McCarty - Portland Food

Published by American Palate

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2014 by Kate McCarty

All rights reserved

First published 2014

e-book edition 2014

ISBN 978.1.62584.753.9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McCarty, Kate.

Portland food : the culinary capital of Maine / Kate McCarty.

pages cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

print edition ISBN 978-1-62619-269-0

1. Local foods--Maine--Portland. 2. Food industry and trade--Maine--Portland. 3. Restaurants--Maine--Portland. 4. Seafood--Maine--Portland. I. Title.

TX360.U63M43 2014

338.476640974191--dc23

2014012882

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

The most striking part of this projects undertaking is the incredible amount of support I received. I learned that a lot of people within the Portland restaurant and local food industries feel this way about their work too. Everyone I interviewed for this book was so open and generous with their time and thoughts. Portland does indeed feel like a small town but with the best parts of a big city. Never was this more apparent than when I was forced to call up strangers like allegedly grouchy lobstermen and the well-known chefs behind everyones favorite restaurants. Thank you to those of you who contributed to this project by sharing with me what you are so passionate about.

When I first moved to Portland in 2008, I found the incomparable resource of the Portland Food Map (portlandfoodmap.com), carefully curated by my friend Anestes Fotiades. This site is a staggeringly comprehensive aggregate of news and reviews of every eatery and food-related business in Portland. Thrilled to find myself in a city with so many options, I vowed to print out the map of restaurants, tack it to my wall and eat at every one. Needless to say, that didnt happen, but it did help me explore the culinary diversity of my new city.

At the urging of my friend Elizabeth in Maryland, I created a food blog to share my discovery of Portlands food scene with my family (and my sister gets all the credit for the clever name). In the five years since, Ive met a dedicated crew of online turned real-life friends that have been so supportive of my blog. I love that, like me, you never tire of talking about food and that youre always excited about the unusual foods that I dream up. Thank you to all the readers of The Blueberry Files; I would have stopped writing a long time ago without your engaging and encouraging words.

Thank you to Greta Rybus, another Portland transport who has found her footing in this town far faster than I did. It was amazing to work with you and to witness your ability to connect with people so quickly. You ask the right questions, laugh in the right places and draw people out so their true selves are revealed to you and your camera. Thank you for your time, your patience and for lending your wonderful eye to this project.

Thank you to the photographers who donated their work, in particular Corey Templeton of Portland Daily Photo, Meredith Perdue, Claire Houston, Anestes Fotiades and Zack Bowen of the Knack Factory. Thank you to my commissioning editor, Katie Orlando, for finding me and thinking that I was well suited for this project. I know that this project took a lot of unseen work on your end, so thank you for believing in me.

Im grateful for the support of my friends and family; thank you for encouraging me throughout this ambitious project. These words were made possible because my friends make Portland home. Without your company, I wouldnt have fallen in love with Portland and felt the need to share. Thanks in particular go to my mom and my sister for always fielding my frantic stress-related phone calls and for providing endless love and support. My love and gratitude also go to my boyfriend, Andrew, whose confidence in me was unwavering. Thank you for picking up my slack and for always being my dining companion. I look forward to sharing many more meals with you.

Thanks again to those featured in this book and to those who were willing to share their take on the Portland food scene with me. I got such a kick out of hearing, You know who you should talk to and, If I were writing this book I love that I live in a place where everyone has an opinion about food. I wish I had been able to speak with everyone who cooks in Portland, everyone who is passionate about local foods and everyone who cares about our city enough to work toward providing healthy, delicious food for all of us. Instead, I aim to provide you with a snapshot of our culinary scene. It is by no means meant to be comprehensive, as there are new restaurants opening every month and worthwhile work being done every day. I hope you find Portland, Maine, as exciting as I do and, above all, that you find something good to eat here.

Chapter 1

THE EVOLUTION OF SEASIDE DINING

A walk through downtown Portland reveals myriad dining options. The smell of Belgian fries fried in duck fat wafts from the crowded entryway of a small bistro with an orange awning. Across the street, a restaurants bright-blue exterior and large windows frame a raw bar where customers sip local craft beers and slurp oysters. In the back of a small brick Italian market nearby, thick slabs of Sicilian-style pizza appear quietly on a metal rack. A block away on Fore Street, a small sign and staff loading firewood into an adjacent shed are all that indicate a revered restaurant where inside everything tastes of the sea and nearby farms. Farther down the same street, the finest fish from Maine and Japan is served in a sushi restaurant that rivals any in New York City.

But the city hasnt always had such variety of quality cuisine. Portland was once a largely industrial town, supported by the fishing and lumber industries. A freight train line operated on Commercial Street until the 1980s. The waterfront piers were crowded with warehouses and processing plants, and the harbors berths were full of fishing and lobster boats. Like many East Coast towns, as these industries faded, the Old Port area became home to more restaurants and shops.

Today, Portland still maintains its working waterfront. A small fleet of lobster boats, seafood processing plants and other marine businesses flanks the water. In fact, a city ordinance gives priority to marine businesses on the piers. But the port is not as bustling with industry as it once was. Instead, it has become a small city with an incredible restaurant scene, supported by tourists and locals alike.

A look up Fore Street in Portlands Old Port shows the varying architectural styles and cobblestone streets that characterize the area. Photo by Corey Templeton.

The Sicilian Slab for sale at Micuccis Italian Grocery. In the summer months, slices sell out fast, and theres always a line waiting for the next batch.