Portsmouth Suggestions

Hey all,

Heading up to Portsmouth this Saturday for a day trip, totally different dynamic this time around...it's with family.

More or less just looking to head up for lunch, walk around, hit up a bar or two, maybe some coffee...then head to dinner and maybe out for a bit before we head home.

Current plan is Lexie's for lunch when we get there, then maybe grab a coffee somewhere, my brother wanted to hit up Book and Bar possibly too. Was thinking Cafe Kilim (I think I went there before after Lexie's, it's close by I think?) or @Jbrews had mentioned Profile Coffee Bar previously in this thread.

Then I'm a bit lost on dinner, because before it was geared towards 17 dudes for a bachelor party. I don't think my family wants anything too fancy or dressy, but I wouldn't rule it out. From my reading and previous suggestions, Massimo seems like a good choice, but I've also heard great things about the Black Trumpet. I've never been to either one.

I'm also considering Row 34, my parents have been to the Portsmouth location before and liked it. But considering it's in Boston (I've been there multiple times, mostly for drinks) I may want to branch out. Or maybe hit them up in the afternoon for oysters.

As always, suggestions are encouraged and appreciated, you guys really helped me out last time!

 

There's only five of us. Sounds good on the coffee front, might check out Profile since I've never been, and/or Vonsolin.

Might even head to Kittery first and grab lunch at When Pigs Fly instead of Lexie's.

I've been there before, not sure if I've ordered beer there before, maybe just coffee. I'm not sure why my brother's co-worker suggested it. It's a chill place, but unless you really want to hang out and drink while you read a book, I never envisioned myself making it a point to go there. Perhaps the novelty of drinking beer in a book store setting?

 

Awesome, thanks for confirmation! A slight edge to Massimo overall, or just the service?

The only reason we wouldn't go to either is if my family wants more a laid back dinner that's not high end. Not sure if you need to "dress up" for either restaurant, but I imagine they just want to hang out and grab dinner. I'll ask them and see.

Always do in Portsmouth!

 

I've actually been to Moxy before, I wasn't a big fan. I believe it's "tapas style" correct? Sometimes that can be ok, but I left VERY hungry and don't remember getting my money's worth.

Of course, it could have just been that we didn't actually eat "tapas style" and each of us got a small plate to ourselves. I've since been to places like that many times with a group that knows what and how to order at a tapas restaurant. I'm still not a huge fan of these types of places (many being overly expensive for what you get), but there's been one that I went to that I left satisfied. Most, if not all, others I would not go back to.

Well, unbeknownst to us, there was a Trump rally in Portsmouth this past Saturday. Luckily, this didn't interfere with our plans, although some places seemed more packed than usual.

Beautiful, seasonal fall day (a little chilly, but like I said, seasonal) for walking around. Started off at Lexie's for burgers and fries then parked the car in a garage. Grabbed a coffee at Profile, place seems quite solid. Then hit up Book and Bar for a pint, had a Union Jack which I haven't had in quite some time. Used to be a favorite.

We then went to Row 34 for some beers, oysters, and I had a lobster roll. I had the Berkshire Oktoberfest on cask (a bit too sweet, ok maybe more than a bit ), and a Bigfoot (aged perhaps? it's not out yet). The lobster roll was good, not as good as Eventide's in Maine though. It was more "lobster" than "butter", and while not as good as Eventide's, it was a welcome difference. My last two trips to Portsmouth now, simply getting "oysters and a few beers" has been the most expensive meal of the day. Even more than dinner. Expected, but always surprising.

We did some shopping in the afternoon as well, then jotted over to Portsmouth Brewery for a flight before dinner. Dinner was at the Coat of Arms, quite enjoyable, and more my family's speed I think. I had a Smuttynose IPA on cask, almost a sweet/green hoppiness to it, not really bitter (I'm going off memory, plus my palate was fried), but a nice drinker. Then I had another Oktoberfest on cask if I recall, maybe Moat Mountain's? I remember it being sweet as well, like the Berkshire. A trend among US Oktoberfests on cask perhaps? I've had Element's on cask at Redbones as well, which I recall being sweet, but that's a heftier Oktoberfest (although so is the Berkshire).

For dinner I had the curry fries and the chicken curry sandwich. I think I liked the pot pie sampler better last time. But both were pretty good, I might order them again. I wanted a Scotch egg but I didn't have much room left. The only issue was that it took forever to get served dinner. I think the apps (fries, salads) came out fairly early, but the dinner was quite long. We looked around and noticed no one else really had food either, it was odd. Maybe due to the Trump rally? When I was there in May service was normal. Although everywhere I went seemed a bit more packed than in May...so there's that.

Finally we headed over to Earth Eagle, where I had some low abv sour gruit...maybe? Maybe it had Brett? I just remember not really enjoying it, had too much of that "wet sock" taste to it. I liked what I had from them in May though. I think that was a low abv smoked sour.

After that, headed home and hit up Yardhouse in Lynnfield for a night cap. Paulaner Marzen and Harpoon Flannel Friday (too hoppy for what I want in an amber, but they do say it's a "hoppy amber").

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone, as always, Portsmouth was a blast!

I don't believe I've been to Kittery (maybe as a child?). But it's definitely next on my list. I love Portsmouth, but I don't think I NEED to go back for anything at this point. I most likely will, but Kittery is ahead of it on the bucket list. I would have loved to go with my family, but that would have been more for me (more of a beer trip) than for them.

 

We were there in the afternoon as well, maybe around 3 - 5ish, that time frame?

It was RIDICULOUSLY packed, then I remembered there's a downstairs. The downstairs was completely empty, so we stayed. I just wanted to make sure the tap list was the same as upstairs.

My group needed to use the bathroom so we popped in, and I also wanted to check it out, there or Earth Eagle. Not sure if we would have stayed had it not been for the downstairs, we started to attempt to get a beer as a light bulb went off about the downstairs...

 

We definitely would have because that's where we were sitting!