This is dope because it's an insanely unique idea.

Maine Outdoor Dining

During the start and height of the pandemic, we saw a lot of local restaurants around Maine have to think outside the box to not only keep the cash flow coming to keep the lights on, but also to -- more importantly -- keep the loyal customers coming and happy.

Curbside pick-up became a thing as well as outdoor dining, no matter the weather. Outdoor heaters became a thing as well as gigantic outdoor bubbles. Long story short, a lot of amazing ideas were born out of the forced creativity a lot of restaurants faced.

And the best part? A lot of those ideas have either stuck around or even evolved into better ideas. And this is one of them.

The Porthole via Instagram
The Porthole via Instagram
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The Porthole Restaurant

Last night on their Instagram, The Porthole Restaurant & Pub on the waterfront in Portland, Maine, showed off their latest amazing idea that no doubt will capture every winter lover's heart in Maine, and even Mainers who hate winter.

Obviously, this is the time of year when boarders, skiers, and tubers thrive -- hitting the mountains for some runs and hanging in the lodge after for an apres ski party. And usually in those groups are the Mainers that don't do any of that and stay in the lodge the whole time.

That's more or less the crowd that The Porthole is grabbing with their new feature -- The Porthole Lodge. Literally set up like the outdoor areas of a ski lodge, The Porthole Lodge is a massive outdoor deck with multiple firepits, picnic tables, hightops, and get this:

The Porthole via Instagram
The Porthole via Instagram
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Adirondack chairs made with actual skis.

The best part? There's no waiting for The Porthole Lodge to come because it's open NOW. Today (Thursday, March 9) is literally the first day that The Porthole Lodge is open.

11 Maine Restaurants That Have Closed Since Being Featured on National Television Shows

Here's a list of 11 Maine restaurants that sadly have closed down since being featured on national television shows. Hopefully the list doesn't continue to get larger.

Data was researched from tvfoodmaps.com

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