Portland, Maine
Just an hour and a half from Boston, Portland serves up an authentic slice of America’s north eastern seaboard with cobbled streets, restored 19th century buildings, funky bars and lobster – always lobster - on the side.
With a population less than Galway, Portland is more town than city, sitting on a peninsula that stretches into a blustery north Atlantic Casco Bay. Even away from the wharves of the Old Port area, the salty tang in the air is as unmistakeable as the constant cawing of seagulls. The winding and often cobblestone streets, are dotted with restored red-bricks - former warehouses now home to high end restaurants, genteel dwellings rocking out as bars, and everywhere there’s lobster, sweet Maine lobster, the best there is, according to locals.
For all this trendy vibe, there’s something remarkably unpretentious about Portland. Locals and tourists alike fill the many lobster shacks, bibs tucked under their chins so they can best rip the flesh of that clawed red wonder. Portland has become something of a foodie mecca among New Englanders and that’s not surprising. Seafood is the mainstay of nearly every menu and it’s every bit as good as the natives claim.
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in the downtown (Old Port) area with views out along the boat-lined wharves to the ocean. Right across the road, was Rí Rás – an Irish owned pub which was, naturally, our first port of call. And there I discovered the biggest danger in Maine. A gin and tonic comes with about three quarters of a glass of gin and a splash of tonic. They don’t do measures - you have been warned!
It was the start of the season (Memorial weekend) so pleasantly warm and not that busy. This north eastern corner of America is not known for its kind weather and despite the rising temperature, the sea breeze is always present. And with the dollar on a near par with the euro, prices are pretty much similar to home.
CULINARY DELIGHTS
After the flight and the drive up (airport security hell and an unplanned, and possibly unnecessary, tour of Boston’s road tunnels), I decided to take it easy on the gin. We managed to get a table in one of the most highly regarded local restaurants Fore Street, just stone’s throw from the hotel. The redbrick interior, huge windows, open kitchen complete with a giant woodburning spit make for splendid surroundings while the menu mixes seafood (oysters, mussels and squid) with meat and game. There’s the buzzy atmosphere of the start of a summer bank holiday weekend. The food was delicious; I went for the mussels while himself had a spit roasted chicken.
Aside from eating and drinking, there’s plenty to do in Portland. We were out bright and early for a stroll around the Old Port area, an excellent way to get a feel for the place with plenty of shops to browse selling, everything from homewares with that Hamptons vibe to artworks, clothes, accessories and gourmet food stuffs.
By mid-morning we were ready for brunch and there’s really only one place to go in Portland; the Bayside American Café. This is something of a Portland institution. It opens from 7am to 2pm and doesn’t take reservations. The wait was about 20 minutes when we visited and it was well worth it. The place was heaving with locals and the service was friendly and efficient. There are an extraordinary variety of breakfast options from avo toast to omelettes, ‘benedicts’, wraps, pancakes and eggs whatever way you like them.
That afternoon we headed out to Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park. It’s a beautiful old lighthouse, the oldest in Maine. Fort Williams Park is 90 acres of coastal hiking trails with a beach and sprawling gardens.
Saturday night and the Old Town is hopping with party goers. We kicked off with a sundowner at one of the many bars on one of the many wharves. Live music was playing just about everywhere. Our challenge first was to find a secret sheebeen – a speakeasy called Lincolns (after Abraham). We had the address but the entrance to the bar was apparently hidden and those in the know are urged not to share the secret. Yup, it wasn’t easy but we eventually found ourselves in a suitably dimly lit bar serving $5 drinks and feeling inexplicably chuffed with ourselves (we almost gave up). It’s well worth checking out.
Back outside the Old Town was teeming with bars aplenty for late night revellers, which not surprisingly didn’t include us.
Before we left the following morning, we decided to check out another intriguing local delicacy – potato doughnuts. These proved to be remarkably light and extremely tasty with an iced coffee sitting on the side of the road, seagulls whirring around us and that salty sea breeze rolling in from Casco Bay.
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