As a self-declared foodie (Lucky for me it's also part of my job description!), one of my favorite things to do is explore restaurants and local food. One of the most overlooked and underrated, in my opinion, foodie location is Portland, Maine. It's hard not to be when you are located inches away from multiple harbors where fresh seafood flows in hourly.

Add to that the cobblestone streets, brick buildings and down-to-earth vibe and you have an area overflowing with great places to eat. The charm of most of the places in Portland is the we've been here forever, hole-in-the-wall feel.

Rob Evans, the local celebrity chef has recently brought some light to the area when he won a James Beard Award in 2009 for his restaurant, Hugo's (Another JBA was won in 2002 for Fore Street & it's chef). Yet, even with this recent addition of a JBA, Portland is still overlooked. With that, I want to present you with a few local food favorites from this amazing city.

Street and; Co.

Five Fifty-five

Duck Fat

The Porthole Restaurant

Sebago Brewing Company