A Room With A View…Of Food

When people ask me what my favorite kind of food is, I tend to struggle to answer that question.  I like having options, and my palate has a wide range, starting with American food and ending with Mexican food.  Therefore, when a coworker told me about a series of restaurants owned by the same person, I jumped at the chance to try a wide variety of food.

My first stop was the Grill Room and Bar.  The Grill Room is a highly popular please, so I recommend making a reservation.  There are seats at the bar and tables available for patrons. The seats at the bar are first come, first serve.  Happy hour runs from 4pm to 6pm every day and is only available at the bar. The Grill Room is open Tuesday to Sunday, and they are only open for dinner. However, the dinner menu isn’t available until 5pm.  I went to The Grill Room twice and had a different meal with each visit.  For my first trip, I had a couple of oysters with the house burger.  My second trip included a Caesar salad and a filet mignon.  Both meals were absolutely delicious, and I recommend both entrees.

My second stop was The Corner Room. Specializing in Italian food, The Corner Room is only a block away from The Grill Room. There are seats at the bar, booths and tables available for guests.  Happy hour, again, runs from 4pm to 6pm, and dinner doesn’t start until 5pm. Happy hour is only available at the bar, and has such snacks as meatballs and mixed greens.  The Corner Room is open from Tuesday to Saturday, and reservations are highly recommended. Bar seating, like The Grill Room, is first come, first serve.  For my first trip, I had an order of garlic bread and a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.  For my second trip, I had a Caesar salad and a pepperoni pizza.  The food was delicious, and I recommend everything.

My final stop was The Front Room, which serves brunch and dinner.  There are seats at the bar, tables and booths available for patrons.  The Front Room has the typical breakfast fare like eggs, omelets, and pancakes. Furthermore, sides like potato salad, bacon, ham and sausage populate the menu. Finally, there are sandwiches like the B.L.T. is available for purchase as well.  Coffee, Bloody Mary’s and mimosas, as well as non-alcoholic beverages are also available. The dinner menu is vastly different.  There is sparkling, red and white wine, as well as beer and cocktails available for purchase.  Appetizers range from oysters and Caesar salads, while the main dishes range from the double wagyu burger and crab pasta.  For brunch, I had the two-egg plate, which was eggs any style, with home fries, bacon and a choice of toast. For dinner, I had the double wagyu smash burger.

I highly recommend all three restaurants, and as I’ve mentioned before, I recommend reservations for The Grill Room and The Corner Room. If you want to learn more about The Grill Room, click here.  If The Corner Room is more your speed, click here.  Finally, if The Front Room caught your eye, click here.  As always, I have to ask, where should I go next?

Banging On About Bangor

I love to go on adventures. One of my favorite places to visit is Bangor.  I have already written about Bangor once before, and I’m happy to do so again.  I visited Bangor a couple of times for this post, so there is plenty to read about in this post.

 

There is a ton of places to eat in Bangor.  One of the first places I went to was the Bangor Beer Company. Located right behind the Oriental Jade, this brewery has twelve beers on tap.  These beers are also available to take home with you in cans. Furthermore, people can order cocktails, red and white wine, along with mocktails and ciders.  Additionally, people can order sandwiches and burgers, along with sushi.  Appetizers like calamari and chicken wings and tenders are available.  I had the BBC Burger, the Bang Bang Shrimp and the Red Dragon Roll.  All of it was delicious, and I highly recommend it.

 

Patrons can sit at the picnic tables, at the seats at the bar, or at the booths.  There is even outdoor seating during the warmer months.  There are pinball machines where people can play while they wait for their food.  Finally, people can purchase merchandise to remember their time at The Bangor Beer Company.

 

For dinner I ended up at Miguel’s, a Mexican restaurant that was absolutely delicious.  Their drink menu is extensive, including cocktails, beer, cider, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, and flights of tequila.  There are appetizers like wings and avocado fries.  Tacos, burritos, salads and tacos can be found at Miquel’s. The décor is absolutely wonderful and looks like it was imported straight from Mexico.  Free chips and salsa are also provided while people wait for their food.  I had the Miguel’s street tacos, which came with two sides.  I had the refried beans and the Spanish rice.  All of it was very good.

 

Bangor offers a lot of recreational activities as well.  I started with the Zillman Art Museum. There are donated pieces, along with visiting artists.  Staff are on hand for any questions or if you’re looking for more information. Furthermore, there is information about the artists and paintings on the wall.  There are benches and stools throughout the museum so people can sit and take in the artwork.  There was even a painting by Diego Rivera at the museum.

 

I also visited the Bangor City Forest as well as the Orono Bog Walk.  You might say “but Merry Mainer, you’re writing about Bangor, not Orono!”  That is very true, however the Bog Walk starts in the Bangor City Forest, so I decided to include the Bog Walk in Bangor’s post.  The Forest is open year-round, while the Bog Walk is only open from May to November.

 

There are two parking lots, so there is plenty of parking spaces.  Furthermore, there are benches and picnic tables scattered throughout the forest as well.  There’s only one bathroom in the forest, so make sure to plan accordingly.  There are trail maps throughout the forest.  The maps are numbered or lettered so you know where you are.  Information about the forest is also posted throughout the forest.  The bog has seats throughout the trail to rest or take in the scenery as well as information about the bog.  Dogs are allowed in the forest, but not in the bog, so make sure to plan around that.

 

Finally, I went to the Coleman Land Transportation Museum. The museum includes a brief history of Bangor. The museum has a large collection of land vehicles, including old snowplows, fire trucks, trains, and farming equipment.  There is a small section dedicated to military history, along with a Vietnam War Memorial outside.

 

I love Maine quite a bit.  There is so much to do and I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface.  If you want to learn more about The Bangor Beer Company, you can click here.  If you want to do more research on Miquel’s you can click here.  If you want to go to Zillman Art Museum you can click here.  Finally, if you want to visit the forest and the bog, you can click here and here.  As always, I have to ask, where should I go to next?

Butcher Burger

Portland is one of the best places to go out and find a place to eat.  Sometimes people recommend their favorite places, while sometimes I find someplace to eat by conducting my research. Butcher Burger falls into the latter.  I stumbled across it by accident and decided to give it a shot.

 

The restaurant is small and intimate.  There are seats at the bar and stools looking out onto the street.  There is patio seating available as well, but I believe that the patio seating is only set up during the warmer months.  There is plenty to drink here as well. There is draft beer, as well as beer in bottles and cans.  Additionally, there are cocktails like spicy margaritas and Texas mules.  There are non-alcoholic drinks available as well, like coke products and iced tea. There are all sorts of burgers like the cheeseburger and the bacon burger.  Sandwiches are also available for purchase as well.  There are such sandwiches like the crispy fish and the lobster grilled cheese.  Butcher Burger also sells lobster rolls as well, including the Maine lobster roll with mayo, or the hot buttered roll.  There are even munchies as well, including the Caesar salad, wings, and fish tacos.  If someone wanted fries for the table or with their meal, they can order the fries as well.  Finally, there are dipping sauces like spicy mayo and bleu cheese.

 

I visited Butcher Burger twice, and I enjoyed both meals. During my first visit, I had the Maine lobster roll with mayo and fries and a spicy margarita.  My second trip I had the cheeseburger and fries.  I do recommend going to Butcher Burger.  If you want to check out Butcher Burger, you can click here.  As always, I have to ask, where should I go next?

A Meal at a Sicilian Table

I’ve written three blog posts about three restaurants owned by the same person.  These restaurants included Tuscan Table in South Portland. While researching those posts, I heard whispers of a fourth restaurant opening at some point in the future.  Recently, I was looking for a place to eat on the internet, and Sicilian Table, the fourth restaurant to be opened by the same owner, had begun serving customers.  I knew immediately that I had to try it, so I hurried over and ordered some lunch.

 

Sicilian Table offers a large drink menu. Cocktails, mocktails, wine, soda, and bourbon populate their drink menu.  Sicilian Table has a great food menu as well, offering a variety of food options.  There are appetizers like meatballs and mussels, as well as salads like caser salad and a Greek salad.  There is a section reserved for pizza, as well for their house made pasta.  Finally, Sicilian Table also offers sandwiches like a burger or the chicken parmesan. There are seats at the bar as well as bar seating.  There are booths and tables, along with outdoor seating. There is also two floors available for patrons to sit.  I had a Caesar salad, along with a bee sting pizza, and both were delicious.

 

I enjoy these four restaurants, and I’m glad that I was able to try the newest addition.  Maine has a great variety of places to eat, so I’ll keep looking for new places to try. If you want to check out Sicilian Table, you can click here.  Now that this post is done, where should I go next?

Exploring Some of What Portland Has to Offer

Portland offers a lot of different places to eat, though some of these restaurants are easy to miss.  Over the course of a couple of days, I decided to discover some of these hidden gems.  My first stop was Black Cow Burgers for some lunch.  Situated right on the cusp of the Old Port, Black Cow Burgers has big windows overlooking a tree-lined plaza.  Seats are available at the bar, along with tables and booths around the restaurants. Though the menu is small, Black Cow Burgers still offers quite a bit.  There is a sampling of cocktails, along with house crafted sodas available for purchase.  Furthermore, there are floats and shakes if one is feeling adventurous.

 

There is a selection of sandwiches for patrons to peruse, ranging from burgers and grilled cheese to fried fish sandwiches. There are a ton of sides to add to your entrée as well.  French fries can be added, but there is so much more as well.  Tomato soup, fried brussel sprouts, and buffalo chicken dip is just some of what Black Cow Burgers has to offer.  If you still have room for dessert, there is plenty to choose from. Customers can buy ice cream or sundaes. I had a cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate shake. I finished my meal with a vanilla shake and a tin roof sundae, and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

 

After I went to Black Cow Burger, I found myself craving oysters, so I decided to satisfy my hunger by sampling two different oyster bars. My first stop Eventide Oyster Company here in Portland.  While Eventide Oyster Company is small, there is a wide variety of seating available. Seats at the bar, tables overlooking the street, and wooden picnic tables are offered to diners. The picnic tables are big enough for multiple parties to be seated at. Their drink menu is extensive, offering cocktails, sake, beer and non-alcoholic drinks.

 

The oyster selection is massive, with plenty of oysters from Maine and from away. Furthermore, there is a sizable food menu available for those who might want something else. This includes soups like clam chowder, and sandwichs like burgers and lobster rolls.  There is even a dessert menu, that includes whoopie pie. I had a big meal while researching Eventide Oyster Company. I had a half-dozen oysters, an Eventide Brown Butter Lobster Roll, a burger, clam chowder, and a whoopie pie!  It was all delicious, and I recommend everything.

 

After I recovered from my feast at Eventide Oyster Company, I went to Maine Oyster Company.  This restaurant is smaller, with a more intimate setting.  There is beer on tap and in bottles and cans.  Wine is also available for purchase.  Oysters are definitely the star here at Maine Oyster Company. They offer oyster shucking classes, and you can visit their oyster farm here in Maine (I sense a future blog post!).  Their menu is definitely smaller, so I decided to focus on their oysters, which were delicious.  While during the off season, Maine Oyster Company has a small selection of oysters, the summer season sees six to eight different types of oysters available for purchase.

 

All that walking made my feet sore, so I decided to stop by Soakology, located right on Congress Street.  This massage parlor specializes in foot soaks, while offering twenty- or forty-minute messages.  The foot soaks come in a variety of scents, adding to the sense of peace that Soakology strides for.  Since my feet were bothering me, I decided to have a foot rub.  Soakology also offers a number of teas, along with hot chocolate. The soundproofing at the spa is incredible, and I found myself forgetting that I was in downtown Portland and was able to relax completely.

 

I thoroughly enjoy writing for you, dear reader, as it enables me to experience much of what Maine has to offer.  Portland itself has so much to do, so this little excursion took a couple of days to complete.  If you want to learn more about Black Cow Burgers, click here.  If you want to experience all that Eventide Oyster Company has to offer, click here.  If Maine Oyster Company is more your speed, click here.  Finally, if you want to research Soakology, you can click here.  As always, I have to ask, where should I go next?  As it happens, I know exactly where I’m going next.

A Major Steak in the Restaurant Business

 

I love steak, though I find myself not eating it as often as I would like.  Therefore, I decided to fix that.  I visited two steak restaurants, each vastly different from the other.  I went to The Steakhouse, in Wells, and Bonissoni, in Ogunquit.

 

The Steakhouse is a popular restaurant.  They’re only open for dinner, and they don’t accept reservations, so be prepared to wait a bit before you’re seated.  There is ample parking and two floors available for seating.  Despite The Steakhouse’s size, there is still a cozy and intimate feeling to the eatery. There is a massive drink menu available for patrons of all ages.  There are draft beers and beer in bottles and cans.  Furthermore, there are wines, cocktails, and frozen drinks.  The food menu is just as big as well.  There are soups, appetizers, salads, steak, and seafood that can be purchased.  

 

On my first visit to The Steakhouse, I decided to sample some appetizers.  I settled on having four different dishes. I ordered a cup of lobster stew, steakhouse cheese fries, boneless buffalo wings, and the mussels. For my second trip, I ordered the filet mignon with a side of French fries and Caesar salad.  My meals were delicious, and I would recommend everything.  The Steakhouse does close down for a month or so, so make sure to check their website before you make the trip.

 

Bonissoni was a different experience.  Bonissoni is a Brazilian Steakhouse, which means that the servers walk around the restaurant with skewers of meat.  They place the skewer onto the table and ask if you want a slice of meat.  If you say yes, then the server will cut a piece of meat off and place it onto your plate.  Bonissoni has a large menu as well. There are cocktails, desert drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, as well as a selection of wines. Furthermore, there are a number of sides that customers can order, ranging from French fries to Caesar salads.  Like The Steakhouse, Bonissoni is cozy and intimate, making for a great visit.

 

My experience eating at two superb restaurants meant that I had a great meal.  I’ve spoken before about the versatility of Maine’s restaurant scene, and I know I’m far from finished eating my way through all that Maine has to offer.  If you want to know more about The Steakhouse, click here, and if you want to research Bonissoni, you can click here.  As always, I have to ask, where should I go to next?  As it happens, I know exactly where I’m going.

Arcadia 2.0

I’ve written before about how Covid changed Maine’s landscape. The shift brought on by Covid has allowed some businesses to flourish while others floundered. Arcadia National Bar falls into the former. I have written about Arcadia before when they were a hole in the wall, but now they have blossomed into a full-scale bar with two floors.

The biggest change Arcadia went through is the amount of space available to them. There are two floors of games available to customers. The first floor is primarily pinball with some classic games scattered throughout the bar. The classic games include Q-Bert, Pong, and Mr. and Mrs. Pac-Man. The basement level is mostly devoted to sports games, like skeeball and a hockey game. Arcadia even has a PlayStation 5 in their basement level. All the games take quarters, so Arcadia provides an ATM as well as two quarter machines on the first level. There are even boardgames that patrons can play while they visit Arcadia.

Arcadia has plenty of seating.  There are stools that surround the bar, and there are two booths near the bar as well.  Arcadia also provides a couple of tables by the front windows, and those windows look out onto Congress Street.  There are seats scattered around the gaming floor, allowing patrons to watch people play their games.  Arcadia even has its own version of a food court, an area devoted to serving food to guests.  Those enjoying the food Arcadia has to offer can sit in the booths that line the food court.  Visitors can enjoy a variety of food, including garlic knots, pizza, sandwiches and hotdogs, and a whole slew of desserts.  Arcadia offers a comprehensive list of drinks to those who come to sit back and relax.  Draft beer, wines, liquor, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks are all available for purchase.

Arcadia does a lot to sets itself apart from other bars.  For example, during the colder months, when people are wearing heavy coats, Arcadia has a coat check.  Additionally, there is outdoor seating during the warmer months, so people can enjoy the weather.  Finally, Arcadia host a whole series of events.  Every Thursday, Arcadia hosts a trivia night, with prizes for those who place first, second, and third.  Arcadia even hosted a Pride event during Pride Month.

Arcadia offers so much to their patrons. Whether you want to play pinball or skeeball, this local watering hole has you covered. If you want to learn more about Arcadia, you can click here. As always, I leave you with this question. Where should I go to next?

A Royal River, A Royal Meal

As I mentioned in my previous post, I visited three restaurants who are owned by the same person. Therefore, my next trip brought me to Royal River Grill House. Located in Yarmouth, the Royal River Grill House sits right on the water, providing a wonderful view as you eat. Seating is plentiful here as well, with seats at the bar, tables, seating upstairs, and patio seating. Like Tuscan Table, the décor is beautiful and the interior is cozy.

The drink menus is extensive, offering beer, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks. The menu is extensive, offering appetizers, a raw bar, salads, entrees, and an a la carte menu. I decided to sample a wide variety of what the Royal River Grill House had to offer. I had two oysters, the clam chowder, a Caesar salad, and a burger. Everything was delicious, and I even took my burger home with me to have later.

While the Royal River Grill House is tucked away in Yarmouth, this eatery is well worth the trip. Whether you’re looking for a meal with a view, or you’re looking to experience something new, the Royal River Grill House has something for everyone. As usual, I would ask where I would go next, however my next post will conclude the series on restaurants owned by a singular person, so stay tuned.

Two Nations, Double the Fun

Whenever I discover a new restaurant, I feel a sense of excitement.  What kind of food will they serve?  How does the environment feed into the meal?  These are questions that I ask myself whenever I go somewhere new.  I discovered Dos Naciones when I was on my way to King of the Roll, and I knew I had to give this restaurant a chance.  Dos Naciones, which translates to Two Nations, serves Mexican and El Salvadorian food.  I admit that I have a soft spot for Latin American food, so I was excited to say the least.

 

There is plenty of seating. Booths, tables, high tops, and seats at the bar are all available to guests who want a meal.  Latin American music plays over the speakers, adding to the ambiance.  The food, as well as the service are both great, making this a great place to eat.  As I ate my meal, the restaurant continued to fill up, making Dos Naciones a sure-fire hit!

 

Since Dos Naciones is a new restaurant, the number of websites dealing with this eatery are limited.  For the time being, I will link Yelp here, which shows that Dos Naciones with a five star rating.  My meal at Dos Naciones marks the end of my Restaurant Week.  It was a great experience, and I had the opportunity to try a new restaurant.  So now, I look towards my next adventure, completely unsure of where my next adventure will take me.  So, with some excitement, I ask; where should I go next?

The Gritty Reality of Good Food

Freeport, like Portland, has a great restaurant scene.  So, it should come as no surprise that my next stop during Restaurant week was Gritty McDuffs Freeport Brewpub.  Located on Lower Main Street, this blink and you miss it pub is a great place to stop during your shopping adventure.

 

Seating is plentiful, and during the off season, guests are able to find a place to sit relatively easily.  There are seats at the bar, tables, long tables that seat eight, and picnic tables.  The menu is large, with soups, salads, burgers and so much more.  Gritty’s has a rotating menu of soup, chowder, and cheesecake.

 

The service is top notch, and the drinks are absolutely delicious.  I settled on the cheeseburger, with a side of fries, which was great, and I also had the cheesecake of the day, which was the peanut butter finger cheesecake.  If you want more information on Gritty McDuffs, you can click here.  Sadly, tomorrow is my last post during Restaurant Week, but I’m far from done visiting restaurant’s in Maine.  As always, I ask, where should I go next?