Portland recommendations

pretty sure central provisions is still take out only. I’ve been a few times and always enjoyed it. Oxbow was the highlight of my weekend in Portland earlier this month. Great bottle list. Only outdoor seating but some tables are covered if it’s raining a bit. The patio set up at Portland beer hub was nice. Got some good cans to go as well.

 

The answer is May 24th.

Memorial Day weekend is going to be nuts up there.

 

Just planned a trip for the weekend of 6/17, happy to hear that things should start opening up by then. Will definitely be referencing this thread regularly.

 

BBB should be open soon, in late May or early June. Also some more info on the new Bissell Brothers Kitchen:
https://www.portlandfoodmap.com/bissell-brothers-kitchen-2/

 

His resume...

...is stacked...and he's going to be cooking....elevated pub fare?

 

Not that surprising tbh. Looks like the dude has grinded it out for years in the high end fine dining circuit but never had his own place. So this would be his first shot at that, and also probably a lot more fun and chill. I’m sure a gig like this is 10x better quality of life and probably still getting paid pretty well.

I’m excited for this to open.

 

Should be good for a quick bite with a beer when getting off the train (and when heading back to the train).

 

I'm looking forward to checking it out. It's definitely more of a draw for me to hang out there for a little bit vs just getting cans and leaving.

 

So stoked to try the food

 

The update is this:

Terlingua for lunch --> Cross the street to Oxbow, drink, snack, load up on to-go stuff --> Make our way closer to downtown (we're going to park in the garage near Slab) --> Hang in that area for Hunt & Alpine Club or Novare Res (anniversary weekend tap list looks nice) and probably something non-alcoholic --> Hopefully find a place on the water to eat, but very very happy to "settle" on Slab --> Bier Cellar --> Home

 

It's possible I swing by Belle-whatever it's called to grab something to go. I'll miss Industrial Way, but I'll survive.

 

Thanks everyone on this thread for all of the Portland tips! I've been visiting Portland for years but next week is the first time I'm staying in the city for an extended period of time. We're staying four nights on Munjoy Hill then four nights on Peaks Island. Already have reservations at Terlingua for lunch, Scales for dinner and Allagash for lunch. Novare Res and Oxbow will definitely be visited once if not twice. Also have a BYOB sunset sailing charter lined up.

 

Not that you need to do more on your trip, but since it’s near Oxbow...

...Tamaso’s has a solid beer list but more importantly killer mud slides and chicken parm egg rolls.

 

I'm not going to spend much time, but I believe there is value in doing a slight recap of these things, so that future readers can get a sense of a place.

Terlingua: I mean, god, this is a 10/10. The new spot is so dope. Brisket tacos, as everyone says, unreal. We got an order of fish and an order of brisket tacos and split them. Good beer list and a ton of cocktails. If I were staying overnight, I probably would have opted for the latter.

Oxbow: Per usual. Fun hang. Opening up the indoor space on MDW. Fun to load up on bottles. Small draft list, but I'd foresee that getting expanded. Happy to share the bottles I came home with, but right now the standout has been that Smierlap!

The Shop: I always wanted to try this spot and it worked out really well. I had six oysters, my wife had a drink. We moved on. Again, staying overnight in Portland would have "forced" my hand into more drinks. I believe staying here for a dozen oysters and a couple drinks would be fun and I will do that.

Novare Res: Short stay for one beer each, but mostly because it began raining and we were on the porch. I had a pilsner and my wife had a cream ale, I believe.

Slab: Lucked out and walked right in. Probably more of a result of the rain that we ended here (our plan was to venture to the water). Delicious, as always. But man I was full.

Bier Cellar: Again, always find a way to get here even for just stuff that isn't distro'd down here in Mass. Came away with some Jester King and Sasanoa.

Bissell: We were on our way out of town when I realized we were going to pass by Bissell, so I popped over there. They have a pop up tent and I got there about 10 mins before closing. Grabbed Milo Time, Tres Riviers, and a four pack of the foudre substance which is excellent.

 

The Shop is such a clutch spot for oysters.

We wanted to grab oysters and a couple drinks before dinner, but Eventide is always a shit show. And so is J's (never actually been to J's).

The guy who drove the shuttle bus at the hotel said this place called "The Shop" recently opened so no one knew about it. Such a chill low key vibe.

Hopefully it's still like that and everyone thinks you can only go to J's and Eventide still for oysters.

 

@AlcahueteJ can confirm The Shop is still super chill and far and away the best spot in town to get oysters. Between the abundant parking, low prices, and delicious eats, there aren’t 3 other places in Portland I’d recommend more highly for overall experience.

 

What's the Uber situation like up there? I'm planning on having a fair number of beers up there in June and I've had hit/miss experiences with reliable service in other cities.

 

Can't speak to your specific question, but they just announced they're opening inside (inc. the bar), so I imagine whatever info people offer might be different from what you might experience. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPWkXArp8eq/