Issues → May/June 2009 → Interact → 10 Things to Do → Ten Great Weekends →

Portland, ME, Weekend

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The Point Oceanfront Dining at Black Point Inn

Rely on chef Trap Landry for the best country-style pâté and salads that highlight Maine’s produce at this white-tablecloth dining room by the sea. Local meats, fish, and fruits dominate the delicious menu. [DETAILS]

Cinque Terre

Located in Portland's Old Port, Cinque Terre is steered by the passion and tastes of Chef Lee Skawinski, who makes periodic pilgrimages to Italy to help keep his menu fresh and surprising. Here, the menu offerings are refined Italian classics. [DETAILS]

Joe's Boathouse

As you eat, ferries and fishing boats pass by, tankers off-load oil into the Canadian pipeline, and pleasure boaters dock and come in for a meal. There’s nothing gourmet about the food, but at lunchtime it’s a great place for a burger and a beer, a grilled crab and avocado sandwich, or a local favorite called The Zook -- shaved chicken in a tortilla wrap with Swiss cheese, tomatoes, bacon, and caper mayonnaise -- all served with co-owner and chef Nate Chalaby’s homemade potato chips. [DETAILS]

Caiola's Restaurant

Some of Portland’s most creative chefs have migrated from the Old Port into the cozier environs of the city’s other neighborhoods, creating new culinary focal points. Such is the case with Caiola’s in Portland’s West End. Abby Harmon, who spent 15 years at the Old Port’s acclaimed Street & Co., opened this bistro in the fall of 2005 with her partner, Lisa Vaccaro (it’s named after Lisa’s grandmother). They serve up soul-satisfying, European-influenced comfort food expertly prepared. Look for dishes such as pan-fried flatiron steak, crispy duck, and—for those less Continental—a memorable hamburger. The Caesar salad with spiced fried oysters has emerged as the spot’s oft-raved-about signature dish. [DETAILS]

Sengchai Thai

Suwanna Truong was a familiar face at Seng Thai for years, one of the first and best-loved Thai restaurants in Portland. After efforts to open another storefront met with tragedy (a fire) several years ago, Truong returned to Thailand to rethink what do. Before long, she realized she needed to come back to launch a new restaurant in what she calls "a city with heart." Portland is amid a thriving Asian restaurant renaissance, but Sengchai, which opened in 2003, is again among the favorites. [DETAILS]

Inn on Peaks Island

Why choose between island life and urban life when you can get the best of both worlds at The Inn on Peaks Island? This inn, with just six suites, has a laid-back island sensibility yet is just 12 minutes by ferry from downtown Portland. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and the view from the front porch is enticing. Relax with a refreshing microbrew (the inn is owned by the founder of the Shipyard Brewing Company and has its own cask-conditioned ale system) while you watch the sun set beyond the ferry wharf. [DETAILS]