{"id":13054,"date":"2017-06-09T12:40:02","date_gmt":"2017-06-09T16:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/?p=13054"},"modified":"2017-06-09T12:40:02","modified_gmt":"2017-06-09T16:40:02","slug":"secrets-of-the-yokelvores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/secrets-of-the-yokelvores\/","title":{"rendered":"Secrets of the \u201cYokelvores\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summerguide 2017 | view this story as a .pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Open the doors and see all the people. <\/span><\/h3>\n

From Staff & Wire Reports<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"SG17-Yokelvore\"You\u2019ve read every travel guide and food blog on the web. You\u2019ve plotted out a meal-by-meal itinerary. You\u2019ve even packed your stretchiest pants. Now it\u2019s time to forget everything you\u2019ve heard about the Maine food scene. If you\u2019re looking for real local flavor, you\u2019ll find it just as easily off the beaten track\u2013and you won\u2019t need to wait as long for a table. Remember\u2013with over 300 restaurants in Greater Portland alone, you\u2019ll need to plan a lifetime of vacations to experience the real taste of Maine. What a delicious challenge! <\/span><\/p>\n

Lobster Tales<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

First things first: the headline act. It\u2019s no secret that Maine lobster has secured an international reputation as an affordable luxury in recent years. From Italy to China, chefs are creating inventive new ways to serve Maine\u2019s prime export. But in Vacationland, you can\u2019t beat the classic lobster roll. If you have an entire afternoon to spare, you can try your luck in the lines that snake along the sidewalk to that oh-so-hyped seafood joint on Middle Street in pursuit of the much lauded, award-winning Brown Butter Lobster Roll\u2122. But if you want to mingle with tourists and Mainers alike (who know to visit such places only during winter months), drive instead to The Lobster Shack<\/strong> at Two Lights Park or to Red\u2019s Eats<\/strong> in Wiscasset. Both draw sizable crowds, but counter service ensures you\u2019ll be rewarded quickly with a fluffy white roll that\u2019s perfectly toasted and laden with tender, fresh lobster meat. At The Lobster Shack, you won\u2019t regret indulging in an extra basket of fried whole-belly clams to munch as you watch the surf roll onto the granite shelf of shoreline beyond the picnic tables. Red\u2019s owner Deborah Gagnon is known for piling over a lobster\u2019s worth of meat into each roll she serves, so skip the sides here. <\/span><\/p>\n

Or (and this is so Mainer-like), go across the street<\/em> in Wiscasset to Sprague\u2019s,<\/strong> where the lobster rolls are fantastic, there\u2019s a better view, and there\u2019s better parking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, parking is a factor. That\u2019s just one of many reasons why locals will always love DiMillo\u2019s Floating Restaurant<\/strong>. The seafood is great (try the fried lobster), and when they open up the upper decks during the summer, the views are unbelievable. Not to mention, this place is legendary for continuing to serve diners during The Perfect Storm of 1991. This boat knows how to handle the waves in style. <\/span><\/p>\n

Heading south, the Colony Hotel and Resort<\/strong>, Arundel Wharf Restaurant<\/strong>, and Mabel\u2019s Lobster Claw <\/strong>are beyond just trustworthy\u2013they\u2019re essential summer destinations. The Colony is the ultimate Kennebunkport experience\u2013and locals love the views that are so beautiful they stop time. The inside local track is to enjoy the shore dinners they serve on Friday nights and the poolside brunches they offer from July through December. <\/span><\/p>\n

Arundel Wharf is right on the Kennebunk River and a local favorite for decades. (Side note: They serve unmatchable swordfish). Stepping through the door to Mabel\u2019s Lobster Claw is like taking a trip back in time. The dining room is virtually unchanged since its launch by Teedy Hutchins in 1952. Robert and Stephanie Fischer took over in 1996 and last year saw 50,000 visitors pass through their tiny eatery. \u201cWe have the same booths made from the same knotty pine since this place opened. We even play the same music! A lot of the restaurants around here have moved away from the classic Maine fare. They\u2019ve started doing something fancier, more exotic. Mabel\u2019s has stuck with the same menu for the past 70 years: steamers, clams, lobster\u2013the classics. We\u2019ve been smart enough or fortunate enough that it\u2019s worked! It\u2019s what people want.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Barnacle Billy\u2019s<\/strong> is a summer staple for tourists, locals, and a blur of celebrities. Billy\u2019s son Tim tells us that over 50 famous faces have graced the Ogunquit institution for a bite of its lobster roll, including Tom Brady and Christian Bale. <\/span><\/p>\n

Want to be master of your own kitchen? Bayley\u2019s Lobster Pound <\/strong>in Scarborough has been selling the freshest seafood for 102 years. The seafront store is still owned and operated by the Bayley family. \u201cWe\u2019ve sold over 30 million pounds of lobster in our time!\u201d Talk about a family legacy. You know your takeout attraction is popular when you\u2019ve been known to offer valet parking!<\/span><\/p>\n

Trenton Bridge Pound <\/strong>may have only six decades of family-owned operations under its belt, but you can still rely on the Gascon family for fresh local seafood. You literally can\u2019t miss this roadside lobster party on the Bar Harbor Road. The rookie mistake when ordering lobster from these establishments is assuming bigger means better. Nothing will single you out as a greenhorn faster than pointing to a 3-pound beast. Smaller means sweeter, so choose nothing bigger than 1.25 pounds. Impress the lobster pound employees by knowingly requesting a \u201cchicken\u201d lobster (only 1 lb.).<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s more! The shady deck at Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster Company <\/strong>provides a dreamy setting to enjoy a fresh lobster dinner. Serving Maine seafood since 1970, Harraseeket Lunch is an essential summer staple in South Freeport\u2013so much so that it\u2019s even been celebrated on The Rachel Ray Show<\/em> and ABC\u2019s The Chew.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a price for lobster\u2019s surging world celebrity\u2013and we\u2019re talking about dollars and cents. The upsurge in demand in recent years pushed market prices to an 11-year high last year, according to The Financial Times<\/em>. Following a cold winter and a slow start to the season, expect to shell out a little extra for your lobster rolls this summer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Keepin\u2019 It Crustacean<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Heading north, the humble crab roll is rather overshadowed by its more famous cousin. Jonah and Peekytoe crab, typically considered to be \u2018bait-stealing by-catch\u2019 by Maine lobstermen, are growing in popularity in southern New England as a tasty alternative to lobster. Is there room for another star crustacean on Maine\u2019s menus? Debatable. But if you\u2019re feeling adventurous, Town Landing Market<\/strong> in Falmouth will present you with a deliciously succulent pile of fresh crab meat to silence even the most resolute lobster purists. <\/span><\/p>\n

Late Riser<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In 2014, The Washington Post<\/em> described brunch as \u201cthe most delicious\u2013and divisive\u2013meal in America,\u201d citing the generation gap and cultural snobbery as factors in the respective delight and derision felt toward the fashionable \u2018new\u2019 mealtime since diners started \u2018discovering\u2019 it again. Politics aside, Maine has a wealth of eating options to kick-start your day. Loyal locals flock to the diminutive Palace Diner<\/strong> in Biddeford for some of the best fried chicken and French toast around, served inside a reclaimed chrome train car. News that owner Chad Conley will soon open Rose Foods<\/strong>, a bagel shop and Jewish-style deli in the former site of Brealu Cafe on Forest Avenue, has Portland foodies buzzing. Impress or irritate your local friends by visiting the deli before they do this summer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just a short walk from Monument Square, Isa Bistro <\/strong>is easily overlooked for its location on Portland Street, one of the roads less traveled by tourists in the city. The black-and-white floor tiling and scattered bistro tables lend Isa a cosmopolitan European feel, though the menu is diverse and seasonal, inspired by chef Isaul Perez\u2019s mix of French and Italian training and Mexican heritage. Book a table for Saturday morning and enjoy a plate of zesty huevos rancheros with a steaming cup of Tandem coffee. Once the bill is paid, you\u2019re only a short stroll from the Deering Oaks Farmers\u2019 Market with its many laden tables of produce, preserves, and flowers. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t subscribe to the latte and avocado-toast aesthetic, Q Street Diner<\/strong> in South Portland does a bustling trade in eggs and pancakes in a welcoming, no-frills dining room that attracts a steady stream of regulars. Even those who don\u2019t \u201cdo\u201d brunch will be placated. <\/span><\/p>\n

Little Italy<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Subs, hoagies, heroes, grinders, or spuckies\u2013what\u2019s in a name? All you need to know is that the wonderful \u201cItalian sandwich\u201d traces its roots back to none other than Portland, Maine. The Italian-American classic came to life in 1902 at the hands of Giovanni Amato, who began slicing \u201csubmarine\u201d rolls lengthways to be stuffed with with cured meats, cheese, vegetables, dill pickles, and a drizzle of olive oil to satiate the appetites of hungry dockworkers. His legacy is scattered throughout New England in the form of the Amato\u2019s<\/strong> franchises. We recommend you visit the Scarborough branch before you settle into the sand of Scarborough Beach State Park, where lunch options are limited. By the way, if it\u2019s not wrapped in wax paper, it\u2019s not an Italian sandwich.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though a Neapolitan will tell you it\u2019s nobody\u2019s Margherita pizza from Naples, some Forest City locals feel the Sicilian slice at Micucci\u2019s Grocery<\/strong> on India Street is perhaps Portland\u2019s greatest homage to Italian decadence. Originally created by local chef Stephen Lanzalotta (who later took his recipe and opened Slab on Preble Street), bite into the fluffy pillow of dough that comes smothered in sweet tomato sauce and molten mozzarella, the Micucci slice is the ideal pie to pick up before you hop on the Casco Bay Lines ferry to Peaks Island. \u201cI usually order two,\u201d a friend confesses. Just beware the envious glances from fellow passengers. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hidden in Plain Sight <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In a city as overflowing with great food as Portland, certain long-established gems can slide under the radar in \u201cBest Of\u201d lists. Case in point: Yosaku<\/strong> on Danforth Street, a place that\u2019s endeared itself to actress Anna Kendrick, your typical Portland local. She\u2019s told us she doesn\u2019t consider it a return visit to Portland unless she stops here. During the summer, the spacious patio\u2013complete with Japanese garden and burbling fountain\u2013is a romantic spot for masterfully presented sushi. Executive chef and owner Takahiro Sato is Portland\u2019s first sushi chef and a master of his craft. Order the Maine Roll and marvel at the artful fusion of east-meets-west as dainty maki rolls arrive with a lobster claw peeking out among the julienned vegetables. <\/span><\/p>\n

Above Pat\u2019s Meat Market on Stevens Avenue, The Treehouse Caf\u00e9<\/strong> serves the Deering neighborhoods a decadent dinner menu in a magical setting. The second-floor eatery earns its name from the cozy rear deck covered by a canopy of tree branches and strings of colored lights. You\u2019ll find the woodsy fairy tale continued inside, where wooden interiors, leafy accents, and more twinkling lights set the mood for a tasty blend of fancy pub food and affordable wines<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summerguide 2017
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