After the wedding, we hopped back in Andy’s new car (after he had promptly dented the bumper after hitting the curb – TWICE in as many hours). If I’d made such a move I’d never hear the end of it, so I’m simply returning the favor. We headed back into Portland for another dinner in their fine dining scene. The heat-wave had broken, the sky was resplendent as the sun started to go down, and the town was in a gorgeous state.

Even the graffiti in Portland is an artistic work of color and faded glory.

We settled on an Italian restaurant, The Corner Room, where I settled for a trout ragu special with their homemade pasta. Andy played it safe and tried their Chicken Parmesan, which he claimed was one of the best he’d had in years. The meal left us full and contented – a perfect ending to a perfect wedding day.

Our time in Portland was coming to an all-too-soon close, but we vowed to return. It looks like the perfect place to spend a fall weekend.

Portland’s version of France.

For one of the first times in my life, I did not plan much for our stay in Portland. No restaurant reservations, no mapped-out plan of attack, no regimented schedule of activities. We went where the wind took us, stopping as we wished, and seeking out any place that had an open table. A friend had recommended the Armory Lounge at the Regency hotel as a place to find a classic cocktail, so that’s what we sought out as a starting point.

After sitting somewhat foolishly near the midst of what looked to be a growing wedding party, our server went out of her way and politely asked us if we wouldn’t prefer to move to a quieter area of the bar to be more comfortable and able to talk. She showed us to a table for two out of the way of raging bridesmaids and took our order. Given the heat of the day, I wondered if a mint julep would be the best way to cool down. I asked the server if the bartender was decent, and she gave me her assurance.

It arrived with the whiff of a refreshing mint breeze, more beautiful than the poor lighting of this photo could ever convey. Andy settled in with his traditional gin and tonic, and we enjoyed the first moments of our vacation.

We asked the server for some local recommendations on dinner places, and she came back with a list of possibilities. We walked around a bit, perusing a few stores along the way,and watching the moon hang in the early evening sky. Shop windows glowed from within, and reflected light from outside – that slightly-surreal switch that happens when day turns to night.

The Grill Room had a short wait, so we sidled up to the bar and I asked the bartender to make something with a grapefruit slant. When on vacation, I prefer to leave the libations up to the recommendations of others, and he did not disappoint, conjuring this variation on the Last Word – and I didn’t even have to request it.

The wisdom of selecting a restaurant with an open grill on one of the hotter days of the year is questionable at best (and to be honest, there clearly wasn’t much wisdom in it at all), but the food was amazing, and a glass of white wine closed off a perfect evening in Portland. (I have judiciously left off the ice cream photos, lest you think me ruinously gluttonous.)

We began our Maine adventure in Portland. As had been foretold by friends, Portland is a place for foodies, with ample restaurants and award-winning chefs on every quaint cobblestone-street. It’s also a port town rife with the charm of the coast, the tranquil proximity to the sea, and a host of charming shops. Despite the sweltering heat (we arrived at the tail-end of that heat-wave), we rallied forth and took a sweaty turn around the area.

Great Food. Good Fun. All at Andy’s. (Cool inside.)

Portland enchanted and enthralled us, beckoning with its welcoming establishments and uncommonly-friendly people, bathed in glorious afternoon light. Sun-drenched brick always looks striking against sky and sea.

Like many New England towns, this one is gorgeously imbued with years of history, and a few cobblestone streets remain charmingly intact.

But more important than history, at least to my hungry stomach, was the food scene… coming up next.