Portland's Old Port area
 

Hi, I need advise on shopping a restaurants in the Old Port area. Anyone have any recomendations?

Portland has many fine restaurants; two of our favorites are in the Old Port: Street & Company and the Fore Street Cafe. You will need reservations at both unless you arrive very early (5-5:30). Walter's Cafe is good too for lunch. As for shopping, there are many fine shops in the Port, among them Carrot & Company, Carla's, and two other clothing shops on Market Street. And on the street that faces the water, there are antique stores, home decorating-type stores, etc. It's a great area.

Another vote for Street&Company

you can't swing a dead mackerel in Portland without hitting a good restaurant. Street & Company is wonderful, specializes in seafood; Fore Street was voted one of the 50 best restaurants in America last year. Both have an open kitchen, but Fore Street makes the kitchen the real show. They specialize in wood-fire roasted meats -- hanger steak, duck, always some exotic poultry but have excellent fish as well. The mussels alone are worth the drive up from Boston. And the wine list is excellent. That said, across Wharf street from Street & Company is an northern Italian restaurant called Cinque Terre that might just be the best restaurant in Portland. It's a little quieter and a touch more formal (though no restaurant in Portland is pretensionsly formal) and serves a menu that rivals any in the North End of Boston. If you like something much smaller, more casual, and a bit less pricy, there's a little bistro called Local 188 that's up Congress Street in Longfellow Square. It started out as a Tapas bar, and they still do that very well (though not as much of it.) They now serve a full menu. Try the Paella. Better yet, order all the tapas then share the paella, that's what my wife and I do when we go there. It's all very fresh and wonderfully prepared.
For shopping, Exchange, Commercial, and Fore Streets all have delightful craft, clothing and antique shops. And the entire area is small enough to be easily walkable. (Carrot & Company is no longer there.)

My current favorite restaurant is the Portland Sea Grill on Commercial St. Great seafood, only a few meat offerings. If you're looking for lobster with no frills, go to J's Oyster Bar - that little place next to Dimillo's that looks a bit 'rustic'.

An old favorite that is still around for great fried clams and Italian food is "the Village". Not as new as the ones mentioned- but always a very good value. Check it out!

From someone who grew up in this great little city and lived there many years ago.

Check out Natasha's on Exchange St. or the new Mim's right on Commercial. Both have great food. Street & Co is also nice. The Old Port has anything you're looking for. Don't forget to have a beer at one of the many bars!!!!

Hi. I just returned from a wonderful vacation in Portland. During our one-week stay, my husband and I ate at many fine restaurants in the Old Port area. I highly recommend Street & Company. However, our favorite meal(dinner) was at Cafe Uffa --wonderful decor, excellent service and food. Our worst dining experience was at Fore Street. It is extremely noisy and we had the worst service I have ever had at any "fine" restaurant in the U.S. Even though we had reservations at 7:30 (for my birthday), we were not seated until 8:30 (with no apologies). Then we were rushed through our meal since the kitchen closes at 9:30/10:00. We ordered an expensive bottle of cabernet ($85), and when the wine was served, it was served in small chardonnay glasses. We were told that all of the red wine glasses were dirty. We had wanted to order dessert, but we were told that the kitchen was closed. Had we been seated at 7:30, we could have enjoyed a pleasant birthday celebration. What a difference it was to go to Cafe Uffa! And Street & Company. Don't waste your time on Fore Street.

LeBoyd: did you tell the management at Fore Street about your experience? This just does not sound like them, and you deserve another chance (and so do they I think).

FYI, Street & Co and Fore St. Restaurant are the same owners. I would make the management aware of your discontent though.