Brief background: Anthony Bourdain, and No Reservations, is coming to Portland. He'll visit 4 restaurants here before heading up the coast to Rockland to visit 2 places there.
Dear No Reservations:
Thrilled that you are coming to Portland, I'm a big fan! Here are my suggestions:
Portland is a peninsula, stay on it*. Any direction but west, you'll be in the water. And west is home to inbreeding and chrystal methamphetamine factories (if these things appeal--you'll have opportunity in Rockland). Stay at the Regency. Get up early, and have breakfast at Becky's, on Portland's working waterfront. It opens at 4, the fishermen will be waiting outside before then. Get there in time to get a seat, and have a hearty, traditional New England breakfast. Walk off your breakfast with a tour of the Arts District and the West End.
For lunch, honor Maine's Franco-American heritage with the Poutine at Duckfat, except I think Rachael Ray did that when she was in town (this would help explain her burgeoning back porch), so you might want to go next door to Norm's, for a pulled port sandwich and some slaw. Wash either lunch down with a local brew, like Geary's HSA or Peak Organic IPA. Both terrific!
The evening meal should start with a warm-up: J's Oyster Bar, for oysters, of course, and a Shipyard Old Thumper. Then off to Fore Street. Have the mussels, and the pork loin, and some locally grown vegetables. Don't trick it up with anything else. Drink the Allagash 4--it leans a little malty and sweet, but it's spectacular, and it works with the pork and the mussels. After dinner, off to
Novare Res. Some framboise would work at this point. Then stumble back to the Regency for a cognac at the bar before calling it a night.
As a hangover cure, get up (that's the first step) and over to India Street for the Alonzo Double Dark at Coffee by Design. Have a second mug, and a third. Now you're ready: walk the East End trail to the beach. It gets harder now: walk up the backside of Munjoy Hill--straight up. Breath deeply. Head down Congress Street but stop for brunch at your final Portland venue: the Front Room. hair of the dog might help. A bloody mary works well with the steak and eggs.
That's it (with apologies to too many to mention). What, no lobster? Get that in Rockland, and be careful getting there. When you hear the banjo music, speed up.
* Two exceptions to the "don't leave the peninsula" rule: the Great Lost Bear, a world class beer bar, and the Frog and Turtle, in near by Westbrook.
Rumor has it J's is already on the agenda.
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