Month: September 2015

The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Isa.

The benefits of Isa’s simplicity were most clearly on display in the fantastic burrata crostini. It was made transcendent by the ample slices of perfectly ripe yellow tomatoes, which lay between a rustic bread smeared with pesto and the creamy cheese. A grilled peach appetizer benefited from the fruit’s not-quite-ripeness. A sweeter peach might have overwhelmed the bitter of arugula and the tang of goat cheese. In another likeable salad, the tartness and acid of grapefruit, along with thin slices of apple and a splash of cider, mellowed the aroma and bite shaved fennel.

The Press Herald has published a bar review of Evo,

Evo Kitchen & Bar should be on the top of anyone’s list for the next place to go for wine, cocktails, and small plates. Michael Gatlin has created a beautiful drink list that complements Chef Matt Ginn’s beautiful, seasonal Mediterranean fare. The all-glass space and design is breathtaking, and nowhere else on Fore Street will you feel like you’re at a swanky bar somewhere in Manhattan.

and has reviewed Ocho.

I ordered The Classic. This meant my burrito was a symphony of Spanish rice, cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, crema, plus the two added bonuses of chicken and guacamole. It was ready in about three blinks of an eye, and I was out the door walking back to the newsroom. Once the noshing began, it was a formidable task to eat this hefty burrito…Anyway, my OCHO burrito wasted no time in announcing its deliciousness as my taste buds were awakened by a nine-piece band of flavors. Everything seemed incredibly fresh and, yes, I finished the whole thing.

BuzzFeed has posted a list of the “39 Amazing Things That Will Make You Fall In Love With Portland, Maine“. The staff at BF must love to eat out because most of the list highlights restaurants and bars including: Tandem, Eventide, Central Provisions, J’s Oyster Bar, Bard, Lolita, Boda, Silly’s, Schulte & Herr, Blue Spoon,  Hunt & Alpine and many more.

Eatcentric Me has posted a report on Inside, Outside, Above, Below.

I attended Lauren Fensterstock and Aaron Stephan with Chef Masa Miyake’s (chef and owner of Miyake, Pai Men Miyake, and Miyake Farm) staged dinner event INSIDE, OUTSIDE, ABOVE, BELOW recently, and it was a coalescence of all things I most readily identify with and love: great food paired with drinks, meeting interesting people and sharing the experience with them, and a creative, choreographed art installation centered around dining.

The Golden Dish has reviewed Sunday brunch at Piccolo.

The play of seasonings was exciting: Calabrian chili, pepper, plenty of sea salt and a trace of fennel accented the chicken and potato hash; and the semolina bread, toasted until soft-but-crunchy held the sweet raisins.  I was tempted to ask for a fruit preserve to spread on the toast but as soon as I broke open the egg, the yolk bathed everything else in its path and I coaxed  the bread to sop up all those components in the dish.