Map & Menu has published a review of brunch at Pai Men Miyake.
Meredith loved her fried rice with bok choy, chinese chives, ginger, and a Miyake farm poached egg, and after we added a cup of always-amazing Tandem coffee, brunch at Miyake had easily been cemented in our minds as a new Portland brunch must.
The Press Herald has published a review of Small Axe.
Check out Small Axe for an on-the-go experience that’s fast, local and delicious.
A group of the old O-Rama food blogging team reconvened this summer to explore Portland’s emerging food trucks scene. Founding members Edible Obsessions and The Blueberry Files joined by Map & Menu to trywhat these mobile kitchens are cooking up.
Edible Obsessions visited Small Axe Truck and Bite into Maine.
On first bite, it was easy to see why it was [owner] Sarah [Sutton]’s favorite, and their choice for entry into The Rumble. The coleslaw is lightly dressed, leaving a lot of crunch in the red and green cabbage. Add that to a perfect crisp on the bun and you have the perfect balance to the buttery lobster. The roll itself weighed a pound–if not a bit more–and was near impossible to eat with simple bites without plucking out some of the lobster with the fork they provided (this is by no means a criticism of the roll).
Map & Menu visited El Corazon, Bite into Maine, Mainely Burgers, Small Axe and Love Cupcakes.
In the past couple of weeks, Meredith and I have been undertaking the extremely enjoyable challenge of trying as many of Portland’s food trucks as possible. While we missed a few (that we’ll be sure to add as time goes on), the ones we visited spelled out a bright future for the Portland food truck scene. The general gist from all of them was that a tasty breakfast, lunch, late night, or dessert doesn’t necessarily need to come from a brick and mortar establishment – if you concentrate on doing a few things very well, your next great Portland meal might come from the curb.
The Blueberry Files visited Bite into Maine and El Corazon.
Topped off with a pineapple aqua fresca, we had a filling, inexpensive lunch that was a great sampling of Mexican food. I recommend you seek out El Corazon. They post their schedule on their website, and also use Instagram, Twitter, and facebook to announce their daily location.
I haven’t made it through the full line-up yet myself. Among the ones I’ve tried so far my favorites are Bite into Maine (where I go for the Picnic-style lobster roll), Mainely Burgers (classic burger and an order of fries), Small Axe (General Tso’s pork belly sandwich) and El Corazon (Baja fish burrito). I encourage you to read what the bloggers have to say, check-out the food truck directory below, and then go out there and give them all a try.
Bite into Maine – lobster rolls in Fort Williams Park
website | facebook | twitter
El Corazon – Mexican food
website | facebook | twitter
Love Cupcakes – cupcakes in Falmouth and Portland with their new truck
website | facebook | twitter
Mainely Burgers – burgers and fries on Congress Street
facebook | twitter
Portside Picnic – can regularly be found in the Back Cove parking lot
facebook | twitter | website
Small Axe Truck – breakfast on Anderson St, lunch on Congress Street
website | facebook | twitter
The Squeeze – located in the Home Depot parking lot on Riverside
facebook
Wicked Good Street Kitchen – two trucks, one on Peaks Island near the ferry and one in a variety of locations in Portland
website | facebook | twitter
There are also a number of trucks currently under construction:
Ana’s Mobile Gourmet was mentioned in a food truck article that appeared in the Portland Phoenix.
Mainely Burgers is working on a dessert truck called Mainely Treats that’s expect to launch in early July.
Maine Fodder is working on a truck that will both operate as a traditional food truck and be a mobile farm stand.
Urban Sugar Mobile Cafe will be serving made-to-order gourmet mini-donuts they hope to open mid-July.
The Golden Dish has published a review of Local 188.
Fortunately the rest of our meal was very satisfying, and for an entree I had the evening special, halibut scented with basil and served over wheat berries, a healthy and soulful dish that I quite enjoyed. And my friend chose the house gnocchi, albeit an unusual preparation that placed sautéed gnocchi in a beer and sausage gravy, with red bell peppers, manchego and topped with an egg sunny side up.
The Blueberry Files has published a review of happy hour at The North Point,
So maybe the food is a little pricey for what it is and the vibe they’re going for. But the drink specials at happy hour may ease the pain, and the place is fun with friendly staff.
and Peter Peter Portland Eater has published a review of The Corner Room.
My wife and I were happy and full. The meal came to just over $50. It was a seriously pricey breakfast, but a strong offering from the Corner Room and the least I could give my readers upon my return. If you go for brunch, save up your sheckles and get the antipasti. Oh, and tell ‘em Peterpeterportlandeater sent ya.
Portland Magazine has published a review of JP’s Bistro.
My partner’s chicken and eggplant parmigiana, with layers of gently fried chicken filet and eggplant slices baked with rich sauce and mozzarella, is a well-prepared casserole dish that comes with a side of pasta topped with tasty marinara and earns audible plaudits all around ($17).
This issue also includes articles about Maine chefs, Portland’ s happy hour options and lobster bakes which are not available online.
Bon Appetit calls the meal prepared by Aurora Provision’s Leslie Oster the standout dinner at the Kennebunk Festival.
But it was the cooked dishes that proved chef Oster’s skill. Anyone can give you fresh-from-the-dirt produce and you’ll love it, but Oster followed through, sending out nice seared duck and, later, a slab of pork belly (equally fatty, salty, and sweet) that was as good as I’ve had in a long time. The farm-to-table conceit was cute, but it wasn’t just a stunt. This was a real meal. I can’t wait to see what she (and everyone else) does next year.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Little Tap House.
The burger is a good one, the bun a soft sweet brioche with a good dark crust. The juicy burger, ground in-house, had been loosely packed just to that right spot where it holds together but does not get too dense. The terrific Maine potato fries seemed double-fried, and come with a choice of sauces — both in the style now familiar from Duckfat. An entrée of roast chicken was juicy and herby, with a just-crisp skin. The accompanying mashed potatoes and snap peas were quite good, unmarred by a compulsion to jazz up their classic appeal.
The Blueberry Files has published a review of Dishcrawl and the food the group had at The Porthole, The Thirsty Pig, Blue Rooster and The Salt Exchange.
I enjoyed my experience, and heard from a lot of participants that they were in places they’d never been or never would have thought to try. So Mary is accomplishing the mission of Dishcrawls to connect locals with new restaurants. These tours are aimed at locals, with Dishcrawls being offered more frequently in the winter when the restaurants aren’t as busy.
Today’s Press Herald includes an Eat & Run review of In’finiti,
This time around, I ordered the pretzel crusted chicken sandwich ($7), which came with avocado, tomato, arugula and aioli on a kaiser roll. It was moist, tender and a bit on the sinful side. Therefore, I loved it.
as well as a bar review of Flatbread, an article about Baxter Brewing’s expansion, and an article on the 30th anniversary of Mark’s Hot Dogs.
More Broke 207 has published a bar review of Forest Gardens.
When our food arrived, it arrived unadorned on paper plates, exactly like a $2 grilled cheese should. With all the fennel infused, grass fed, handcrafted, small farm, artisanal food that Portland is so famous for… sometimes it’s just nice to have a grilled cheese on crappy white bread hiding under a mountain of deep fried onions.