Truth be told, I did not expect to love Portland as much as I did. It was brisk, quaint, colorful, and worn all at once. Anna (no surprise here) found us a barn loft to call home while we explored a place I only new about because of Donovan Woods. A year after returning, here’s my take on this lovely city, akin to my love, Boston, if I may be so bold.
Our first thought after driving from Bar Harbor and dropping our bags was: food. Though the drive is less than three hours, we stopped, explored, dawdled, and took a few wrong turns. Can’t remember where we’d stopped for a delicious brunch what seemed days ago, but I do remember I bought the best coat I’ve ever owned and will ever own while we were in Brunswick.
We had read over and over about the amazing fare at Empire Chinese Kitchen , and we were not disappointed. Gyoza, spring rolls, white ginger bok choy, crab rangoons and local kombucha. This place was casual but striking, and if you’re an Asian food fanatic like me, you’d have been in heaven.
Our first full day in the city started slow, our sweet hosts left us a pair of doughnuts from The Holy Donut, a Portland staple. We made an occasion of it, plates and all, before heading out for the day. Peaks Island called us onward, a round trip boasting beautiful views (though difficult to capture via camera in the fog) from the ferry, a ghost town island with one little coffee shop/deli combo. It was quiet and eerie n the best way, and the sun came out to warm us before we took the return trip.
Couldn’t stay away from a coast for long, so we headed down to Cape Elizabeth, a bit of a drive away from Portland. The waves were enormous, the rock shore keeping them away. Didn’t really keep us from getting wet, but it made for some glorious sitting and reading moments. We took the scenic route around greater Portland afterwards to visit a favorite of ours: Allagash Brewing. Like all breweries it was a fun and lively place, but unlike all breweries, Allagash White holds good memories for both Anna and me. Read: I don’t buy merchandise from most breweries but you better believe I have already worn out the shirt I bought and Anna’s dog may or may not have an Allagash collar.
Portland showed us enough for want of another visit. It treated us well. I put the camera away for a lot of this city, which is only a testament to how many moments I spent loving what was happening right then and not even considering how to tell someone else about it. We sipped a rosé that our server said was “tiptoeing toward a red,” at More & Co. We sampled multiple flights of kombucha at Urban Farm Fermentory. Lived our fanciest foie gras life at Central Provisions. After arriving late and meeting new friends at a Portland Comedy Co-Op show (where we were pointed out for coming late and when we laughed, “Oh good! The tewnty-year-olds think I’m funny!”) we got late night quail eggs and Pad Thai at Boda.
The day we said goodbye was a wonder: thrifting, antiquing, best biscuit of my life at Tandem Coffee Roasters, etc. We finished stopped for oysters and Asian bowls (what a combination) at Eventide Oyster Co., a perfect farewell to the port town that turned us into Maine believers if Acadia hadn’t already.
