For our last taste of Maine, the Breuls gave us some doughnuts from The Holy Donut. Holy donuts are based on Maine potatoes rather than from wheat flour. That seemed very interesting to me, as I mentioned more than once. I am a big fan of Martin’s Potato Rolls, and highly recommend them. They are, for example, an element in the Best in the World … Continue reading The Holy Donut, Portland, Maine

You will read about more lobster rolls, but the lobster roll at Five Islands Lobster was the best of the trip. Getting to Georgetown is a bit of a project, as it’s at the end of one of Maine’s long peninsulas. Once you get off the interstate, though, the drive is very pleasant, very pretty. Finally, you see this — That’s the Love Shack, where … Continue reading Five Islands Lobster, Georgetown, Maine

Despite my disfavor of stray “e”s that tack themselves onto words, I’m a big fan of the Saltwater Grille. It has a great setting, with a large deck facing west over the water. That’s where we sat when we had dinner there with friends the Breuls (the other Jon and Nancys). Setting is all good and well, you justly say, but how about the food? … Continue reading Saltwater Grille, South Portland, Maine

Nancy and I were introduced to the bagels at Scratch Baking Company for our first breakfast in Maine, and I went back for more every day but one while we were there. These are exceptional bagels. We were staying at an VRBO in South Portland, just down Preble Street from Scratch, close to our Senior South Portland Correspondents, Jon and Nancy Breul. They gave us … Continue reading Scratch Baking Company, South Portland, Maine

One of the places I was eagerly anticipating while in Maine was Gilbert’s Chowder House, and I’ll say up front that it lived up to its reputation. Any contention about Gilbert’s is not about quality but about what you should order at Gilbert’s. Read on and learn the answer. On our first day in Maine, Nancy and I met the reason our friends, Nancy and … Continue reading Gilbert’s Chowder House, Portland, Maine

For our first dinner in Portland, we went to Wilson County Barbecue with our Senior South Portland Correspondents, Jon and Nancy Breul. I wrote a preliminary post about it here. It was started by folks from Wilson County in Eastern North Carolina, home of Parker’s and, more recently, Marty’s, heir to the Bill’s faction there. Despite some local backsliding, there’s a rich barbecue tradition in … Continue reading Wilson County Barbecue, Portland, Maine

Some time back, as I was contemplating a future trip to Maine, I saw something about a place called Wilson County Barbecue in Portland, Maine. Or maybe I started thinking about a future trip to Maine after I saw about Wilson County Barbecue. My first question was, which Wilson County were they evoking?  There are three, one each in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. I … Continue reading Wilson County Barbecue, Portland, Maine

I’ve mentioned our friends and sometime neighbors John and Nancy Breul.  They’re on assignment this winter as our Senior South Portland Correspondents.  You may ask how in the world I persuaded them to choose this time of year to forsake Washington for Maine. Well, actually I didn’t.  Their daughter Sarah did by giving birth to Charlie Breul Roberge (who is doing famously), thereby transforming Nancy … Continue reading Noble BBQ, Portland, Maine

Knapp Hudson, our Senior Maine correspondent and a high school classmate — and, like his wife, Ella, an outstanding photographer (check out Stone Coast Photography) — lives in Portland, Maine, and has found some barbecue! Here’s the write-up on Salvage Barbecue – After living in Portland for 37 years we have finally eaten at a BBQ place we would return to. We’re from South Carolina … Continue reading Barbecue in Portland, Maine!!!