Portland, Maine has fast become one of the best known foodie destinations for regional travel. Most likely bolstered by the large number of breweries and distilleries, Portland has attracted more attention beyond just a costal Summer destination.
2023 Update! Cambria Old Port, Portland and Alto Terrace Kitchen and Bar.
With a cozy rooftop deck and seafood heavy menu with local Maine ingredients, this is Alto Terrace in Portland. You can’t go wrong with any of these fresh seafood items, but the two standouts are the browned buttered lobster roll and the swordfish topped with a lobster tail!
The breakfast menu offers all your favorites, but the waffle topped with Maine Blueberries is a crowd pleaser. With the Ambiance and Seaport location next to Shipyard Brewing, this is a great hotel and restaurant for a Portland visit.
Cambria Portland Old PortAlto Terrace Bar + Kitchen
Overview
Where to Stay
When planning a relaxing vacation, location matters.
Staying in a hotel in a city, you generally find someplace nice and choose it based on location. You rarely expect ambiance or novelties, which is why I like visiting the Portland Harbor Hotel. For our second visit in three years, both occurring in the month of November, we were able to use the courtyard much more as we had a slightly longer stay. The fire pit is large enough to accommodate more than a dozen people and is perfect for cocktails or morning coffee and donuts. (Complementary coffee stations on every floor and lobby. )
The hotel and rooms have a nautical theme throughout, except for the suites (Photos 3-7). The suites have a sliding wall partition separating the bed from the giant tub and bathroom, allowing for easy viewing of the TV and fire place. These are designed to impress and I expect they are very popular around Valentines Day.
Get-a-way weekends are starting to be popular as they are designed with social distancing in mind, making amenities like these attractive and ideal. Portland Harbor Hotel is currently offering 30% off daily room rate & a 10% discount on purchases at local boutiques, visit portlandharborhotel.com or call 207.755.9090
What to Do
By land or by sea, everyone seems to love lighthouses and they all have a great history and elegance. They stand out as monuments to the past, and a reminder to how far we have come with technology.
We feel fortunate to have gotten great photos from the water, mostly due to BirdsEye Maine tours and cruises. Especially of Fort Gorges. Another great thing about staying at the Portland Harbor Hotel and being able to walk to and from the docks for this tour.
Where We Dined!
There are too many great restaurants to cover in one post. We are fortunate that we have been able to make multiple trips, so we can focus on some staples as key places to visit. On our most recent trip, we even added a few of those to the list.
The Holy Donut www.TheHolyDonut.com
The masters of the potato based donut. To give you an idea of their appeal, I was in line with three ladies from Texas who were stocking up before they returned home.
Street & Co. www.streetandcompany.net
Definitely on my list the next time I return to Portland, the cocktails were out of this world and you could tell someone was putting a lot of time and effort into designing them.
The Bar of Chocolate www.facebook.com/boccafeportland/
Best Salted Caramel Martini I ever had, and I have had a lot!
Quiero Cafe www.quierocafemaine.com
Excellent new find on this trip, amazing baked empanadas and they have every flavor you could possibly imagine. Must try item is the dulce de leche empanadas!
N to Tail www.NtoTail.com
Great Korean restaurant in the heart of Portland, and their KFC aka Korean Fried Chicken is perfection. And the pork board is a must get.
Blue Fin www.PortlandHarborHotel.com
With so much competition in the area, Blue Fin kicks it up a notch and can keep you warm with after dinner drinks by the fire pit.
Dutchs www.dutchsportland.com
Known for their sandwiches and awesome square hash browns, so of course I shot their pastries! Dutch’s is an institution in Portland.
Central Provisions www.central-provisions.com
Butchers at heart who make everything and use everything but the oink! The one must get item when you visit is their Bone Marrow Toast.
Duck Fat www.duckfat.com
Being so close to Maine you know the Poutine is going to creep onto menus. The best one I ever had can be found at Duck fat, and you will need a beer or two to wash it down.
