Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening, our intrepid South Portland Maine Correspondents, Jon and Nancy Breul, late of Washington, ventured to try out Smoke BBQ in Kennebunkport. During most of the year, Kennebunkport is jammed with cars. Nancy and I had stopped briefly in Kennebunkport twice or thrice years ago on our way to take Liza to New England Music Camp. On our … Continue reading Smoke BBQ, Kennebunkport, Maine

Here they are, as promised, the Top 10 Cheesesteaks in the Philly Region. Not according to me, but according to Barry Zuckerman of the excellent BZ Maestro Eats blog. Unlike me, Barry has eaten cheesesteaks all his life, and he’s analyzed the cheesesteak exhaustively. To compile the list, he personally ate at the leading 50 or so cheesesteak places during the course of a single … Continue reading The 10 Best Cheesesteaks in the Philly Region

No, I haven’t been sneaking up to Philadelphia to eat cheesesteaks between barbecue-eating trips. Indeed, I’ve never really been a fan of cheesesteaks. They weren’t common in Alabama when I was growing up, or in central Ohio, where I went to college. I tried a number of versions, but they just weren’t very good. I don’t think I’ve ever had a really memorable cheesesteak here … Continue reading The Best Cheesesteaks in the Philadelphia Region

I mentioned that Nancy and Liza had gone to New York to see Hamilton, leaving me to wander Virginia and North Carolina eating barbecue, pies, and biscuits. Liza had given the tickets to Nancy for Christmas, just one example of what a wonderful daughter Liza is. They had a great trip despite the blizzard — it actually helped get them an upgrade to the suite … Continue reading Marseille, New York, New York

We have just entered February, and many of you are thinking of Florida or the Islands. I am thinking of Florida. And St. Kitts and Nevis. How many of you are thinking longingly of Maine? Come on, show of hands. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Well, for a flash there, I did think of Maine, specifically SoPo Market and Raw Bar in South Portland, the home of … Continue reading SoPo Seafood Market and Raw Bar, South Portland, Maine

What a magical setting, and very good food in the bargain. Excellent! Diamond’s Edge is on Great Diamond Island, one of the islands off the Maine Coast near Portland. I mentioned earlier that there were a lot of World War II installations on the Maine Coast to deter German submarines, and the Officer’s Club seems to have been on Great Diamond, and it now houses … Continue reading Diamond’s Edge Restaurant and Marina, Diamond Cove, Portland, Maine

This is a truly enjoyable place to get a lobster roll. Bite into Maine is a food truck parked in Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, just south of Portland. Fort Williams, in turn, guards the sea approach to Portland, and is the site of the most photographed lighthouse in the US, Portland Head Light. And the lobster rolls at Bite into Maine are very … Continue reading Bite into Maine, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

I first learned that Blue Smoke has closed via Ryan Cooper of Smoke Sheet fame’s Facebook feed. To be precise, Blue Smoke first closed back in March at the beginning of the New York City lockdown. The owners now have announced that it will never reopen. Blue Smoke is – or was – remarkable in a number of ways. It was and remains the only … Continue reading Blue Smoke, New York, has Closed