Natasha's Destinations

Maine is famous for its lobster shacks ‘shelling’ out the delicious local lobster meat packed into soft hotdog rolls and flavored with butter, mayo or their secret spice. I ate my way through Maine savoring a lobster roll every day, some at very popular restaurants that had a cult following, and some at the local corner shack. I was almost never disappointed. 

When I heard this anecdotal history about lobsters in America I was intrigued and amused.  So way back when the early settlers were all swarming on to the American shores, lobsters were abundant in the waters and they would wash ashore in great quantity. There was such a bounty of lobsters, that it was regarded as food fit for the poor and fed to prisoners, servants and apprentices. With the advent of industrialization, railways started connecting people and trains began to serve this relatively unknown lobster to inland dwellers who did not know of its lowly status in the New England towns. As people started eating more of this rare and exotic seafood, people were intrigued and demanded more. Earlier lobsters were cooked after being killed. By the 1800s once chefs discovered that it was more of a delicacy to cook live lobsters, their prices and hence their intrigue heightened. By the 1950s, the once humble lobster now enjoyed a very high status on the luxury food list.

I only spent two days in Portland but that was enough time to fall in the love with this city.  I understood why Portland is the most populous town in Maine and just as popular. The city is extremely hospitable to the tourists and generously offers a lot of activities for the visitors. It is a well-known foodie town with an array of ethnic restaurants that are pretty impressive, as well as fine dining establishments. Of course the generous variety of good lobster shacks are plentiful.  Besides the award winning food, there is a lot more to do here that embodies the funky charm of Portland. It is fun to explore the spirited art galleries, the working waterfront and browse in the vibrant and eclectic shops.

On a dramatic two story wall is the art installation called Swarm - several vintage typewriters artistically displayed by the students of Maine College of Art. The ‘Swarm’ supposedly is meant to illustrate the chaos of a newsroom.

The location was fantastic and just out of the front doors are the cobblestoned streets that lead you down to the Old Port - the heartbeat of Portland. Along the way you can wander into unusual shops showcasing local artisans and crafts along with great cafes and restaurants. 

The Old Port has many working fishing wharves and I saw rows of lobster boats lined up to go out and gather the succulent crustacean by the bountiful. Other warehouses and wharves along the waterfront now house eclectic shops and trendy restaurants. 

Parks are plentiful and especially enjoyable was the Western Promenade that had great views of the river and mountains. The immensely popular Eastern Promenade has a beautiful walking trail along an old, unused rail line. 

Walking away from the bustling city along the waterfront you can climb up the grassy slopes of the park and take in the spectacular views of the bay, the boats and the sparkling water around.

Dinner was at the elegant Fore Street where culinary creations were enjoyed, especially the delicately seasoned bass.

On my way from Portland to Boothbay, I had to make a customary stop at the very well-know and extremely popular Red’s Eats lobster shack in Wiscasset. Its cheerful red and white striped awning is famous for the lobster and notorious for the long lines that are always to be expected. I valiantly stood in line but after 25 minutes when I barely moved an inch on the line, I gave up and went across the street to sample the wares of another lobster shack. I would never know if Red’s lobster roll would be worth the wait, but I was very happy by what I ate at Sprague’s which was fresh, flavorful and delicious.