Where to Eat: Southern Maine

Where to eat in Maine?  Maine and Portland in particular have become known as foodie destinations.  Among the many great places up and down the coast, I have three suggestions for you.

First, if you ever drive to southern Maine or through southern Maine or generally find yourself anywhere close to the York exit on I-95, you should go to Foster’s Clam Bake in York. Okay, this one takes some planning – you MUST have a reservation for the clambake.  And if the clambake is going on, the regular restaurant is closed.  This is easier than you think as they offer clambakes almost daily during the summer season.  So, if you know your travel plans take you near York, ME, go online and get a reservation for a Foster’s Clambake.

And yes, it is worth it!   You get a cup of New England clam chowder, fresh hot rolls, clams, mussels, corn on the cob, steamed potatoes and onion, and your choice of lobster or chicken (again, reserved in advance).  Non-alcoholic drinks (tea, lemonade, water, coffee) were also included.  The clam chowder was loaded with clams!  And the steamed clams were so sweet and clean.   My husband and I both had the lobster – um, we were in Maine!  Who orders the chicken?! – and it was excellent!   I was stuffed and could not finish the plate.  Well, I did save room for the blueberry cake dessert!  They also had a bus group there, but thoughtfully seated us (and another couple) at separate tables across the room.  Despite the large crowd, the server was very attentive to our table.    It was a fun experience, and gets a high recommendation!

So, after you get tired of lobster rolls and clam shacks (does one get tired of lobster rolls and clam shacks?!), I have two non-seafood recommendations that were both terrific!  Both are in Portland, which is well worth a day in your itinerary.  First up is Paciarino, a modern Italian restaurant located near Commercial Street.  The draw at Paciarino is the homemade pasta – all the pasta on the menu is homemade and you can really tell the difference.

My husband had the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.  The classic beef & pork sauce was slightly spicy and the pasta was very tender.  I enjoyed the Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli, which was served with a sage-butter sauce and a hint of nutmeg.  But the ravioli themselves were the stars – a bit al dente with a firm texture.  Delizioso!

My other recommendation, Empire Chinese Kitchen, is located very close to the Portland Museum of Art.  The service is dim sum style, where the plates arrive as soon as they are ready from the kitchen.  Go with a friend and order several small plates, dim sum, rice and/or noodles to share.  You will not be disappointed!

We indulged and ordered potstickers, soup dumplings (xiao long bao), honey walnut shrimp, Peking duck buns and – get this! – bacon fried rice.  (Yay Bacon!)   The potstickers were the best I have ever had!  The fried shell was so crispy, giving way to the soft inside – really good!   The shrimp was unique – it was your basic tempura shrimp, but topped with a sweet, citrusy sauce and served with candied walnut.  Great combination of textures and flavors.  And why didn’t I think of adding bacon to fried rice?  The bacon added a crunchy saltiness to the sweet corn and rice.

We really enjoyed our first visit to Maine and look forward to going back!