3.23.2012

Restaurant Week Portsmouth & The Seacoast

You probably know that Restaurant Week Boston is happening right now, but do you also know that Restaurant Week Portsmouth & The Seacoast started yesterday and runs through March 31? And do you know how easy it is to get to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from Boston?

I actually bought my wedding dress in Portsmouth and used the trips up there to try on dresses as an excuse to dine at some Portsmouth restaurants. (You can believe I'll be trying out more when I go back up for fittings! What? Is a girl trying to fit into a wedding dress not supposed to eat?) On one trip my friend Carrie and I ate breakfast sandwiches at Popovers and had lunch at Surf, a seafood restaurant with a modern feel and water views.





On another trip my mom and I savored the tasting menu at Cava, and she and my sister and I checked out Portsmouth Baking Company too.





In the fall I went back with a group of Boston bloggers and had dinner at Black Trumpet Bistro during Portsmouth's fall restaurant week.




Each time I go to Portsmouth, I find something new. It's really a cute little town for wandering around, shopping, and, of course, eating.

The weather lately has been perfect for taking day trips. If you've got an itch to get out of the city for the day, why not spend it in Portsmouth?

You could take a brewery tour at Redhook . . .


. . . grab a snack at Portsmouth Baking Company . . .


. . . stroll around Strawberry Banke . . .

Photo courtesy of Daisy

. . . and have dinner at a participating restaurant (3 courses for $29.95). If I had time to get away for a day (or even just the evening), I'd be making a reservation at Cava. I'm already counting down the days to my fitting in July -- I'm sure I can convince my mom to go back!

Oh, and I don't want to leave out the Seacoast... Robert's Maine Grill in Kittery is participating in restaurant week too. My mom and I go to Robert's at least once a year. I get cravings for their mussels a la Howard, the most wonderful combination of mussels, fennel, sausage, and cream. Some of my favorite days have involved shopping at the Kittery outlets and stopping for lunch or an early dinner at Robert's with my mom.

Have you spent much time in Portsmouth? What are your favorite things to do there?