Food To Eat & Things To Do Between Meals
Tandem Coffee and Bakery
We highly recommend you start your day here: our all-time favorite bakery, plus an amazing coffee roastery. As in, we get these beans delivered to Chicago regularly. Ask Tyler about his latest (only) ~celeb spotting~ here...
Rose Foods
Bagels. Incredible. Pick them up and take them down to Eastern Prom and eat them on a park bench overlooking the ocean! They also serve Hannah's favorite coffee here (Parlor).
Belleville
Sweetest, sunniest bakery and you can walk to the East End from here, which is fun. Ask Hannah how she "knows the owners"... Honestly, it was very difficult for us to limit the bakery recommendations - you really cannot go wrong: Standard and ZU are honorable mentions.
Becky's Diner
Nothin' finer! Tyler brought Hannah here on one of our first trips to Portland together. That was so long ago that it was before it was cool to take photos of your food (please tell us that's still cool). So instead, please enjoy this nice photo we had of a lobster holding a Guinness.
Eventide Oyster Co.
It's lunch time! First stop? Eventide. Our favorite “modern” lobster roll. They are tiny and brown-buttery and delicious. All Big Tree restaurants are incredible, which is why they are catering the wedding. That's right folks, you'll get a chance to try these rolls at the cocktail hour too.
Ramona's
Tyler's order: Classic Italian Combo. Hannah's Order: Turkey Caesar. Sometimes we do splitsies.
J’s Oyster
Another guest we overheard here said it best: "We love this place because it's for everyone! All kinds of people. Like Lobstermen and Lawyers...they're all here!" Classic spot for lunch (and a fun spot for engagement photos! see above!). Get tha steamahs.
Eastern Promenade
As you have probably gathered by now, there are too many lunch places we love to list them all here (Mami!! Duckfat!!). But in the summer, the best lunches in Portland are wherever the food trucks are. There will be trucks at breweries and down on Eastern Prom. Check out Carl's (Tyler's dad's) favorite app to track them: Truckalico. Eastern Prom is by far our favorite sitting/eating/hanging view: plus, it's a super nice walk back into town along the waterfront path (a little less than 2 miles along that path).
Crispy Gai
Our top dinner spot. Not sure if they take reservations, but we usually just put our name in and wander around the area or stop in somewhere for a drink (see the "Drinks" chapter below). If you're a smaller group, we recommend sitting at the bar.
Izakaya Minato
Incredible food, incredible playlist, incredible vibes. Great location. Put your name in and hop across the street to wait at Oxbow with a brew. They do take reservations for groups of 4 or more. Bar seats are a must if you want to pretend you're in The Bear, though (we only ever sit at the bar).
REGARDS
Trendy dinner date spot that's also just super tasty. Really good wine (pictured here). As Taylor Swift might say "they...drink nice wine."
Leeward
Our final dinner recommendation is reserved for a twist on a classic, nice (fancy-ish) Maine restaurant. This place is new in the last few years and has a parmigiano-reggiano martini (!!!), plus delicious food all around. They do take reservations, but they book up in advance. Best way to get in if you forget to reserve is to show up 20 minutes or so before they open and creepily stand outside their door (a line will form, but it won’t be long), then just walk in. We have sent multiple friends to do it this way and have done it ourselves when we didn't have a reservation.
The Portland Hunt & Alpine Club
We're moving into the -Drinks- chapter of this guide. When we think drinks, we think Hunt + Alpine club. The drinks are good. There is popcorn.
Maine & Loire
Buy every bottle that will fit in your suitcase. Fun fact, this wine shop used to be a restaurant we visited on one of our first Portland trips together. Tyler claims it was the best roast chicken he ever had. Hannah counters we have made better at home.
The Shop by Island Creek Oysters
We have so many amazing memories slurping oysters and drinks at The Shop together. Tyler has been known to keep every oyster sheet we have filled out here. Perfect spot for a quick break and snack.
Room for Improvement
Hannah misremembers the name of this place as "Good Intentions" instead of its correct name - definitely has nothing to do with the flaming cocktails. But seriously, the patio is fun and the owner of this place also works the door which is so heartening. Tyler notes this is in a "fratty" area at night in the summer, but we promise it's a good spot.
Mailboat Tour
Portland’s best kept secret. Except by us...because we tell everyone about this. It is approximately $20 and this boat takes you around to all the islands while it delivers MAIL!!! This is not an official tour, it is just a mail boat, but you learn a lot and see a ton of the area. You can bring breakfast from a bakery on the boat (beer also permitted - or, at least, no one has ever told us it is not permitted) - sit back and enjoy! We have done this in the dead of winter. Sometimes the mail is BIG. See photo evidence above.
Allagash Brewery Tour
This tour is very fun. And many of the tour guests look quite stylish (see above). Allagash is obviously a Maine classic.
Portland Head Light
It's views like these that make you wonder why Tim McGraw does not know where Portland, Maine is. Hannah took this photo with an iPhone camera in 2016. Of course, this is the most famous lighthouse in the area, but there is a pretty fun shorter and stubbier lighthouse that you just might see on our wedding day...
Peaks Island
Take the ferry (or kayak!) over to Peaks and bike around the island - you can rent bikes on the island. If you're from Michigan, this is like a mini-Mackinac with fewer horses (Hannah says "thank goodness"). Get lunch (italian sub) from the little general store and eat it on the rocks! We have also heard there is a great new pizza place on the island.
Portland Observatory
Great view from the top. We don't have a photo so you'll just have to see for yourself. Instead we are including a photo of us from mid-covid quarantine with a nice backdrop of the Portland skyline...probably not unlike the view from the top.
Fort Gorges
Tyler claims Hannah is the only person to ever send a work email from Fort Gorges. Work permitting, it's a very cool spot to take a kayak break and explore. And, Hannah says, the cell service is surprisingly impeccable. As our final "activities" entry, this is a good place to plug biking, kayaking, walking or generally exploring the Portland area. There are so many quick little hikes, drives or bike rides with insane views. If you need more ideas (or want to borrow bikes or kayaks), text us!