Chef Jake Stevens, owner of Leeward in 2022. His restaurant was among 11 food establishments named in a Travel + Leisure article about Portland’s food scene. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
An new online feature from Travel & Leisure magazine calls Portland “one of the best food cities in the U.S.” and recommends 11 venues for its readers to try.
“Portland is well established as one of the best food destinations in the United States,” the piece states. “Trawlers in the harbor collect the day’s catch for the city’s restaurants — of which there is one for every 200 people, even before the tourists arrive. Maine has the country’s oldest organic state growers’ association, and the Portland Farmers’ Market has been operating continuously since 1768, selling the highest quality cheese, berries, flour, meat, and vegetables, along with every other conceivable ingredient, to area residents and chefs.”
Portland venues cited in the article as proof of its outstanding food and beverage scene include Bite Into Maine, Burundi Star Coffee, Cantina Calafia, Fore Street, Leeward, Norimoto Bakery, Magissa, Sur Lie, Tandem Coffee Roasters, Twelve and Zu Bakery.
The story notes how remarkable it is for a small city to boast such a variety of dining options. “Is there any city our size in this country that has one Eritrean restaurant?” the story quotes Dugan Murphy of Black History Walking Tours. “And I’m asking ’cause we have two.”
