I’m a full-stack software engineer with a background in transportation and city planning.

I went on a long weekend to Portland, Maine in June 2019, and here’s the things I enjoyed doing!

Food

  • Bite Into Maine 🦞 (site; map) was such a delicious lobster roll! Check which locations are open the day you’ll be going. We went to the food truck in Fort Williams Park, which was very picturesque, but you can also catch them at Allagash Brewery, or year-round in Scarborough. I really liked the Connecticut style (with butter).
  • Eventide Oyster Company 🐟 (site; map) was our seafood splurge, and it was so worth it. We had amazing mackerel, crab, oysters, and and chowder. On the oysters, you can choose your accoutrements — the “horseradish ice” was incredible.
  • Pai Men Miyake 🍜 (site; map) was a good ramen restaurant near where we were staying. I really liked the spicy Tokyo Abura (no broth), and also got a side of paitan broth. This is a sister restaurant to Miyake Sushi.
  • Tandem Coffee ☕🥐 (site; map) serves great coffee (with their homemade almond macadamia milk), but the reason we came back three times was because of their absolutely perfect scones. Specifically cheddar-jalapeño. Don’t miss it.
  • The Holy Donut 🍩 (site; map) is famous for its potato donuts. They didn’t change my life, but they are unique and worth trying! Hifi Donuts is the other donut place in town that was recommended to me if you are a donut enthusiast.
  • Duckfat Friteshack 🍟 (site; map) is a spinoff from the famous Duckfat, and is located in the front beer garden area of Oxbow Blending and Bottling, which is directly adjacent to Maine Mead Works and Hardshore Distilling Company. You can spend a couple hours sampling the drinks from these three places, and you’ll probably want some (delicious) fries with that. Speaking of…

Drinks

There are so many breweries in this town. And also a lot of liquor, mead, and kombucha. Basically everywhere has inexpensive flights, which is the only way I have anything to say about this many places. 🙈

  • Oxbow Blending and Bottling 🍻 (site; map) is a nice brewery/beer garden (with Duckfat Friteshack in the beer garden). It’s directly next to Maine Mead Works 🍯🍷 (site; map) which had a wonderful flight of meads, including their refreshing lavender lemonade mead. And just one door over, there’s Hardshore Distilling 🥃 (site; map) known for its gin. And while it’s not next door, you’re just a hop and a skip away from…
  • Maine Craft Distilling 🥃 (site; map) has a variety of interesting whiskeys, rums, and other spirits. Apparently it also has a pub and restaurant! It’s next door to…
  • Root Wild Kombucha 🥤 (site; map) which has truly some of the best kombucha I’ve ever had. Get a flight and try a few!
  • Allagash Brewing Company 🍻 (site; map) is further afield, but is worth a visit (and is an easy ride in a Lyft or Uber). There are tours that tend to book up in advance, but you can also just enjoy the large selection of beers, including many limited distribution beers you’ll have a hard time finding elsewhere. If that’s not enough, there’s also a Bite Into Maine food truck set up seasonally, and the brewery is next to four others. We enjoyed Definite Brewing Company (site) as well!
  • Vena’s Fizz House 🍸🍹 (site; map) back in downtown Portland has an amazing array of cocktails and mocktails, and also teaches classes and has a really impressive retail shop! Their cocktails were very impressive, and we enjoyed eavesdropping on the group having a private cocktail mixing class at the bar.
  • Novare Res Bier Cafe 🍻 (site; map) is a great beer garden & bar with a big selection of local beers!
  • Liquid Riot Bottling Company 🍻🥃 (site; map) is a restaurant, brewery, and distillery. We really enjoyed their whiskies!

Activities

  • Sebago Lake 🏕️ (site; map) was a beautiful drive from Portland. It’s about an hour round trip driving from Portland, and we stopped at Sebago Lake State Park to go on a short hike along the lake. Bring bug spray!
  • Cape Elizabeth ⛵(map) was our next destination after Sebago Lake. We went to Bite Into Maine for lobster rolls before checking out Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse (map). We were told it’s a beautiful drive continuing down the coast.
  • Eastern Promenade 🏡 (map) was a particularly beautiful walk within the city.
  • We didn’t have time to take a ferry ⛴️ (site) to one of the nearby islands, but if I went back, that would be on my list!

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