these biscuits – flaky, tender, and savory-sweet – take me back to last summer, when I visited portland, me, for the first time since I was a teenager. I got to rediscover two places that I had loved over a decade ago – gelato fiasco and fore street, and add some new favorites to the list, including eventide oyster co. and the shop by island creek oysters.
maine has always held a special place in my heart – I still look back on my summers spent at music summer camp as some of the best moments of my life, and cherish the lifelong connections I made while there. I used to go on long bike rides around the myriad lakes dotting the landscape around brunswick, and I loved weekend excursions to the rocky beaches, though the ocean was rarely warm enough to comfortably swim in.
part of what made maine so much fun was everything we ate – from the roadside lobster shacks to the half-dozen ice cream parlors we frequented, to the blueberry bushes lining the highways – I credit those summers with igniting my love for just-harvested and freshly caught food.
this past trip to portland took me straight back – there was so much we wanted to try, we ran out of time to visit all of the spots! this biscuit recipe comes from tandem coffee + bakery, which had such a long line every time I passed it that I never actually got to visit it myself (though I did manage to buy a bag of their coffee beans in boston, and it was great coffee!).
places I loved
après | this place wasn’t on our “list”, but the patio was full and people looked so happy, we had to stop in. the cider was great, the décor was cute, the dogs were friendly, and the vibes were impeccable.
austin street brewery | we were drawn to this place by the cute charcuterie truck outside, but ended up sticking around through a few rounds of austin brewery’s fun selection of fruity beers, sours, and stouts.
eventide oyster co. | we missed the reservation window and took a gamble, waiting in line to put down our names the day of. we were lucky to get in less than half an hour later! definitely one of the hottest tables in portland, and with good reason: everything we ate, from the lobster roll (served on a hot dog bun-shaped bao), to the tuna crudo, to the broiled lobsters, was incredible. definitely a pricey meal, but 100% worth it.
fore street | another place where reservations are very difficult to land – we waited for a long time in a line that snaked down the block and got the last decent-time seating. I visited this restaurant over a decade ago, when they first opened, and their open-fire cooking and intense care in preparing locally-sourced ingredients was exactly as I remembered. this was another very expensive meal, but every bite, from the starters to the beautifully-plated dessert – was perfect, and with the beautiful restaurant atmosphere and impeccable service, the dining experience at fore street is truly special.
gelato fiasco | I truly loved the brunswick location of gelato fiasco – and over a decade later – I was so, so excited to see that they still existed and had a location in portland. the flavors are fun and the gelato is creamy – it absolutely lived up to my very fond memories.
highroller lobster co. | I feel like no recap of portland is complete without some mention of highroller – it’s a very solid lobster roll, though not the best I’ve had in new england. I will say that our opinion was influenced by the fact that when we visited, lobster prices were through the roof and we spent ~$80 on two lobster rolls!
the holy donut | I had been looking forward to trying these potato-based doughnuts, and they did not disappoint. the density of the dough paired well with stronger-flavored doughnuts, like blueberry, chocolate, and ginger, but overwhelmed the more mild flavors, like lemon.
oxbow blending & bottling | I’ve always enjoyed the funkiness of oxbow’s beers, so it was great to have the chance to try a flight in oxbow’s fun and spacious space. the duckfat to-go window, with its amazing fries and doughnut holes, was a very pleasant surprise.
paper tiger | we were looking for a place to kill time and paper tiger’s outdoor picnic tables, looking out over fore street, looked mighty appealing. we ended up ordering some great plates – including the caramelized brussels sprouts and coconut wings (which were so good, we ordered them twice!).
the shop by island creek oysters | we had the best raw oysters (and raw seafood in general) at the shop. the dressed oysters and the crudo were particularly memorable.
terlingua restaurant & market | the food and the drinks here were so good – and for our larger group, we were able to share two large dinner boards, which turned out to be a great deal. the smokey flavor and the tenderness of the meat were fantastic and we all loved the cornbread with honey butter. the service was super friendly and the atmosphere (we were seated the outdoor semi-enclosed dining space) was really festive and fun.
urban farm fermentory | urban farm offers a wide selection of fermented beverages, from cider to kombucha to jun. it was nice to have some non-alcoholic options, and everything we tried was fun and unique. the space is also whimsical and spacious, with varied seating areas featuring floral décor all around.
makes 9 biscuits
425g (3 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
7g (~1 1/2 tsp) kosher salt
300g (1 1/4 cups) cold buttermilk
briana holt, adapted by eric kim. buttermilk sugar biscuits. new york times. 21 march 2023. accessed 13 august 2023.
2 using the middle-sized holes of a box grater, grate the butter onto a plate, then freeze until cold and hard (~10 minutes – the butter should resemble hand-grated parmesan). meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. add the butter to the dry ingredients, then use a silicone spatula to toss together the ingredients until the butter is coated with flour.
3 add half the buttermilk and toss with the spatula. when incorporated, add the rest of the buttermilk and gently toss again, until the dry ingredients are just hydrated and the mixture is loose and crumbly.
4 flour a clean surface and dump the mixture directly onto it. using your hands, gently press the crumbs together, then use a floured rolling pin to gently roll into a 1-inch-tall rectangle, using the bench scraper to straighten the edges. fold the dough in half, and using a bench scraper, lift the top half off the surface and fold it on top of the bottom half. repeat the roll-and-fold motion five more times, lifting and rotating the dough 90º between each motion and flouring the surface and dough as needed. the dough will be very crumbly at first, but will come together with each fold.
5 for the final layer – fold the dough in half one last time, then roll into a square ~1 1/2 inches thick, using the bench scaper to the straighten the edges. then use the bench scraper to cut straight down into the square to create a 3•3 grid (9 squares). place the biscuits upside-down on the sheet pan.
6 bake until risen and golden-brown on top, 25-35 minutes.
7 some melted butter likely leaked out of the biscuits, use that butter to brush the biscut tops. serve immediately (with butter and jam!).
fort juniper 