Today, we’re talking about Maine. Portland, Maine. While it’s garnered plenty of recent attention, it still hardly gets the praise it rightly deserves as one of the greatest culinary cities on the East Coast, nay, in the United States. Assuming you have just 48 hours — perhaps a long weekend — to eat and drink your way through Maine’s greatest city, here’s how to spend it wisely.

Day One

First up: start your day off right with a hearty breakfast at Hot Suppa. This local institution serves made-to-order, Southern-inspired fare (think gumbo or chicken and waffles) with a New England flair. Their homemade corned beef hash is among the city’s best-known culinary celebrities. If you’d rather skip a proper sit-down meal and hit the ground running, stock up with donuts (or a dozen) from the Holy Donut. This tiny local chain crafts potato-based donuts with unique flavors like Pomegranate, Maple Bacon, and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt. Plan to arrive early because they’re only open until they sell out (which is quickly every day of the week).

Sufficiently carb-loaded, rent a bike and take a post-breakfast ride courtesy of CycleMania (day rates for hybrid bikes hover around $30). Back Cove Trail is the go-to loop for a three-plus-mile Portland “sampler” as it provides great views of the city skyline.

Head back to Commercial Street in the Old Port. The waterfront strip is the city’s most popular spot for tourists, but don’t let that deter you. It’s an ideal first stop for any first-time visit to the city. Grab a pre-lunch beer at Liquid Riot Bottling Company. This distillery/brewery/restaurant/bar is on the site of the historic Portland Rum Riot as a hat-tip to locals who fought for their right to imbibe. The list of libations here — including beer, vodka, rum, whiskey, and a few things you probably can’t pronounce — is impressive. Be sure to grab a growler or a bottle of Sebago Bonfire Spirit (a unique, small batch specialty of theirs) to go.

Stay for lunch at Liquid Riot or head to The Porthole. It’s shoddy, it’s loud, and the outdoor “dining room” consists of rows of overcrowded picnic tables. At first glance, it’s nothing to look at. But, the deck (Portland’s largest) has been a local institution for decades. The seafood is fresh, flavorful, and authentically prepared, and — when the weather cooperates — there’s typically live music to boot.

After lunch, hop a multi-island boat tour with Casco Bay Lines. Portland’s history, culture, and cuisine are inextricably linked to, not surprisingly, its port. The best way to see and appreciate the city is from the water, among its outer islands in particular.

One block north of Commercial Street, you’ll find the aptly named Fore Street (a restaurant on a street of the same name). For more than two decades, this rustic dinner-only joint has served a wide range of farm-to-table house specialties. The menu changes daily, but every single dish is noteworthy. It was twice named among Gourmet Magazine’s “Top Fifty Restaurants in the U.S.”, so they know their way around a kitchen.

Day Two

Becky’s Diner is where the city’s fishermen head at 5 a.m. to stock up on a 1,500-calorie breakfast before shipping offshore for the day’s lobster haul. Locals (and in-the-know tourists) are hip to just how good their food is and the dining room is jam-packed most days of the week. Go early and hungry — the food and the wait are worth it.

Take a walk to Congress Street where you’ll find the Portland Observatory. You can’t miss it: it’s a tall, red octagon that towers over the neighboring businesses and homes on either side. The 100-plus-stair walk to the top rewards you with a 360-degree, panoramic view of the city. Ten minutes away on foot, Fort Allen Park offers great views of Bug Light and the nearby islands, plus a handful of notable historical monuments.

Next, head to Brian Boru for today’s pre-lunch tipple. This pink, bi-level brick building is the city’s best, most authentic Irish tavern and features a large outdoor deck. In addition to the expected Irish draft offerings, you’ll find most of the city’s best craft beer on tap. Check their event calendar for trivia nights and live music. Stay for lunch with an order of Beer Battered Fish ‘n Chips — a house specialty that’s equally Irish- and New England-inspired.

Just down the street, Vena’s Fizz House is the sort of sophisticated gentlemen’s establishment (no, not that kind) that uses words like “liquid alchemy” to describe their love of all things booze-related. It’s equal parts craft cocktail bar and cocktail store. The bartenders are true connoisseurs who’ll guide you toward a specialty cocktail you’ve never heard of before, or the right flavored/infused bitters to mix your own at home.

Round out your whirlwind trip to Portland with dinner at Duckfat or Eventide Oyster Co. Or both. The former specializes in gourmet sandwiches. But that’s just a precursor to what most people really come for: a tremendous craft beer menu, homemade gelato milkshakes, and duck-fat-fried Belgian French fries — all are out-of-this-world good. Just up the street, Eventide is a staple of the city’s upscale seafood scene. It’s essentially an intimate cocktail bar with a world-class raw bar attached. If you want to go “all in” for dinner, check out the legit New England Clam Bake (lobster tail, steamers, mussels, potatoes, and salt pork all served on a bed of seaweed).

Hopefully after all that, Portland, Maine will have gained a place in your heart if not your memory. Who needs Oregon?

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The last three months of last year was one rough ride for me. I left my stable job for a new exciting career path that is relevant to one of my passions…only to comprehend a month in that it was a toxic work environment with a dead end future. To top it off, I soiled some friendships over unnecessary issues,made minimal significant progress to meeting my end of the year life goals, and bought a totally wrong tire size for my 1990 Nissan 240sx project car. Nearing the end of December I realize that I was far from happy and would be ending the year on an all time personal low.

No job is worth your self-confidence consistently shot down to the point where you start questioning your self worth. Nor is any job worth trading your morals and what you stand for the sake of fitting in. With red flags flying everywhere, foreseeing no growth despite working over fifty hours a week, and almost forgetting how I really am outside of work, I called it quits on the last week of December.

I found it amusing that right when I thought I had post grad life figured out, I started off the New Year without a full time job and no definite future plan. As a person who finds relief in an organized and outlined future, I was frustrated and lost. I found myself in a state that many people consider necessary in your 20’s. Uncomfortable.

A few weeks into January, a family friend of mine told me she needed a ride to Berkeley. Being that I live in Los Angeles, I seized this as an opportunity clear my mind and reflect on the past couple months during the solo drive back home. The day before we left, I raised all four coilovers about an inch and a half to clear my new but overly huge 245/45R17 Yokohama S Drive tires. I’ve driven to the Bay several times in the past few years taking the usual routes but since life doesn’t always go as planned, I took it as an opportunity to try something new. Get there and back with minimal GPS usage, instinct, and take the roads less traveled.

On the way up, I knew I wanted to take Route 33 from Ojai and Route 198, zigzagging between the 101 Freeway and the 5. Although getting there took about twice as long, every mile was absolutely worth it. Route 33 rewarded us with never ending curvy corners and even snow at the peak of the mountain, a beautiful sight considering that California has been experiencing severe drought. Once at the top we were fortunate to catch golden hour. Amazing photographs ensued.

For the solo drive back down, it was a no brainer to take PCH from Monterey and figure my way back to LA using just road signs. I wanted to take it back to the old days, the days even before the Thomas Guide. When taking the Bay to LA via PCH, stops are a given. Being that I’ve done this trip once in the past, I took the opportunity stray away from the typical Bixby Bridge and Big Sur stops and just find places on the fly instead.

On the foggy morning of my drive back home, I set my phone on airplane mode and vowed to only use my phone for wide-angle shots as I only brought a 50mm lens with me. Taking a road trip with a friend is one story, but if you love your car and you happen to own a sporty one, taking a fourteen-hour trip down PCH alone is a whole different experience.

As the first 90-degree corner approached after a long straight, I down shifted and rev matched all the way to second gear. My bucket seat held me in place as the fresh tires gripped the apex of my lane. I stepped down on the accelerator and let my throttle open. At 4k rpm, I hear my intake, followed by the uproar of my aftermarket exhaust as I crept to redline. My Beirut album was playing low enough that I can hear the waves crashing down the cliff. I shifted up, and smiled. I had become lost in the moment. I felt free. It was then that I had a genuine glimpse of my inner peace again.

As the sun was setting, I took a random turn east bound in hopes to eventually find my way back to the 101. Although I felt lost, I insisted to not turn on my GPS. I was content with that…eventually I became lost in my thoughts. I concluded that when you pursue certain goals or career paths, things might not work out the first time around, or the second, or the third. But you know what? That’s okay, because life doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes things go south and occasionally it can be beyond your control. Sometimes it is under your control and you made a huge mistake and find difficulty coping with it. What’s important is the ability to thoroughly learn from the mistakes and quickly adapt to unplanned challenges. After about an hour of following what seemed like following mainstream traffic through isolated cities, I eventually saw the sign for the 101 south towards Los Angeles.

Although the last few months of last year were rough for me, I wouldn’t trade my hardships for anything less. To truly understand and appreciate what is good, you have to experience what is bad. Ultimately understanding these concepts are gentle reminder that you are trying to improve yourself every day. Similar to the routes I took to go up to the Bay and back, I decided to try an unconventional road for my career goals. Last month I managed to snag several awesome relevant part time jobs that left me with enough time to pursue my personal passion projects. Will I last taking the less traveled path? I don’t know, but one thing for sure is that my drive will.

One of my first victories after this trip? Being able to get a refund on those oversized tires.  

You can follow my photography @alvidee

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