As an outsider, I am not quite sure what Portland, Maine doesn't have. The air is crisp and clean. The architecture combines playfulness and history. There is greenspace galore, as well as ocean beaches, a harbor and islands. The arts scene offers so much for visitors. The Portland Museum of Art is a lovely space to look at a range of art. 
There are independent coffee shops, a stellar kitchen store and, yes, a cookbook store. And then there is the food. Oh, the food. (Pictured here are Whoopie Pies from Two Fat Cats). 
When I decided to head up to Portland for 24 hours, I asked friends, colleagues, Twitter followers and local bloggers where to eat. I also checked out recent articles in Yankee Magazine, Bon Appetit and the New York Times. My vision of eating my way through Portland in one day disintegrated as my list of places to eat got longer and longer. 
On top of that, what quickly became clear is that the phrase "local food" isn't just a catch word. But it is a commitment that is important to chefs, grocery stores, people, etc. In fact, as Don and Samantha Hoyt Lindgren, co-owners of the amazing Rabelais bookstore pointed out, the Portland Farmer's Market is the oldest in the country and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is the oldest of its type, as well.
Ultimately, I let my obsession go and settled into a vision of having this trip be the first of many. So, just like my series on cooking through cookbooks and the summer garden, I have decided to write this up as a series of post, if only to show off what makes this city so great...at least to day trippers!
How did I miss the whoopie pies at Two Fat Cats?! Fortunately, their fruit pies were incredible. :)
ReplyDeleteI live in Frisco, TX. We are thinking of moving to Portland. Do you think a TX gal could survive the weather????
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