For a peninsula city, the choice of waterfront dining remains slim. Luke’s Lobster and EVO X are the two prime spots where you are at the water’s edge. The former is easily accessible. But plan for a long walk down Portland Pier from Commercial Street to the end because whatever parking that’s available on the pier is choice, with few options to find a spot. The same might be true for EVO X, on the grounds of the former Sprague compound, the Fore Points Marina, 443 Fore St. Last year you could park in an adjoining lot, but that’s now filled with construction vehicles as the site is slowly being developed with an office building (Sun Life), a retail center (where Portland restaurant EVO will re-locate to); hotel and residential condos and rentals are still far off in this 10 acre development marvel in the city’s Eastern Waterfront.
The view for city waterfront dining doesn’t get much better than Luke’s Lobster on Portland Pier, Circa summer 2020
There’s a few restaurants off Commercial Street that offer views of the harbor but they’re not the same as eating at the water’s edge. Co-developer Case Prentice says that EVO X will be open today. But when I went there yesterday it looked far from ready for its seasonal debut. Time will tell. Still it’s worth waiting for since chef Matt Ginn of EVO fame oversees the food prep at this formidable food-truck kitchen.
