Ok Foodies...

maeghan21

Our anniversary is coming up and we'd like to do something nice without breaking the bank. We have a lot of trips coming up and want to spend the money there. Neither of us have really dined in Portland before ,we've eaten at Grace and loved it,  so I thought we'd try there.  I wanted to head over to Peak's Island since we've never been out there the ferry ride would be nice etc., but between parking and the ferry we're looking at $50 just for that. So, thinking we'll stay right in town.

So, hit me with some good food recs. Doesn't have to be fancy, but can be. Can be a local secret or a total tourist trap that is still worth it. 

Thanks!

grahamsm3

pulling out the for Fore Street.

AMM101108

Our favorite restaurants include: Fore Street (probably our favorite overall, make reservations early!), Street & Co. (Seafood-centric), The Grill Room, The Front Room (less fancy than the others), The Corner Room (italian), Portland Lobster Company for a delish casual lunch on the water, Norm's (great bbq), Hi Bombay (Indian), Silly's (very casual), Saltwater grille (South Portland) . . . gee, now I'm hungry!

Bre42

Our favs are Duckfat (probably too casual for anniversary) Yosaku for sushi, I agree with The Corner Room, haven't tried the Grill room yet. We did Hugo's for our anniv last month, but if you don't want to break the bank, that wouldn't be your place (although we did the chef's menu and it was amazing!) Oh, and Local 188! We went there last weekend when my in laws were in town. I would highly recommend the mussels, 2nd time i've gotten them, they are soooo good. Drinks before I would say Novare Res :-) Have fun!

MainelyFoolish

Have you ever eaten at Clay Hill Farm? It's not in Portland but it's good for an anniversary dinner. (It's also where I got married.)

Also not in Portland - DH and I have had nice meals at Academe in Kennebunk and One Dock in Kennebunkport.

I can second the previous recommendation for Street & Co. in Portland and Saltwater Grille in South Portland.

For our anniversary this year, DH and I ate at the Lobster Shack at two lights!

angeliza

I highly recommend Fore Street or 555. My two favorite restaurants in Portland. Also Walters, Caiolas, David's, or the Old Port Sea Grill. There's a new pasta place called Paciarino which I have not been to yet but have heard nothing but amazing things about. I've had less than stellar experiences at The Grill Room and Local 188... but I also didn't particularly enjoy the food when I went to Grace either so clearly take that with a grain of salt.

hikingnclimbing

angeliza:

I highly recommend Fore Street or 555. My two favorite restaurants in Portland. Also Walters, Caiolas, David's, or the Old Port Sea Grill. There's a new pasta place called Paciarino which I have not been to yet but have heard nothing but amazing things about. I've had less than stellar experiences at The Grill Room and Local 188... but I also didn't particularly enjoy the food when I went to Grace either so clearly take that with a grain of salt.

I second 555. It was incredible! As was Vignola. Paciarino was delicious if you love fresh pasta. If you go there, treat yourself to gelato from Gorgeous Gelato, which is literally right down the street. It's the best gelato I've ever had in my life. We've been there a couple times.

Mainer-in-Texas

I really want to try Hugo's and 555. We love David's - it's a little less pricey than some of the other places. And Cinque Terre is really good Italian. We went to Fore Street once and thought it didn't stand up to all the hype.

Duckfat is awesome! It's very casual and closes early, so it's probably not a place for an anniversary, but I had to ditto pp. We try to go there every time we come to Maine.

Mrs.ErikaMay

hikingnclimbing:

I second 555. It was incredible! As was Vignola. Paciarino was delicious if you love fresh pasta. If you go there, treat yourself to gelato from Gorgeous Gelato, which is literally right down the street. It's the best gelato I've ever had in my life. We've been there a couple times.

I was also going to suggest Vignola. I love Paciarino but forgot to suggest it- good call HC!- and she's right that Gorgeous Gelato rules. (I love the Tuscany Creme.) We haven't been to their new location, but I used to love Katahdin. There is also a new jazz club/tapas/cocktail place called Ginko Blue that I've heard has good music and drinks- might be fun for afterward. Local 188 is fun and Walter's is usually pretty consistently good.

maeghan21

Thank you all so much for the recommendations! Knew I could count on you. Figure I've been up here for 6 years (and DH all of his life) it's time to discover Portland! DH doesn't eat seafood and seems those are the only places I ever hear about, so these are great rec's. Now, time to look through some menus and try not to get hungry

lauram730

I'm kind of late to the party, but DH surprised me with dinner at Bar Lola, on the east end, for my birthday and we were really, really impressed.  Dinner lasted about 2.5 hours and it is suggested you either order the 5- or 7-course dinner (we both did the 5.)  It's a small, intimate restaurant and, because it is so many courses, they really take their time bringing each one out to you and you don't feel rushed.  It is a bit tough to get a reservation, so you would need to look into it sooner than later.

Some other great "fancier" options we've loved recently:

Grace (I've heard mixed reviews, but when we went, I had one of the best steaks I've ever eaten and our waitress was fantastic...I highly recommend it, especially because of the setting, for a special occasion), 555, Vignola, Cinque Terre, Street & Co....another nice option, out of town, is Sea Glass.

Enjoy, wherever you decide to dine!