And now that In'Finiti is open on Commercial Street I have like an extra 200 feet on my monitor without being shocked!

Buck's has Oxbow on tap so they earn bonus points for me besides having a place for my crazy go nuts kids to go crazy go nuts.

East End Cupcakes, Gelato Fiasco, and Gorgeous Gelato are all within a few feet of each other on Fore St. I say you guys eat at all of them in a row and report back.

As far as sandwiches, the newly opened Blue Rooster is awesome. Damian isn't messing around

http://maine.eater.com/tags/blue-roos...

People can say what they want about Buck Naked's food, but it has become the one place I can go out intown with my two kids. They have a whole seating section for families with little playhouses for kids. They can go crazy and it's okay, everybody in that area has kids. Flatbread is a good place for kids as well.

I really liked my first visit to Zapoteca a couple weeks ago. I never eat mexican food at all but we loved everything we had there. Drink selection was no joke either. Really a nice looking spot and right in the old port and a block from Novare.

Paciarino is near there too and if you like pasta, you gotta try it. Casual but you def feel like you're going out for dinner, at least at night.

I'll throw Walter's in there too. Hmmm, all places near Novare. It's almost like I like that place too.

http://www.zapotecarestaurant.com/

http://www.paciarino.com/

http://www.waltersportland.com/

Bull Feeney's site says "Maine's most extensive selection of single malt scotch, Irish and bourbon whiskey."

If you go on a weekend night it can be a zoo in there. Off nights it's actually a really great place to grab a few drinks.

Yeah, it feels like half the thing about going to Duckfat now is being there. Like it's an accomplishment or something. Still good food, just need to slow down the hype train and get some other places some love. To be honest, I would take the Crooked Mile (no french fries though) over it for a casual lunch spot.

My other throught for a VS. topic was that the slab pizza at Scratch Baking is better than Miccucci's but that might have got me banned instantly by a mod, lol

Hell yeah, my type of thread.

I too was a little kid during York's steakhouse at the mall but remember sliding the tray down and then getting to pick out dessert, either pudding or jello. Tobacco store next to it with the indian in it and they had green lockers with orange key slots on them outside. Friendly's was great in there too.

Deering Ice Cream on Forest Ave. Had the three kid's sundaes. Clown, mouse, and............bear?

Pancake Kitchen somewhere on congress or near civic center. Not sure if Duffy's pancake place was the same. I know you could go down the stairs and they had a jukebox and awesome silver dollar pancakes.

In Westbrook there was Shakey's pizza and then it turned into Sgt. Pepperoni's....or vice versa. It was like the ground round of pizza.

Carbur's or whatever it was called in the old port was where I hate my first date meal.

Let's not forget Go Go Burger/Burger Stop on Forest Ave

Howard Johnson's out in Falmouth

New York Deli at the Rainbow Mall. Great french toast and it was the first place I played arcade pacman.

Wow, that's not good. I almost exclusively sit at the bar and go about once a week and always get great service. Matt the owner is probably the best owner frontman around as far as having a good personality. Even when I've sat at a table I've never had a problem with the waitresses. Not saying you got flukey service, just telling you my thoughts.
I've worked in the food industry my whole life and yes I check my phone at work but I hide it from customers.....mostly.

Again, it's more about the food. Like I said, I think Nosh's fries are way better. I think their variety of sandwiches, burgers and other choices are better. The beer is better, the space is better, there's more room, etc.

When I leave Duckfat, I look at the bill and what I ate and think I really don't need to come back for some time.

Huge fan of Novare, love everything about it. The owner is opening up a huge brewery/distillery on commercial street within the month hopefully. Not sure where you live and how often you get here, but you'll want to check this out on a future visit

http://maine.eater.com/tags/infiniti-...

Def lucky to have both.

Where are you getting rude service from? Waitresses or at the bar? The owner is a great guy and the few other bartenders I've dealt with have been friendly enough.

I know Rob talks about expanding the Duckfat empire at some point. Like to see a bigger version of it. I know it's cool to feel like you are in a space everyone wants to get into, but it doesn't always make for the best visit.

I'm going to tell you something that you might not like, that you don't want to hear. I know Duckfat is the darling of casual foodie eateries and it's been written up in every publication in the country it seems. Nosh is like the guy who wears a baseball cap and a tuxedo t-shirt to your cousin's wedding. It's Man vs. Food, not No Reservations.

Nosh is the better casual eatery of the two and I don't think it's even close.

1. Nosh french fries are better. There, I said it. I keep giving Duckfat chances to make me remember what I thought their fries used to taste like, but more and more it seems like not only am I putting them behind Nosh, I'm putting them behind Five Guys. Bacon dusted and Salt and Vinegar Nosh fries are as good as it gets in these parts.

2. Duckfat keeps three good local beers on rotation. Nosh does the same but with three times the choice. Not a huge factor, just stating.

3. The sandwiches. I know it's not fair to compare paninis to a variety of sandwiches but in this case we have to. Last time I checked Duckfat doesn't have somebody there with a slicer carving up fresh meat all day. There is very little content in their panini for some of the prices. Nosh at the same price point gives far more in their sandwiches and I know the meat is of a higher quality. Compare a Nosh Gobbler to the Turkey panini and it's a no contest. Look at what they put in a steak sandwich or even the incredibly tasty Avocado on Naan.

I still like Duckfat and I'm not trying to put it down. I just wonder why every single person on here or on every other food site will tell a person to hit Duckfat when they come here and almost never mention Nosh. Somebody has to agree with me.

Eventide's cocktail menu looks pretty good. Somehow I've never been to the Armory at the Regency hotel but that is a popular place and I'm sure is open all day long. Maybe a seat at the bar at the Grill Room or Corner Room. The bar at the Portland Sea Grill is really nice too and that's only a block from your hotel.

Heady Topper from the Alchemist is quite possibly the best beer made in the U.S. so yes they have to be first. Smuttynose puts out some serious beers.

In Maine we have Oxbow and Marshall wharf up north a bit and of course Allagash and Maine Beer Company as our top Portland breweries.

Haven't been but When PIgs Fly pizzeria/Bakery in Kittery has a super legit beer menu. Oxbow farmhouse might be the one beer I would drink every single day if I had to pick one

http://www.sendbread.com/beer_wine.php

Available at most corner stores. It is so bad that it's good. I hated it for years and drank it til I liked it. Now I love it.

Hot Suppa and Bayou are both great.

I'm probably the most fussy person on cleanliness of a place, so I'm wondering if you guys that are talking about the Porthole actually walk in and look at the kitchen. Good lord, it's like somebody threw a vat of grease covering every single thing in sight. No thank you.

Such a great location and set up. Hoping someone finally makes it work.

I'd like to stick up for Portland Lobster company. Great place to go in the summer, listen to some music, and for tourist trap food, it's actually decent. Also have Allagash Black on tap so bonus points.

I had a great meal on my first visit to Petite Jacqueline this weekend. Same owners as 555 and a price notch down. Quality was right there though.

If you've never been to Grace, go there just to see it. Sit at the bar or lounge seats upstairs or have a full meal.

Don't want to be a broken record on this forum but how about Nosh? Might get a little too loud but still bigger than Duckfat (and fries just as good even though everyone on this board will argue against that).

My other go lunch spots are Paciarino and The Crooked Mile.

I just wanna eat more Nosh and more Paciarino and then eat at them twice more after that.

On a serious note, probably try Figa, maybe Bresca for lunch, and actually Elevation Burger for a chain once it opens soon out near the mall.

Yeah, Novare is the place to be for beer. Nosh has some good beers on tap too like Oxbow Saison Noel.

You could check out a Maine Red Claws game if you're into basketball at all. They play at five on new years day.

You have got to be kidding me with the walking from your hotel to those spots? Somebody who lives here wouldn't do that walk probably in their entire life! lol, you're obviously earning your meals when you finally get there. Not exactly the most scenic of hikes you went on.

Weird you mentioned about the flies. We went a couple weeks ago and they were really buzzing around the bar. One was even mashed into the menu so we had to get a new one. Look, I love Grace but some of the portion sizes are stupidly small. Got the ravioli on the bar menu for 9 bucks. It was 3 small ones on a plate. Three, the number three, not three dozens, not three times three, but three. I almost called down to paciarino to bring me up a plate so I wouldn't starve to death. Their bar menu burger is awesome though. Little and awesome.

Spot has already been leased. Now that was fast. Don't know by who yet

For sports pub food I always thought Rivalries did a good job. You have Buffalo Wild Wings in south portland. Sweet setup and beer selection and you know what you're getting with the food.

Why not take him for a nice lunch first and then head to Rivalries for drinks and snacks or something?

It's a cursed spot now which there are many of in portland. Too bad because it's a great space. Somebody who is established with other restaurants here needs to open up in there. Can't be a restaurant from a new name. Seems to be the Portland way now. To open up a place that's successful, you already have to have one. Aspara closed too a block away. Both great spaces.

I don't have to have the kitchen in view. You know when a place has decent folks working the kitchen and how much they care about their place. Places like Paciarino or even the lunch place Crooked Mile, you know they care about what they are doing and they all look presentable. Obviously Primo is going to be doing everything right up there.

I've just talked with so many delivery guys and even health inspectors over the years, it's just a bad scene out there. I know this is off topic but you guys really don't get bothered walking up to a restaurant and seeing a couple filthy cooks chain smoking by the dumpster? You can tell when a cook wants to work at a place instead of just has to work.

And back on topic, I eat at almost no chain restaurants but for what it's worth, Five Guys is probably one of the better options in town for a burger.

I also remember reading a blog or some food article on how good Blue Spoon's burgers are on munjoy hill. I've been there for breakfast but never for dinner. Anybody had the burger there?

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2...

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Crooked Mile
8 Milk St, Portland, ME 04101

Blue Spoon
89 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101

Paciarino
468 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101

Nothing to do with the burger but the kitchen. I wouldn't eat at Rosie's either. I'm far from a food snob, quite the opposite. I just gotta have a clean and non creepy looking kitchen in view. Of the 150 places we have to eat in this city I probably only have 5-10 I'll eat at due to trusting them not to be nasty. I've worked in the food biz since I was a little kid and I'm just disgusted by what I see by side doors of restaurants. I don't need to see gnarly cook with a disgusting apron smoking a cancer stick and looking like he's out on bail. I must be alone in this feeling cause I see a lot of people packing places intown that obviously haven't had their kitchen cleaned since Clinton was in office.

I wouldn't eat at the Great Lost Bear with my dead great grandfather's mouth.

Nosh makes some pretty mean burgers.

Honestly the best burger I've had in Portland is the bar menu burger at Grace. It's kinda small but oh my god is it good. It's reminds me of a smaller version of the burger at 555 which is also really good.

We're getting Elevation Burger out by Buffalo Wild Wings in South Portland. Not sure when that's opening but I guess it's like an organic version of Five Guys with fries cooked in olive oil.

I also hear Wild Willy's by the mall is pretty good with good fries as well. I know Bruce who started King Henry VIII's runs Wild Willy's so I'm sure he's keeping it tight and in order.

But yeah, go to the bar at Grace sometime and get that burger.

lol, Irwin you gotta be a part investor in Becky's cause you always mention them and they are not good. Who on earth would pick breakfast there over something like Hot Suppa or even District from what I've heard. I used to go to Becky's all the time hungover on the weekend and finally realized it wasn't bad cause I was half drunk, it just wasn't good.

Nosh- If you want a great selection of microbrews and awesome hand carved meat sandwich and whatnot. Bacon dusted fries for the win.

Grace- Might be a good place to have a drink before dinner just to see the atmosphere there.

Novare Res- Best bar in the city, hands down. You like beer? You'll like Novare. Big outdoor deck too to roam on and get some air.

Fun bars to just drink some beer and be elbow to elbow with folks... Gritty's, Bull Feeney's, Rira.

Also love Paciarino and you're probably not going there but just want to agree with the other poster on here.

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Bull Feeney's
375 Fore St., Portland, ME 04101

Hot Suppa
703 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102

Paciarino
468 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101

"I assume these are pre-filled at the brewery, and these stores do not have filling stations?"

Yeah, my bad. Those are filled already. On a side beer note, I'm looking forward to trying the new Maine brewery Oxbow at Novare tonight. Supposed to be a nop notch farmhouse style beer.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/...

There are a few growlers of certain Maine beers at both whole foods and RSVP

Yeah just saw that TV Diner review tonight. From the highlights I'm now hungry. I live much closer to the Freeport location. Is that location good? I know it can't be what this new place is as it's fairly small I think.