What's It Like In New England Right Now?
A newfound hope a little closer to home...
As we enter the likes of a strange straddling of the fence—some of us have begun our journey to vaccination, others still have both feet on the ground—there’s a sense of hope that, personally, I haven’t felt in a very long time. I’ve been asking friends and colleagues what it’s like on the ground in different countries, and realized I wanted to share what it’s like in my own backyard of Boston. Especially, as so much of my newfound hope was inspired by not only the warmer weather, but also the city’s reopening efforts as of March.
As of today, March 17, 2021, we are in step two of phase three (who would have thought there’d be so many phases and parts?!). The beginning of the month saw permission for indoor venues to increase to 50 percent capacity and most significantly, as long as restaurants can arrange tables six feet apart, they’re no longer subject to a seated capacity.
We are sitting on a huge date, as come next Monday (March 22), indoor performance venues a.k.a. theaters, concert halls, sports venues and live music at restaurants can open at 50 percent capacity. These easing restrictions are a much needed breath of fresh air for the venues’ employees and for all of the foodies, fans and customers who have been inside for over a year now.
The entire experience of living through a pandemic is a surreal one in general, but I feel living in a city, everything was amplified. Because the stark contrast of once busy streets and restaurants and shops to abandoned, shuttered businesses truly feels like a scene of a ghost town I’d only seen in movies, until now.
I can literally walk out my front door and count more than a dozen businesses that permanently closed as a result of the pandemic. From bars, to shops, to restaurants, some that were considered iconic to Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, it is a daily reminder of the damage caused by this disease.
Now that restrictions are lifting and the weather is warming, I’m reminded of a short window in the summer when restaurants made the best of the situation with outdoor dining and to-go menus that attracted loyal customers; it wasn’t ‘normal’ but it was as close to a silver lining as I’d seen. So I’m projecting that on to this spring and summer, looking forward to the ingenuity of restaurants and doing my best to support them.
Spotlight on Portland, Maine
This past weekend I took my first trip to Portland, Maine (although, apparently I went when I was four years old but I don’t recall that trip and not for all the beer the region is known for!). I thought it was perfect timing to highlight that Maine too is easing restrictions, albeit a little slower than the rest of New England, March did bring hope for Portland too—a coastal town that relies heavily on summer tourism.
Since I’m not a resident of Maine and this was my first trip, I don’t feel well versed to compare my weekend with what locals experienced during the pandemic, but I am confident in providing you with restaurant recommendations seriously worth traveling for—hopefully encouraging you to take a seasonal trip of your own.
Restaurants
It’s safe to say that Portland’s foodie scene is no longer a secret. Menus offer an abundance of overwhelmingly delectable seafood options from oysters and mussels to scallops and whole fish. And even though we hit everywhere we wanted to on this trip, we could probably return every weekend for the next month and still not try all the port town is serving up. Partly because of variety, partly because the places we did dine at were so insanely delicious that I’d want to go back to them again!
Street and Co. for mussels provencal and grilled local squid (they’re also known for their Countneck clams over linguine and grilled branzino)
Fore Street for seasonally prepared fresh catch and if you must a palate cleanser from all the seafood, the wood-grilled foie gras
Scales for freshly shucked oysters (sit at the bar!), pan-seared scallops with oyster mushrooms, leeks and bacon, a lobster roll or pan-fried halibut with brown butter
Boone’s Fish House for a no-frills happy hour, including oysters, on the docks
To do
Visiting Portland in the off-season as they began reopening definitely presented some obstacles—some restaurants were only open for take-out, some boutiques were still closed for the season, dining on the docks was chilly to say the least… but we were aware of this when we took the trip! This is why my recommendations are heavily skewed toward food and drink… although, these are typically my favorite things to do in a new town! I offer a few active additions below:
Portland Head Light is Maine’s oldest lighthouse dating back to 1791 when it first lit up the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor. Today it stands as an iconic photo opp and the perfect setting for an afternoon or sunset stroll, just remember to pack an extra layer as the wind can whip around this area of the coast.
Take a day trip to Freeport to experience a bustling hub for shoppers less than 20 minutes from downtown Portland. It’s also home to a few breweries including the minimalist, eco-forward Maine Beer Co. Here, ordering a tasting flight and wood-fired pizza allows you to feel good about yourself as the company motto of “do what’s right,” reflets their partnership with 1% For The Planet.
Travel News:
Are you planning a trip for spring or summer? Do you feel comfortable traveling? Let me know! If you're curious as to the opinions of other travelers, Travel Leaders Network conducted a research survey of past and current clients (2,783 participants total) on their readiness to travel:
62 percent are planning to take their next vacation in 2021.
One in three have already booked their next vacation.
44 percent said “exploring new places” is what they miss most about traveling.
62 percent said if a country required visitors to be vaccinated in order to enter, they would be more likely to visit.
Xo,
J
