April 3, 2016 · 2:36 pm
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Harbor Fish Market, Portland, ME

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Harbor Fish Market, Portland, ME

Harbor Fish Market is the best fish market that I’ve ever been to.  I haven’t been there in years, but at my latest Stonewall Kitchen event, Chef Bethany Taylor purchased 37 whole sea bass for our main course, which was Salt-Crusted Roasted Sea Bass with Fennel, Capers and Arugula.  It was fantastic, perhaps the freshest fish I have ever had.

Founded in 1969 by Ben Alfiero Sr., Harbor Fish Market is still in its original location on the water in Portland’s historic waterfront district. Ben along with his three sons, Nick, Ben and Mike, has forged a unique seafood company, with high quality product, strong customer relationships, with a wide, abundant array of product. The Alfieros have committed to high quality fish and seafood across the entire operation. The adage, “if the product is not fresh enough for us to take home and prepare, then we are not going to sell it, period,” has been our philosophy in the operation for years. By committing to these extremes in quality, Harbor Fish Market has set itself apart from other seafood companies, with its unique combination of high quality, wide selection, unparalleled service and customer satisfaction. The family has developed a very special and unique place to shop along with being a fun place to visit.

I had a great time yesterday morning meeting up with Corey Templeton of Portland, Maine Daily Photo. I could tell driving down to Portland that the clouds were lining up for what promised to be a great sunrise, so I was very excited to get out and shoot. After considering several other locations, we parked the car by the Civic Center and walked down into the Old Port. Looking back, it seems like we were magnetically drawn to this location. That, or we just knew that we could get a good shot here. Corey calls it the "Portland Head Light" of downtown Portland because of it's popularity with photographers. Popularity be damned, this was turning out to be one amazing sunrise. I was running around, setting up in different locations, trying different compositions, all the while making statements like, 'this is amazing!', 'wow!', and 'so beautiful!'. When I looked over at Corey, he seemed much calmer, enjoying himself, but not as overwhelmed with the sunrise as I was. What can I say, I'm a nut. After witnessing the clouds explode, the light subdued a bit but remained beautiful for the next 10 minutes, so we turned back towards town and took some images of the Customs House, which we both agreed is probably the coolest building in Portland. I'll share that one later, along with images looking up down Commercial Street for my 'Maine Streets' series. Have a great week, y'all. I'll check in again before Thanksgiving.

The picturesque and historic storefront at 9 Custom House Wharf has served as a backdrop for national and international advertisements, and is the subject of countless paintings, photographs, and post cards. Inside the store you will find a fully viewable processing room and a full view specialty cut room. There is over 50 linear feet of display showcases, displaying top quality fish, seafood and thousands of pounds of lobsters for your dining delight. Harbor Fish consistently wins local readers polls and “best of” contests. The retail store is a stop for local shoppers, visitors and a destination for tour groups and schools.

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Perhaps it’s the 50 feet of mouth watering seafood display or the surging salt water tanks, that house hundred of Lobsters, or perhaps it’s the clean ocean smell, the knowledgeable sales staff, or the convenient parking at the front door that keeps people coming back for more, week after week and year after year. We invite you to come for a visit and see a true working fish market.

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Tim Greenway/Staff Photographer - Freshly caught lobsters rest in a crate at Harbor Fish Market in Portland on July 17, 2012.

Tim Greenway/Staff Photographer

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