Grace — Attraction in Portland

AMAZEBALLS! There is "joy-in-the-kitchen" in this establishment. From the second you walk in the front door of what could be the most under-rated foodie sanctuary in Maine you are wowed by the towering ceilings, circular bar, OPEN KITCHEN and positive vibes! the warm welcome to the table was sincere and personable. The hostess actually remembered my friends from well over a year ago (not hard to do when they literally almost order the entire menu) and everything just got better from there. The wine list is superb and Jen our super knowledgable wine enthused server was awesome. Can we talk about THE BREAD. I'm a carb lover and eat bread every. where. THIS BREAD WAS THE BEST BREAD I'VE EVER EATEN IN MY LIFE (only thing better was Lafa fresh off the fire in Israel) the sea salt on the crust was superb. i think i ate 50 loaves. The "food food" from every starter they ordered (which was all of them on the menu save the green salad) was masterfully plated and composed, superbly served and devoured. I could list everything they ate (the kitchen team looked at the ticket, had a chuckle, and got to chef'ing) but that would take too much time and trust me when i tell you these people travel for food, travel for chefs, travel for service, know their wines and spare no expense. From the rafters you can watch the energy in the kitchen (i highly recommend sitting in the rafters and close to the kitchen) and the flow of the food and it's an amazing dance to watch. unlike the previous nights disastrous dining experience where no one barely spoke at all and there was absolutely zero vibe, at what is Portland's most over-hyped place of provisions. wink-wink. Basically if you enjoy delectable food prepared from a Chef that takes pride in what he presents and will come up to the table to share his wealth of knowledge and love of cooking than YOU NEED TO EAT HERE. NOW. Tell them Randi, Karen and Ray sent you. Oh and show them some love on the social media because they have a great hashtag...

I really liked when it was a restaurant and I only have been there for my cousin Katie's wedding. She is a very nice person. The restaurant area closed early due to cocktails and appetizers served on the main floor due to the wedding. I had the appetizers and I saw some familiar people. The basement was where the ceremony was and we had dinner down there. We had choices on a special menu and I really enjoyed the duck I ate. The dance floor was awesome. Music came from an iPad that someone brought. The love songs were great and some were modern. I also enjoyed the photo booth and the props. Mallory was the lady with the photo booth rental. I danced with the guitar and the microphone from the photo booth all night for the most part. The ladies' room was very clean and I know that Mallory had to travel the Maine Turnpike to get there. Uncle David, Amanda, Mike, Wendy, Aunt Janet, Uncle Harvey, Katie's brother Danny, my father and I were there. The maid of honor was someone Katie knew and she later had a baby named Sally. I am glad that Aunt Janet helped organize this wedding for her daughter Katie. Also, the theme was the unicorn and this was an unique theme. Also, I went with my father's friend Patty. The parking was ample and glad that it is now an event venue. I loved the venue and the spaces we gathered in for the Harris-Giroux wedding in the basement. My father has some awesome pictures of the wedding on his computer. It was a very nice day to meet Colby's family and Colby was the groom. Katie and Colby are a very nice and awesome couple and they have an intelligent daughter Vada who is 8 years old. I really appreciate Katie and Colby's decision on buying a house in Westbrook and Katie doesn't live in the house she lived in from 1986 to 1995. Katie and Colby were...

I can't say enough about how truly stunning and perfect this wedding venue is and how wonderful Kate and her team were to work with throughout the process! I am the mother of the bride and both my daughter, and I are from out of town, so planning from a distance seemed daunting at first. But from the minute my daughter first saw Grace and we met Kate, we both knew it was exactly the right place for the ceremony and reception. Kate was responsive, collaborative, helpful and spot-on in all her suggestions (including for things we didn’t even know to ask like renting parking meters from the city to clear space in front of the venue). Kate’s expertise and thoughtfulness really helped to make the whole day magical. It was seamless having both the ceremony and reception in one location – each space has a different ambiance, which was wonderful. Coming from the intimate and warm white light of the ceremony and entering the reception with its grand cathedral ceiling, dramatic stained glass, stunning bar and balcony seating, made it feel as if we had in fact traveled to another location (but without the logistical fuss and bother). The side rooms for the bridal party to get ready in and the multiple additional bathrooms available on the lower floor and in the vestibule offered the functionality we needed to make everyone comfortable and the day flow beautifully. And the bar crew was incredibly gracious and accommodating and made our guests feel so welcome and cared for. Everyone raved about how gorgeous and singular Grace is, it truly is like no other venue in Portland. We just can’t recommend Grace highly enough,...