Portland, Maine: Best Lobster at J's Oysters

We visited J's Oysters for our last big meal before heading back to NYC, and as soon as we had our first bites, we realized it should have been our Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch spot! (Our Saturday dinner was pretty terrible, but more on that in a later post).

Although there are a few windows in J's Oysters', because of very dim lighting, it's very, very dark inside. It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust when walking in and out. Since the pier area is filled with tourists, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the restaurant had quite a few local patrons. The dining room keeps decorations to a minimum, which was interesting to see, as my frequent seafood haunts in NYC all include nautical-type decors. I suppose when the establishment is actually oceanside, it's instantly more authentic and doesn't need to try quite as hard.

Our server was very helpful and made us feel right at home. Her hospitality, combined with what turned out to be the most incredible seafood feast, made this my favorite dining experience in Portland.

J's Oysters is very close to Standard Baking Co., and just 4 steps away from the pier.

Lobster Stew (bowl), $13.50: Deliciously white, creamy broth filled, and I mean filled with chunks of lobster meat. Endlessly satisfying, but we tried to stop ourselves from finishing this off in order to save room for our whole Maine lobsters! Important note: we ended up coming back to what was left of this after we finished our entrees, and the stew was good even when cold.

Maine Lobster, $28 (market price): Lobster, Alaskan king crab legs, broth with steamers, cole slaw: This 1 1/8 lb lobster was ridiculously fresh, and even though it was good enough alone, of course I had to use up my entire little melted butter dipping sauce. The broth was perfect with great salinity. It did have me yearning for noodles though. (Plain broths always call for carbs!) Lastly, the steamers had minimal sand in them; always a good thing.

Side of coleslaw (part of the Maine Lobster dish) atop a paper placemat with instructions on how to eat a lobster.

Lobster Roll, $13.50: Very fair price for a beautiful overstuffed lobster roll complete with potato chips and a pickle spear. I prefer the fancier lobster roll from Eventide, but I did enjoy this more authentic and no-fuss tasting one as well.  

5 Portland Pier
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 772-4828



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Portland, Maine: Gorgeous Gelato

Gorgeous Gelato is where I tasted the best gelato in my life. In 2009, a couple from Milan took a gelato making course, and then moved to Portland and opened up the shop. The organic gelato is made in house, and contains 70% less fat than American premium ice cream.

The result? The most wonderful creamy and dense gelato.

18 flavors to choose from. The servers are very nice and encourage sampling!

Affogato, $4.99: Espresso poured over 2 scoops of gelato, topped with fresh whipped cream. We went with the shop owner's recommendation of pistachio and gorgeous gelato. I don't usually like pistachio flavored ice cream/gelato, but this went amazingly with the espresso. The shop's signature flavor is gorgeous gelato, which is sweet cream with chocolate chips and caramel swirls. It's pretty amazing.

Small gelato, $3.69: Panna cotta and peach. For any sized cup, the shop allows you to select more than one flavor. If you order a small cone (surprisingly not made in house), there can only be one flavor. The panna cotta was incredibly milky and not too sweet. It complemented well with the citrusy peach. 

Medium gelato, $4.16: Panna cotta, gorgeous, oreo. I am a big fan of oreos. It's a staple topping for me every time I get frozen yoghurt (which is really far too often). Anyway, this oreo-flavored gelato was brilliant - it had such a strong oreo taste without overpowering the panna cotta and gorgeous flavors. Delicious.

434 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 699-4309

www.gorgeousgelato.com


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Portland, Maine: Standard Baking Co.

Located on Commercial Street right by the Old Port, is The Standard Baking Co. This delicious bakery offers a variety of breads, pastries, and cookies. The shop is set back off the street with a large parking lot in front, and The Hilton a few steps away.

There are two tables and a few benches outdoors to the left of the bakery entrance, and no seating inside.

Muffins, brioche, cookies, and baguettes!

Ham and Cheese Croissant, $4.01: I've loved croissants my whole life, and have never had one quite like this. Topped with sesame seeds, this brought a whole new dynamic. The croissant itself was buttery and flaky, with a thick layer of asiago cheese and pieces of ham on the inside. 

This bakery had me wishing we had stayed at The Hilton so that we could visit for a pre-breakfast, pre-lunch, or afternoon snack. So good.

75 Commercial Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 773-2112


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Portland, Maine: Eventide Oyster Co.

While heading back to the downtown Portland area after a delicious stop at Duckfat, we came across Eventide Oyster Co., which was on my list of restaurants to check out, but never made it into a specific meal slot. Well, we decided since we were right there, we might as well try it out. So glad we did.

Two things to note: It's pronounced "even tide". No idea why I kept thinking it was "event tide". Secondly, the menu changes daily based on what is in season, so the prices below may be different during your visit.

Inside the bright restaurant, there is high stool counter seating along the bar and front windows of the restaurant. We opted to sit outside at the picnic benches since the sun was still out and could keep us warm.

Oyster display.

1/2 dozen oysters, $15: We tried the Maine oysters offered-- John's River, Flying Point, Pemaquid. I loved the salty and briny John's River; found the Flying Point lacking in flavor; and liked finishing off with the very plump Pemaquid.

Lobster Roll with brown butter vinaigrette, $13: Definitely on the small side, which the server did let us know beforehand. The bun was so soft and pillowy, and spread with delicious brown butter vinaigrette. Amazing. So amazing. The lobster was unbelievably fresh, and after we split this, a small piece ended up falling onto the board it was served on. I picked it up and ate it. The bf claimed that that piece had fallen off his half, and then proceeded to pick a piece off of my half of the roll. I grabbed an even larger piece off of his half, and then gobbled the rest of mine down. (I always win with food). Anyway, the conclusion of this story-- Eventide Oyster Co. is a MUST. It doesn't have the slightly toasted roll or lemon-squeezed lobster meat like at Luke's Lobster, but I promise you this version is just as life-changing. 

Since Eventide Oyster Co. doesn't offer a large selection of cooked dishes/hearty entrees, I would recommend visiting for a late breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack. The drink menu is quite extensive and seemed to almost match the number of food items offered. 

86 Middle Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-8538

www.eventideoysterco.com



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