Portland Recommendations (2022)

Get wild oysters at The Shop if they have them(they did last week). I believe the only wild oysters in America are from Maine and they pack a punch.

Portland Lobster Company has a solid beer selection if you want seafood with a waterfront location.

 

Romana's Italian Subs are a solid take too.

Ordered these and then hit up The Shop while waiting. That entire strip is a murder's row of awesome.

 

Hell to the yes. I was hoping to hit up Novare both days but Saturday...

 

I’m visiting Portland right now. So far I’ve eaten at The Porthole and Luke’s—both were really good. I also tried my first ever blueberry beer and enjoyed it. The lobster has been really good, and the number of beers to try has been excellent.

 

Thanks, looks perfect!

 

Ok, our trip to Portland and Acadia (Mt. Desert Isl.) had to be cancelled last year. Barring the absurd, we plan to go late this year. Once I finish my list of maybes, I will post the short list of breweries and ask for suggestions of which to prune.

First up, when to go? Definitely after the crowds has calmed, preferably when they are gone. Yet still, before everything has shut down. As for weather, not cold, maybe as late as early November. We are figuring about a week in state.

Based on the vagueness of these criteria, when is a good range to aim for? - Thanks

 

September is glorious Downeast! Crowds are down, weather is warm, bug-free, and the occasional exciting hurricane sweeps through. Warm daytime, cool at night. Ocean temps holding steady and less fog. I never go to Acadia/Bar Harbor in the summertime - it's nuts! Columbus Day means really chilly at night and restos starting to shut down. (Foliage is gorgeous, though.)
Early November is Portland is great - no crowds, and...Portland Beer Week!!

 

Haven’t been here in a while. Just here for the running chatter.

Great content. My wife and I were up last September and I had a big workout on our first morning, 16 miles with most at marathon effort. Afterwards, we walked about 15 minutes to Becky’s for breakfast, and I was obviously hungry. It was a 45 minute wait to get a table so we proceeded to walk around another 15-20 minutes before finally getting breakfast, which were mediocre bagel sandwiches. Everything else was a long wait. This was at 9:30 or 10:00 AM on a Monday.

TL;DR, planning is key in Portland, and don’t go to Becky’s. Also, King’s Head is underrated.

 

We canceled our trip to Bar Harbor as well. But, I go up to Ogunquit/Portland area every year late Sept and again early Nov. Both great times. Always pretty warm in Sept. Nov can be T-shirt weather (like 2020) or cold with heavy coats (like 2021) so you never know. I’d say there are still crowds in Sept but less so on Nov. However, Portland can still be pretty busy, especially Beer Week. I was frustrated a few years back not being able to get lunch and dinner anywhere without a long wait. So, be ready for anything!

 

Thank you both!

October is looking more and more promising. Updates to follow. BTW, my wife who’s beer appreciation is aroma and the occasional tiny sip, suggested this for our 25th anniversary. She noticed how often I talked about my trips to Maine. And yes, I married my designated driver. Come to think of it, she might have suggested Portland specifically to get a chance to drive. ;-). The return trip will be via Montreal.

 

Zwanze Day at Novare is typically the last weekend of September…

 

Ok, here’s the lineup. Are there any lesser known gems that I should add or swap in place of these?

- Oxbow
- Maine Brewing
- Mast Landing
- Allagash
- Bissell Brothers
- Barreled Souls

I’m most interested in lesser brewed styles and experimental types.

Thanks again.

 

I would suggest Belleflower or Austin Street over Mast Landing, otherwise looks awesome.

 

Loved King's Head, the rabbit pot pie hit the spot.

 

Spent Memorial Day Weekend Sunday afternoon at the original Oxbow in Newcastle drinking some fun farmhouse ales by the pond - Hexen w/ elderflower and Soundscape w/ honey berries and Gewurtztraminer juice. Missed the oysters on Saturday.

 

I would add Liquid Riot for their wild ales and sour brown/fruit ales.

 

I was slower to come around to Belleflower than many others, as I had been there several times in the year they’ve been open and had mixed results. Not sure when you went, but I’d try them again. They are much better the last six months than the first six months. Currently I think they are making top-3 beers in the area for hoppy styles, and they do try to mix in other stuff as well. Perhaps not groundbreaking, but a very solid up and coming brewery. Austin Street does offer a variety of styles, but personally I don’t think most of them are that good.

Are you sure it’s not an anti-haze anti-pastry stout thing?

 

Yup, if you're looking for a variety of styles, Liquid Riot would fit the bill. I also had an excellent Helles Rauch there back in January.

Agreed. I thought they were fairly average the first time I visited last summer. Back in January they were really good. Dug the New England IPAs a lot, and I believe I had a Scotch Ale or Baltic Porter that was solid as well (don't remember the exact style).