or historic sights or who know what. Any suggestions?

Anyone else going to the show???

Sorry have not been around the Board much since StrangeCreek. How's folks?

[Eco]

For historical stuff: head over to South Portland next and check out the old forts next to the water front, Google the Portland Headlight for a good one. There are also a couple on islands about a 15-20 paddle off of the east end of Portland in you have a canoe or if the Uhaul in town still rents them.

For beer/breweries: "the Old Port" down by the waterfront you will be in heaven. That whole area is great for pub crawls and touristy type of shopping.

If you had a shit ton of extra time, a ferry ride out to Peaks Island is a nice way to relax enjoying a six pack of local brews....

[gregoir]

http://www.grittys.com/portland.php

[TheDHJ]

Talk to deadheadskier.

[matty]

Thanks for the suggestions y'all !

I've compiled a list of all the recommendations from various sources. Some names redacted to protect the innocent:



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http://www.tripadvis...land_Maine.html

Some general links for Portland:
http://wikitravel.or...and_(Maine)#See
http://wikitravel.or...and_(Maine)#Eat
http://wikitravel.or...d_(Maine)#Drink

FoodMap !!!!
http://www.portlandfoodmap.com/
http://www.portlandf...om/MapView.html

More Portland links:
http://www.portlandm...as-of-interest/
http://www.portlandm...wn-walking-map/
http://directory.por....com/locate.php
http://directory.por...maine/c/2787/0/

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Recommendations from xxx and xxx:
a Sicilian slab at Micucci's on India (http://www.yelp.com/...-store-portland), a financiere at the Standard Bakery on commercial (http://www.yelp.com/...ing-co-portland) and fish chowder at Becky's (http://www.yelp.com/...-diner-portland) also on commercial (xxx says been there and feels no need to go back)

(though note the pizza and chowder are lunch places).
Also - amazing fries with gourmet sauces at Duckfat (Middle & India) and a new place opened since I left that everyone raves about called Nosh (http://www.yelp.com/...en-bar-portland). (recent reviews make it look like some love and some hate Nosh)

Duckfat looks yummy:
http://www.yelp.com/...uckfat-portland
http://beeradvocate....r/profile/29002
http://www.tripadvis...land_Maine.html

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Recommendations from xxx:


Portland has lots of great eats with or without kids. Here's a website I found recently: http://www.portlandfoodmap.com/
I would recommend:
Lobster: Portland Lobster Company. has music, outdoor seating on the water (http://www.yelp.com/...ter-co-portland)
American: Local 188, Grace (formerly a church), The Salt Exchange, Walter's
Japanese/Sushi: Sapporo
Mexican: El Rayo Taqueria has indoor and outdoor seating, delicious!
Indian: Hi Bombay has the best
Brewpub: Sebago Brewery
Pizza: Portland Pie
Good, cheap Thai, austere atmosphere: Chiang Mai
Brunch: The Front Room
Breakfast bagel sandwiches: OhNo! Cafe


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deadheadskier:

As for places to eat: Duckfat (links already listed above) is a great lunch spot. Novare Res (http://beeradvocate....1/?view=beerfly, http://www.yelp.com/...re-res-portland) is a good beer bar. If you like sushi/Asian cuisine, Miyake has a noodle bar in Long Fellow square (http://www.urbanspoo...Miyake-Portland) and a Sushi bar in the Old Port (http://www.yelp.com/...miyake-portland) - both outstanding. As for chill bars to grab a beer, I like Slainte and the Downtown Lounge (http://www.yelp.com/...lounge-portland). Non-food/bar activities, J and I like to walk up to the Eastern Promanade.

Have fun!


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Beer Advocate has some listings too, like:
The Great Lost Bear
Novare Res
Mama's Crowbar
http://beeradvocate....beerfly/city/15

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Breweries (I've left out some that are closed this weekend):

https://www.facebook...268316?filter=1 (a new one, looks like a"nano"brewery)

http://www.allagash.com/about/tours (not walkable)

http://gearybrewing.com/tours/ (not walkable)

http://grittys.com/portland.php (Brew pub in Portland proper)
http://beeradvocate....beer/profile/74

http://www.peakbrewing.com/contact/ (possibly walkable - tours?)

http://www.sebagobre...ns_portland.php (Brew Pub in Portland proper)
http://beeradvocate....er/profile/2407

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From Eco :

For historical stuff: head over to South Portland next and check out the old forts next to the water front, Google the Portland Headlight for a good one. There are also a couple on islands about a 15-20 paddle off of the east end of Portland in you have a canoe or if the Uhaul in town still rents them.

For beer/breweries: "the Old Port" down by the waterfront you will be in heaven. That whole area is great for pub crawls and touristy type of shopping.

If you had a shit ton of extra time, a ferry ride out to Peaks Island is a nice way to relax enjoying a six pack of local brews....

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Even more Recommendations from Jen's work:


Two more options from my friend xxx:
I remembered two more nice, lower-key places to eat in Portland!
1) Flatbreads, right on commercial st.
2) The Grill Room.

And this weekend my friend and I tried Olive Café as we were starving after an impromptu whale watch and it was the first restaurant we saw that caught our eye. Not really a foodie place, but if you are on the waterfront it features very casual, tasty and inexpensive Mediterranean offerings. The pita was flatter and grilled which I preferred to puffy Americanized ones. Seem to be a better deal for lunch than dinner.
http://www.tripadvis...land_Maine.html

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And here’s a bit more in response to my request for info from xxx and if he had tried Fez. He has worked for oil companies and is an adventurous eater (for work has lived in Angola, Nigeria, Sakhalin and most recently Baku, Azerbaijan) has good taste (but is still just as happy cooking up lobsters at home on the coal fired stove in the kitchen!), so I trust his opinions w/out reservation:
Hmm. Nyet on the somali food. But: in portland, there are dozens. My faves are caiola and Street and company. But the Sea Grill and one I'll get the name from Morgan are also quite good. For breakfast, Becky's, The Porthole, and Marcy's are dinerish but good.
In South Portland, Davids 388 is our local, and always excellent.
All of em are sort of expensive and you need a reservation anywhere for dinner. Alas.

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Here’s one of the only ‘restaurants’ I remember eating at: decent reviews for what could potentially be a tourist trap, and I recall it being good and you gotta eat at a place like this at least once while in Portland. http://www.yelp.com/...-cape-elizabeth
And I kind of want to try this: http://www.yelp.com/...aurant-portland

[Eco]

I forgot, "The Great Lost Bear" on forest Ave heading out of town(north). They had 50+ beers on tap back way before it was cool to have several local brews on tap. Several of us small time home brewers would meet there.....some of the names you mentioned were part of that small group....some went on to do their thingy and many you will now find on tap all over the area. Pretty sure that was the first time I saw a place that offered an egg on a burger as well...might be worth a stop for a drink or so.

If you don't have a local Denny's it's sort of a must do after a night on the town in Portland. Nobody has any clue if the food is good since I think it's a state law that you have to crawl in shitfaced but in that condition the food is awesome......even if you pick it off of others plates while to wait to get served between vomiting.

***forgot, eat an "Italian" at Amotos! Yeah it might seem expensive $4.00ish for a sub lacking a proper amount of meat and cheese but the produce is fuc-ing excellent! While it pisses me off that they charge the same for a veggie sub, he produce is sooo good I buy several of them each time I go. The Portland and Scarborough locations are good but the Biddeford and Wells locations suck ass (stale bread, untrained staff).

This thread is making me count the 3 days until Maine to do the things I suggested.