Portland Dining 101: A Guide for Students

Welcome, students! Whether it's your first semester in town or your last, the Portland area is full of restaurants to explore, new and old. There seems to be no end to the dining boom in Maine's largest city, and Eater is here to guide you to the right spot for every situation, whether you need a reliable late-night slice of pizza, a swanky place to impress a date, or the perfect restaurant for your parents' next visit.

THE ESSENTIALS

Fore Street in the Old Port is on the current Eater Maine 18./Corey Templeton for Eater

First things first, let's talk basics — these are Eater's signature maps, updated regularly to highlight the best of the best and the newest of the new. Most maps on the site feature points statewide, but as you can imagine, many of the major players are within the Portland city limits.

• Eater Maine 18 — Updated quarterly, this map features 18 of the most essential restaurants in the state, spanning multiple cities, cuisines, and price points. Naturally, many of these major players are within the Portland city limits.
• Eater Maine Heatmap — Updated monthly, this map features 12 of the hottest new destinations in the state.
• Eater Maine Cocktail Map — For the 21+ crowd, this map tracks the bars and restaurants with the strongest cocktail programs.
• Eater Maine Brunch Map — You're deep in brunch territory. This map will guide you to the choicest spots.

SPECIFIC FOODS

Tandem Coffee Roasters' beans at sister spot Tandem Coffee and Bakery in the West End./Corey Templeton for Eater

What are you craving? Let these maps show you the way.

Meat

Seafood

Dessert

Hot Beverages

Nightlife & Adult Beverages

Miscellaneous

CHEAP EATS

Kim's Gift Shop has bahn mi for cheap, deep in the West End./Kate McCarty for Eater

Looking to eat and drink well without without spending too much? Jump right to these maps and guides:

• 15 Restaurants in Portland With Amazing Happy Hours
• Eating Out on $10 a Day in Portland
• Maine's Top Cheap Eats and Restaurants

Visitors guide

Need to pick up a pal from the airport, impress grandma with a gorgeous view, or seat your extended family? These maps will empower you to do that and more with your guests.

• 14 Restaurants That Can Handle Big Groups in Downtown Portland
• 17 Maine Restaurants With Stunning Views
• 24 Classic Restaurants Every Mainer Must Try
• 15 Iconic Dishes That Scream Maine
• Outdoor Dining Restaurants in Portland, Maine: 15 Great Spots
• Where to Eat Near Portland International Jetport (PWM)

Road trips

A seafood spread at Bagaduce Lunch in Brooksville, near Castine./Edith Young for Eater

Even with its outrageous selection, sometimes Portland just won't have what you're after. Use these guides to nearby hotspots when planning a getaway with friends:

• 11 Hot Places to Eat and Drink in Kennebunkport
• The 13 Essential Restaurants and Bars in Kittery
• 12 Restaurants for a Coastal Escape to Castine

FOLLOW THE NEWS

Eater Maine is updated multiple times every weekday with breaking news stories (restaurant openings, closings, etc.), features, and more. Here are a few ways to stay in the loop:

• Keep an eye on the Eater Maine homepage. New stories will always show up near the top and flow down toward the bottom of the page as they get older, while important recent stories or major maps will stay pinned at various points on the page. Also, check out our big sister, Eater.com, for national and international food news.
• Subscribe to our newsletter, which goes out every Friday around midday and includes links to the week's top stories.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates on new stories and more throughout the day.
• Interested in upcoming restaurant openings? Here's our fall 2015 openings primer.

GET IN TOUCH

Have questions not answered here? Want to send in a tip or a complaint or just say hello? Here are some ways to get in touch with the Eater Maine staff:

• Email us at maine@eater.com.
• Send us a tip, which can be anonymous if you choose, at our tipline.
• Interact with us on Facebook or Twitter.
• Post publicly in the Eater Maine forum. You can respond to existing threads or start your own. Feel free to ask questions, share rants and raves about the Boston dining scene, show us your food photos, and more. We'll promote interesting threads to our homepage and social media channels.