Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Foodie Stops in Portland

On my recent trip to Portland, Maine, I made numerous stops, checking out a variety of shops, bakeries and more. I wanted to highlight some of these stops though please remember that there are numerous other places worthy of checking out.

LeRoux Kitchen, which also has stores on Martha's Vineyard and in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a fairly large store that sells kitchenwares, gourmet foods and wine. Their kitchenware selection is fairly extensive from small gadgets to small appliances. Their gourmet foods also cover a nice range, from sauces to chocolates, from chips to dips. Their wine selection is relatively small but does make it more of a one-stop shop. It is an interesting store and worth a stop.

LeRoux Kitchen
161 Commercial St.
Portland, ME
Phone: (207) 553-7665

The Standard Baking Co., pictured above, has a wide selection of breads and other delectable baked goods. Everything looked so good and I did not try even half the items I would have liked to taste. But what I did have was fresh and tasty. I especially liked their vanilla-flavored madelines (one of my favorite cookies) as well as their brioche rolls. I plan to return here soon to check out more of their items, including their flat bread pizzas.

Standard Baking Co.
75 Commercial St.
Portland, ME
Phone: (207) 773-2112

Standard Baking Co on Urbanspoon

The Two Fat Cats Bakery is located not far from Duck Fat and they have a more limited selection than the Standard Baking Co. But what they do make, they make very well. They generally have cakes, pies, cupcakes and a few other items. But some of the items on their menu are only available by special order. They have very good cupcakes, moist with plenty of flavorful frosting. Their whoopie pies are also very good, with a rich, chocolaty cookie sandwiching a creamy interior. Next time I go, I want to special order one of their coconut cakes.

Two Fat Cats Bakery
47 India St.
Portland, ME
Phone: 207-347-5144

Two Fat Cats on Urbanspoon

The Browne Trading Gourmet Market is one of the best stops in Portland for wine lovers, though foodies too will find much here. As you enter the store, there is a large counter with fresh fish available for sale. The fish looked very good and prices seemed very reasonable. The rest of the front of the store has other gourmet and local foods, including cheeses, produce, smoked fish, sauces and more.

The rear of the store is their wine shop, a large, well-cooled room containing a very diverse selection of wines. As it was a rather hot day, I was glad to see the store was keeping their wine area so cool. They stock wines at all price points, including some very high-end wines from all over the world. They have a very diverse selection, including wines from places like Lebanon nd they even have a decent selection of Japanese Sake! Prices are average. I highly recommend that wine lovers who visit Portland stop here and check out their selection.

Browne Trading Gourmet Market
262 Commercial Street
Portland, ME
Phone: 207-775-7560

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