Adult Trick or Treating with Portland Taste Tours

You may have spent your Halloween chowing down on leftover candy bought on sale, or enjoying a night out on the town, but mine included tastes and treats as part of Portland Taste Tour’s Halloween tour. We hit five spots, including Old Port Candy Co, b.good, The Thirsty Pig, Gelato Fiasco, and The Bar of Chocolate. What a perfect way to taste my way through Portland on a rainy evening! Stop by stop it only got better. You’re in luck if you want to go on a Portland Taste Tour; there’s a Taste of Congress Tour happening next week, November 13th! Tickets are going fast, grab them here!

Stop 1: Old Port Candy Co.

Is there a better way to start a Halloween tour than with candy? Old Port Candy Co. is a great place to pick up sweets. Being part of the tour, we each got a piece of fudge. Keep in mind there are over twenty different kinds to choose from, and all handmade in the store. Talk about magical! In the spirit of Halloween, I chose the Candy Corn Fudge. It’s decadent, sweet, and chewy. All that fudge should be.

Stop 2: The Thirsty Pig

Now, we all know about my love affair with The Thirsty Pig’s pulled pork sandwich, but I’ve never been a sausage fan. It may have something to do with the fact that my parents always ordered sausage and mushroom pizza growing up, but that’s beside the point. The point: I loved the sausage. It ended up being one of my favorite stops! I surprised myself, but I insisted on trying all of the sausages. My pick: the blueberry. Yeah, I know, blueberry and sausage sounds a little strange, but it works. The blueberry isn’t too sweet, so the sausage has a nice flavor without being overwhelmed. Sausage lovers and not so sausage fans will love it equally. Pulled pork still wins in my book, but the sausage is a notable second to try.

 Stop 3: b.good

Upstairs at b.good, you’ll find plush comfy chairs (we’re talking like the most comfortable I’ve ever sat on) and a bar area. During the day, you can sit in the sun and people watch, or sprawl in the giant armchairs. On our rainy Halloween, we had burgers and beer, along with their signature fries. Oh man, stuffed on stop 2 and still 3 to go. The hamburgers are made with all local ingredients, and it shows. b.good is all about quality over mass production, and our burger selections with beer pairings were juicy, tender and frankly, the way you want a hamburger to taste.

Stop 4: Gelato Fiasco

If you’ve been to Italy, you know what gelato is supposed to taste like. However, just because Gelato Fiasco isn’t in Italy doesn’t mean it’s wrong. On the contrary! I love that they have so many selections to choose from. It makes the decision even harder but it’s so worth it!

It was interesting to hear the backstory to Gelato Fiasco, along with how they sometimes choose the names of flavors. I did not know that Resurgam was named after Portland’s motto. Learn something new every day! I did however get to try several different flavors, all of which were delicious. I ended up with Mango and Balsamic Strawberry, a sweet and fruity combination for such a cold night!

Final Stop: The Bar of Chocolate

Our final stop was at an old favorite of mine, The Bar of Chocolate. I loved being able to try small versions of three of their very popular cocktails. My favorite of the three: the Key Lime. I always enjoy anything that tantalizes my sweet tooth and after drinking these, my sweet tooth was definitely quenched. Adult trick or treating definitely takes the cake against old school trick or treating. Another reason to love being an adult.

Portland Taste Tours made my Halloween very memorable, and I know that another tour will be in my future soon! If you want one in yours, Taste of Congress is next week, as well as the Taste Tours will be a part of Rising Tide Brewery Traveling Beer Dinner TOMORROW (Wednesday, November 6th) at 5 pm. Buy your tickets here: http://bit.ly/GZLZxy and use the promo code *Bk2013* for $20 off.

Bottom Line: 

I recommend anybody who A. Loves food, B. Wants to try new food, C. Enjoys a good tour and D. Wants to explore the Portland food scene to check out a Portland Taste Tour. Trust me, this is something you will not regret.

 

 

Sarah Gelber

About Sarah Gelber

A recent graduate from the University of Southern Maine, Sarah has always had a passion for food. Follow her escapades around Portland, trying every new restaurant in her path! Conquering Portland, one meal at a time.