Portland: J's Oyster

Ricky plays model to his giant lobster dinner.

For dinner, there was no doubt that we wanted seafood. I mean, we're in Portland... it only makes sense. Upon the suggestion of Anne the Innkeeper, we avoided the tourist trap of that restaurant on the ocean and visited the more low key J's Oyster, which is next door. J's is low on frills, but the food was quite impressive and the prices were very low. While we dined with plastic cups and paper goods everywhere, getting a great meal for under $60 more than made up for it.

We were greeted with Allegash White on tap, a Maine staple and a simple joy for sure. For an appetizer, we got an order of garlic bread and some mussels, steamed in a pan with garlic and peppers. The garlic bread was the best either of us had ever had. Soft, warm bread with plenty of garlic flavor, and nice to soup up the sauces from the mussels. The mussels were tasty, and it was nice to have some peppers to enjoy with all the seafood.

For entrees, Ricky treated himself to a Lobster dinner and I went for the baked scallops. The scallops were cooked in honey and breadcrumbs. Very decent portions, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor profile. Ricky's lobster dinner came with corn and steam clams, both were quite tasty. It was pretty basic in the way of a lobster dinner, and surprisingly only $21 for a good-sized lobster, an ear of corn, and about a dozen clams.

mmmm... mussels

J's provided a great meal by the harbor, but for tourists looking for a more fancy pants meal, this is not for you. It was nice to have a low-key and in expensive meal on our trip. I recommend going for an earlier dinner, because when we were leaving around 6ish, it was already packed with a line of both locals and tourists to get inside.

Next up: Sebago Brewery!