48-Hour Foodie Guide to Portland, Maine

Have you ever visited a city expressly with the interest of just eating your way through it?

We have! Are we weird? Sorry. (Not sorry at all.)

My husband and I had ALWAYS wanted to visit the New England area, specifically Maine. Living in northern Minnesota, the idea of Maine sounded so homey–quaint towns, absolutely stunning scenery, outdoor adventures a plenty–just like Minnesota, but on steroids…and it is!

We are also faithful subscribers to Bon Appetit Magazine…why do I mention this? Well…in August 2018, Bon Appetit Magazine named Portland, Maine their “Restaurant City of the Year.”

This is a HUGE honor for a city the size of Portland–roughly 66,000 residents–and it’s geographical location, meaning it’s not in the Silicon Valley nor New York City.

However, what Portland, Maine lacks in physical size and population, it more than makes up for in its vibrant food scene thanks to its flawless seafood and exquisite craft beer breweries.

Foodie Guide #1: For Starters…

If you’re going to binge-eat your way through Portland, you must start the day off with donuts + coffee from The Holy Donut.

The Holy Donut is by far the Holy Grail of donuts, my friends. They take Maine-grown potatoes, add love and some other magic ingredients and ShaZam-donuts! Whether you’re a cake-donut lover or a yeast-donut lover–The Holy Donut will convert you and you will have no other use for potatoes ever again. Maine-grown potatoes make donuts that are like velvet–crunchy on the outside with a soft, fluffy pillow inside. As a side bonus, they don’t dry out like other donuts, so you should buy 6 at a time.

Donut flavors rotate daily and there are many seasonal flavor offerings as well. We did note during our stop(s)–yes, you saw that correctly, we procured donuts more than once during our very short stay, (quit judging)–that some flavors are daily favorites such as Maple, Pomegranate, Allen’s Coffee Brandy (it’s *unreal*, don’t knock it till you try it), Maple Bacon, Cinnamon Sugar, Vanilla Glaze and a few others.

My favorite donut flavor was the Triple Berry Cannoli and Toasted Coconut. My husband fell in love with the Allen’s Coffee Brandy and Maple Bacon. Because bacon makes everything better…including potato donuts. And my kids…well, they just wanted a taste of all of them! Nothing wrong with that!

If you’re blessed with more than one morning in Portland or you need an additional breakfast to get you through the your morning strides, head over to Tandem Coffee & Bakery. Here, order yourself a delicious drip coffee, locally roasted in their other location, Tandem Cafe + Roastery and perhaps a sticky bun. Or a warm biscuit slathered in whipped butter. Or a scone. Or…you get the picture. You’re drooling. I’m not drooling. It’s you; not me.

Foodie Guide #2: Food Truck Stop

As you head out to the Portland Head Lighthouse to check out the stunning scenery surrounding Fort Williams Park and visit the most photographed lighthouse in the United States, keep an eye out for The.Very.Best.Foodtruck I’ve EVER encountered–Bite Into Maine.

Ohmyheavenlystars…

Friends. I may have found heaven right herrrre.

Bite Into Maine’s boasts 3 locations–1 open year round in Scarborough, the food truck at Fort Williams Park near the Portland Head Lighthouse and their 1977 Air Stream–named the Silver Sue–at Allagash Brewing Co. from April-December. These 3 locations will keep you driving in circles just to be able to try All.The.Things.

Bite Into Maine’s Connecticut Style Lobster Roll was one of the very best lobster rolls I’ve EVER tried. The shear quantity of lobster in this roll makes your eyes glaze over. Then they add warm butter. POW! It’s magic!

All of the menu items we tried were incredible–Lobster Mac n’ Cheese, Connecticut Style Lobster Roll, Maine Style Lobster Roll, Wasabi Mayo Lobster Roll, Clam Chowder (we have a family of 5 with 3 growing boys, we can throw down when it comes to food!)–but the menu item that took the cake was the Lobster Grilled Cheese.

I can’t even talk here friends. I’m still dreaming about my Lobster Grilled Cheese & how I will make a worthy attempt at re-creating this when I get home to Minnesota. This Grilled Cheese is the stuff my adult grilled cheese dreams are made of. There are chunks of fresh Maine lobster layered between a ridiculous amount of creamy, melty, cheese-pulling Fontina + Sharp white cheddar cheeses, slathered with the additional love of chipotle mayo and sandwiched between grilled sourdough bread.

Do I have your attention? I’ve eaten a lot of REALLY great food in my day…this sandwich from a food truck goes down in my Top 5 ever eaten. (Just order the grilled cheese, if it’s the last thing you remember from this.)

Foodie Guide #3: Mid-Day Cocktails + Oysters + Fries…

You’ve had your breakfast(s), you’ve visited the renowned Portland Head Lighthouse and had a early lunch or snack…now what?

You need to get yourself a one-of-a-kind craft cocktail, that’s what you need! Lobster roll your way over to the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club (sorry for the food pun, I couldn’t help myself) and belly up to their gorgeous S-shaped bar so you can ogle the vast selection of fine spirits.

Your mixologist will greet you with a handsome leather bound drink menu branded with the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club logo on the front. You’ll want to bring it home as a souvenir because it’s just so pretty. Just *try* to find one cocktail to settle on. *Try* is the operative word here, my friends. I wanted like 8 cocktails. But judging from the same-day early morning flight, slight jet-lag and the need to go the distance here, I limited myself to just one.

I chose wisely with the Lavender Collins & my husband chose a slightly odd choice for himself, the Espresso Martini, made with Maine’s own Allen’s Coffee Brandy. Since it was around 2 p.m., it was a confusing time of day for him; he couldn’t decide if he needed coffee or a cocktail, so he chose both, and it was quite possibly the best martini we both have EVER tasted.

If a craft cocktail isn’t your thing, fix your eyes on any of the impressively selected Porland Hunt + Alpine Club’s featured American Whiskeys, Canadian, Irish or Scotch Whiskys, Rums, Tequilas, Gins and more. There are some interesting rare finds in the Whiskey realm, so if that’s your thing, this is your place.

The food selection at the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club is limited to Charcuterie-style boards & savory plates–geared to accommodate their beautiful selection of craft cocktails and spirits. As the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club staff was bringing out plates before our very eyes, we were convinced you couldn’t go wrong with anything that came out of their kitchen. My votes went to the Bacon-Wrapped Dates and the Deviled Eggs. They were both amazing. Try whatever you can here, that’s all I’m going to leave you with!

After you’ve whet your palette, head over to The Shop at Island Creek Oysters, better known as just ‘The Shop’ by the locals. We asked our mixologist at the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club where to go for oysters. Naturally he recommended a few touristy spots down by the wharf knowing that we were tourists to the area. Then, we asked him, “Where do you go for oysters?” Oh. The Shop, of course.

The Shop at Island Creek isn’t just known to locals. Tourists know about it too thanks to its write ups in several publications. But, it’s very unassuming and completely approachable, with a no-frills, no-nonsense approach to REALLY fresh oysters.

Oysters are always the same price every day-$1.50/each!. The selection is hyper-fresh. And can I just say that I LOVE getting a little menu card where you just write the quantity of each type you want in the margin? Oysters fresh from the surrounding Portland waters include varieties such as: Island Creek, Mookie Blues, Nonesuch, Wolfe’s Neck, Mount Desert Island and Wild Belon. Just ask your Fish Monger the difference between each and you’re sure to find a flavor profile that fits your taste buds!

Also, if oysters aren’t your thing, The Shop offers a fresh selection of scallops, mussels, squid and octopus as well. Grab a local micro brew on top or a glass of wine & enjoy that fresh seafood!

Foodie Guide #4: Just One More Lobster Roll…

Is there such a thing as eating too many lobster rolls in one day? I’m just asking for a friend.

Since my family and I discovered this whole idea of “chunks of lobster meat on a top-split bun covered in butter or flavored mayo thing,” it’s been a bit of a problematic situation. I dream of them and I can’t really recreate the whole fresh seafood thing at home in land-locked Minnesota. Honestly, I’d be okay moving to Maine just to eat lobster rolls. Just sayin’.

If you’re up for continuing to try more lobster rolls during your glutinous, food-induced quick stay in Portland, there are no shortage of places to choose from. Many locals will point you to Bob’s Clam Hut (original location in Kittery), Red’s Eats, The Clam Shack, Portland Lobster Co., Thurston’s Lobster Pound, The Fish Net, Lobster Shack, High Roller Lobster Co., etc….you get the point here. Each New Englander, specifically Mainer, has their very own opinion of who makes the best lobster roll.

This makes sense though, doesn’t it? Just as I like spicy red sauce on my pasta, my kids like a more mild sauce. My middle child likes mayo, my oldest child likes mustard. We are all unique…so I encourage you to pick one (or many) of the ones listed above and have a go at it! You will find a style & roll that is well-suited to your taste buds!

I have tried several of them from the list above and several from not-mentioned restaurants/food trucks. I can tell you without a doubt in my mind, the locals do know what they are talking about! Locals tend to have the 4-1-1 on who is freshest, who is most traditional and who has been doing it the longest. So…without further ado…in no particular order, just a few of my favorites:

1.) The High Roller Lobster Co. was without a doubt one of my absolute favorites! Their Lobster Roll (just one style here, folks) with Roasted Red Pepper Mayo on the side + a basket of their amazing High Fries (think super crispy shoestrings and LOTS of them) loaded with Old Bay Seasoning and a side of curried ketchup…my diner dreams have come true! I absolutely LOVED the neon red lights, the simple white and red decor and the staff could not have been any friendlier (high five here, folks!). And, since we had our children with on this particular trip, I absolutely loved that it was a little loud in there! Perhaps it was because they had a hockey game on, or maybe it’s always that way? Either way, my kids didn’t stand out, their circus just blended into the background. It made us parents feel right at home.

2.) The Portland Lobster Company wins in the category of location, location, location! Their location of being directly on the wharf and water gives this place a splashing round of applause. There is nothing like enjoying a local brew, people-watching on a blazing-hot 85 degree day right on the wharf while waiting 45 minutes for a lobster roll. This is vacation land, people! The Portland Lobster Company had incredibly fresh tasting lobster chunks and the portion was generous, which was a bonus.

Although I should mention my favorite part about our visit to The Portland Lobster Company wasn’t even the food–I discovered the local Wild Fermented Blueberry Cidah from Urban Farm Fermentory & my husband tried one of his favorite micro brews of all time, a seasonal beer from Allagash Brewing Co. WOW! The Blueberry Cidah was super delicious and refreshing on a hot day and my husband’s beer was one of the best ones he’s tried & guess what? They were local products. Of course they were. Because that’s how Portland does their food scene. I LOVE IT.

3.) The shear variety and flavor of lobster rolls available at Bite Into Maine is what drew me to their locations! Because one day, I wanted wasabi. Another day, I wanted simple hot buttah + lobster, and another day, I wanted just mayo with fresh chives. And…Bite Into Maine has all of this! I love that they have 2 food truck locations + a permanent year round location in Scarborough. If I visit Portland again during the ‘off-season,’ I can be sure to get one of their rolls. Bite Into Maine’s fresh baked rolls took the idea to an entirely different level. I also enjoyed the generous portion of lobster we got on each of the rolls we tried.

Foodie Guide #5: Just A Little Snack…

I’ll be honest, I was never really hungry enough to need a ‘snack’ on our trips to Portland. There was always just a long line of constant grazing going on–from sun up to sun down. That was the whole point of the trip–to come to Portland and try All.The.Food.

On our first trip to Portland with our children in tow, we tried incessantly to get access to some Duckfat fries. Duckfat restaurant is this uber tiny, hip little restaurant that cooks everything in…duck fat. I think part of the appeal is to wait in line (there is just always a wait…just give it up here) and then savor those duckfat fries one-by-one.

We trudged our children through the pouring rain one day, only to be disappointed when there was a 45 minute wait. And, you don’t wait that long with hungry children, people. They start to circle you like wolves after 10. We tried the next day…the wait was longer. I decided after the second time of trying to get into the restaurant that I would leave Portland without Duckfat fries. I was sad. Really, really sad. But, the only thing making me feel better was knowing this wouldn’t be my only trip to Portland; it would happen again another time.

And so it did! My husband and I took a second trip to Portland and we made it our goal to try some Duckfat fries…again. Well, this time waiting for 45 minutes-because there is always a 45 minute wait-wasn’t a big deal because it was just him and I. So…after about 38 minutes (YAY!), our buzzer buzzed and we were seated at the bar.

We promptly ordered a large order of Duckfat fries which are handcut Belgian fries fried in duckfat with your choice of dipping sauce. We went for the garlic mayo & truffle ketchup, and they were both delicious! I’m happy to report that it was a ‘snack’ that I’m so glad we went back for! The fries are super crispy on the outside with this pillowy soft center. The sauces are amazing, but you do not get enough sauce-to-fry ratio in my opinion, so opting for the flight of sauces is a great plan if you’re getting the large order (which is not very big, by the way). I would definitely visit Duckfat again given the opportunity.

There are so many more credit-worthy restaurants in the Portland area that are on my foodie bucket list & many I want to visit again. Our next trip to Portland can not come quick enough. I sure hope this article gives you a detailed idea of the food we got to enjoy our trip! Perhaps it will help you narrow down your choices if given the opportunity to make a visit to Portland.

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I LOVE hearing from my readers! Please feel free to leave comments below and share with me YOUR favorites in the Portland area. I’d also love to hear what other cities you’d like to see featured in one of my future posts! And if you liked this article, consider reading my blog post about the Wood-Fired Culinary Class we took at the Mugnaini headquarters in California! Please share with friends & subscribe to my email list where you’ll receive future travel & food related posts!

Thank you for reading, friends & happy foodie travels!

Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.

XOXO