More restaurants per capita...rumor or truth?
A rumor amongst locals in Portland is that the city has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States, besides San Francisco. Whether this is lore or the truth – well, come see for yourself. With over 230 restaurants to choose from, by the time you’ve either confirmed or denied the rumor, you’ll have forgotten about the mission altogether and will instead be nursing a very full stomach.
Fore Street
Let’s start with Fore Street Restaurant, known far and wide for its fine dining. We could start anywhere, as you would be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in Portland that isn’t good - but Fore Street is really good. Ranked 16 in Gourmet Magazine’s Top Fifty Restaurants of the United States in 2002, the ranking holds true today. Using only the freshest Maine ingredients (the website explains that the "menu is founded upon the very best raw materials from a community of Maine farmers”), visitors dine in proximity to the food as it is made; a wood-burning oven can be observed from most tables. The absence of "needless complexity” - in taste, in décor and in atmosphere - is the raison d’être of Fore Street. A visit to Portland wouldn’t be complete without a meal at Fore Street, but, as the restaurant is popular, a reservation is recommended.
DiMillo's On the Water
If you’ve never dined on a ship before, try DiMillo’s on the Water while you’re in town. The restaurant, a "converted car ferry,” boasts breathtaking views of the bay, as it’s docked on a wharf and surrounded by water. Known for its seafood, this centrally located restaurant has been a Portland favorite for 25 years. Portions are large, and the food is delicious. Just don’t be alarmed if there’s a slight rocking while you dine – that’s just the tide rolling in…or out.
Two Italian Legends
Though seafood is the main fare in Portland, the city is also known for other cuisines, and with these cuisines, prominent chefs. Lee Skawinski, co-owner and chef at two of Portland’s best Italian restaurants (Cinque Terre and Vignola), is a big-time chef in a small city. As with Fore Street, these restaurants are unpretentious yet distinctive, offering the freshest ingredients to create the most scrumptious meals. Skawinski knows how to please his guests: at Vignola, he doesn’t venture far from the tried and true – what he knows to satisfy the palette, what has stood the test of time. Try any of the pizzas - you can’t go wrong.
Skawinski’s skills are further evidenced in his other Italian restaurant, Cinque Terre. Nestled in the corner of cobble stoned Wharf Street, this charming and scrumptious restaurant is no stranger to outsiders: it’s been referenced in The New York Times, Time Magazine, and Gourmet Magazine. The spinach, mozzarella and fresh tomato salad ($9.95) will have your mouth watering. The wine list is extensive (as it is at Vignola), and invites the wine-lover with a thirst for novelty to taste, taste, taste. The challenge then will be trying to navigate down those cobblestone streets without tripping…but hey, you’re on vacation. It’ll make a good story.
It's all thanks to our amazing chefs!
Unique in its capacity to combine a lack of pretension with true quality, Portland’s fine dining scene is defined by the city’s prestigious chefs. Some have cooked in the finest restaurants in New York City; some have spent years in Boston honing their skills. Whether you’re craving a bowl of creamy lobster bisque, a perfectly seasoned salad with the freshest of veggies, or a juicy cheeseburger, you’ve come to the right town. This is the dining destination that has it all: a competitive market for gourmet cuisine with a wide array of fresh seafood and produce, coupled with a low-key and confident approach towards the making of distinguished, delicious dishes.
by Heather Clarke