The Purple House is a wood-fired bagels restaurant in Woodfords Deering, Portland.
The Purple House in North Yarmouth, 20 minutes from Portland, opened 2018 from Krista Desjarlais with Montreal-style wood-fired bagels and sourdough pizza.
Signature dishes: Wood-fired Montreal-style bagels, Sourdough pizza, Egg sandwiches
Must order: An everything bagel with cream cheese and house-cured gravlax, plus a pizza by the slice.
Tip: Friday to Sunday only; opens 08:00, closes when the bagels run out (usually early afternoon).
Address: 378 Walnut Hill Road, North Yarmouth, ME 04097, Portland
Evo Kitchen + Bar at the Hyatt Place Old Port opened 2016, with a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu of wood-fired flatbreads, mezze and grilled kebabs.
Signature: Wood-fired pita, Lamb kefta, House mezze plate
Order: The full mezze plate with wood-fired pita, plus lamb kefta off the grill.
Tip: Daily from 17:00. Reservations via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Boone's Fish House on Custom House Wharf reopened 2014 on the site of the 1898 original, with Maine lobster rolls, halibut and fish chowder on the deck.
Signature: Lobster roll, Pan-roasted halibut, Fish chowder
Order: The Maine lobster roll on a New England top-split bun, plus a cup of fish chowder.
Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; the deck fills early summer evenings.
Fore Street opened 1996 in a converted Old Port warehouse and built modern New England cooking around a wood oven, open hearth and turning spit.
Signature: Wood-grilled local fish, Roasted Maine mussels, Wood-fired pork loin
Order: Roasted Maine mussels in almond, garlic and vermouth from the wood oven.
Tip: Same-day walk-ins fill the bar from 17:00; book online up to two months ahead for tables.
Eventide Oyster Co on Middle Street opened 2012 from Big Tree Hospitality, rebuilding the Maine oyster bar around a brown-butter lobster roll on a bao.
Signature: Brown butter lobster roll, Oysters on the half shell, Smoked bluefish pate
Order: The brown butter lobster roll on a Bao bun, plus a dozen oysters from the granite bar.
Tip: Walk-up only for the bar; tables open online via Resy 30 days ahead.
The Honey Paw on Middle Street opened 2015, the Big Tree Hospitality pan-Asian noodle counter from Andrew Taylor, Mike Wiley and Arlin Smith next to Eventide.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Coconut curry mussels, Fried rice with house kimchi
Order: Hand-pulled noodles with the kitchen's daily sauce, plus the coconut curry mussels.
Tip: Daily 11:00 to 22:00. Counter walk-ins move fast at lunch; book tables via Resy for dinner.
Twelve at Portland Foreside since 2022, now led by Chef Hannah Ryder, runs a Maine-ingredient tasting menu around an open kitchen on Thames Street.
Signature: Multi-course chef tasting, Hyper-seasonal fish course, Bread course
Order: The full chef's tasting; choose the supplement courses if the kitchen is running uni or sea urchin.
Tip: Tuesday to Sunday from 17:00; bookings open six weeks out via Resy.
