Coastal Maine
Ease into the slow pace of sea sweptMaine, atthe USA’snor the asterntip begin with Portland’s foodscene,headnorthto Rockland, withits world classmuseums, andsail around Penobscot Bay. Finally, lace yourboots for walks in Acadia National Park.
Eat your way through welcoming Portland, from seafood landed at the historic waterfront to farm to table feasts.
At 5pm in portland, everyone is contemplating the most important decision of the day where to eat dinner. In a city with more than 250 locally owned restaurants, it’s not an easy choice to make. At the edge of Casco Bay, Portland is the most populous city in a state with 3,480 coastal miles. Here, farms are being started at four times the national average rate, and Maine has one of the nation’s highest ratios of organic farms to conventional ones. Good food is important here, and a favoured topic of conversation with locals.
Some prefer the classics, such as New England clam chowder at Gilbert’s Chowder House or fresh Casco Bay oysters at Eventide. Others rave about the city’s Asian influenced dishes, like the rich broth ramen bowls at Pai Men Miyake, savoury wontons and wok fried noodles at The Honey Paw, or handmade steamed dumplings at Empire Chinese Kitchen. City dwellers craving a taste of the countryside rave about Fore Street’s turnspit roasted pork loin, served with sauerkraut, and cheese plates that highlight Maine’s small dairy farms, served with quince paste and apricot preserves at Sur Lie. Everyone has a different favourite and everyone is certain theirs is the best.
In the cobblestoned Old Port District, inside the Press Hotel (see page 46), Union is known for its artful focus on local foods, the restaurant’s name a reference to its cherished collaboration with New England’s farmers and producers. The kitchen is wide open, so guests at the marble topped bar can talk to executive chef Josh Berry as he prepares dishes.
The bowls lined up contain foraged mushrooms, such as chicken of the woods and maitake, as well as pears and sorrel a handful of the local bounty that will go into tonight’s dishes. Josh sends out a plate that has the season’s last rocket salad on it. ‘This dish will never be served again, he says. ‘That’s the beauty of eating seasonally.’ Then he offers up a piece of honeycomb dripping with honey. ‘We have bees on the roof, he says, proudly. ‘We’re the first restaurant in Portland to do that.
His rolled up sleeves reveal tattoos of lobsters and clams. Born and raised in Maine, he says he appreciates the honest connection the fishermen have with chefs and with the people they feed. He sends me a plate of squash stuffed with brussels sprouts and walnuts in a ponzu sauce, surrounded by tender scallops harvested just offshore. The unlikely combination is rich and profound, with a little sour wildness on the tongue from the fresh sorrel garnish. ‘My job is to challenge your taste buds with each bite,’ says Josh.
The restaurant relies on the historic Harbor Fish Market for in season seafood. It sits among a row of wharfs jutting out into the bay. With its faded red clapboard siding, it has been the site of a fish market since the late 1800s and is now a local landmark, owned by the same family since 1966. A lobster boat named Providence, with a sea foam green stripe along the side, throttles right up to the dock to unload its catch, which is then carried to the cold aerated ocean water tanks. ‘It’s all about quality and freshness, says Mike Alfiero, one of the market’s owners, who carries on his father’s business with his brother Nick. ‘We don’t sell anything that we wouldn’t take home and serve to our own family.
Piled up on the ice is everything from snapperto swordfish, haddock to halibut, as well as an assortment of mussels and clams. The airinside is cold and clean, the lobster tank is bubbling, and customers are shouting their orders to the personnel. The Alfiero brothers pride themselves on sustainability, and being seafood provider of choice for many of Portland’s top restaurants.
One of those, Eventide, comes to life just as the market is closing its doors forthe day. Despite the brisk breeze coming in off the sea, a crowd is forming outside the door. It’s difficult to get a table but people don’t seem to mind the wait. Here, the talked about dish is a vivid twist on the standard lobster roll, served with a brown butter vinaigrette on a Chinese style steamed bun. It’s a perfect coming together of melt in yourmouth flavours, and a perfect symbol of the way Portland blends a love for heritage with an outward looking attitude.