Travel Maven: New England’s Idyllic Coastal Town – Portsmouth
By Richard Levy
Portsmouth, N.H., founded in 1623, is America’s third oldest city. Nestled on the banks of the picturesque Piscataqua River, it’s a perfect blend of sophistication, culture and old Yankee tradition with plenty of history and great restaurant.
In 1905, Russia and Japan were at war, so President Theodore Roosevelt choose Portsmouth as the perfect, safe haven for representatives of the two countries to meet and sign a peace treaty. After weeks of tenuous negotiations, they signed the treaty at the Portsmouth Naval Yard.
It’s where Paul Revere took his first historic ride and warned Portsmouth that the British were secretly storing arms down river at Fort William and Mary. One night, 400 brave souls surprised the British and made off with all the ammunition. This daring raid was critical to the American Revolution because the ammunition helped defeat the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
For a taste of Portsmouth’s historical past, visit Strawbery Banke, a 10-acre living museum of 42 preserved 18th century buildings. In the Aldrich House, learn about writer Thomas Bailey Aldrich and how his book, “Story of a Bad Boy,” inspired his friend, Mark Twain, to write “Huckleberry Finn.”
There is also the Shapiro House where you’ll find Mrs. Shapiro, a Russian-Jewish immigrant making latkes and kreplach, which you can sample. (You probably won’t find latkes in Williamsburg, Va.)
You’ll love strolling through this New England historical city with its fashionable boutiques, incredible restaurants, cafés, art galleries and antique shops. You’ll be astonished by the number of fabulous restaurants. Most have decks where you can eat or have cocktails overlooking the water. Portsmouth is the unequivocal lobster roll capital of America. I’ve never devoured so many outstanding lobster rolls with overflowing hunks of lobster claw on homemade buns.
My favorite restaurant is the Cava Tapas & Wine Bar, where mouthwatering tapas are prepared before your eyes. Order duck breast with hazelnuts, duck skin, chevre, cherries and Medjool dates stuffed with Manchego cheese and Serrano ham. I loved the Portsmouth Gas Light Co.’s pulled pork nachos – beer braised pork on crispy corn tortilla chips topped with melted pepper jack cheese, green onions, jalapeños, tomatoes and cilantro. The Salt Kitchen & Bar at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel & Spa has wood-roasted oysters and prosciutto wrapped Maine scallops, which were delectable.
Portsmouth has live music somewhere every night. The Press Room has jazz nightly and on Tuesday nights is open mic night where you’ll be blown away by the performances of local musicians. The city’s cultural masterpiece is The Music Hall, a gorgeous nearly 900-seat Victorian theater built in 1878. They have opera, pop music, comedy, theater, dance and appearances by bestselling authors.
For breakfast, head over to Popovers on The Square and devour the mouth-watering popovers, a roll made with egg batter, stuffed with scrambled eggs and bacon.
Portsmouth’s waterfront park has free concerts during the summer. Sail on the Gundalow Company’s Piscataqua, an authentic replica of the sailing river barges used to transport goods in the 18th and 19th centuries. Make reservations for a Thomas Laighton Cruise around Portsmouth Harbor. Visit the Albacore Submarine Museum for a guided tour of one of the most advanced U.S. Navy submarines ever built before atomic submarines.
Stay at historic Wentworth by the Sea Hotel & Spa in New Castle or the Martin Hill Inn, a classic New England inn with four-poster beds. Portsmouth’s about a four-hour ride from Westchester and the perfect place to escape to for a long weekend or delightful week. Now you know what Paul Revere, lobster rolls and the Russo-Japanese peace treaty all have in common – America’s third oldest city, magnificent Portsmouth, N.H.
For more information, visit www.portsmouthchamber.org or www.goportsmouth.com.
Hastings-on-Hudson resident Richard Levy is a former advertising “Mad Man” creative director and now prolific travel writer. He’s also an inventor of innovative new products and is writing and illustrating a new children’s book. You can contact him at RichardLevyTravelWriter@gmail.com.
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