Confessions of a Fugitive Mind
September 14, 2006
99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
The Master Brewers Association of America had their New England regional summer meeting in Portland, Maine last weekend. Since it was billed as a family affair, Jon asked me to come with him. It ended up being a great weekend away and made me want to visit Portland again. (I also took photos.)
Friday: We both took half-days at work so we could leave early and squeeze in a tour of Allagash Brewing Company. We got to taste their yummy beers before heading to the hotel to check in and socialize. And drink beer. Lots and lots of beer. I think just about every brewery represented brought their brews to share and it looked like a college student's dream, chilled bottles, growlers, and cases of more in the corners. We had a late dinner around the corner at Norm's which included more beer.
Saturday: While Jon went to all of the technical sessions (actually more talking than drinking) that formed the heart of the meeting, I set off to explore downtown Portland on foot. I started with the Dunkin' Donuts down the street from the hotel, because no walking tour is complete without iced coffee. I ducked into a little yarn store, an L.L.Bean outlet, and the Public Market (mid-renovation and deserted) during my trip down Congress Street. From there I headed down to Old Port, the quaint, cobbled section of town. It was absolutely filled with cute shops, unique restaurants, and photo opportunities. Highlights included lunch at the Cold Stone Creamery, goodies at Stonewall Kitchens, the exotic Mexicali, and the inspiring Edith & Edna. I would've liked a few more hours, but I wanted to check out Henry Wordsworth Longfellow's childhood home before meeting Jon for dinner and a harbor cruise with the MBAA guys. I didn't end up touring the house, but I spent a good deal of time in the restored garden behind the house which is open to the public and totally unpretentious. While we didn't have quite enough time for a proper sit-down dinner, the cruise was definately worth the sacrifice. As we climbed aboard the boat, we could see dark storm clouds rolling down the city towards us. It did rain for most of the tour of the harbor, but it wasn't heavy enough to drive us inside until a half-hour in. On the plus-side, we got to see a beautiful lightening show from the harbor and the seals still said hi. More beer drinking with a few guys at $3 Dewey's across the street from the wharf before the long walk back to the bar on the roof of the hotel.
Sunday: Finally, a chance to really sleep in. We didn't have to meet anyone until the scheduled brunch at 11, so we just slept. Starving, we headed to The Great Lost Bear only to find that they didn't open until noon and hadn't heard of our party. It was a shame really, because they had a huge menu full of tasty food and a bar stocked with great beer and we all had very empty stomachs. Maybe next time. After dropping off a new friend from the Atlantic Brewing Company we headed down Route 1 in search of food. The wait at the infamous Maine Diner looked lengthy, so we opted for the Bull and Claw across the road. If you're ever in the neighborhood, don't make that mistake. There are plenty of reasons the line across the road is so long, but I'll share one. I ordered the baked macaroni and cheese, hoping for some homemade comfort food. What I got was a crock full of macaroni and cheese out of a box (first clue was the straight, thin, and penetratingly orange pasta) sprinkled with shredded cheese and a few breadcrumbs that had been tossed under the broiler for a minute. Talk about disappointment. The rest of the ride home was uneventful, but I would've preferred to have ended our weekend trip on a higher note.
Posted by criminal at September 14, 2006 04:32 PM