Portland has always been apart of my life, and I feel so lucky that I'm just a 20-minute car ride away from it. I grew up in Gorham, and always took trips to Portland with my family to go out to dinner, see a show, go to the museum... really for anything. It's such a beautiful place to visit, even (or especially) when you don't have any particular reason, because there is always something to do and see in Portland. The local shops, restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries owned by Mainers are probably my favorite thing about Portland; it's big enough to be considered a city, yet it has a welcoming, community-like feel about it. I know everyone says this about their city, but Portlanders and Mainers alike are always so friendly. Plus, Portland is literally right on the water, surrounded by lobstermen and boats galore. Smelling the fish and salt water, feeling the ocean breeze, and hearing the seagulls while in the Old Port make me feel right at home.
My first three entries are going to be my three favorite places in Portland.
- Flatbread Company (eat)- Flatbread is a stone-oven pizza place and bar, serving flatbread pizza with all organic vegetables, cheeses, etc. from local farms in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. The new wave generation would probably call Flatbread a "hippie" restaurant; but for all the good reasons. Flatbread thrives on their classic recipes, and provides both employees and guests as a "place to renew your spirit". Flatbread is huge on atmosphere and a warm environment- its Commercial Street location, literally right on the water, provides a true East Coast feel. The restaurant itself is one huge room with enormous high ceilings and dim lighting that sets a casual atmosphere. There's even a bench in front of the ovens, where kids can sit and watch their pizza being tossed, prepared, and then slid into the oven by the cooks, using long wooden paddles. Hanging from the ceilings and walls are banners painted with Buddhist quotes, positive mantras, and depict some of the all-natural ingredients featured in the flatbreads. As you eat, from just about any spot you can view the Casco Bay harbor out of the bay windows, and watch as ferries and sailboats dock- literally right there. Flatbread's staff doesn't disappoint, either. All of the waiters and waitresses are very friendly, mostly young, dressed in casual streets clothes. But obviously, the best part of Flatbread is the pizza. Thin crust, cooked to perfection, huge pizzas cut into squares instead of triangles. The menu has an array of different choices, from the classic Jay's Heart- "homemade wood-fired cauldron organic tomato sauce, whole milk mozzarella and Parmesan cheese baked on organic bread dough with garlic oil and a blend organic herbs"- to every vegetable you could imagine (my favorite is goat cheese, roasted red peppers, rosemary, and sautéed onions). I mean when I say, I could eat an entire pizza by myself. You can't have just one piece!
- The Portland Museum of Art (do)- The Portland Museum of Art was founded in 1882 and is Maine's largest and oldest public art institution. The entire building is made up of three different mansions, including the McLellan House. The museum is home to an extensive collection (17,000 pieces) of fine arts that date back to the 18th century all the way up to present day modern art. PMA has numerous multi-media exhibits, many that change bi-weekly and monthly, but some permanent, including impressionism, modern, surrealism, European, etc. The museum also holds art courses, family festivals, presentations, musical concerts, movie nights, book groups, and art camps. Plus, every Friday from 5 p.m. until close, admission to the entire museum is free! The museum itself is very easy to find, right on Congress Square, and is simple to just walk in, pay, and explore. Just like any museum, though, it's pretty easy to get lost in all the different hallways and exhibitions, but there are guides and signs to help.
- Eastern/Western Promenade (do)- Just on top of Munjoy Hill, overlooking the Portland harbor, is the Eastern Promenade- a huge (68-acre) grassy park that slopes down to the water. It's often visited by locals and tourists, and is open to anyone to sit and enjoy the view of the water and islands and watch lobster boats, cruise ships, ferries, tankers, and tugboats cruise the bay. The "Eastern Prom" has many courts open to the public, including a tennis and basketball courts, a baseball diamond, playground, and multiple walking trails which snake around the shoreline. You often see different events taking place, especially in the summertime. It's not unusual to see concerts going on, programs, games, speakers, fundraising walks, and other events happening daily. But mostly, the Eastern Prom is a place to sit and relax. At the bottom of the hill near the rocky shoreline is a small beach area. The Eastern Prom is one of my favorite places to get away if I ever get sick of city life!
