Annie & Nick

Volume I  ·  Field Guide

43°39′ N  ·  70°15′ W  ·  Casco Bay

Our favoriteplace

Being a collected survey of Portland, Maine — its coffee, its water, and its best tables — as observed by Annie & Nick.

Everything recorded here is somewhere we actually go. A peninsula-sized city, walkable in an afternoon, impossible to finish in a weekend.

Larus argentatus

Frontispiece  ·  Old Port, before the shops open

Pl. 001

PlateI

Coffee & Breakfast

Matutinus portlandiae

Observed early. Best approached slowly, before the fog lifts off Commercial Street.

  1. 01Tandem CoffeeCongress St.

    The bakery on Congress. Get the biscuit before eleven.

  2. 02Bread & FriendsFree St.

    Loaves, pastry, sandwiches. A line that moves quickly.

  3. 03OnggiWashington Ave.

    Ferments and coffee in one small, very good room.

  4. 04Standard Baking Co.Commercial St.

    Down by the water. Morning buns, always.

Fig. I
PlateII

Lunch

Meridies litoralis

Midday specimens. Abundant, unhurried, and rarely disappointing.

  1. 01DuckfatMiddle St.

    Belgian fries, duck fat, a milkshake you will regret sharing.

  2. 02EventideMiddle St.

    Brown butter lobster roll. Non-negotiable.

  3. 03LB KitchenCongress St.

    Bowls and eggs that make you feel virtuous.

  4. 04TerlinguaWest End

    Smoked everything, on the West End.

  5. 05Sissle & DaughtersWashington Ave.

    Tinned fish, cold wine, small counter.

Fig. II
PlateIII

Dinner

Vespera atlantica

Nocturnal. Reservations recommended thirty days in advance.

  1. 01Fore StreetFore St.

    The wood oven. The institution. Worth the reservation.

  2. 02ScalesMaine Wharf

    On the pier, windows to the water, perfect fish.

  3. 03TwelveThompson's Pt.

    Tasting menu at Thompson's Point. A whole evening.

  4. 04Central ProvisionsFore St.

    Small plates, downstairs bar, no bad orders.

  5. 05Mr. TunaMiddle St.

    Sushi in a room that hums. Go early.

  6. 06LeewardFree St.

    Handmade pasta. The best room on Free Street.

Fig. III

Pl. 002  ·  Working waterfront, low tide

Note on timing

“Reservations open thirty days out and July is not the month to improvise. Book the dinners, wander the rest.”

— Nick

PlateIV

Drinks

Noctua vitrea

Where we end up when we say we're having just one. Field notes vary.

  1. 01Hunt & AlpineMarket St.

    Scandinavian snacks and a flawless martini.

  2. 02Blyth & BurrowsExchange St.

    Two floors, one hidden. Ask about the back.

  3. 03Room for ImprovementWashington Ave.

    Natural wine, low lighting, our usual seats.

  4. 04CutiesCongress St.

    Bright, easy, always a good idea.

  5. 05The Thirsty PigExchange St.

    Beer and sausages in the sun. No fuss.

Fig. IV
PlateV

Shopping

Flora mercatoria

Collected on foot between the Old Port and the West End.

  1. 01Portland Dry GoodsMarket St.

    Beautifully edited menswear and womenswear.

  2. 02Portland Trading Co.Milk St.

    Workwear, leather, objects worth keeping.

  3. 03ZaneExchange St.

    The kind of jewelry you don't take off.

  4. 04Sea BagsCustom House Wharf

    Totes made from retired sailcloth. The souvenir.

  5. 05Blanche & MimiFore St.

    Housewares and gifts, very charming.

  6. 06Fore & WharfFore St.

    Right at the corner of the two best streets.

Fig. V
PlateVI

Sights

Panorama casco

Three places to stand still and look at water.

  1. 01Portland Head LightCape Elizabeth

    Go at golden hour, bring a coat.

  2. 02Eastern PromenadeMunjoy Hill

    Grass, harbor, sailboats. Best picnic in the city.

  3. 03Crescent BeachRte. 77

    A real beach, fifteen minutes from town.

Fig. VI

Appendix  ·  Worth the drive

Portland Head Light is fifteen minutes south and looks exactly like the postcard, which is the point. Keep going and you'll hit Crescent Beach. Bring the coat you didn't think Maine in July would require.

43°39′ N  ·  70°15′ W  ·  Casco Bay

Pl. 003  ·  House Island — and then, on Saturday, out there