Where to Eat in Maine: Eventide in Portland

I've been to Maine three times and have spent five days of that in Portland. I've eaten at Eventide five times. You do the math.

I love this place.

Ike is coveting the lobster roll at Eventide

Eventide can almost not go wrong. The worst thing that has ever happened to me there is that Andrew Zimmern was interviewing the chef (behind me) and mucking up my chill afternoon with some diva-esque behavior and annoying fangirls stalking him.

Moving on though. I need you to start off with a dozen oysters and an Ingenium Gin n Tonic. 

Oysters & Ingenium Gin n Tonic

[NOTE: Ingenium is a local Portland gin. Take a bottle home. After tasting the Eventide gin and tonic, my friend declared that she would sleep with the bartender, no matter what he looked like. Instead, I bought a bottle and make them myself.]

Then, you have to have a lobster roll. (And maybe a fried oyster roll. And a fried chicken roll.)

Lobster Roll at Eventide

After that, run the menu as you see fit. There is no wrong choice, but you can rely on your server to steer you to the best things that day (like the hamachi crudo from January that I stil fantasize about.)

This is how they do a fried oyster salad:

Fried Oyster Salad at Eventide

They don't take reservations, but settle in at the bar or take a walk around downtown until your table is ready. It's worth it. Trust these faces:

Anita & Carman & me & Ike at Eventide with our Ingenium gin n tonics

Eventide is located at 86 Middle Street in Portland, Maine, right next to it's fancier sister restaurant Hugo's. 

For all of my Maine posts, click here.