This past spring break, my partner and I took a trip to visit our families in Boston and Maine. However, the focus quickly shifted to the different foods we could eat on our trip - after all, Syracuse leaves very little to be desired in the way of local eateries. On what quickly became a food excursion, I enjoyed every variety of meal and snack. From takeout-style Chinese to Maine lobster and everything in between, here's the 5 best and worst places that I visited in Boston and Maine.
5. Worst: Holy Donut/Gross Confections
Starting off our list of worst spots is a combination of two places in Portland, Maine. Holy Donut was a place that you'll find recommended on Google when searching for things to do in Portland (and, more importantly, also one that was recommended by family), but despite the novelty of its iconic potato donuts, the pomegranate flavor was too sweet and left an absurdly sugary aftertaste in my mouth. We tried to fix it with a parmesan garlic scone and a mocha from a local bakery called Gross Confections that we passed by on the street, but only the mocha exceeded our expectations. As for the scone, there was far too much garlic. Switching between the two felt like a lesson in overindulgence. Still, these two places - despite being the best of the worst - had their merits, and I would definitely give the Holy Donut another chance. Gross Confections gets bonus points for its ambience.
5. Best: Cheung Lee Express
When my sister said that the Chinese place downtown was where she and her friends went to eat out on special occasions, I definitely wasn't expecting much. However, Cheung Lee Express is head and shoulders above any American-style Chinese place I've personally ever been to and is made all the more worthwhile by its massive serving sizes. I tried the lo mein, orange chicken, and General Tso's chicken and was impressed by all three. This isn't your average Chinese takeout! That being said, I couldn't rate it too highly considering that I doubt you'll find yourself in Waterville anytime soon. If you do, though, Cheung Lee Express is a must visit.
4. Worst: Jewel of India
One place you definitely shouldn't go to in Waterville is Jewel of India. I might be biased, considering that we in Syracuse are blessed with Dosa Grill and its $14 all-you-can-eat Indian lunch buffet, but Jewel of India was just... unremarkable. We got their chicken tikka masala (as most foreigners at an Indian place do) and was unimpressed by their portions or the quality of their food. On a bright note, the fact that the worst I have to say about this place is that it's average speaks to the relatively high standard over the course of the trip.
4. Best: Becky's Diner
I couldn't go to Maine and not put the lobster roll I got at Becky's Diner in the top 5. I hadn't had lobster prior to this, and wouldn't consider myself a shellfish enthusiast, but the lobster was remarkably fresh and the clam chowder we had as an appetizer was undoubtedly the best I've ever had. When the waitress recommended that we get the wild Maine blueberry pie with a scoop of ice cream on top, we just couldn't say no. Apparently, the blueberries in Maine have a more potent taste than average blueberries - we definitely tasted it in the pie. Even though Becky's is probably just your average Portland joint, its lobster and blueberry pie (pictured below) is a can't miss if you're ever there.
3. Worst: Faneuil Hall DogHouse Hot Dog
In all honesty, I forgot to take a picture of this, but it was just a hot dog with ketchup on it. Still, $6 for a hot dog and we're not even in Fenway Park watching a Red Sox game? That's gonna land you in the bottom 5.
3. Best: New Jang Su
It feels unfair putting Korean barbecue, hot pot, and dim sum in the top 3 spots (spoiler!!!) because those three meals were also ones where we happened to not have to pay. Also, they were by far the most expensive meals we ate. Still, Korean barbecue is Korean barbecue, and New Jang Su in Burlington (so a little out of the way of Boston) gets this Korean's seal of approval. They grill it in front of you and the sides that you get made me feel right at home. There's not much to say - it was just really good food.
2. Worst: Bon Me
It feels equally unfair rating a chain here (and in the worst spot, too - spoiler!!!) but Bon Me's serving sizes were really disappointing. I usually expect huge servings when I get pho, but the lack thereof here soured my enjoyment of an otherwise fine meal. It didn't help that they didn't have hoisin sauce, which - for me - is a must-have when it comes to eating pho. The saving grace of Bon Me was my partner's order, the K-Town Throwdown, whose scallion jam was something I hadn't tried in bibimbap (rice mixed with spicy paste and vegetables) before. It meshed really well with the gochujang (a Korean spicy paste) and the serving size for that dish met my expectations. If you ever get Bon Me, it's this writer's opinion that you skip the pho.
2. Best: Happy Lamb
Despite what I said earlier, I'm not a huge fan of hot pot - I think it's just okay. However, all you can eat hot pot at an affordable price with a bar of sauces and sides that you can get up and get yourself was a hot pot experience unlike any other I've ever had. Happy Lamb in Cambridge really lets you eat as much of any of their delicious appetizers and meats as you want, and it's definitely the best hot pot place I've ever visited. Standouts were the marinated beef and the fish cake, and the chopped jalapeños in the sauce bar is something absolutely worth mentioning.
Honorable Mention: Blackbird Donuts
I briefly considered including Blackbird in the top five as opposed to giving it an honorable mention, even though the only thing I had there was a Boston Cream donut that I forgot to take a picture of. You're not missing out on the photo - it just looks like a regular donut. Looks can deceive, however: I was shocked by how much I loved this donut, and that's coming from someone who hates pastries. The chocolate was so rich and the cream was so full - thinking about it now has me upset that we dropped the quarter donut we had left to finish on the street. We never got a chance to go back, but even those 3/4 of donut that we ate was enough to mention Blackbird on this list.
1. Worst: Which Wich
I actually saw a TikTok for Which Wich prior to visiting Boston and was excited to order from there. However, everything from the customer service to the mediocre food left a sour taste in my mouth after visiting it on the last day. I mentioned before that it feels unfair to put a chain on the bottom of my list, but I couldn't think of a more deserving place than Which Wich. Go to Subway instead.
1. Best: Hei La Moon
This was the restaurant that was, by far, my most anticipated going into spring break - it did not disappoint. I don't remember a name of a single one of the dishes (except xiaolongbao), but everything was perfect. Even the foods I didn't like, like a sesame ball with a peanut paste inside, had worth and a reason to try it. Just like Korean barbecue, Chinese dim sum sort of speaks for itself. Like all the places on my top 5, it was just really good food.
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