Portland Restaurants
Bresca - James Beard nominated chef Krista Kern Desjarlais offers great food in a TINY dining room. Make reservations early!
Duckfat - The casual bistro by the same chef as Hugo's. Very good for lunch or casual dinner - paninis and fries with delicious dipping sauces.
Fore Street - One of Portland's gems and a favorite of both Katie and Joe! Our go-to spot for dinners out in this small city.
Hugo's - James Beard Award winning chef offers tasting menus and a la carte menus. Memorable meals, amazing cocktails, on the expensive side.
Local 188 -- A favorite of Darcy and Gerhard when they lived in Portland. Spanish flavors, local ingredients and known for excellent cocktails!
Miyake - Innovative and authentic sushi - BYOB. They have moved location since we went last, but this is a wonderful spot to do the chef's menu. They also now have a noodle bar which sounds intriguing...
We have also been hearing good things about Petite Jacqueline, Emilista (modern Greek food) and Boda (Thai food spot that serves until 1 AM and are known to have great drinks) but have not had the chance to try them out ourselves as of yet!
Other Spots
Arabica - Terrific coffee in downtown Portland. Worth a morning or an evening trip for certain!
Coffee by Design - Delicious coffee, but best loved by Katie for their cream horns...about which you will each learn soon! Variety of locations in Portland.
Duckfat - The casual bistro by the same chef as Hugo's. Very good for lunch or casual dinner - paninis and fries with delicious dipping sauces.
Fore Street - One of Portland's gems and a favorite of both Katie and Joe! Our go-to spot for dinners out in this small city.
Hugo's - James Beard Award winning chef offers tasting menus and a la carte menus. Memorable meals, amazing cocktails, on the expensive side.
Local 188 -- A favorite of Darcy and Gerhard when they lived in Portland. Spanish flavors, local ingredients and known for excellent cocktails!
Miyake - Innovative and authentic sushi - BYOB. They have moved location since we went last, but this is a wonderful spot to do the chef's menu. They also now have a noodle bar which sounds intriguing...
We have also been hearing good things about Petite Jacqueline, Emilista (modern Greek food) and Boda (Thai food spot that serves until 1 AM and are known to have great drinks) but have not had the chance to try them out ourselves as of yet!
Other Spots
Arabica - Terrific coffee in downtown Portland. Worth a morning or an evening trip for certain!
Coffee by Design - Delicious coffee, but best loved by Katie for their cream horns...about which you will each learn soon! Variety of locations in Portland.
Things to do in and around Portland
Portland Museum of Art - A small but well done museum with some good modern art pieces and some works by Maine artists you might never have known were Maine artists.
Children's Museum - A sworn favorite by Katie's sisters for their kids, especially in bad weather.
Portland Train Museum - Another favorite of Katie's nephews, especially good for the Polar Express around Christmas, but fun in the fall too! Right next to the Portland Visitors' Center, if you need any additional information on the area.
Portland Headlight Lighthouse - Just outside Portland in Cape Elizabeth, a wonderful journey to a Maine landmark.
Beaches - There are a number of good beaches in the area for a day trip over the weekend. Check out Higgins Beach or Crescent Beach for the closest and nicest options. Wolfe's Neck State Park is about 20 minutes away from Portland and is more of a hiking park than a beach but very nice to explore. Other beaches about an hour away that are worth the trip include: Reid State, Popham Beach and Seawall Beach - which is wonderful but harder to find.
Whale Watching Tours - Available out of Portland Harbor. You can also ride around the islands (and get a sense for Peaks Island, where we will be getting married) on one of the Casco Bay Ferries that tour around the harbor at various times.
Portland's Old Port - Fun to wander around for the small shops and restaurants, old cobblestone streets, bars and other entertainment to take up a morning or an afternoon.
Children's Museum - A sworn favorite by Katie's sisters for their kids, especially in bad weather.
Portland Train Museum - Another favorite of Katie's nephews, especially good for the Polar Express around Christmas, but fun in the fall too! Right next to the Portland Visitors' Center, if you need any additional information on the area.
Portland Headlight Lighthouse - Just outside Portland in Cape Elizabeth, a wonderful journey to a Maine landmark.
Beaches - There are a number of good beaches in the area for a day trip over the weekend. Check out Higgins Beach or Crescent Beach for the closest and nicest options. Wolfe's Neck State Park is about 20 minutes away from Portland and is more of a hiking park than a beach but very nice to explore. Other beaches about an hour away that are worth the trip include: Reid State, Popham Beach and Seawall Beach - which is wonderful but harder to find.
Whale Watching Tours - Available out of Portland Harbor. You can also ride around the islands (and get a sense for Peaks Island, where we will be getting married) on one of the Casco Bay Ferries that tour around the harbor at various times.
Portland's Old Port - Fun to wander around for the small shops and restaurants, old cobblestone streets, bars and other entertainment to take up a morning or an afternoon.
