Addison and Ana’s Portland List

Tandem Bakery: Most people would agree that Tandem roasts the best coffee in Portland. The pastries and breakfast sandwiches are also legendary. We’ve tried to make riding bikes along the Eastern Prom to Little Tandem our Saturday morning tradition.

Rose Foods: A bagel shop with an amazing selection of lox and other Jewish foods. Do what we do and take them to-go and eat at Two Lights State Park.

Bread and Friends: They consistently have a mile long line at the BTLT farmer’s market, and opened this brick and mortar restaurant in Portland last year. They have amazing pastries and a creative and seasonal brunch menu. No reservations. Get there early!

BLVL: Amazing croissants ~800ft from our apartment.

The Palace Diner: This diner operates out of a 12 person train car in Biddeford. The food is very rich and extremely delish. The tuna melt and the pancakes are highlights. Quinn has called their burger “the best he’s ever had.”

Becky’s Diner: Probably the most popular restaurant in Portland, and for good reason. Becky’s is a classic Maine diner still frequented in the early hours by local fishermen. Alex and Ana go here whenever Alex is in town.

Night Moves Bakery: There’s a lot of great bread in Portland, but none as great as the bread at Night Moves. It’s made with local, naturally-leavened and fermented grain. Get a loaf as soon as you arrive in Maine and top with blueberry jam or slices of ripe tomato for an at-home breakfast or snack. They also sell amazing pastries and coffee at the brick and mortar in South Portland.

Ramona’s: Italian-style sandwiches to-go for breakfast or lunch. Another great beach picnic option.

The Cheese Shop: An amazing stop simply for the cheese, but they also make excellent sandwiches on baguettes (we recommend the ham and butter).

Mr. Tuna: They have a $$ tuna hand roll cart down by the eastern Prom. This is Joan and Craig’s first stop in Portland. 3 hand rolls for approx. $30. The Eastern Prom is a lovely place to eat sushi!

J’s Oysters: Classic women-owned New England seafood restaurant. Anthony Bourdain ate here in his Maine episode of No Reservations (Season 6).

Oxbow/Duck Fat Frite Shack: Grab a beer and Duckfat Poutine.

Wayside Tavern: Wonderful food and ambiance. On Sunday and Monday they have $10 burgers. We both love the chicory salad and martinis. (next to the Francis).

Crispy Gai: There are many good contenders, but this is our favorite restaurant in Portland. Crispy Gai serves Thai fried chicken alongside sweet, spicy, tangy sauce flights and creative cocktails. They don’t take reservations but it’s worth waiting for!

Leeward: Extremely well-executed handmade pasta dishes made by nice, talented people. Leeward is one of Portland’s most celebrated restaurants as of late. Try to get a reservation if you can!

Central Provisions: This is a nice, higher-end restaurant with a seasonal, small-plate menu. We’ve had some epic meals here! Ana is a big fan of the raw beef salad.

Izakaya Minato: A small and excellent Japanese restaurant! Highly recommend the Omakase, which is a lot of food at a reasonable price.

Honey Paw: Asian fusion restaurant that shares a kitchen with Eventide. Another very good raw beef salad on this menu!

Terlingua: Texas-style BBQ in Maine? It’s very good and not hard to get a table. They have lovely back patio area perfect for a warm evening meal! Addy and Helen smell the BBQ on the way to the farm at 6am.

Quanto Basta: Naturally-leavened Neapolitan-style pizza and other Southern Italian specialties like arancini and caponata. Amazing toppings, cocktails and an affordable but great wine list!

The Shop: The cheapest oyster in town! Was $1.50 but just went up to $1.95. There are lots of breweries, restaurants and distilleries on this street, so grab an oyster while you wait for dinner at Terlingua or Izakaya Minato.

Room for Improvement: Low ceilings and great ambiance with a unpretentious but celebrated drink menu, hot dogs, etc. It’s in the Old Port and can get overrun with bachelor parties and cruise ship people if you go late on the weekends.

Lambs: Right across the bridge in South Portland, next to Night Moves. Lambs has great outdoor seating with a beautiful view of Portland. If you go on Friday, you can pick up a pizza from Night Moves and eat it at the bar overlooking the water!

The Portland Zoo: Outdoor bar, locals only. One of our summer hangouts and the best place to watch soccer games.

CBG: Below my office and looks like Ana’s great-grandmother's wood sided basement. Has cheap yummy food too.

DTL: Classic dive across the street from Ana’s office.

Ruski’s: Another fun dive on the West End.

Arcadia: Arcade bar if that’s your kind of thing! So many fun games, especially the game “Ice Cold Beer”.

LFK: The first place we walked into on our first visit to Portland in 2019.

The Porthole: Craving a tourist on the water experience? We kind of love it here.

Belleflower Brewery: Addy’s favorite beer in Portland!

Austin Street Brewery: Another great brewery that sells a beer in can designed by Ana! Next door to Rising Tide and down the street from the Portland Zoo.

Orange Bike: A brewery with all gluten-free beers!

Root Wild: A kombucha taproom on Washington Avenue.

Two Lights State Park: A beautiful taste of coastal Maine and its dramatic rock formations! They have picnic tables and grills, so bring charcoal and hot dogs or pack in a picnic.

Portland Farmers’ Market: Wednesday and Saturday farmers’ market from 7am-1pm in Deering Oaks Park. Visit our friends at Merrymeeting Hemp Co, Lost & Found Farm, Dandelion Springs Farm and Goranson’s Farm.

Visit Ana in her studio: Right above the State Theater. 142 High Street, Suite 215

Higgins Beach: This is our favorite local beach for surfing, walking, flying kites.

Cliff House Beach: Secret residential nook. Locals only.

Washington Baths: Scandinavian sauna and bathhouse where you can lounge around and eat pickled eggs.

The Eastern Prom: Beautiful park on a hillside overlooking the water with a small beach, a place to rent kayaks and paddle boards, and food trucks. Hop on the Eastern Prom Trail and walk along the water. You continue under the highway and connect to the Back Cove loop for a longer run, walk, ride (7-8 miles).

Take a ferry to an island: Or just for a ride! Long Island has a stunning, almost Mediterranean looking beach. Peaks Island has bike rentals and a nice pizza place. Or pack a picnic!

Take a walk on Washington Ave: Go to the Oyster Shop, The Cheese Shop, Oxbow+Duckfat, Onggi, Post Supply, etc. Lots to do in a relatively short distance!

Popham Beach and Spinney’s: Maine’s most sweeping and beautiful beach. It’s about 45 mins away but worth the drive. Get lunch on the beach at Spinney’s! Great local seafood served alongside some (occasional) Whatley Farm produce!

Day trip to Five Islands Lobster Shack, Reid State Park, swimming in Sewell Pond: One of our favorite ways to spend a summer day in Maine. Want to get out of Portland? This is the trifecta.

The Alna Store: We just had our first meal here and were absolutely blown away. Simple, unpretentious food with local ingredients from a lot of our farm friends. A celebration of local food in Maine! We would highly recommend making the hour-long drive to eat here! Stop at Sheepscot General if you’re in the area.

Whatley Farm: This is Addy’s workplace and second home. If you’re interested in stopping by, she can arrange a brief tour!

Brunswick Farmer’s Market or BTLT Farmer’s Market: Visit Whatley Farm on Tuesday or Friday (8am-1pm) at the Brunswick Farmers’ Market or Saturday (8:30am-12:30pm) at the Brunswick-Topsham Farmers’ Market at Crystal Springs Farm.

Onggi: Fermentation store and cafe. The best of Portland! A must visit! Should also be listed as a great breakfast option.

Books: PRINT, Longfellow, Sherman’s, Rabelais

Shoppy Shops: Soleil (has Ana’s vending machine), Viand Mercantile, The Post Supply ($$$ but fun to look)

Vintage: Open House (used to be called Flea-For-All), Moody Lords

Pinecone + Chickadee: Fun gifts, cards, clothes, etc.

Strata: Knives, cookbooks, kitchenware, etc.

Maine and Loire: Natural wine shop with a great selection, friendly and helpful staff and a wine bar.