Dine with a View

Summer is here and that means so is outside dining with oceanfront views. It’s one of my favorite things about summer. We have certain places that we make a point of going each year to enjoy a meal with an abundance of ambiance.

Below are a few of our favorites.

Boone’s Fish House & Oyster Room. 86 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine. Boone’s has an upper and lower deck along with amble seating inside and an extensive oyster bar. My favorite spot is their upper deck. You can learn more about one of our visits in our sister blog Weekends in Maine.

Porthole Restaurant. 20 Custom House Wharf, Portland, Maine. Tucked right behind Boone’s further up the pier this festive destination is more of a party atmosphere with live music and other events. They’re also great for larger parties. We had a 50th birthday gathering for friends and easily sat twenty of us at a long table on their outside patio.

Portland Lobster Company. 180 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101. Craving seafood and live music. This is your spot. With picnic style tables in the back and café seating closer to the band and the bar, the views here can’t be beat.

Luke’s Lobster. 60 Portland Pier, Portland, ME 04101. This certified B-Corp with a focus on social responsibility and sustainability has a wonderful two story restaurant on the waterfront with outside seating as well as beautiful indoor dining. You might have to wait a bit but it’s worth it.

Liquid Riot Bottling Co. 250 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101. This local craft brewery and distillery has a wonderful surprise in back. A small, secluded deck overlooking the water. It’s one of my favorite spots for a cocktail and appetizer.

There are so many others too! Looking for more upscale, try Scales or DiMillos on the Water. The wonderful thing about living in a state with over 3,400 miles of coastline is that we have many options for oceanside dining.

Delicious Donuts

A guest recently asked for donut recommendations and all the delicious donuts you can get in Southern Maine started dancing through my head. Donuts are one of my favorites!

Below are a few, but by no means complete, list of places in the area to grab some donuts if you’re craving them too.

Reilly’s Bakery. Biddeford, Maine. Reilly’s is the local go-to spot for pastries in the Biddeford/Saco area. A box of their pastries has been at many of our family celebrations. They also make fresh donuts every morning.

Congdon’s Doughnuts. Wells, Maine. There’s often a line waiting to buy some of their delicious, fresh donuts. They also host Congdon’s After Dark with food trucks, music and local craft beer including one beer made with their doughnuts!

Holy Donut. Scarborough, Maine. This shop started out of Portland but now they have multiple locations. They make delicious Maine potato donuts so if you’re looking for something with a local spin this is the spot. I’m partial to their fresh lemon donuts.

Eight 8 Donuts. Portland, Maine. These are my favorite donuts. Warm little mini donuts in flavors like Maine Maple, Bam Bam and Cookies and Cream. They serve them out of a food truck on the Eastern Prom in Portland but are opening a brick and mortar in the Old Port area of Portland soon. That makes my heart happy.

Enjoy and save one for me!

Favorite Pizza

Ready to enjoy some pizza? If you grew up in the area, there’s only one destination on the list: Pizza by Alex.

This Greek-style pizza has the perfect combination of crispy crust, homemade sauce and melted cheese. It’s a local landmark that has been serving pizza since 1960 so they’re doing something right.

They sell personal 10″ pizzas so everyone in your party can pick their favorite toppings. Up until recently, they were cash only but now accept credit cards. If you go, plan on pizza, they don’t have anything else on the menu.

They also went to take out only during COVID so check their website for information on their latest protocols.

Lobster Love

If you’re visiting Maine, more than likely lobster is on the menu. While delicious, it can be intimidating to eat for those new to this hard shelled crustacean.

We’re here to help.

if you’re thinking of giving it a try, below is a video from our sister site Weekends in Maine that we recorded of how I eat a lobster.

Ready to give it a try? Here are a few of our favorite local seafood markets where you can buy lobsters:

Bayley’s Lobster Pound

9 Ave 6,

Scarborough, ME 04074

(207) 883-4571

Pine Point Fisherman’s Co-Op

 96 King St

Scarborough, ME 04074

207-799-0155