Passenger Rail Returns to Maine

If you go to Portland, consider the Eastland Park Hotel. Almost 75 years old, the Eastland has been wonderfully restored to its former beauty and elegance. A new restaurant, Restaurant Decoupage, has opened within the hotel and many other restaurants are nearby. The hotel is within a block of the Children's Museum of Maine and the Portland Museum of Art.

The Old Port is not the only neighborhood boasting fine restaurants. The area around Deering Oaks Park, a beautiful park right within the heart of the city, features The Roma restaurant and Bintliff's American Cafe. Bintiff's is a beautifully decorated restaurant, featuring a varied menu, including some of the best, and most creative, ravioli that I have every tasted. When we visited, the chef came out to meet us and even gave my son a tour of the kitchen. The service is excellent and the ambiance relaxed and unhurried.

In the same vicinity is The Roma, housed in a historic mansion on Congress Street. The inside of the 1887 house is as it was those many years ago - small dining rooms scattered throughout. The menu features excellent beef, veal and fish dishes and luxurious desserts.

For those of you who enjoy visiting train museums, make a visit to Portland's Narrow Gauge Railway Company and Museum, on Fore Street, near the Old Port. This rail complex includes an operating Maine two-foot gauge railroad, over a mile of track, and operating diesel and steam locomotives. The line runs along the Portland harbor seawall with a panoramic view of the harbor and the maritime activity that occurs there. For adult and child, this railroad museum is worth a visit.

Useful Web Sites

The Downeaster, http://www.thedowneaster.com/, for schedules and further information.

Amtrak, http://www.amtrak.com/, for reservations.

Eastland Park Hotel, 157 High Street, Portland, Maine, (207) 775-5411, http://www.eastlandparkhotel.com/

Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority, http://www.mbta.com/

Portland, Maine, http://www.portlandmaine.com, http://visitportland.com/

Greater Portland Metro Bus Service, 207-774-0351, http://realitytimes.com/metro.html/

Bintliffs American Cafe, (207) 774-0005, 98 Portland St, Portland, ME 04101

The Roma Cafe, 769 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04102,(207) 773-9873, http://theromacafe.com/

Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum, 58 Fore St., Portland, Me, (207) 828-0814, http://mngrr.rails.net/

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