Recently, I spent the weekend in Portland, ME. First time there, and only there for a couple days, but that’ll never stop me from taking in some great food spots. So, to kick off the trip, I was off to brunch at The Front Room.

This neighborhood spot serves American comfort food in a relaxed, homey environment. And yes, complete with my favorite thing ever, an open kitchen. But, this one felt like you were really right in someone’s dining room, and they were cooking right in their kitchen for you.

I started off with a Bloody Mary. They offer it in two sizes, a regular and a tall, which is basically a pint. I went for a regular, not to be too ambitious. But, I could have actually gone for the tall because their Bloody Mary was really good. Perfectly spicy and refreshing. 

For my entree, I ordered their Salmon Pastrami (house made brown bread, grain mustard, red onion, capers & sour cream with greens). Deep breath. Ok. This may have been one of the best things I’ve eaten in a while. Like, honestly, best. And, it was only $9. $9! The salmon is warm, tender, thickly chopped, and has an amazing smoked flavor. Then, to add a flavor explosion, you have this amazing deli style mustard and the capers for a touch of saltiness. All of this sits majestically atop this incredible brown bread, which is sturdy on the outside, soft on the inside, and has this delicious sweetness to it, a really great contrast to the savoriness above. 

This bad boy needs a close up. Boom. Yum. 

The Shorts:
Name: The Front Room
Location: 73 Congress Street, Portland, ME
The Long and Short: Would I go back? Would I! I actually cry a little bit every night that I don’t live close enough to have this meal more often. 
Would I recommend it? Without a doubt. The service is amazing, the place is adorable and the food is ridiculously awesome.