Unbelievable, I know, it's actually been three weeks! I've been dying to share these yummy and beautiful pictures from my latest adventure, but I had to get all that good detox info out first.
Anyways, I made a promise to myself early this year: I WILL GO TO MAINE. Maybe it was a calling or just another personal mission to get out, but I knew for sure Portland would be my first stop.
With a six-hour drive from Jersey, we headed to our destination with a rather short list of places and people in mind to see; as well as a promise of a simple, relaxing getaway.
We settled in Scarsborough; the middle point of most of the places we wanted to get to. And ugh, the setting was perfect! Just a block away from the beach, it was quiet, clean and beauuutiful. (The only downfall being the strong, fishy smell in the morning and nights, I assume from the tides, but that's just something our city/suburban selves are not used to.)
Our first night we headed into Portland, just to get a little nightlife in. And by nightlife, I mean dinner, gelato, and before-bedtime strolls. :) The first restaurant we tried had a two-hour wait... LOL, not for these three hungry people. So, we decided on Duckfat.
Ohmygod, I wish I took better pictures. Such a cute space, not too packed, and such a yummy theme. The menu was small, but everything looked delicious with an emphasis on local, Maine potatoes, seasonal options, and craft beers. We started with the well-recommended and known Duckfat Putine, and of course with an egg on it. Amazing. I ordered a salad, which in my opinon, if you can make a salad look good, then you have a good thing going. It did not disappoint. If I had been hungrier, I would have definitely enjoyed it as a side to share. Please go check this place out!
Now, let's talk donuts. If I can go back to Maine for one thing, it would be these donuts. Fuck the lobster and seafood. The Holy Donut came highly recommended and for good reason. We actually went both days we were there, and since we are good people, we got donuts to share with our loved ones back home. These. donuts. are. amazing. Light and doughy and not too sweet! You can definitely taste that all the ingredients were fresh and natural. My personal recommendations: chocolate sea salt, the original, and blueberry glaze. Do it
The next day we further explored Portland. But our real first stop was Eventide. I heard it is impossible to get in after 5pm, which is what happened our first night. So 11am seemed like a safe call and we were right. Seated pretty quickly, we got some Bloody Mary's and enjoyed a little bit of everything. We got the oysters with a salad for appetizer. Oysters were delicious. I'm no connesuer, but we took recommendations from our waiter and he knew what he was talking about! So fresh and so good
Okay, now The Lobster Roll. I heard this roll was the best in all of Portland. Very strong words, guys. Supposedly, the bun is steamed and the lobster is dressed in brown butter. I know, you can't really go wrong. But damn, it was SO RIGHT! The butter was not overpowering, the perfect amount of richness, and still felt kinda light. You guys need this brown butter lobster in your life. It was the only one I had and I was OK with that
Next we walked around, did some touristy things. I'm about it every now and then.
We went to Peaks Island, which my friend loved and for good reason. So beautiful! We took a ferry to the island and then a golf cart around the island. It felt like we saw the whole island, but who knows, I let my friend and brother take the wheel and just enjoyed the views. Something wonderfully different from the city life of Portland.
Afterwards, we treated ourselves to gelato at Gorgeous Gelato. Again, highly recommended. (You guys should know, I only go to recommended places of food bloggers and trusted foodie friends. Spread the good world people!) This was the second gelato place we went to and I really did like it best. Kept it simple with Pistachio. Yum.
We were able to take a ride down south to York. It was gorgeous. I really think all of Maine has this kind of beauty that, for some reason, I feel like I've never seen before. Rivers, lakes, oceans, it had it all. I always say I love nature, but really I think I love the water. And we actually saw the stars at night! Seriously mesmerizing, especially to us city-dwellers.
Our last stop on the way back home was Kennebunkport. Through word of mouth it seemed like small town known for estate of former President Bush. We didn't see it, but just a fun fact. And tons of cute little shops, coffee places, and beautiful scenery; it was a fast but cute stop!
Alisson's Restaurant. I'm not much into pub food, but this place is on to something. We ordered Lobster Pizza, which was tasty, but the lobster was a bit overcooked, not my favorite. But the Lobster Mac n Cheese and Lobster Fries were another story.. Ugh, the sauce was creamy and oh-so rich. A little goes a long way! And the chunks of lobster were perfection. You could say after all that we were a little full and lobstered out. Perfect last stop!
I don't usually give little itineraries of "What I Did", but since this was a small getaway with the agenda to relax and eat good food, I could share without going crazy. The perfect Cortado catchup! Everyone travels differently and I'm definitely one who likes to live like a local when I do. This trip was less about the must-do and instead was a must-experience. Couldn't have picked a better place or people to share that with.
