Meals
For Subscribers
Press Herald restaurant critic Andrew Ross’ picks for the realm’s prime eating places, espresso outlets, bakeries and bars.
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In 2019, once we printed the primary version of this checklist of our favourite native foods and drinks locations in metropolitan Portland, we deliberate to revisit our selections yearly. You’ll have seen – quite a bit has occurred within the intervening 40 months, together with debuts of latest dine-out stars, the shuttering of previous favorites and a change in focus and perspective for practically everybody.
A full one-third of our unique checklist has modified: 25 of 75 of the names you’ll see listed below are new. Inside the full checklist, search for an elite group of companies that make up the best-of-the-best, a Prime 10 shortlist that ought to be in your itinerary whether or not you’re a local Mainer or are simply right here for a day.
Like final time, winnowing this checklist right down to solely 75 spots was a problem. It’s by no means simple to depart a worthy restaurant out, but it surely additionally reminds us how lucky we’re to have so many particular locations to eat and drink in our little metropolitan space. Dive in to see.
View map of eating places
Companies are listed in alphabetical order. Given labor shortages and lingering impacts of the pandemic, please verify earlier than visiting any of the companies on this information as hours and menus might change.
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Banh Appetit
Opened in 2019 by members of the prolonged household who as soon as owned Huong’s (a former Finest 75 winner), this unassuming Cumberland Avenue store serves the realm’s finest banh mi sandwiches, fingers down. Attempt the Nem Nuong, spicy grilled Vietnamese sausage on a crusty baguette. Bun (rice vermicelli bowls) and fragrant pho are menu standouts right here.
171 Cumberland Ave.
Portland
(207) 613-9399
banhappetitme.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Asian
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Bard Espresso
Nowhere on the town does the employees know extra about their pourovers and espresso drinks than at this inclusive, up to date Outdated Port café. The employees features a few competitive-league cuppers and brewers. When the climate permits, you’ll be able to order from the takeout window and sip your drink on a bench in Tommy’s Park.
185 Center St.
Portland
(207) 899-4788
bardcoffee.com
TAGS: Espresso store, Takeout
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Belleville
Identified for its laminated, principally French pastries — assume croissants, pains aux raisin and sticky kouign-amanns — this Munjoy Hill bakery’s excellent Roman-style pizzas are additionally sensational. The long-awaited offsite manufacturing bakery on Forest Avenue is now open. Morning buns for everybody!
1 North St.
Portland
(207) 536-7463
blvl.me
TAGS: Bakery, Takeout, Pizza
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Chunk Into Maine
When the solar is shining, head to the scenic Portland Head Mild, the place BIM parks its truck from Might till October. However in the event you’ve missed vacationer season, or it’s gloomy outdoors, BIM’s Scarborough commissary serves the identical menu of fresh-picked lobster on butter-griddled buns. Attempt the mayo-dressed Maine-style and the drawn-butter Connecticut-style. Learn the overview.
Commissary: 185 Route 1 #2
Scarborough
Meals truck: Fort Williams Park
Cape Elizabeth
At Allagash Brewing Co.
50 Industrial Means
Portland
(207) 289-6142
biteintomaine.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Seafood
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Blyth & Burrows
Ignore the not-really-a-secret doorway behind the bookcase upstairs, and as an alternative focus your consideration on the concise checklist of refined cocktails. To-go drinks have taken up a everlasting (and welcome) residence on the menu, and the cocktail checklist has been winnowed to deal with the bar’s highest drinks.
26 Trade St.
Portland
(207) 613-9070
blythandburrows.com
TAGS: Cocktail bar, Takeout
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Damaged Arrow
In its class (reasonably costly, seasonal, fashionable American cooking and cocktails), Lyle and Holly Aker’s Americana-inspired restaurant ranks on the prime of the pandemic-era incoming class. Sensible, genial service and considerate tweaks to classics like crudo, risotto and salads all impress, as does the well-priced tasting menu. Learn the overview.
545 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 808-8938
brokenarrowmaine.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations
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Café Louis
Go to chef Evan Richardson’s buzzy, exuberant South Portland hotspot, and also you’ll come away with a brand new appreciation for Costa Rican and Caribbean delicacies and cocktails. Service right here can be excellent, even when the skeleton crew who function the 1,000-ish- square-foot area are slammed with clients. Don’t ask how they do it, simply order a slushy Pura Vida rum punch and revel in. Learn the overview.
173 Ocean St.
South Portland
(207) 536-0169
cafelouis.me
TAGS: Prime 10, Brunch, Dinner, Takeout, Completely satisfied hour, Latin
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Central Provisions
Loads of cooks inform you that they base their menus on what’s in season, however chef Chris Gould actually means it, typically altering his restaurant’s menu as ceaselessly as day by day. The kitchen produces imaginative, flavor-forward small plates. It takes round 4 small dishes to make a meal, however you’ll go away wishing you would have eaten extra. Learn the overview.
414 Fore St.
Portland
(207) 805-1085
central-provisions.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Reservations
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Chaval
Incorporating native merchandise into their half-Iberian, half-Gallic menu, chef Damian Sansonetti and pastry chef Ilma Lopez reimagine Maine because the westernmost member state of the European Union. With sherry on faucet and an creative cocktail menu, Chaval is a perfect spot to spend a leisurely night out. Desserts are unmissable. Learn the overview.
58 Pine St.
Portland
(207) 772-1110
chavalmaine.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Takeout
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Cong Tu Bot
Deservedly, chef Vien Dobui was a finalist for 2020’s James Beard Awards for this hip, neon-toned Washington Avenue restaurant. Meals right here is Vietnamese, with an emphasis on small, comforting plates with vivid flavors. The menu is brief, however offers loads of runway to show how up to date Vietnamese delicacies might/ought to evolve. Learn the overview.
57 Washington Ave. Portland
(207) 221-8022
congtubot.com
TAGS: Prime 10, Dinner, Reservations, Asian
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Crispy Gai
In search of spice and warmth? Head to Trade Avenue within the Outdated Port, the place you’ll discover Thai-inspired takes on fried hen, umami-suffused noodles and aromatic cocktails. Crispy Gai can be a weekend brunch vacation spot, with dishes like pork congee and radish-cake “tots” which may remind you of a Southeast Asian riff on dim sum.
90 Trade St.
Portland
(207) 536-1017
crispygai.com
TAGS: Brunch, Dinner, Takeout, Asian
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Crown Jewel
A tropical, flamingo-themed eating room in a former navy blacksmith’s store on a Casco Bay island is perhaps the very last thing you’d look forward to finding in Maine. However simply go along with it – a meal at Crown Jewel is an expertise. Hop a ferry for a romantic journey out to Nice Diamond Island and revel in a boozy Crown Jewel Punch as you snack on new chef Jef Wright’s rendition of summer season classics like deviled eggs, snap peas and smash burgers.
255 Diamond Ave.
Nice Diamond Island
(207) 766-3000
crownjewelportland.com
Word: Crown Jewel is seasonal. See web site for hours and dates of operation.
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Reservations
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David’s 388
Chef/proprietor David Turin has been an necessary determine on the Portland meals scene for practically three many years. His casual South Portland restaurant is his most constant, thanks partly to the menu of well-executed bistro classics like duck breast, bacon-topped burgers and interesting, well-proportioned salads. Learn the overview.
388 Cottage Highway
South Portland
(207) 347-7388
davidsrestaurant.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Takeout
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East Ender
Just lately rebranded as a bar-and-grill with karaoke on the second flooring, East Ender stays a terrific spot for an off-the-cuff night out, no matter how your cowl of “Don’t Cease Believin’” is shaping up. Dishes like do-it-yourself pork sausage sizzling canines topped with beef chili and onions, beer-battered native fish and grilled romaine salads are all served in casual “avenue meals” type. Learn the overview.
47 Center St.
Portland
(207) 879-7669
eastenderportland.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Completely satisfied hour
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Elda/Jackrabbit
A well-deserved double-dip for chef Bowman Brown. For the previous a number of years, he has been cementing his popularity as some of the skillful, artistic cooks working in Maine as we speak. His fine-dining restaurant, Elda, has flourished in its enchanting and complex new area upstairs on the Pepperell Mill. His prix-fixe tasting menu is equally elegant. On the avenue degree, Bowman’s informal café, Jackrabbit, gives dishes that borrow from the identical Scandinavian-Japanese palette, in addition to sandwiches and pastries that deserve everybody’s full consideration. Learn the overview.
14 Primary St.
Biddeford
(207) 602-0359
eldamaine.com
jackrabbitmaine.com
TAGS: Prime 10, Bakery, Espresso store, Brunch, Dinner, Reservations
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Eventide
Throughout vacationer season, snagging a desk at tiny Eventide turns into an excessive sport. However these traces snake across the block for good motive. Huge Tree Hospitality Group’s swashbuckling reinvention of the coastal seafood shack is interesting from begin to end, particularly the contemporary, native oysters from the uncooked bar, fried seafood sandwiches served on steamed bao-style buns and cocktails that vary from brilliant to savory. It’s onerous to confess, however Eventide actually is well worth the wait. Learn the overview.
86 Center St.
Portland
(207) 774-8538
eventideoysterco.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Seafood
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Evo
Practically each wall of chef Matt Ginn’s restaurant is manufactured from glass. Gawking pedestrians strolling down Fore Avenue could be the motive. However Ginn’s plates (particularly summer season salads blooming with herbs and edible petals) are all the time artfully composed explorations of the restaurant’s Maine-meets-the-Mediterranean theme. They usually style pretty much as good as they appear.
443 Fore St.
Portland
(207) 358-7830
evoportland.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Takeout, Mediterranean
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Forage Market
Caught between New York and Montreal, two bagel-centric cities, Portland has no scarcity of wonderful examples of its personal. Forage Market is among the finest, particularly in case your objective is to order a half-dozen bagels, some Browne Buying and selling lox, and some milky coffees.
123 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 274-6800
foragemarket.com
TAGS: Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Fore Avenue
The O.G. of Portland’s meals scene, Fore Avenue was among the many first native eating places to deal with seasonality and native elements. Because it opened greater than a quarter-century in the past, it has earned nationwide plaudits, like a James Beard Basis’s Finest Chef: Northeast award for chef-emeritus Sam Hayward again in 2004. Since then, the top-flight kitchen, wine program and repair have stored tempo with the town’s evolution right into a eating vacation spot. It stays one of many highest farm-to-table eating places in New England. Learn the overview.
288 Fore St.
Portland
(207) 775-2717
forestreet.biz
TAGS: Prime 10, Dinner, Reservations
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Mates & Household
Consider this Arts District restaurant as a wine bar, a snack store, a speakeasy or a pizzeria – it makes no distinction. You’ll be blissful regardless. Mates & Household’s vibe is informal and pleasant, and that goes double for Monday night pizza nights, the place the restaurant’s naturally leavened, thick-crusted Grandma slices are joined by thin-crusted spherical pies. Select any bottle from the panoramic wall-o’-wine to go along with dinner, and possibly an additional to take residence as properly. Learn the overview.
593 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 536-4022
friendsandfamilymaine.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Pizza
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The Garrison
Because it has matured over the previous few years, chef Christian Hayes’s seasonal, upscale Trendy American restaurant has shed a few of its buttoned-up sophistication, revealing an interesting punk sensibility simply beneath. Dishes listed below are as spectacular as ever, in each execution and conception. The vibe, whereas nonetheless stylish, has develop into mirthful and even little rebellious. A pleasure. Learn the overview.
81 Bridge St.
Yarmouth
(207) 847-0566
thegarrisonmaine.com
TAGS: Prime 10, Dinner, Reservations
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Gross Confection Bar
Chef/proprietor Brant Dadaleares’ subterranean chamber of candy and lovably kooky delights is a good place to cease for a late-night deal with or a post-prandial nibble on the stroll again from one other Outdated Port restaurant (someplace that doesn’t take sugar, butter and chocolate as severely). Learn the overview.
57 Trade St.
Portland
(207) 956-7208
grossconfectionbar.com
TAGS: Bakery, Cocktail bar
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Harmon’s Lunch
Go away your blazer and heels behind once you go to this Falmouth burger establishment — primarily a retro quick-service shack that makes a speciality of juicy, thin-patty cheeseburgers and extraordinary hand-cut fries. Be sure you order further sautéed onions and a few pink relish. And convey money; Harmon’s is just too old-school for plastic.
144 Grey Rd
Portland
(207) 797-9857
TAGS: Lunch, Takeout
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Helm
For its fashionable eating area, well-selected drinks and terrific uncooked bar alone, Helm is price a go to. However enterprise past the shucked. Chef Billy Hager’s bistro menu is anchored by Maine-sourced elements and a dedication to in-house preparation of practically all the pieces from buttery brioche to tureen-baked hen liver mousse that tastes remarkably like foie gras. Learn the overview.
60 Thames St.
Portland
(207) 613-9918
helmportland.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Completely satisfied hour, Seafood
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Highroller Lobster Co.
At this double-wide storefront area kitted out in lurid ’80s pink, white and black, you’ll discover a few of the area’s most artistic seafood dishes. Lobster and crab rolls are the principle focus, however they’re given a brand new, offbeat sensibility with accompanying sauces that vary from lobster ghee to charred pineapple mayo. Learn the overview.
104 Trade St.
Portland
(207) 536-1623
highrollerlobster.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Seafood
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The Honey Paw
Technically a “noodle bar,” with principally walk-in seating, The Honey Paw’s finest dishes typically contain no pasta in any respect: charred cabbage with fermented soy, uncommon beef salad with smoked oyster mayonnaise, and tremendous crunchy wings. And did I point out the seasonal do-it-yourself soft-serve?
78 Center St.
Portland
(207) 774-8538
thehoneypaw.com
TAGS: Prime 10, Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Asian
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Scorching Suppa
Southern consolation meals – all the pieces from buttery grits to gumbo teeming with seafood and andouille sausage – is what continues to draw scores of brunch clients day by day. Sure, you learn that accurately. Scorching Suppa now serves its comforting breakfast and lunch dishes from morning to mid-afternoon, seven days per week. Learn the overview.
703 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 871-5005
hotsuppa.com
TAGS: Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch
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Il Leone
You will get there from right here, however you’ll have to take a ferry to Peaks Island the place for a number of heat months every year, this totally outside Neapolitan-style pizza restaurant turns into one of many area’s most interesting pizzerias. Naturally leavened dough, prime quality toppings and a crew dedicated to studying and enhancing throughout the low season make Il Leone a seasonal must-visit. Learn the overview.
2 Backyard Place
Peaks Island (Portland)
(207) 370-1471
illeone.me
Word: Il Leone is seasonal. See web site for hours and dates of operation.
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Pizza
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Indy’s
Whereas the Tam & Cam, a banh mi in panini’s clothes, will get all the eye at this cute, cozy South Portland sandwich store, different sandwiches deserve your consideration – particularly the normal Cubano and the warming Kai Kata, a spicy, Asian-inspired breakfast sandwich. Japanese curry bowls are additionally an actual draw right here. Order forward to keep away from the traces.
744 Primary St.
South Portland
747-4082
indyssandwich.com
TAGS: Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Isa
Charming is perhaps one of the simplest ways to explain Isa, from its basic French bistro inside to the sparkles of Central-and-South American taste that effervesce throughout its menu. Don’t miss the grilled pork chop, roasted vegetable salad with spicy pepitas and (in the event you go to on a Monday) the transcendent rabbit burrito. Isa is a gem.
79 Portland St.
Portland
(207) 808-8533
isaportlandme.com
TAGS: Prime 10, Lunch, Dinner, Reservations, Takeout, Latin
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Izakaya Minato
Though Minato seats simply 37 diners at a time, the area looks as if a a lot bigger restaurant, because of a split-space design that feels a bit of like what you would possibly get in the event you opened an izakaya in a rabbit warren. It may be super enjoyable to eat a meal right here, particularly the chef’s alternative omakase meal that just about all the time finishes with a bowl of savory egg-fried rice. Learn the overview.
54 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 613-9939
izakayaminato.com
TAGS: Dinner, Asian
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Jewel Field
Equal elements Victorian parlor and Weimar boudoir, Nan’l Meiklejohn’s bar is a cool, elegant setting through which to sip ceaselessly ingenious cocktails. Drinks on the consistently altering menu lean towards sturdy spirits and natural, bittersweet concoctions, with half-sized drinks obtainable in the event you don’t really feel like getting (much more) tipsy.
644 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 747-5384
jewelboxportlandmaine.com
TAGS: Cocktail bar
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Jing Yan
With an eclectic menu, this neighborhood restaurant on Munjoy Hill interrogates the concept of what it means to be “Asian.” Chef Bijan “Biz” Eslami’s brilliantly conceived plates emphasize cross-connections throughout cultures and ethnicities: funky, fiery Korean noodles based mostly on Tokyo-style “dry” abura ramen; yakitori skewers with Afghani elements; and a fesenjoon that whispers, “Peking duck, however make it Persian.” Chef Eslami is leaving on the finish of January, and we hope Jing Yan is as fortunate with its subsequent back-of-house rent. Learn the overview.
90 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 835-0010
jingyanrestaurant.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Takeout, Asian
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Judy Gibson
Quietly and with little fuss, chef Chris Wilcox has turned this tiny South Portland restaurant into one among New England’s most artistic culinary locations. You would possibly by no means guess from the concise, neighborhood-y menu, however Wilcox leans into ingenious texture-and-flavor matchups — aged gouda and mushroom conserva with beef tartare, whipped tahini with pickled mackerel — alongside a terse beverage checklist that each helps and enhances his imaginative and prescient. Learn the overview.
171A Ocean St.
South Portland
(207) 808-8649
judygibsonrestaurant.com
TAGS: Prime 10, Dinner, Reservations
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Lazzari
Begin with meatballs and a serving of no matter wood-grilled greens (delicata, Brussels sprouts) are on the menu, then seize a blistered, oniony Amatriciana pizza, slipped from the glinting copper Le Panyol oven on the rear of the restaurant. Cocktails are additionally glorious right here, which is why the area fills up late at night time on weekends. Learn the overview.
618 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 536-0368
lazzariportland.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Completely satisfied hour, Pizza
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Leeward
Housemade pasta, an enormous (principally European) wine checklist that includes bottles you’ll discover nowhere else, and open-hearted service are solely a part of Leeward’s attraction. Add ’70s, boho eclecticism and a spacious eating room (i.e. scoring a desk is simpler than it ought to be), and it turns into clear why Leeward has was a nationwide media darling. Learn the overview.
85 Free St.
Portland
(207) 808-8623
leewardmaine.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Italian
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Liquid Riot Bottling Co.
Half distillery, half brewery, half restaurant/bar with an inviting wharf-front patio, Liquid Riot gives one thing for nearly everybody. Not least of all a surreptitiously high quality menu that options arguably the very best french fries within the metropolis (nonetheless). Learn the overview.
250 Business St.
Portland
(207) 221-8889
liquidriot.com
TAGS: Cocktail bar, Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Completely satisfied hour
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Native 188
The shabby stylish eating room and mix-and-match design aesthetic stay fixed irrespective of once you go to, however Native 188 has oscillating identities. At dinnertime, it’s a Spanish restaurant, however when the weekend rolls round, it transforms right into a bustling egg-and-fried-potatoes joint that is still one of many hottest brunch spots on the town.
685 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 761-7909
grocer188.com
TAGS: Brunch, Dinner, Reservations
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Magnus on Water
Maybe the very best restaurant you’re unlikely to unintentionally stroll previous, Biddeford’s Magnus on Water is each a world-class cocktail bar and small-plates restaurant. Run by a cooperative of 4 homeowners plus chef Ben Jackson, a 2020 James Beard Award finalist, Magnus gives dozens of choose-your-own dining-and-drinking adventures: all the pieces from a cocktail and dish of craveable marinated carrots to a full meal served on a patio that doubles as a hillside park. Learn the overview.
12 Water St.
Biddeford
(207) 494-9052
magnusonwater.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations
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Mami
Chef Austin Miller by no means appears to cease updating his menu of Japanese street-food and izakaya classics like indulgent bacon okonomiyaki, takoyaki and smoky yakisoba. Sourcing issues right here, and in dishes like a Maine pollock katsu sandwich or tare-glazed confit native hen over rice, it makes the distinction between OK and oishii (Japanese for scrumptious). Learn the overview.
339 Fore St.
Portland
(207) 536-4702
mamiportland.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Asian
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Maples
The cat is out of the bag about Maples, and I couldn’t be happier. With monumental English muffins, fruit scones, sprinkle-topped ricotta cookies and a few of the area’s finest bagels – all baked on-site – Maples is sweet sufficient to justify dropping crumbs everywhere in the inside of your automobile on the drive again to Portland. Skip Maples at your individual danger.
881 Route 1
Yarmouth
(207) 846-1000
maplesmaine.com
TAGS: Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Monte’s High quality Meals
Half-market, half-Roman pizzeria, proprietor and chef Steve Quatrucci’s newest native enterprise is the sort of place that might be mobbed from open to shut if it have been in a much bigger metropolis. Happily for you, Portland leaves some respiratory room for guests to pattern the superlative “pinsa” pies that vary from conventional Margherita to wickedly tasty sopressata with sizzling honey (and, in the event you’re fortunate sufficient to learn this within the late summer season, an heirloom tomato pizza worthy of a picnic in close by Payson Park).
788 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 613-9873
montesportland.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Pizza
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Mr. Tuna
In its first brick-and-mortar area, Mr. Tuna has advanced right into a full restaurant the place chef Jordan Rubin’s well-known Maine-sourced temaki function alongside beneficiant maki, nigiri, sashimi and an array of aspect dishes like Japanese potato salad and refreshing sunomono seaweed-and-cucumber salad. Attempt something with Maine crab and scallop. Learn the overview.
28 Monument Sq. (within the Public Market Home)
Portland
(207) 805-1240
mrtunamaine.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Asian
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Norimoto Bakery
Native gastronomes have been speaking up James Beard Award finalist chef Atsuko Fujimoto’s phenomenal pastries for years, and it’s rewarding to see the remainder of the nation catch on. Fujimoto is a masterful baker whose repertoire of treats is grounded in European traditions and strategies, fine-tuned to permit for an occasional Japanese-inspired aspect. Peerless fruit galettes, sticky kouign-amanns and Gateau Basque with candy azuki bean filling? Sure, please.
469 Stevens Ave.
Portland
norimoto-bakery.sq..web site
TAGS: Prime 10, Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout, Asian
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Nura
Don’t let its origins as a meals truck idiot you, Nura is among the space’s finest spots for Levantine cooking, particularly easy, garlicky hummus that’s the restaurant’s signature dish. If that’s not sufficient, there’s additionally crisp, Kermit-green falafel (served as a platter or sandwich), spiced fries that have been born to be dunked in garlicky toum, and coriander-and-cumin-fragrant hen shawarma. Anybody for lunch? Learn the overview.
1 Monument Means
Portland
(207) 536-0065
nuraportland.com
TAGS: Prime 10, Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Mediterranean
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Omi’s
Editor’s be aware: This restaurant is closed as of January 2023.
372 Cottage Highway
In its former West Finish area, Omi’s was an honest spot to seize a cappuccino – not way more. Nonetheless, when it relocated to an area giant sufficient for a baker’s kitchen, it blossomed. Now in a renovated historic constructing in South Portland, Omi’s serves glorious layer desserts, do-it-yourself biscuits and a rotating collection of savory lunch and breakfast specials.
South Portland
(207) 835-0145
omiscoffeeshop.sq..web site
TAGS: Bakery, Espresso store, Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Different Aspect Diner
Nominally a basic Greek diner, this cozy, welcoming East Deering restaurant should be recognized for its superbly conceived toasted sandwiches (curried hen salad, pork stomach grilled cheese, Japanese convenience-store-inspired egg salad “sando”) in addition to its easy, but completely executed omelets. There’s no higher place to complete a stroll round Again Cove than right here. Learn the overview.
500 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 772-0002
othersidediner.com
TAGS: Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout, Mediterranean
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Otto
Imaginative pies with flavors that really work properly collectively – jalapeno with ricotta and bacon, roasted pear with arugula and bleu cheese – are the key to this native pizza empire’s nice success. With 9 areas now in Maine alone, Otto retains chugging alongside, pandemic or no. And that’s no dangerous factor.
A number of areas in Higher Portland and past.
ottoportland.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Pizza
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Pai Males Miyake
Among the space’s finest appetizers and snacks stay right here: minty, fish-sauce-dressed Brussels sprouts; steamed, gochujang-drizzled pork buns; or my private favourite, the Kewpie-rich broiled crab hamayaki. However don’t overlook the best-in-town ramen program, particularly the brothless, egg-topped Tokyo Abura. Learn the overview.
188 State St.
Portland
(207) 541-9204
miyakerestaurants.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Asian
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Palace Diner
If I instructed you that fairly probably the very best diner within the nation occupies a 15-seat area, simply off the principle drag in Biddeford, would you consider me? In 2014, co-owners Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell kitted out a tiny, 1927 railroad eating automobile and instantly began making meals that introduced collectively high-quality elements and a charming faithfulness to short-order custom. Go to for breakfast or lunch (no dinner service) on a weekday to keep away from waits that may prolong past the two-hour mark.
18 Franklin St.
Biddeford
(207) 284-0015
palacedinerme.com
TAGS: Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Portland Hunt + Alpine Membership
The drinks menu continues to evolve at this dandy-Scandi cocktail bar going through Submit Workplace Park, however classics just like the Final Phrase-reminiscent Inexperienced Eyes and potent, smoky Bonecrusher stay highlights. Non-alcoholic sippers additionally function on the menu, making this a fab spot for a nightcap, even in the event you’re driving residence.
75 Market St.
Portland
(207) 747-4754
huntandalpineclub.com
TAGS: Cocktail bar, Reservations, Takeout
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The Purple Home
When Krista Desjarlais bakes, the state takes discover. Throughout the summer season months, she makes ice cream on Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester, however when the climate will get cool, she fires up the woodstove in a quaint North Yarmouth cottage and bakes. In 2023, she plans to supply cafe pastries and occasional dinners, lunches and cooking courses.
378 Walnut Hill Highway
North Yarmouth
(207) 808-3148
thepurplehousebakery.com
Word: The Purple Home closes for the summer season season and can reopen within the new 12 months on an irregular schedule. Verify the web site and social media.
TAGS: Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Quiero Café
You is perhaps tempted to cease by this informal, counter-service South American café for a baked Chilean empanada and one among a number of dozen smoothies. And also you wouldn’t be improper to take action, however this pan-continental restaurant shines with its “Huge Bites,” particularly the patacon, a crisp-fried disc of inexperienced plantains topped with hen, avocado, cheese and savory aioli. Learn the overview.
3 Deering Ave.
Portland
(207) 536-7033
quierocafemaine.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Latin
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Radici
Think about how robust it will be to open a restaurant 4 months into a world pandemic. That’s what Ally and Randy Forrester did, after they relocated their award-winning, hand-stretched and naturally leavened pizza restaurant to Portland in 2020. Three years later, diners can lastly devour one among their char-stippled pies in Radici’s mid-century fashionable eating room. When unsure, go for a Stracciatella-topped pie and, in the event you’re within the temper, add anchovy bagna cauda for further umami. Hours are nonetheless in flux, so verify the web site earlier than planning.
52 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 835-6012
radiciportland.com
TAGS: Lunch, Takeout, Pizza
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Ramona’s
Name them no matter you want: hoagies, grinders, subs … it makes no distinction so long as you’re ordering one from this closet-sized Washington Avenue sandwich store. A Philadelphia-inspired collaboration between Josh Sobel and Palace Diner co-owner Chad Conley, Ramona’s will get the overstuffed, vinegar-dressed sandwich proper. Unsure what to eat? Attempt the tuna-filled Melrose (with further Calabrian chili unfold) or the echt-Italian, cannellini-and-broccolini-packed Paulie.
98 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 956-7194
ramonas.me
TAGS: Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Rose Meals
Jewish deli standbys like crisp, golden-fried latkes; matzo ball soup and fats pastrami sandwiches (on rye, naturally) are as a lot of a draw as chef/proprietor Chad Conley’s open-crumb sourdough bagels and inventive bagel sandwiches. Among the many finest: the Monday Morning – unfold thick with hen livers and schmaltz-fried gribenes – and the golden-beet-topped Greengrass. For now, the restaurant is takeout-only, however search for the eating room to reopen someday this 12 months. Learn the overview.
428 Forest Ave.
Portland
(207) 835-0991
rosefoods.me
TAGS: Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Rover Bagel
These aren’t your bubbe’s bagels, however that’s OK. We’re all simply blissful that Rover returned to Biddeford. Now working from a jaunty takeout window in Biddeford’s Pepperell Mill, Rover sells generously proportioned sandwiches just like the bacon-and-honey-filled Shift Meal, in addition to extra easy basic pairings for its closely browned and blistered bagels.
10 W. Level Lane, Suite 10-204
Biddeford
(207) 710-6248
roverbagel.com
TAGS: Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch, Takeout
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Scales
With wharf views on two sides plus outside seating on the again, Scales is snazzy place to sit down and watch the working waterfront in motion. The shellfish-exuberant menu, which showcases regionally sourced seafood (a few of which arrives to the docks simply outdoors) has solely improved over the previous 4 years. Don’t miss the fried stomach clams and Jonah crab fritters. Learn the overview.
Maine Wharf at 68 Business St.
Portland
(207) 805-0444
scalesrestaurant.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Seafood
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Schulte & Herr
Unpretentious and comfy, this tiny Bayside bistro serves homey, comforting German meals like tart-and-herbal cucumber salad, bratwurst with sauerkraut and a few of the finest schnitzel on the East Coast. Schulte & Herr’s enterprise can be counter-cyclical, so in the event you’re making an attempt to keep away from summertime crowds, head right here. Learn the overview.
349 Cumberland Ave.
Portland
(207) 773-1997
schulteundherr.wordpress.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Takeout
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Scratch Baking Co.
Locals know Scratch for its bagels (which promote out in nanoseconds each weekend morning), however the newly expanded bakery and sandwich counter is a flexible enterprise that produces a few of the area’s tastiest candy treats: brownies and blondies, coconut layer desserts and scones – they’re all fairly unbelievable.
416 Preble St.
South Portland
(207) 799-0668
scratchbakingco.com
TAGS: Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch
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Sichuan Kitchen
Proprietor Qi Shen’s menu of sinus-clearing, tongue-numbing dishes is a pleasant departure from the drained crab-rangoon-and-egg-roll menus at many New England Chinese language eating places. Subtler dishes listed below are additionally glorious, particularly the frilly cloud-ear mushroom salad appetizer and buttery-tasting wok-sautéed cabbage. Learn the overview.
612 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 536-7226
sichuankitchenportland.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Asian
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Slab Sicilian Avenue Meals
One factor is assured at Slab: You received’t go hungry. Providing Brobdingnagian wedges of puffy-crusted Sicilian-style pies, this downtown pizzeria has advanced right into a Southern Italian crowd-pleaser with outside music and a terrific bar. Slices weigh in at a pound apiece, so order rigorously.
25 Preble St.
Portland
(207) 245-3088
slabportland.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Pizza
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Solo Italiano
Chef/proprietor Paolo Laboa’s Northern Italian (principally Genovese) menu is easy and conventional, however by no means boring – particularly his Stracchino-cheese-filled, flatbread-like focaccia di Recco, and his signature dish: extensive sheets of handkerchief pasta sauced along with his award-winning basil pesto. Learn the overview.
100 Business St.
Portland
(207) 780-0227
soloitalianorestaurant.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Italian
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SoPo Seafood
Individuals have been sluggish to embrace the notion of consuming a pleasant meal inside a market, however when the proper mixture of ultra-fresh uncooked seafood and ready dishes like grilled cheese with picked Maine crab and caviar with blinis seems, we will’t get sufficient. That’s the case at SoPo Seafood’s uncooked bar — actually only a wing of the fish market. It’s a super spot for a pre-meal Knightville negroni and a half-dozen clams or a full, shellfish-based meal. Oh, and as you permit, choose up a number of fillets of New England barramundi for later.
171 Ocean St.
South Portland
(877) 282-7676
soposeafood.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Seafood
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Speckled Ax
Third Wave espresso roasters Speckled Ax are explicit about their beans and their brewing. Inside their unique tawny-walled café on Congress Avenue, you’ll encounter sufficient glassware to outfit a laboratory, together with pourover vessels and Japanese-style siphon percolators. At its second store on the fast-developing waterfront, Speckled Ax inhabits much more of its secret-scientist-identity, delivering glorious espresso and a view of the harbor.
567 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 660-3333
18 Thames St.
Portland
speckledax.com
TAGS: Espresso store, Takeout
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Commonplace Baking Co.
An infinite deck oven across the again of this store is widely known baker/proprietor Alison Pray’s secret weapon. On its stone platforms, she bakes a few of the state’s finest French- and Italian-style breads: ethereal miches, slick rosemary focaccias and sure, baguettes.
75 Business St.
Portland
(207) 773-2112
standardbakingco.com
TAGS: Bakery, Takeout
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Tandem Espresso/Tandem Espresso & Bakery
Other than serving an intensely smoky roast of espresso that has garnered nationwide recognition for founders and Blue Bottle Espresso alums Kathleen and Will Pratt, Tandem sells a few of the space’s finest pastries. Baker Briana Holt’s short-crusted fruit pies, miso-glazed scones and gooey, softball-sized sticky buns are three Portland meals I by no means wish to do with out.
Café & Roastery (aka Little Tandem):
122 Anderson St.
Portland
(207) 889-0235
Espresso and Bakery:
742 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 805-1887
tandemcoffee.com
TAGS: Espresso store, Bakery, Breakfast, Takeout
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Terlingua
Scorching off a profitable media blitz and top-to-bottom renovation of its whole area. Terlingua has morphed right into a hybrid market-café that also serves a few of the finest smoked brisket you’ll discover within the state. The outside patio is enchanting – an exquisite spot for a bowl of pork inexperienced chili and a pepper-rimmed spicy margarita.
52 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 808-8502
terlingua.me
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Reservations, Latin
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Thoroughfare
What’s to not love about small-scale, regionally sourced updates on quick meals classics which are each bit as decadent because the originals? The “Filayo” surpasses another American-cheese-topped haddock fillet you’ve ever tasted, and the smash burgers (even the vegan Unimaginable Smash) are a triumph.
367 Primary St.
Yarmouth
(207) 400-5192
thoroughfare.me
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout
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Tipo
Ethereal and up to date with a bar wallpapered in overlapping license plates from across the nation, Tipo is the key getaway for Portlanders who wish to escape the throngs of vacationers on the peninsula with out settling for a second-tier meal. Brick-oven pizzas, roasted greens and house-made rye cavatelli are evergreen winners.
182 Ocean Ave.
Portland
(207) 358-7970
tiporestaurant.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Takeout, Italian, Pizza
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Twelve
Unto each metropolis, a special-occasion restaurant well worth the value is born. Properly, no less than one, and this waterfront collaboration between Evo’s Matt Ginn and Eleven Madison Park (New York) alum Colin Wyatt matches the invoice properly. Even in the event you sit open air, the place a la carte eating is allowed, order the tasting menu and tack on an additional couple of bucks for the pillowy home rolls. If the legendary split-screen macaron-and-ice-cream bar is on the menu, don’t go GO till you’ve tasted it.
115 Thames St.
Portland
(207) 910-7400
twelvemaine.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations
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Wayside Tavern
Gradual-burner restaurateurs like Dallas-transplants Siobhan and Michael Sindoni have made an enormous impression on Portland over the previous three years. First serving crisp-roasted porchetta at Roll Name, and now at their hygge-steeped bistro on the border between Portland’s Parkside and West Finish neighborhoods. Hearty large-format dishes like Sicilian-inspired roasted hen are nice, however don’t miss nibbles like marinated Littlenecks and battered cod cheeks with gribiche.
747 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 613-9568
waysidetavernmaine.com
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations, Takeout
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The Properly at Jordan’s Farm
It’s onerous to not be received over by the enchantingly recursive idea of a farm-to-table restaurant positioned on the farm itself. Dinner at The Properly takes the type of both a plated, five-course tasting menu or (for events of six or extra diners seated in non-public gazebos) a extra rustic family-style meal. Each choices are unbelievable and make use of the farm’s personal produce in addition to native meats and seafoods. Learn the overview.
21 Wells Highway
Cape Elizabeth
(207) 831-9350
thewellatjordansfarm.com
Word: The Properly at Jordan’s Farm is seasonal. See web site for hours and dates of operation.
TAGS: Dinner, Reservations
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Wilson County Barbecue
Tangy and fiery Japanese North Carolina-style pulled pork is the spotlight of the menu at this full of life Bayside joint. Come for the BBQ, however keep for crisp-fried hushpuppies, shrimp po-boy sandwiches, nuclear-grade sizzling hen and comforting sides, together with the very best chicken-and-pork Brunswick Stew you’ll discover north of the Mason-Dixon. Learn the overview.
82 Hanover St.
Portland
(207) 956-7788
wilsoncountybarbecue.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Completely satisfied hour
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Woodford Meals & Beverage
Few eating places do bistro-style consolation meals and cocktails in addition to Woodford Meals & Beverage does. Chef Courtney Loreg prepares a few of New England’s finest brasserie-style dishes right here, particularly something braised, like her smoky lamb shank entrée. Fennel-spiced fries and tart, mustard-forward deviled eggs are additionally perennial winners on a menu that options no losers. Learn the overview.
660 Forest Ave.
Portland
(207) 200-8503
woodfordfb.com
TAGS: Lunch, Dinner, Reservations
ABOUT THE WRITER:
Andrew Ross has written about meals and eating in Maine since he grew to become the restaurant critic for this paper in 2016. Since then, he has received 5 Critic’s Awards from the Maine Press Affiliation. Beforehand, his work was featured on Martha Stewart Dwelling Radio and in The New York Instances.
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