thekittchen

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Privacy Statement
  • Recipes
    • breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizer
    • Side Dish
    • Dessert
    • Cocktails
  • Travel
  • Home
  • Life
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • Press
    • Press Page
    • Services
    • Speaking Engagements
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Privacy Statement
  • Recipes
    • breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizer
    • Side Dish
    • Dessert
    • Cocktails
  • Travel
  • Home
  • Life
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • Press
    • Press Page
    • Services
    • Speaking Engagements
×
Home » Travel

Portland Maine Food Crawl

Published: Dec 23, 2014 · Modified: Jun 21, 2018 by Kit · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Screen Shot 2014-12-23 at 8.00.19 PM

After three days in Maine, we were all getting a bit stir crazy. When my sister's boyfriend suggested going on a food crawl in Portland, Maine we all jumped at the opportunity. Today, in just about 4 hours, we hit 4 restaurants and a coffeehouse, and it was so fun that it might become a tradition. To save room in my purse I took all photos with a Droid Turbo which boasts an 18 megapixel camera but also takes absolutely god awful photos... allow me to apologize for the photo quality.

10882353_10100559656091916_6634257151174168505_n

We began by researching restaurants and brainstorming restaurants that we had heard of. Then we started mapping out a plan of attack. Luckily most of the restaurants were near each other. We chose restaurants that offer food conducive to a food crawl, and that were near another restaurant that we wanted to try.

Are you ready? Here is a list of the restaurants we visited, and then I will share what our top three favorite dishes were.

10882206_10100559656161776_4046591936642773563_n

First we went to Bao Bao Dumpling House (133 Spring Street) where we tried the Kung Pow Chicken and the Lamb Black Bean and Chili Dumplings. For dessert we had the Bean Curd Buns which I would describe as bring freshly fried doughnuts with a red bean filling topped with a sweet glaze.

10678797_10100559655822456_6880738412380597892_n

10168091_10100559655662776_6158518529936260030_n

Next we went to Otto (the 576 Congress St location), one of my favorite restaurants in Maine. We ordered three small pizzas: the Meatloaf, Potato and Herb, the Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Cranberry, and the Spicy Pork and Scallion. Otto's slices are thin, and we each easily had a slice of each, even after eating three dumplings per person at Bao Bao.

Screen Shot 2014-12-23 at 8.01.23 PM

Then it was time to caffeinate so we visited Speckled Ax (567 Congress St) an independent coffee roaster almost across the street from Otto. It is a charming low key coffee house with strong espresso and drip coffee made in beakers.

15498_10100559655508086_8045535349214717095_n

10885342_10100559655572956_8547317606893000402_n

10320390_10100559655607886_1474567899039438651_n

Coffee in hand we hopped into the car and drove over to Duckfat (43 Middle St), one of the most acclaimed restaurants in Portland. Duckfat is on Middle Street, which based on what I saw today is the hot new spot for restaurants in Portland. We ordered the Belgian Frites - which are Duckfat's signature menu item, and yes they are fried in duckfat and served with your choice of six sauces, we picked Lemon Herb Mayo, the Toasted Curry Mayo, and Malted Vinegar. We also picked the Fried Brussels Sprouts with thick cut bacon, the Duck Sausage Crepinette and a Chocolate Milkshake.

10432136_10100559655543016_767464333885990636_n

10885472_10100559655218666_8533540188015198592_n 553301_10100559655133836_5734646331105264990_n

We finished things off at Eventide (86 Middle St), an oyster bar just down the street from Duckfat. Three restaurants in, we weren't slowing down. We had a dozen oysters - three varieties all from Maine, a lobster roll, and the chickpea frites.

On the way home we each ranked our personal top three favorite things we ate today.

10868126_10100559655872356_7481427482219430459_n

Our #1 Picks:
Kit: the Bean Curd Bun from Bao Bao Dumpling House - the name of this dish is deceiving it's really a doughnut (pictured above)
Charles: the Fried Brussels Sprouts with thickcut bacon from Duckfat
Kelly: the Kung Pow Chicken Dumplings at Bao Bao Dumpling House
Athan: the Bean Curd Bun from Bao Bao Dumpling House

Our #2 Picks:
Kit: the Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Cranberry Pizza from Otto
Charles: the Winterpoint Oysters from Eventide
Kelly: the Meatloaf and Potato Pizza from Otto
Athan: the Meatloaf and Potato Pizza from Otto

Our #3 Picks:
Kit: the Kung Pow Chicken Dumplings at Bao Bao Dumpling House
Charles: the Meatloaf and Potato Pizza from Otto
Kelly: the Winterpoint Oysters from Eventide
Athan: the Kung Pow Chicken Dumplings at Bao Bao Dumpling House

I think that the takeaway here is that we are loved Bao Bao Dumpling House and Otto Pizzeria. I was really impressed with the quality of the photos I took with my Droid Turbo. Sometimes I feel awkward bringing out a big DSLR camera at restaurants, and it takes up most of the space in my purse. The Droid Turbo is a great phone for taking photos on the go.

DISCLOSURE:
At the time I wrote this post I was a Verizon #MoreChicago Lifestyle Blogger and I received a Motorola Droid Turbo (with a line of service) from Verizon. No additional compensation was provided nor did I promise positive feedback. All opinions are my own, and in fact these photos were so terrible that I quit the program and sold the phone. 

More Travel

  • Casa Beatnik - A Charming Boutique Hotel in Galicia
  • Kennebunkport Travel Guide | Things to Do in Kennebunkport
  • Nantucket Itinerary for Kids
  • Milwaukee Itinerary for Kids

Comments

  1. TeresaCandelario says

    December 24, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    This is so perfect! I've been meaning to plan a vacation to Maine (Love me some Stephen King) for a while. I would totally love to visit Otto. Also, #teamverizon!
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!

Welcome! I'm Kit and The Kittchen is all about my two biggest loves: Food and Travel! Here you can discover delicious and practical everyday recipes, plus travel destinations to feed your wanderlust. Thanks for stopping by!

More about me

Recipes

  • The Best Chicken Chili
  • Brisket Enchiladas 13
    32 Favorite Freezer Meals
  • Easy Recipes for Beginners
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip | Classic buffalo chicken dip served in an edible bread bowl.
    Best Game Day Recipes

Travel

  • 200 Things to do in Maine
    200+ Things to do in Maine | What to Do in Maine
  • A Weekend in New Buffalo - A Mom's Retreat
  • Covent Garden 7
    Best Things to Do in London with Kids
  • Things to Do in New Buffalo, Michigan

Home

  • Upgrading Doors on a Budget
  • Cottage-Core Inspired Entryway Design
  • Chicago Balcony Design Reveal
  • Big Plans for Our Back Balcony

Footer

↑ back to top
thekittchen
About
First Time Here?
Contact
Press

Copyright © 2025 The Kittchen. Disclosure and Privacy Policy

  • 31