Back in June, I thought it would be a great idea to visit Maine at some point over the summer. Never having been that far up north except for Canada and after continuously hearing about the state's beauty, it was a place I was interested in visiting. With that in mind, Joe and I tried planning a trip in July, but as haste makes waste, we waited too long. The first problem I had (and the main reason for the delay) was convincing Joe to stay in a Bed and Breakfast and the second issue was actually finding one we liked and finally booking the trip. We narrowed our search down to two places at some point in June, but the weekend we planned staying just a few weeks later was booked - we figured as much since it was so close and prime season. We then decided to push our long weekend trip back to Labor Day and after waiting too long again, we finally made the trip the second weekend of September instead. This actually turned out to be a good idea because the crowds were smaller by then.
Leaving before sunrise on Thursday morning, we hoped to make it past New York before rush hour and it worked out. Seven hours later, we parked in front of the Inn at ParkSpring in Portland, ME. The owners, John and Nancy, allowed us to check in early and we were soon off to catch some lunch after our long ride. Amidst some rain, we strolled down to the Old Port area while taking a break or two for shelter. Not at all familiar with the area and without any recommendations, we happened upon Andy's Old Port Pub even though the place next door advertised the "best clam chowder." There was something about the menu Joe liked. And, Joe, who almost never eats or would choose fish on a menu at home, picked Andy's Fish Sandwich while I enjoyed Andy's Crab Cakes. The fish of the day was haddock and this pub created a GREAT BIG fan of Joe, which trust me is a big change. And, we topped off "the best sandwich ever" with a Maine favorite of blueberry pie. I don't really like blueberry pie, but "when in Maine...," which was our slogan for the weekend...more fish stories and Maine favorites to come.
Leaving before sunrise on Thursday morning, we hoped to make it past New York before rush hour and it worked out. Seven hours later, we parked in front of the Inn at ParkSpring in Portland, ME. The owners, John and Nancy, allowed us to check in early and we were soon off to catch some lunch after our long ride. Amidst some rain, we strolled down to the Old Port area while taking a break or two for shelter. Not at all familiar with the area and without any recommendations, we happened upon Andy's Old Port Pub even though the place next door advertised the "best clam chowder." There was something about the menu Joe liked. And, Joe, who almost never eats or would choose fish on a menu at home, picked Andy's Fish Sandwich while I enjoyed Andy's Crab Cakes. The fish of the day was haddock and this pub created a GREAT BIG fan of Joe, which trust me is a big change. And, we topped off "the best sandwich ever" with a Maine favorite of blueberry pie. I don't really like blueberry pie, but "when in Maine...," which was our slogan for the weekend...more fish stories and Maine favorites to come.
Authentic blueberry pie! ;-)
Of course, a walk around Old Port - the city's waterfront district - followed our scrumptious lunch. Filled with boutiques, cafes, breweries and of course, working docks; this area was one of my favorite scenes in Portland. In fact, the entire town was very quaint and best described as a small, big city.
So tired from waking up and heading out early for our ride up north, we decided to head out for dinner and landed - by accident - upon Fore Street Restaurant, 288 Fore Street, just a block off of the waterfront. Named one of Gourmet Magazine's top eateries, Fore Street was even better than we anticipated. Housed in a warehouse, the fresh, primarily locally farmed Maine menu prepared in the center of the dining area's hearth serves as entertainment for all customers. Joe once again enjoyed black bass - a surprise! - while I tried to eat my first Maine lobster. Looking back a day or so later, I'm not sure it was the best place to order the popular crustacean. Never breaking apart a full lobster before, I think I needed directions, which I found a day or two too late. But, all in all, our meal and the entire atmosphere was quite enjoyable and I would recommend this spot to anyone.
Portland at Night
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