Spread has received 4 stars from a review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.
Those gaffes noted and accounted for, Spread is still a “wow.” And if Spread is a “wow” now, I anticipate a “double wow” once the restaurant sorts out its growing pains. Spread brings urban chic to Portland, along with an excuse to step outside my typical clothes closet. While certainly not Hollywood’s Rainbow Room in its heyday, I did see two local celebrities in the course of the night.
Look sharp, sample the colorful cocktail menu, and prepare to enjoy an evening of inventive and eclectic dining like well-dressed grown-ups.
Hollywood Rainbow Room?? Joe Baum is turning over in his grave…
I’m amazed that that PPH continues to employee Shonna to write food reviews. Her latest review on Spread was as bad as her Silly’s with a Twist (http://www.pressherald.com/life/audience/sillys-with-a-twist-adds-liquor-late-hours-to-dynamite-menu_2012-02-12.html) review. A reader is hard pressed to find anything substantial about the food in her reviews and left wondering if reviewers are even vetted to make sure their background qualifies them to critique restaurants.
The larger issue is that PPH alternates reviewers, but each reviewer is able to assign the common star rating to the restaurant. For example, Nancy Heiser had a decent review of Bresca on 6/10, with a major flaw of only giving it 4.5 Stars (instead of 5 Stars). Then you have Shonna awarding Silly’s and Spread 4 Stars, even though the restaurants are not even in the same league as Bresca. Bresca has been nationally recognized, and correctly earned 5 stars from PPH a few years ago.
All reviews, be they of a restaurant, a book, or a music recording, are subjective in nature so Heiser’s review of Bresca is not flawed by 4.5 starts instead of 5.0 stars as that is her opinion. Equally valid are Shonna’s ratings of Silly’s and Spread as those are *her* ratings.
Shona was not comparing those places to Besca, just using her views as to how they were.
@Cat — the problem is that someone that is deciding where to dine might search for all restaurants rated 4 or higher. That causal reader might read that Silly’s and Spread are only half a star different from Bresca and believe they are about the same quality.
Also it is unfortunate that Shona doesn’t seem to have a depth of knowledge about properly reviewing restaurants, or at least in doesn’t come across in her reviews. A more seasoned reviewer would wait more than a few weeks after an opening to rate a restaurant. It’s fine to give a “first impressions” opinion — but amateur to rate a restaurant that soon.