Portland, ME

I remember the first time I trekked myself up to Portland, ME. It was back in the mid 90's and I was on a project that required me to do some work in the various plants we had in New England. This very well may have been one of the first trips I had made to Maine since a young kid when we used to go to York Beach for a day trip.

What struck me about Portland was just how lively it was, filled with culture and amazing places to dine. Certainly it was very different than what the average person would think of when they think of Maine.

For this trip I was once again on a business trip to do the photography for HP Hood Dairy Cook-Off which i'll write about in another entry. The night before though we spent nearly 4hrs at a wonderful restuarant in Downtown Portland, 5-5-5 is the name. If you make your way there, you must try the mussels. To die for!

To add to the whole evening, upon exiting the restaurant we were met by some very interesting by-standers who were out to have a festive evening. And as much as I wanted to venture around for more Street Photography, for me, it was time for bed!  Goodnight!

A "Hole in the Wall"

One of my favorite things to treat myself to on the weekend is going out for breakfast. And there's nothing I like more than  to find out that one place that only the locals know, for the perfect local breakfast experience. That place, at least in Melrose, MA is Ernie's.

Thanks to my good friends Jack & Eileen Billiel for taking me and my son Tyler to such a awesome place. As you can see, yes, the place is small. In fact I don't think it really fit much more than 12 people comfortably. On this particular day, it happened to be Halloween. Although I'm not personally "into" that holiday, it did add to the whole experience.

I couldn't seem to find a website for Ernies, but if you are interested in hearing what others who have stumbled upon it are saying check out some reviews.