Bartender: Portland food scene could use more bubbly

Claire Stretch, bartender at the Back Bay Grill, shares her impressions of Portland's food scene.
Title: Bartender at the Back Bay Grill
Training: Has worked in restaurants since the age of 15. Got a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Montana “which will really introduce you to cocktails.”
Ideal Job in Portland: The Back Bay Grill, are you kidding me?
Ideal Job anywhere else: I would like to work for someone like Laura Cunningham, who runs the front of the house for Thomas Keller. Or riding around the world in an all-terrain RV doing photography.
What’s Underrated: Bubbly, like champagne, Prosecco, brut. Maine is number 50 in sales of bubbly, at the very bottom. Fresh squeezed juice isn’t used enough either.
Signature Drink: Classic well-balanced Martini.
Bar Snack: White truffle oil popcorn and curry popcorn but you have to sit at the bar to get it
Drink of Choice: Allagash White
Music to pour by: My husband, Jay Pelletier, did a blend for me called Bold Soul Sister, with rare female singers on 45 like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.
Favorite other Portland restaurant: Miyake, hands down.
Favorite other bartender: Mark at JP Thornton’s. I’m an Allagash girl so it’s not what he makes, it’s the way he makes me feel when I go there. And Nathaniel from 188.
If I could have any meal: A muddled strawberry and white peppercorn vodka martini with a scoop of Jay’s white peppercorn ice cream then a trip around the world trying oysters.
Where you’ll find her on days off: In and out of the Presumpscot River, swimming and kayaking with her waterproof camera taking pictures that she posts on clairestretch.org.

— Margo Mallar