I’m Jake Newman. The Portland Logbook is my love letter to this city: the food worth hunting down, the history that refuses to die, the corners you only find if you’re paying attention.

A Year of Keeping a Logbook

One year, fifty-two issues, and no plans to stop.

I started the Logbook because I wanted to be the Pete Wells of Portland.
The kind of critic in New York who could make or break a restaurant with a single review.

I’ve said that before and I’ll say it again. That was the impulse. I wanted to pay attention. I wanted to take places seriously. I wanted to spend enough time somewhere to actually have an opinion.

The only problem is I don’t really have a negative bone in my body.

I’m a golden retriever with thumbs. I walk into places wanting them to be good. Wanting to love them. Wanting them to work. I don’t have the instinct to tear things down for sport. If something isn’t for me, I usually move on quietly and go back to what is.

So instead of trying to be sharp, I started being consistent.

I’ve lived in Portland for a few years, but this past year was the first time I paid attention every single week. Same city, different posture. Turns out those are two completely different experiences.

Early on, when Portland didn’t show itself to me at first, it wasn’t really about the food. And to be clear, I’ll die on the hill that we have better food than Boston. That part wasn’t the issue.

It was about the people. When I first moved here, I was convinced I’d end up working as a food stylist again, like I had before. I pretty quickly realized it just… wasn’t a thing here.

Years later, I get it. It does exist. People just don’t shout about what they do here. Things aren’t announced from the rooftops. You don’t stumble into them right away. You find them slowly. Through conversations. Through being introduced. Through showing up more than once.

Portland is as beautiful as it looks on postcards, but it takes time to realize the people are just as beautiful, if not more. You really see that part once you get to know them. And not just know their names, but actually know them.

That’s when the city starts to feel different.

One year ago, I was sitting at Another Round. Same seat I’d end up taking again a year later. Same faces behind the bar. Halfway through my usual cortado before realizing I hadn’t really thought about it at all. It just felt right. Reliable. Locked in.

There’s something else about this city that stuck with me all year. A lot of the places people love most didn’t start big.

On Washington Avenue in the West End, there are shipping containers. Tiny ones. That’s where a lot of shops people love now first started. Onggi. Strata. Sissle and Daughters. Just small spaces and people figuring it out as they went.

Also, if anyone’s ever wanted to build a small, weird little shop incubator in the West End, feel free to reach out. Just saying.

This city doesn’t really reward big gestures right out of the gate. It seems to respond more to care. To repetition. To people who start small and stay close to what they’re building. If you rush it, not much happens. If you keep coming back, things start to open.

That’s what the Logbook turned into. Not a guide. Not a list of bests, even though I do love a list of bests. Mostly just me noticing where I keep ending up. The places I go back to without thinking about it. The ones that quietly fall out of rotation.

And honestly, the biggest surprise wasn’t the places anyway. It was the people. The late nights that weren’t supposed to be late. The events you went to casually and left with a story you’re still telling. Portland gave me more real relationships than anywhere else I’ve lived, and it did it without making a big deal out of it.

At some point, it stopped feeling like a city I was trying to understand and started feeling like a place I was just… in.

So I’ll keep writing it down.
I’ll keep showing up.
I’ll keep going back.

That’s kind of the whole thing.

Be honest: if I threw a Logbook party, would you show up?

Three Places I Can’t Believe I Haven’t Been Yet

I’ve lived here long enough that this probably shouldn’t be true, but there are still a few places in Portland I haven’t been to yet. Nothing dramatic. I just haven’t gone yet.
I know, I know. Don’t yell at me.

The first is Cong Tu Bot. I walk past it all the time. I know where it is. I know exactly what kind of night it is. I’ve even told people to go. I just keep… not going. At this point it’s almost funny.

I go to their sibling restaurant, Oun Lido’s, all the time, which somehow makes this worse. I’ve even waited for a table at Cong Tu Bot before, but about forty-five minutes into freezing temps, I bailed and went straight to Lil Chippy instead.

The second is Izakaya Minato. This one only ever comes up casually. Someone mentions it halfway through a conversation, usually followed by “you’d love it.” I believe them. I still haven’t gone. I have, however, stared at photos of their Japanese fried chicken more times than I’d like to admit. One of these nights, that’s going to be enough.

And then there’s Fore Street, which feels ridiculous to admit. It’s always been there. Everyone’s been. I don’t really have a reason. The timing just never lined up. I claim to be a foodie, and somehow the pinnacle of Maine is still sitting there waiting for me.

They’re all still there.
So I guess I am too.

THIS WEEKS CONDITIONS
☀️ SUNRISE: 6:55 AM
🌅 SUNSET: 4:55 PM
🌊 SEA TEMP: 38.5 °F (Casco Bay,)
✨ Local Favorite Shop of the Week: Honeycomb Cafe’s Donuts
✨ Local Artist of the Week: Bea Willemsen

Portside Real Estate Group

🏡 I write The Portland Logbook, and I also help people buy and sell homes in Portland.

If a move is on your mind, I’m always happy to help you think it through.

Work With Jake

🐾 Adoptable Buddies of the Week! 🐾

🐶 Rocket Raccoon – 12 yrs
A tiny, one-eyed senior with a big, stubborn heart. Rocket is loyal, funny, and deeply rewarding once you earn his trust. Best for an experienced, adult-only home that respects boundaries and slow bonding. If you believe the best dogs are the ones you grow into loving, Rocket is worth every quiet moment.

🐱 Peanut – 6 yrs
A sweet-and-spicy grey girl who wants to be your one and only. She takes time to settle, but with patience and a cat-savvy home, she opens up beautifully. Older teens or adults only. If you love a cat with opinions and real personality, Peanut is your queen.

🐶 Snax – 2 yrs
A big, goofy, toy-obsessed lovebug who lives for fetch and fun. Strong, playful, and full of heart. Kids 8+, dog meet required, and his adoption fee is sponsored. If you want a joyful, high-energy best friend who makes every day louder and better, Snax is ready.

🐕 Interested? Check them out here

If the link doesn’t open anymore, it means they’ve already been adopted!