• I’ve lived in Maine for greater than three years and have been a fan of Regards because it opened. 
• The restaurant mixes cuisines from Mexico, Japan, and the US into distinctive dishes. 
• The drink menu additionally contains an unbelievable choice of tequilas and mezcals.

I moved from New York Metropolis to Portland, Maine — the place my husband is from — a bit over three years in the past. On the time, I used to be pregnant with twins and already had a toddler, and we realized we needed to boost our children exterior the noise and bustle of the town that by no means sleeps. 

My husband and I had lived in New York for greater than a decade so we had been accustomed to wonderful eating. Then the pandemic left us consuming inside for months. In order quickly as our twins had been reliably sleeping and we may depart them with babysitters, we began exploring the eating places Portland needed to supply. 

We each knew we’d haven’t any downside discovering good oysters and lobster rolls, two issues Maine is thought for. We had discovered our go-to locations for these on earlier outings. However we had been craving a spot that would rival the meals and delicacies we had been used to having fun with in NYC — however paired with the coolness vibe of Maine.  

That is how we discovered Regards in 2022, and we have been massive followers ever since. 

The meals is unbelievable

Neil Zabriskie is the chef and proprietor of the comfy restaurant. He brings inspiration from the cuisines of Mexico, Japan, and California — the place he’s from. Zabriskie brings a special twist to the standard Maine suspects like oysters or scallops, and provides to the combination touches like home made corn tortillas. 

The dishes are made to share, which my husband and I like as a result of it permits us to style much more of the menu. Which, by the way in which, is all the time altering. Whereas we have had — my private favourite — crispy brown rice with crab on a few visits, every little thing else has been a primary for us. 

We have cleared our plates of every little thing from rooster hearts to gyozas made inside an precise rooster wing to basic tamales and tortillas (I’ve to say them once more as a result of they actually are that good). My husband and I usually joke with our server that we’ll simply take “one among every little thing” as a result of it’s that onerous to decide on a plate typically. 

The intensive drink menu is simply as ingenious and thrilling because the meals and has a wide range of wines, native beer, cocktails, and mocktails to select from. I just lately had a tequila, grapefruit, and cucumber cocktail that was equal components refreshing and scrumptious. 

Anybody who is aware of me is aware of I like an excellent dessert. I even admitted to fortunately paying $82 for the tasting menus at Portland’s new cool restaurant in order that I may have their ice cream once more. On our most up-to-date go to to Regards, we had their strawberry sorbet with kefir granita and rhubarb syrup, and I critically debated ordering one other one after we completed the primary in 30 seconds. 

The vibe is unbeatable

Past the meals, the vibe at Regards is unbeatable. It isn’t a stuffy, fancy restaurant made for the hip youngsters. The final time we visited, there was a household with a toddler to our proper; subsequent to them was a gaggle of girls of their mid-60s who had been buddies since faculty and make it a degree to return collectively once in a while, and to our left a primary date. 

I name Regards a hidden gem as a result of we have by no means had points discovering a desk, which is stunning to me on condition that comparable eating places have a endless waitlist of months when all of the vacationers invade Maine for the Summer season. And whereas I am not attempting to make my favourite place unattainable to get in to for locals, the workforce at Regards deserves all of the reward for making me “ooh” and “aah” each time I attempt a brand new dish.

Additionally, should you like rest room selfies as a lot as I do, the lighting of their washroom is excellent.