Portland: Great food, child ok?

[LulusMom]

Hi,

We're going to be staying in Portland for 3 nights next month and are looking forward to it very much. We'll be staying near the Old Port area and would like to find places that are walking distance, have great food, and wouldn't be too weird for a (very well behaved and much traveled) 3 year old. Price not important. Because of my daughter we don't want anything stuffy or stiff, but we do tend to like upscale places that are cozy. I don't eat a lot of red meat, but aside from that we're very open on what we eat. Thanks very much in advance for any info.

[mainemal]

I guess a lot depends on what you consider "walking distance" with your child. Here are some possibilities that I might consider in your situation: for excellent Japanese/sushi with lots of kid-friend options, I'd choose Yosaku on Danforth St. In the OP itself, Street & Co. has super seafood, although in the same neighborhood, lots of people like Old Port Sea Grill (not quite as pleasant atmosphere). Not far away you'll find Ribollita (very tasty, not-red-sauce Italian) and Pepper Club (vegetarian). And although it's a little meaty, I think you'd enjoy The Grill Room (where my piscaterian partner is always happy). I'll let some of the other locals who actually currently have small children weigh in further!

[LulusMom]

Thanks so much mainemal. Your list is a great starting point.

[mainemal]

My pleasure. And if you're willing get just a little further away from the OP, lots of us would recommend Caiola's in the West End, which at this time of the year has a lovely outside patio area (covered against rain) and some of the most interesting food in Portland: www.caiolas.com in a very nice atmosphere for you and Lulu.

[LulusMom]

Wow, the menu sold me. Looks really good. How easy are cabs to get in Portland? Down here in Chapel Hill it is a bit of a pain - you have to call them and they're expensive. Hard to get used to after having lived in a city full of cabs. This place looks worth the effort though.

[sopobungalow]

Same is true of cabs in Portland, unfortunately. But if your daughter will consent to a stroller ride - my three-year-old is a bit iffy on that front - Caiola's is easily walkable from the Old Port. If she's on foot, that might be a bit far....

Other recommendations: It's not upscale, but the classic foodie kid destination is Flatbread Co. on Commercial Street. It's noisy and the waits can be long, but the pizza is fabulous, the beer on tap is excellent and Lulu will love it.

I've also seen one well behaved child at 555 for dinner. My daughter isn't quite up to that yet, but you could do the lounge there easily -- or hit it for brunch, which we have done w/ offspring.

Have fun - Portland is a GREAT town for kids.

[LulusMom]

Thanks so much for the info. shame about the cabs, but Lulu is fine with a stroller, so looks like Caiola's will make our list. The menu really is great. All your info is so helpful. Lulu's excited to see Maine (especially excited about seeing a light house) and so are we.

[LulusMom]

Hi Again, So we narrowed it down to Caiola's (thanks for that suggestion, it looks great), Ribollita and an attempt to get to Duckfat. I made the reservations today. Ribollita said they don't have booster seats, which isn't a problem, but I started wondering if maybe they are hinting somehow (by not having them) that they would really rather not have children there, or that it isnt' the right kind of place. Lulu is well behaved, but I don't want to feel like we're p*ssing off the restaurant. Should I look for something else for that night? Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

[cfrolio]

Duckfat is not a fancy place at all--bringing your daughter there should be no problem.

[LulusMom]

That one I'm not worried about - it's Ribollita that concerns me.

[mainemal]

Ribollita is definitely not likely to find your Lulu a problem: it's very casual and easy to be in, so I suspect you'll have no problems, and enjoy your meal.

[irwin]

I don't think Ribollita is a place for 3-year olds. Its a very very small area.

[LulusMom]

Hmm, conflicting reports here. Lulu is very well behaved (she's been going to restaurants since she was 1 week old, and was always taken out the moment she started acting up, which has worked wonders), but I really don't want to make other people uncomfortable.

[sciencediet]

Portland mom of a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old here. I wouldn't take my kids to Ribollita, which doesn't mean you shouldn't because I don't know your kid, but I don't consider it the kind of place that adapts well to kids (it's a white-tablecloth kind of place). We went to Caiola's for brunch with the kids a couple of weeks ago and the younger one and I ended up going home--she was fidgety, there were no other kids there, and we were just uncomfortable. Places I would and do go with my kids all the time: Flatbread, Bonobo, Duckfat, The Good Egg/Pepperclub, the Front Room (for lunch), and RiRa.

[sk46]

I would add Portland Lobster company, Silly's and Local 188 to the list of possibilities for Lulu.

[irwin]

Portland Lobster--overpriced tourist trap, and tasted like institution food. The oldest employee was 17

[LulusMom]

I really appreciate the help. I cancelled Ribollita and made a reservation at Street and Company for Saturday instead. They didn't seem the least bit put out by asking for a booster seat. The menu looks wonderful (although finding it online took some work). Thanks everyone.

[mainemal]

I'm sure you'll enjoy Street & Co, as will Lulu. We're expecting a full report on your trip!

[LulusMom]

Thanks for all the help mainemal. We're looking forward to this so much. We leave next week. I promise to let you know how the dinners go.

[sopobungalow]

Street & Co. is a great call - it's noisy and friendly, and the food is fabulous.

[LulusMom]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, we had a wonderful trip, and great food. First night was Caiola's. 95 was backed up, and we were nervous about running late, so called and let them know. They couldnt' have been nicer, and in the end we made it just in time. The food was wonderful. We had the white anchovies to share (came with a sardine paste that was out of this world), a garden salad, feta watermelon salad, and I'm spacing on the other appetizer. Then Lulu and I shared pasta alla norma, husband got a steak and loved it. Shared a berry crisp. We loved the casual feel of the place, and the food was excellent.

Our second night was Street and Co. - another hit. Fennel and cucumber salad for Lulu, we both got the tuna starter. We had assumed it would be raw, or lightly seared, but the marination had basically cooked it through. Disconcerting at first, but we agreed that it was very good. I got scallops with a fennel cream, husband got sole francaise - both very good. Some sort of cherry dessert. All good. Service was good but slightly odd - seemed to take forever to get to us, and then we felt like they were rushing the rest of the meal.

We stopped at a place in Brunswick for lunch on Sunday - wish I could remember the name - something like Morse's lobster rolls. Filled up on fried clams and weren't very hungry for dinner. But we ended up at Flatbreads and had a great meal. One large pizza between us was more than enough. We also stopped at a bakery right across from Flatbreads and picked up some stuff for the drive the next day, and it was wonderful. We loved Portland, and I'd love to go back. I appreciate the help you gave me so much, I'm sure it made the trip even better than it would have been.

Just an FYI - we stayed at the Portland Regency, and it was great. They were so friendly and helpful, went above and beyond what was expected.

[mainemal]

Thanks for the report, and so glad you had a great trip, and that our various suggestions worked out. Come again!

[LulusMom]

I'll come again in a heartbeat. What a lovely place you live in, and such nice people too. I'm a bit of a weather wimp, but my visit to Maine made me rethink how much cold I could stand.