(High) Fives All Around




Oops, no outside cakes in Maine restaurants.  This was a nice alternative.

  Andy comin’ at ya, belatedly.  A few weeks back, Jaime and I drove *wince* up to Portland for a birthday brunch with my mom at a fantastic restaurant called five fifty-five.  (Wow, strong showing by the moms lately on Choo-Chew!)  Portland is a perfect meeting spot between Salem and where I grew up in Maine, and it’s also a place we all love to visit for day trips and long weekends.  (Although we skipped the train and drove this time, we did do some reconnaissance on the Amtrak Downeaster.  See the last paragraph.)

Jaime and I initially picked this restaurant for one reason – we thought it looked cool the last time we were in Portland.  I’m not ashamed to say we use this method a lot, because it usually works.  (This is surprising for me, because I usually research every purchase like it’s a potential life-changer.)

It definitely worked this time, as we all loved the five fifty-five.  My mom and I both had the skillet with eggs on a chorizo and sweet potato hash, and Jaime had the “Traitor’s Eggs” (what you get when you add lobster to brunch’s resident turncoat).  Other than the food, my highlight was the overall ambiance created by the interior design and music – especially the second floor balcony that was a little saloon-like, and the mix of jazz that ranged from New Orleans to smooth to avant-garde.  Jaime’s highlight was the three versions of bloody marys, each one a little spicier.  Jaime had the spiciest and hottest, of course, which was made with homemade jalapeno-infused vodka!

Most importantly, my mom had a great birthday trip and even agreed to be our first guest contributor!  She says:

I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to the five fifty-five restaurant in downtown Portland.  What made it even more special was the chance to spend time with Andy and Jaime.  The wait staff was very attentive, and we were not rushed through our meal.  The food was unique and plentiful.  I would recommend the chorizo and sweet potato home fries.  Jaime's lobster dish looked delicious also.  They even honored my birthday with a bite of salmon on toast tips and ended the meal with a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffle.  It was an overall pleasant dining experience.

If we’re in the area again, we’d definitely go back to five fifty-five.  If you go for Sunday brunch, definitely make a reservation.  We felt silly having made a reservation at first, as we sat in a nearly empty and strangely quiet dining room at around 10 am, but in an hour or so the place was full and lively.  After brunch you can walk or drive down to the Old Port, right on Portland Harbor, and shop for both gifts and necessities in many unique shops.  If you stick around long enough and need another bite or a cup of coffee or tea, there are plenty of excellent options in the Old Port.  Some of our favorites are the Mornings in Paris coffee shop, Vignola, Duck Fat, and Fore Street – one of our all time favorite restaurants (it looks very cool).

Downeaster info:

We’ll tell you more about the train once we take it for the first time, but check out the website and a few quick notes here: 

• it leaves from Boston’s North Station and makes stops in MA, NH and ME before terminating in  Portland;
• the station is right in Portland, but is not really walking distance to downtown or the Old Port, so we’ll have to take a short cab or bus ride to get anywhere;
• a one-way trip takes about 2 hours, 25 minutes;
• from the website it looks like the cheapest one-way ticket is $19, with no savings for round-trip tickets;
• we also plan to use the Downeaster to visit friends Keith and Dinah in Dover, NH, where the train station is right downtown, giving you easy access to many restaurants, bars and stores.