PORTLAND, Maine -- Figuring out the identity of the trashy blonde near us has become a parlor game on a recent Friday night. That is, the buxom blonde in the painting perched above us at the Katahdin Restaurant. With her crude yellow fright wig, green headband, twisted mouth, smudge of turquoise eye shadow, and string of pearls, our enchantress could be anyone, really. We have our favorite guesses, though.
Divine, John Waters's muse, just before she is struck by a semi.
Debbie Reynolds after an all-night coke bender.
Barbara Bush partying back in the day at Studio 54.
Dolly Parton . . . now.
We enlist the help of our Bette Midler clone of a waitress, Zoi, who says she thought it was Anna Nicole Smith. Then, we chat up two men, Paul and Andre, gingerly sipping pink drinks at the bar, and they divine that she is really a he.
We have a winner. The painting is of a drag queen, and it was a gift to chef-owner Becky Lee Simmons, who runs the Katahdin (106 High St., 207-774-1740) with her partner and general manager, Winnifred Moody. They, too, come to the table and chat. .
The ID game underscores how easy it is to feel right at home in Portland's gay community. (Let's be frank: It's hard to imagine such immediate friendliness at a Boston eatery.) Long eclipsed by nearby Ogunquit's gay scene, Portland has its own charms.
The Katahdin is not exclusively gay, but it seems sort of the epicenter of the city's early queer nightlife. Folks come here for
After dinner, Paul and Andre give us the scoop on Portland's nightlife, though they forewarn us that "it's not going to compare to Boston's." Club options are limited here. For women, it's a no-brainer: Portland's lone lesbian bar, Sisters (45 Danforth St., 207-774-1505.
Otherwise, on Fridays, you go to the Roxy (at the Pavilion, 188 Middle St., 207-773-6422), where blow-up dolls dangle from swings suspended in midair and a giant disco casts little slivers of light on the fake palm trees. An upstairs lounge area is relaxing, but there's still no escaping the techno and vocoderized force of Cher peddled by the DJ downstairs.
If clubs and bars aren't your scene, there are plenty of other spots for a weekend getaway. SPACE (538 Congress St., 207-828-5600), a "nonprofit alternative arts venue," recently hosted Boston's cabaret-punk outfit the Dresden Dolls. A few doors down, the Portland Museum of Art (7 Congress Square, 207-775-6148), has Diane Arbus's candid "Family Albums" photo exhibit up through Aug. 1. Movies on Exchange (10 Exchange St., 207-772-9600) is your best bet for independent and queer cinema, and the Maine Gay Men's Chorus (www.mainegaymenschorus.org) will resume performances this winter.
Choosing lodging here is tricky; every place looks impossibly charming on its website, even if it's not gay-owned. There are standouts, though. Sue Cox, a spitfire North Carolina native, runs the Inn on Carleton (46 Carleton St., 207-775-1910) with her husband, Phil. The Victorian-decorated bed-and-breakfast has big rooms, excellent service, and reasonable rates ($149-$199 in season). A few minutes away, the Pomegranate Inn (49 Neal St., 207-772-1006) has wildly eclectic decor suggesting a late-'90s modern art gallery, and as such it's a bit pricier ($175-$265 in season).
Mims Brasserie (205 Commercial St., 207-347-7478), in the Old Port, is a California-styled oasis among the shabby crab shacks and touristy taverns. It's perfect for a late brunch or a glass of wine from the numerous racks of shiny bottles. Local 188 (188 State St., 207-761-7909), an artsy tapas restaurant/gallery, serves a similar purpose, only with a different clientele. Clusters of youthful hipsters in their disheveled Sunday best gather around the bar over fare such as burritos stuffed with baked shrimp and chourio.
On your way back from Portland Light, a must-see that tempts with sprawling vistas, have dinner at the lesbian-owned Barbara's Kitchen & Cafe (388 Cottage Road, 207-767-6313). It's off the beaten path in South Portland, but a real find. The modest interior belies chef-owner Barbara Winthrop's sophisticated cooking. It's small, but the food, particularly the house soup (tomato brandy), rewards the tight squeeze. Yet another famous blonde will hover over your table: Marilyn Monroe.
James Reed can be reached at jreed@globe.com.
