A Whirlwind of Grazing Across Portland

After a day-long drive al

We had intentionally made no reservation so that we would have no time pressure as we popped in and out of cute towns along the coast. By early evening, we had checked into our strategically situated downtown hotel. Our plan was to have a leisurely evening grazing across Old Port Portland.

MJ’s Wine Bar

We started our evening with a glass of wine MJ’s Wine Bar. As we approached its entrance filled with sidewalk tables, it felt a little austere.

But inside, it was all cozy wine bar, with low-lit ambiance, lots of warm wood, and couchy leather seating.

We grabbed a seat at the large bar, and began to check out the interesting wine and cheese lists. Just little something to take the edge off before dinner. I love wine bars that offer half glasses so that you can try a variety. On the cold summer evening I opted for two tasty reds: a Mendoza Malbec from Argentina and a Spanish Garnacha.

The dense fruity wine went well with the rich, luscious cheese. The first was a creamy Bucheron Goat Cheese topped with Apricots and Mint. 

And I can never pass up a creamy Brillat Savarin – and MJ’s topped this one with Blueberries and Dijon.

 MJ’s was immediately comfortable, and I loved their attention to detail in wine and food. We could have lounged in there for hours, but we were saving ourselves for Eventide.

Eventide

Just a short 10-minute walk through Portland’s desolate night-time streets and we arrived at Eventide Oyster Co., which had only recently opened. This may have been my favorite Maine dining experience – which is saying a lot.

Its modern minimalist interior was awash in candlelight.

We were seated at a clever little counter at the front window that looked out over Portland’s peaceful downtown. Eventide has a small but excellent wine list, and I chose this crisp and complex Greek Moschofilero.

Eventide has a variety of seating areas, including a large bar that shows-off their impressive Oyster selection. But I had come for the Lobster Roll. I didn’t even know how good Eventide’s Lobster Roll was going to be. The lobster was served warm, tossed in brown butter, and slipped into a tiny bao bun. Perfection. Lobster can be rich – and this was the perfect size and style. My favorite and most memorable Lobster Roll of my New England adventure.

We couldn’t resist indulging in Eventide’s golden fried house-made chips, served with tartar sauce, that were addictive.

The server pointed us in the direction of the chickpea fries, as a hidden gem on the largely seafood menu. Hey, I’m always up for recommended fried things. I was expecting something more akin to French Fries, but what arrived were sophisticated golden fried triangles scented with raisins and coriander and sitting in a pool of hummus and olive oil.

The aroma was heavenly, but when I took my first bite I was happily surprised that the interior was basically a creamy hummus texture that just melted in my mouth amidst crunch fried bits. This brilliantly conceived dish was to-die-for, and one of the most memorable food finds of the trip.

I loved everything about Eventide, including its late night dining.

The Holy Donut

The next morning we were raring to go for our first full day in Portland. With no specific breakfast destination on my list we inquired with the hotel for a nearby recommendation, and they pointed us to a bakery a few blocks down the street.

But on the way, we spotted The Holy Donut down a cute tree-lined street. Since donuts had become such a big theme on this trip, we had to check it out instead. As we approached we could see this was no run of the mill donut shop.

Not only does The Holy Donut have compelling flavor combos, but they are made with Maine potatoes! Okay – we were in! We went for the specially priced 1/2 dozen selection which provided us a good sampling.

We camped out in Holy Donut’s cozy cafe and commenced our little taste test. Choosing just six was tough, but we ended up with some interesting flavors like Cannoli, Chocolate Toasted Coconut, Sugar Cinnamon, Dark Chocolate Vanilla… and our favorites Maine Blueberry (that was reminiscent of a blueberry muffin) and Coffee Bourbon.

Satiated for the moment, we ventured out to explore downtown Portland, and to walk off those donuts!

 

Portland Farmers Market

Portland is charming, clothed in red brick architecture and picturesque with its harbor easily accessible right along the downtown. We ogled some cute store windows and popped into some cute stores that we just couldn’t resist.

We happened upon a small but lovely farmers market.

J’s Oyster

And then it was time for lunch and time to head back to the harbor.

We opted for lunch at J’s Oyster which had been recommended by MJ’s bartender, the night before. The Oyster House seems to be appreciated by locals and tourists alike. J’s is a throwback to tradition and has a dark-divey interior – in the best way. Our waitress was super friendly and efficient.

We started with a bowl of quintessential New England Clam Chowder.

Of course, I was still on a lobster binge, but needed change-up from the Lobster Roll, and opted for the Lobster Salad. I think J’s was my most pure and fresh Maine Lobster experience.

As we left J’s it was starting to rain, but we had come prepared with umbrellas and a renewed spirit for exploration.

 Mount Desert Island Ice Cream

We were soon on a mission for an afternoon snack and veered deliberately toward Maine Ice Cream maven Mount Desert Island Ice Cream.

Mount Desert originates from Bar Harbor in the north of Maine, but luckily has a shop right in the heart of Portland’s Old Port area. The flavor profiles were terrific, and they clearly know their ice cream-eating public as their menu offers a 4-taste dish option. Mount Desert was second in Maine ice cream only to Rococo.

I indulged in the Thai Coconut Chili, Maine Rocky Coast, Sour Cherry Sorbet, and Blueberry Sour Cream. The Thai Chili was phenomenal.

We walked off the ice cream in preparation for our dinner to come.

 

Fore Street

A couple weeks beforehand, I had made a dinner reservation at uber popular Fore Street restaurant, just a few blocks from our hotel. Housed in quintessential Portland red brick, Fore Street has a modern industrial feel.

Fore Street was filled with low-lit ambience with a pleasant loungey bar area and a bustling open kitchen.

The dining room was large and packed.

Our server was friendly and attentive, and our dinner was a leisurely, multi-course affair.

I was compelled by the fresh Fettuccine appetizer of Seared Chard, Oil Cured Goat Cheese with Olives and Herbal Oil. My instincts had been right on for this salty, creamy dish – and I need to find a way to recreate that delectable experience.

We also indulged in a side of fantastic Smashed Potatoes with crunchy Potato Skins that were served in an iron pot.

Stunning bread and butter…

I can never resist Seared Scallops and these Day Boat gems sat atop a creamy Spinach Pecan Pesto that came with a side of Black Rice and Radish Greens. Delicious – but I didn’t really get the Black Rice component.

This beautiful Wood-oven Roasted Hake Fillet over Polenta looked delicious – with Grilled Garlic Scapes, Wilted Chard, and Beet Vinaigrette that was served in rustic cast iron.

I loved the whole vibe of Fore Street.

 

Bayside American Cafe

Before leaving Portland the next morning, we had one more spot to check off our food list – brunch at the Bayside American Cafe. On the outskirts of downtown ensconced in a vintage style house that feels like old New Orleans, this cafe was formerly the iconic Bentliffs – renowned for its breakfast.

I opted for Eggs Benedict – she for the classic and me for the awesome Crab Cake version...

…but, of course you can go classic.

Bayside is the kind of place where you need to be in a leisurely mode and sip on a Bloody Mary while you await your delicious food being made from scratch. So worth it, if you’re not in a hurry.

But we were anxious to jump on the road and head out to Portland Headlight.

Portland was a whirlwind adventure, but it was packed with enough charm and delicious food finds for a week.