amazing food great service its a hidden gem! great dine in! Must go cool view! Met a waiter named…read more Emre he's a nice man

Such a cute little find in Cape Porpoise…read more We used to love Pier 77 and it's been years since we've been back down because they closed. The online presence and menu for Casa Seventy Seven has always been a bit underwhelming from a web-visitor point of view which kept us away. Well we finally made our way down and I'm glad we did! On a whim we thought we'd try the big sister upstairs, Ultramar, however you really do need a reservation. No worries, they said, check out downstairs. It's funny how when you're hungry and sitting, the menu looks a lot more agreeable! We both got clam chowders to start and they're definitely not your traditional New England Clam Chowder. They had a lighter, less cream based broth and it was really full of clams, potatoes, a bit of corn maybe, something crunchy. Also it came out hot. Like hot-hot. It was legit good. Like 9/10. We also sampled the Hamburger and the Caesar Salad. Both were great! Tones of flavor. Not too heavy. Caesar salad had some yummy fresh anchovies. I will say that the salad did look a bit tossed together and it could have been a prepared with a bit more care but the flavor was still great. I'd definitely come back to enjoy some sunshine and fried seafood on the cute patio, watching the professional fisherman do their thing.

Great tapas spot in the downtown area! Had such a lovely waiter too during our visit. Liked all the…read moresavory dishes too, each with its own distinct taste! Ranking: 1) Spicy beef salad 2) Suckling pig 3) Pinkytoe crab 4) Lobster pasta 5) Bone marrow toast The desserts were nothing special but I did like the strawberry white chocolate one. The rhubarb one was meh personally; tasted like yogurt I could eat from the grocery store.

We were happy with the service and speed at which the small plates were delivered to us however…read morethere was a small instance where we got a dish we didn't order (not pictured and it was the special). The lemon sole (fish) and octopus carpaccio (not pictured) were filled with flavor! The pork belly was very underwhelming and I would not order again. The waiter said 2-4 plates per person. I recommend starting on the lower end and adding additional dishes based on how you're feeling. The amount of food was very different from dish to dish. For example the tuna dip had way too much bread and the pork belly was very small in size. Overall I was half impressed. I wish the staff would take a moment to announce the plate as it's placed next to you or point it out on the menu for those hard of hearing and wanting to know what they are about to enjoy. However the music, overall restaurant vibe and half the dishes exploding with flavor made my experience pleasant and I will return again knowing a bit more of what to expect and looking at photos of the menu/meal options beforehand.

Evo was recommended to us, and we were not disappointed during our recent trip to Portland. Our…read moreserver was friendly and knowledgeable. We chose to sit at a table upstairs (mezzanine). There was also an option to sit at the counter downstairs. We started with the chickpea fries, which were spiced well with a crispy exterior and creamy texture inside. It was a unique way of serving chickpeas. I had the NY strip steak, which I enjoyed, but a tip if you're going. The medium rare was closer to rare in my opinion. If you like medium rare, I'd ask for medium. My wife had the mushroom shawarma, which she enjoyed thoroughly and raved about the unique spices.

My wife and I popped in here last night for dinner and a first round of drinks. It was 7pm on a…read moreWednesday and it was at about half capacity, so we had no trouble walking in and being seated right away, though the upstairs seating (which looked really cool) was sadly full. No matter - we got prime seating at the bar with full view of the kitchen and watching everyone prepare everything! Right out of the gate, we were impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the staff and the vibe of the place. Even though it was relatively small, it never felt cramped at all and the decor and look just felt so sleek and modern but also warm and just a place you wanted to be. We started with drinks - an Emerald Oasis for me and a Desert Rose for the lady. The Emerald Oasis was tasty, refreshing, slightly minty with a hint of cucumber, and relatively mild in flavor. The Desert Rose was also equally refreshing with a good amount of smoke flavor and some pleasant floral notes. What's weird to me though is that it's a tequila drink with smoke added... why not just use mezcal and call it a day? I actually mistakenly thought it was mezcal when I tried it as it had a very similar flavor profile. Overall, both solid but not necessarily earth-shattering flavor bombs. For an app, we ordered some seared halloumi to start. It was a pretty small portion (two pieces for each of us equated to about 4 normal size bites each) but the flavor was really nice with a touch of heat from the peppers and a little crunch from the sunflowers. I'm definitely glad we got it and I know halloumi is expensive, but I feel like I could've used just a little more oomph somehow. Next up was the whipped feta. My wife is celiac so they got me some pita on the side and her some crudites in the form of sliced carrots and cucumbers. The pita was warm, slightly chewy, slightly crispy in some spots, and a good amount of fluffiness. The whipped feta was tasty with the pomegranate molasses giving it some depth and character but the whole thing started getting a little soupy and hard to really scoop up without a spoon towards the end. Again, another solid dish but maybe would try the hummus next time. Lastly - entrees. I started with the paprika shrimp. It was a good amount of sauce to cover the whole dish though I feel like it relied a lot on the spiciness instead of depth of flavor. Also, and maybe this is a personal thing, any dish that has shrimp with tails still on but covered in sauce is kind of annoying to get the tails off without getting your hands super messy. I get the presentation of it but still. Also, the chickpeas were slightly dry and crunchy, but that may very well be the intention and design of the dish. I didn't mind it and the sauce balanced it out nicely, but it was a bit unexpected. My wife got the Moroccan mushroom (after an oopsie that sent what was supposed to be hers to another table by mistake first and then fired up a new one right away in about 10 minutes). It was a really nice dish with lots of flavor and locally foraged mushrooms. I'm not a mushroom fan and I even thought it was pretty tasty! All in all, a really solid experience but at the same time just about every item feels like it could have been just a little bit more - whether it was flavor or amount or something. The presentation on everything was full-blown Michelin star quality too (as it was on all the other dishes we saw floating around too), though I question why the large amount random space on the plate on our two entrees. The shrimp I guess you could get away with but half an empty plate on the mushrooms just felt like it was being a little too artsy. I'm not a chef or even a professional food critic though, so what do I know? :) I wouldn't mind going back here but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back either.

Nice and cozy spot for happy hour at our hotel…read more It was dreary and cold outside and we didn't really want to brave the elements to go outside for happy hour. So we wimped out and checked into our hotel's bar instead. Glad we did, since the beer was good and had a great time just chillin. It was a perfect cap to our fun pack mini vacay!

The Inkwell serves as the in-house bar and lounge for The Press Hotel. Since we stayed at The Press…read moreduring our most recent trip to Portland, we were always passing it by during our city explorations. One of our nights we didn't have solid dinner plans nor were we super hungry, so we decided to head downstairs for a drink and some snacky snacks. The Inkwell serves as a coffee bar in the mornings and a cocktail lounge/small plates eatery in the evenings. There are a number of booths, couches, and tables which are contiguous with the general seating area in the lobby, so it doesn't really have its own space per se but it still works. I infer that most of their food comes from Union, which is located in the hotel (I dined at Union too and noticed some of the small plates at The Inkwell were listed as apps on Union's menu). Their evening menu has a nice variety of drinks and small plates, as well as a good wine and beer list. I had two cocktails - the Downtown Honey and the Ginger Sunrise. Both were great - smooth with bold flavor. We also ordered a couple of small plates: the cheese and charcuterie and the goat cheese arancini. These were both pretty good - the charcuterie was a little sloppy I'll be honest, but since this was more of a lounge setting it didn't bother me. The arancini were good, the goat cheese taste was subtle but they had a great mouthfeel. Service was great, the bartender was on point and super friendly. Overall, The Inkwell was great. I wouldn't say it was a destination spot in Portland, but if you're staying in The Press or are looking for some good cocktails this is a sure place.

Confession time: the idea of paying to cook my own dinner has never exactly screamed "great night…read moreout." Then I went to N to Tail, and now I'm considering a career in table-side grilling. The meal started with spicy cucumbers, fried eggplant, and Korean fried chicken. The cucumbers were refreshing, sweet, spicy, and dangerously addictive. The eggplant was crispy, sticky, and packed with flavor. And the fried chicken? My partner could have just eaten that alone and been happy! The four of us went all in on the largest combo platter. Short rib, ribeye, pork belly, shrimp, chicken, veggies--the grill was working overtime. The short rib ipractically melted, the ribeye was buttery perfection, and the pork belly reminded us why pork belly has such a devoted fan club. There was a brief period where my partner and I had no idea what we were doing at the grill, luckily we were with seasoned veterans of it! By the end of the meal my confidence was soaring that I could do this again! The banchan, which the server hinted at has a few sides that change time to time, kept every bite interesting The service was fantastic and so informative, and the entire experience was far more fun than I expected. N to Tail is a hidden gem. Come hungry, bring friends, and don't be surprised if you leave wondering why you haven't stopped by sooner.

It wasn't busy at all (weird time 4pm on a Thursday) but the service was still great, our host…read moreJacob checked in a lot. Food was PHENOMENAL, especially with all the complimentary add ons that came with (banchan, kimchi, lettuce and cabbage wraps, soy sauce and rice) The vegetable melody is mushroom, onion, zucchini, and eggplant, which was a little disappointing but the la cart for the veggies is cheap so you can always double up! They induce a variety of sides including maple soy sauce and miso bean paste for dipping. Drinks were great, energy was great, it's a must go spot if you like Korean BBQ and are in the area. A little on the pricey side but for the area it was amazing. A must go!

One of the most unique Thai restaurants I've been to! Everything we ordered was incredibly…read moreflavorful, with so much depth from the spices. You can really taste the care and authenticity in every dish. We stopped here for dinner during our Portland trip, and my husband and I ordered a bunch of dishes to share so we could try as much as possible. We had different types of skewers, quail eggs, calamari, beef panang, and stir-fried noodles. And of course, we had to finish with their famous black sticky rice with coconut. There wasn't a single bad dish. Everything was delicious, well seasoned, and tasted authentic. Each dish had its own unique flavor profile, and nothing felt boring or one dimensional. The ambiance was also really cute and cozy, making it a great spot for a date night or a nice dinner with someone special. The service was phenomenal too. Everyone was attentive, friendly, and incredibly fast without making us feel rushed. Honestly, I'd come back to Portland just to eat here again. Definitely a must try if you're looking for flavorful, authentic Thai food!

The skewers are amazing, best things on the menu. We tried the chicken, shrimp, and moo ping…read moreskewers. All were excellent. We also got the papaya salad("Thai spicy is no joke"). Kra Pao chicken was delicious too. Grilled rice ball was meh, too salty. Desserts were ok, nothing too crazy. Pro tip: there's a public parking spot a block away, made parking much easier vs trying to find a street parking.

We ventured (like a Hurricane) into the restaurant after a fun-filled afternoon that had us on a…read moreLobster Boat excursion, a mile walk south to another establishment for a Lobster Roll, the walk back. Some shopping and a few bits along the way. We weren't completely full for dinner but wanted the party to go on. I snagged a reservation at Hurricane and we were seated shortly after getting a round of drinks from the bar. My wife had her go to cocktail "A slightly Dirty Martini" while I opted for the citrusy Hemingway. Once seated we poured over the menu and couldn't make up our minds but our server was awesome. We weren't rushed and each passing visit continued the conversation with her about our trip, our day, our experience, and Kennebunkport content in general. At long last we simply decided to get two rounds of fresh oysters that were to absolutely die for as our meal. The snacking had taken its toll or my wife would have annihilated a 2 lb Maine Lobster on her own. I had some local Maine craft beers to go with the light fare and had to order the "Affogato" for desert. It simply called my name. The Hurricane offered a great atmosphere that was still somewhat hopping shortly before the clock suggested it was closing time. As we exited and walked over to our hotel for the last night before heading home, we found the usually crowded streets of the sea town barren and that offered some time for reflection on a great evening that was had by all.

The food was solid. Good, but no WOW factor. But the outstanding aspect of this dining experience…read morewas the service. Our waitress Seanna was the best waitress I've experienced in a very long time. I'm a NYer and my dining experience bar is high. Well she nailed it. Plus the Manager accommodated us as I was 1/2 hour early and she sat us in a quiet area of a very loud restaurant. Again, no complaints about the food, but the service was exceptional!

This was the perfect restaurant to start our Portland trip off with. We were seated at a lovely…read moretable in the corner. We had a reservation. The ambiance is very moody and sexy. Perfect for a date night! Our server, Hannah, was great. She suggested an excellent bottle of wine that complimented all of our dishes. Customer service was a solid 10/5! This is a place to definitely add to your Portland dining list! To start, all of the dishes were wonderful portions and could easily be shared between two people. Which I absolutely love because I enjoy trying as many things as I possibly can! Arancini: This was a great starter. Absolutely delicious. I have yet to meet an arancini that I don't love. 5/5. Caesar Salad: A perfect dish that is light and necessary before getting into a heavy entree. The salad was crisp, delicious, very fresh, and a must order. 5/5. Scallop Risotto: This was a large position that had scallops in every bite! It wasn't too heavy, was not too salty, and you could taste the freshness in the ingredients. Dessert is not pictured, but it is worth ordering! The entire dessert menu was excellent!

I don't typically write a lot of reviews but when I do, it is about an experience that was either…read morereally impressive or hugely disappointing. So here goes... My daughter had been wanting to go to Via Vecchia for a while but couldn't afford it on a college student's income. So we went during my visit. My hopes were high as we walked in--a beautiful glass enclosure at the entrance that was draped with ceiling to floor ivy; an intimate but lively atmosphere; and an offering of creative cocktails...my enthusiasm quickly vanished when our appetizers arrived. We ordered the focaccia, grilled octopus, and Caesar salad. The focaccia was soggy and flavorless. Even the olive oil that accompanied the bread was flavorless. The grilled octopus was another disappointment--there were more cloves of garlic than pieces of octopus. And what little octopus was there, a third of it was charred to black. Thankfully, the Caesar salad was fresh and fairly tasty. Ironically the focaccia croutons were the highlight of the salad. Then the entrees arrived--chicken Marsala and a spicy shrimp pasta in cream sauce (can't remember the name of the dish). My daughter liked the second dish enjoying the slight kick of whatever pepper/spice was used in the recipe. For me, it was just okay. The biggest disappointment however was the chicken Marsala--the gnocchi was overcooked, the entire dish itself was too salty, and the chicken--overcooked in some parts and fairly tender in others--tasted like it came out of a can. Quite honestly, I don't know what all the hype is about. This restaurant is mediocre at best. Perhaps the cocktails numb everyone's tastebuds to the overly salty but otherwise bland dishes. It was not worth the money and I would never go again. If this is the best that Portland has to offer by way of fine Italian dining, I'd say it's time Portland redefined the meaning of "fine".

We stumbled upon this place while looking for a spot for a nightcap and something to eat, and I'm…read moreso glad we did! This place has such a fun, laid-back vibe. They had a projector set up playing Nintendo games, and they actually let us play! You could also request songs, which made the whole experience feel really interactive and fun. The music was great, and between the funky decor, colorful lights, and all the little details throughout the space, there was so much to look at. I especially loved their collection of pineapples! We had an espresso martini and a beer, and both were good. The bartender was super friendly and funny, which definitely added to the experience. The kitchen wasn't open when we stopped in, but they recommended a spot down the street. We ended up ordering from there and picked it up on our way home, so even though we didn't get to try the food here, they were still helpful in making sure we had somewhere to eat. This was such a fun unexpected find! Between the games, music, drinks, and atmosphere, it felt like a place where you can actually hang out and have a good time. Definitely a spot I'd come back to!

What an amazing place! The vibe is chill with a great selection of music and the bartender was…read moresuper friendly.