Portland Pie Co.

Portland Pie Co., which started as a humble takeout and delivery service and now has four large, sit-down restaurants in and around Portland, Maine, boasts of its “gourmet flavored pizza dough” – basil, wheat, garlic or beer. They are interesting creations – medium-thin with a puffy collar – and it is fun to pair them with toppings of choice.

For us, it is the toppings that make PPCo. worth a visit. All the usual ones are available; and there are house combos that are unique. The pizza called Red Claws, for instance (named for Portland’s NBA D-League affiliate of the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Bobcats), is topped with a three-cheese blend, garlic, and hunks of lobster meat … plus lots of butter, making this a curious second cousin to a hot lobster roll. The Bar Harbor pie comes with scallops, smoked bacon, mozzarella and Pernod alfredo sauce. The strangest pie we sampled is called the Chamberlain, the name of which is something of a mystery. It’s a Chinese-American food-themed pizza topped with General Tso’s sauce, diced peppers, carrots, toasted sesame seeds and pulled pork!

PPCo. has a large menu beyond pizza, including calzones, wraps, sandwiches, wings and lobster slider appetizers. For dessert: wild Maine blueberry pie a la mode.