Brice Bowman-Laberge

Mash Tun

By Sara Hogan and Jessie Banhazl

Age: 37

Hometown: Lubec, Maine

Bar of choice: Mash Tun

Drink of choice: Tequila Surprise

Mash Tun, the bar and eatery on Wharf Street, is an oasis of unpretentiousness amid the touristy hustle of Portland’s Old Port. With its dark wood, dim light, and low wood-beamed ceiling, this craft beer cellar has an easygoing atmosphere and reasonably priced food. Who has an $8 burger anymore?

“A lot of nights when I was broke, this was the only place I could afford to eat,” said Mash Tun manager Dan Lemly. “I got to know my now-wife here, and it’s still our favorite spot to come, even though I manage it now.”

“Yeah, it’s on Wharf Street,” Dan added, “but it doesn’t feel like it.”

Dan nominated his friend Brice Bowman-Laberge to be this month’s Regular.

When did you start coming to Mash Tun?

Pretty much since it opened in 2015. I was working at Street and Co. and I started coming here. I was living above Fore Play with two bartenders that worked here. My earliest memories were coming here just as the bars were closing to help sweep and mop and get everyone out. I would come in after work and play tour guide. It got to the point where the bartenders would just give me a pad of paper and I would give recommendations for people visiting, so they’d buy my bar tab. I know a lot of people really don’t like Wharf Street, but I love Wharf Street.

What’s your drink of choice?

I made up a drink here, actually. It’s called a Tequila Surprise, which is tequila and whatever mixer you want. A Tequila Aggressive is just a shot of tequila. If it’s busy, I get that, and eventually a Surprise shows up.

Where are you from?

I was born in Machias, but I lived in Eastport, then Lubec until I was eighteen. I moved to Chicago for art school. I was in Chicago for six years, then Midcoast Maine for a little, then New York City. I’ve been in Portland since 2013.

What was art school like?

I was a cinematography major. I was in a lighting class and the teacher’s like, “Alright, I need some help on a shoot. I want to tell you right off the bat, it’s great pay, but it’s an adult film.” That’s fine, because I had already done a graduate film that was much weirder than the porno. The graduate student film was about this prisoner getting out of jail, and the first shot was him jerking off to completion. I was the focus-puller, which means I have to be making sure it’s in focus. So I’m in this jail cell with me and the director of photography and this guy jerking off, and I’m just making sure that it comes into focus. The next day, it was just full penetration sexy, and the actors were a little nervous. The directors said, “Alright, the crew’s gonna strip down to their underwear to make you guys feel better.” So I was prepared for the porno. It was much less awkward than that graduate student film.

How did you transition from film school to becoming a chef?

I went to New York City and applied for a food job and a film job, and the food job just paid a lot better. I worked at the restaurant that won Season One of Top Chef. I learned a lot. I got screamed at a lot. Unfortunately, that’s how you learn how to be a cook, because it just gets the point where you’re like, “Well, fuck you, I’m tired of getting yelled at! I’m gonna do everything perfect so you don’t yell at me anymore!” Spite is also a big driver for me — it keeps me motivated. But then I came back to Maine and I got a cooking job that I wanted. That’s how I got to be the sous chef at Street and Co. I was a sous there for about five years.

We heard you run a food truck. Tell us about that.

I made some money off the stock market during COVID, so I bought a cart. The first year went well, so my girlfriend and I bought a truck last June. I’m almost two years into it now. It’s called Meet on the Street. It started out with sandwiches, but I switched to tacos; but they’re not traditional tacos at all. I smoke a lot of meats and I make my own sausage and pickles. We have curries and soups in the winter. We switch the menu basically every day. We’re at Après and Belleflower [Brewing Co.] a lot. I just booked a pop-up at High Roller on the twenty-seventh of April.

How does it feel to be a regular at Mash Tun?

You know, sometimes you just come in and you’re not sure what to expect. Sometimes, I come in and I literally know everyone here. It’s my second home, and I feel really comfortable here. I have a lot of great memories. They helped me for a while when I was cooking. When I needed a job, I cooked here. I actually had a broken arm at the time, so I was a one-armed chef, but I made it work. Mash Tun was really the first place I felt welcomed and part of the family. Also, they’re the only ones that know how to make a Tequila Surprise!

Know an interesting bar regular? Recommend them to us by e-mailing theregularsmaine@gmail.com.