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America’s "Foodiest Small Town" is how one magazine described Portland, which is practically bursting at the seams with fabulous restaurants to rival those of a major metropolis. It's worth it to splurge and try as many as possible while visiting. Fresh seafood, including the famous Maine lobster, is still popular and prevalent, but it is being served up in unexpected ways that are a far cry from the usual bib and butter. There is a broad spectrum of cuisines to be enjoyed, and many chefs are pushing the envelope in their reinventions of traditional culinary idioms. More and more restaurants are using local meats, seafood, and organic produce as much as possible; changing menus reflect what is available in the region at the moment. Even the many excellent food trucks that have popped up across the city—several of which remain open in the off-season—reflect this trend. As sophisticated as many of these establishments have become in the way of food and service, the atmosphere is generally laid-back; with a few exceptions, you can leave your jacket and tie at home—just not your appetite.
Smoking is banned in all restaurants, taverns, and bars in Maine.
Some of the richest, most flavorful ramen this side of Tokyo is served at this Japanese gastropub, brought to Portland by chef and sushi wizard Masa Miyake; He's shuttered his nearby fine dining sushi restaurant, Miyake, for renovations and no reopening date has been set. And while yes, there is indeed terrific sushi also being rolled at this, his more casual outpost, it’s the cooked stuff that brings in the crowds. Big bowls of steaming pork and chicken broth laden with roasted pork belly, soy marinated egg, scallion and ginger. Or try the lobster miso ramen with bok choy, corn, and sesame. Wash it all down with one of the brick-walled bar’s local beers and you’re well on your way to a Matsuyama-meets-Maine feast.
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