RESTAURANT CITY
OF THE YEAR
BY HILARY NANGLE
When Bon Appétit magazine named Portland, Maine “Restaurant City of the Year” in 2018, culinary travelers took
notice. In addition to citations of excellence for living, work, and play, Portland’s earned national kudos for quality of
life, thanks to its extensive trail network, buzzing art scene, boating and fishing, and minor league baseball.
MUNCH, MUNCH, MUNCH
Easy access to fresh seafood and local farm fare feeds Portland’s
culinary scene. Chef Sam Hayward, of Fore Street and Scales, earned
Maine’s first James Beard Best Chef Northeast. Fellow Bearders
Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley of Eventide Oyster Co. run two other
lauded restaurants, The Honey Paw and Hugo’s. Other hot tables
include Chaval, Drifters Wife, Miyake, Mr. Tuna, and Cong Tu Bot.
The Portland Museum of Art, exhibiting three centuries of art
and architecture, anchors the downtown Arts District. Within the
galleries, find works by Warhol, Monet, Wyeth, and more. The
museum also operates the Winslow Homer Studio, perched on the
rocky coast of Prouts Neck.
ISLANDS, LIGHTHOUSES, AND LOBSTER
For a sampling, join a Land, Sea to Fork Tour, which highlights local and
sustainable fare at six restaurants. Maine Foodie Tours runs a lobster
crawl, while the Maine Brew Bus welcomes beer geeks to a variety of
themed bar crawls, or perhaps just pull up a stool at Little Tap House,
with 14 rotating Maine-centric taps. With croissants and coffee from Standard Baking, snag a deck seat
aboard the 10 am Casco Bay Mailboat Tour. The captain points out
forts and other sights along the route while delivering mail and
freight to five islands. Lucky Catch Lobster Tours plies the same
waters, with an intensive and participatory (optional) exploration of
the tasty crustacean.
Add in views of Mount Washington, Portland Harbor, and island-
peppered Casco Bay, while sipping a cocktail at the Top of the East, the
window-walled lounge topping the Westin Hotel. Other top tippling
spots include Hunt & Alpine, The Bearded Lady’s Jewel Box, and
Vena’s Fizz House. Loop through neighboring South Portland and Cape Elizabeth via
bicycle or car for a lobster and lighthouse doubleheader taking in Bug
Light, Spring Point Ledge Light, and iconic Portland Head Light in
Fort Williams Park. Continue out to Two Lights, where the authentic
Lobster Shack has been doling it out since the 1920s.
SEE, DO, AND CLIMB Make it a Portland grand slam with a game of baseball care of Portland
Sea Dogs, the double-A Red Sox affiliate that’s helped the city earn
fame as the “best road city” in the minor leagues. A replica Green
monster, called the Maine Monster, sits in left field of Hadlock Field.
Portland Trails maps 70 miles of trails and green space, making it
easy to burn off calories. The shoreline-hugging, 2.1-mile Eastern
Promenade Trail connects the Waterfront with East End Beach and
the Eastern Promenade. GETTING THERE
Dip into Portland’s seafaring heritage with a guided tour of the 1807
Portland Observatory, the octagonal, red maritime signal tower
capping Munjoy Hill. Climb the 102 steps to the orb deck for perhaps
Portland’s best view. American Airlines offers daily nonstop flights from Reagan National
Airport (DCA) to Portland International Jetport (PWM) while
United Airlines offers daily nonstop flights from Dulles International
Airport (IAD) to PWM.
SUMMER 2019 39 FLYWASHINGTON.COM