photo/Dan Zarin
The Continental
170 Brighton Ave., Portland
thecontinentalportland.com
When my wife and I moved to Maine in 2002, Portland’s Oakdale neighborhood was the first place we called home. After several years away from the area (which includes USM’s Portland campus), we returned in 2017. We love its central location and quiet, suburban vibe. But because the neighborhood is almost entirely residential, the city’s thriving food scene never quite made it to Oakdale.
Sure, we’ve got Punky’s for breakfast sandwiches and quick lunches. And Vientiane Market, on Noyes Street, has some of the city’s best Thai takeout. But a sit-down meal or a draught beer after work has always required getting in the car or walking for 20 or 30 minutes.
Early in 2022, we were excited to hear that a new restaurant by owners of Nosh and CBG (Congress Bar & Grill) would be “opening soon” in the long-empty 7-Eleven on Brighton Ave. After a series of delays due to pandemic-related supply-chain snafus, the labor shortage, unexpected repairs to the building and who-knows-what-else, our new neighborhood pub finally opened last summer. A pint of Guinness and a hearty meal were now just a short stroll away.
The Continental is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, offering a familiar menu of English and Irish publican fare like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and Scotch eggs. They began serving Sunday brunch last December, and on a cold winter morning in January we stopped by to check it out.
We started with coffee ($2.50), which was hot and fresh, if unspectacular — pretty much what we expected from a place that only serves coffee a few hours a week. The Bloody Mary ($10), however, was excellent: well balanced and nicely spicy, made from the same recipe used at CBG.
My wife ordered Baked Eggs ($12), opting for roasted vegetables and Irish cheddar rather than ham and gruyere. The dish was fluffy and flavorful, with lots of garlicky butter to remind her that vegetarian is not synonymous with healthy.
I chose the Continental Fry-Up ($17), which combined elements of two similar breakfasts known on opposite sides of the Irish Sea as a “full English” and a “full Irish.” Alongside two perfect sunny-side-up eggs were grilled soda bread, blistered cherry tomatoes, smoky charred mushrooms, and three kinds of meat: lean, not-too-salty Irish back bacon; a traditional British banger; and my favorite, a crispy and intensely seasoned sausage patty. Also on the plate was a small dish of baked beans. They were tasty, but I just can’t get on board with beans for breakfast. Sorry, Brits.
Between us, my wife and I polished off a plate of Scones and Crumpets ($10). Baked in-house, the small scones were flaky and buttery, and the crumpets were light, tender and slightly chewy. Both were even better slathered with honey butter and blackberry compote.
Minutes later, full and happy, we were back at home taking a midday nap. The Continental has a large parking lot to accommodate folks from other parts of the continent, but we, the people of Oakdale, are especially thrilled to welcome this pub to our neighborhood.
The Continental serves brunch Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
