Category: Reviews

The Golden Dish has published an overview of the Maine Restaurant Week dinner at the The Salt Exchange.

The three courses offered were a good sampling of the stylish American bistro fare that the restaurant does so well. The prix fixe presented such dishes as a novel take on shrimp cocktail, to a classic frisee salad with poached egg, to such satisfying main courses as braised short ribs; lobster in a luscious cream sauce and roast pork loin.

Map & Menu has published a review of Bar Lola.

The four years we’ve lived here is a long time to wait for a meal as delicious as ours, but slowly but surely we’re covering each of the best places in Portland, and Bar Lola definitely ranks towards to the top of that list. I can’t wait for our return visit.

Photo Credit: Map & Menu

The Breakfast Club has published a review of Sonny’s.

The meal was really good, piping hot (the whole thing is baked in the oven), and had a pretty perfect ratio of components. The potatoes could’ve been cooked a little more (maybe a tad of crispiness?) and the eggs a little less, but all-in-all, this meal was delicious. I especially appreciated the garnish of lightly-pickled purple cabbage on top. A lovely pop of color, and tasty to boot. I would definitely order it again.

The Golden Dish has published a survey of locally made English muffins.

English muffins are a big deal in Portland.  Locally made by some of our best bakers they have a near-cult following—a purist’s artisanal pecking order, if you will,  of perfection.

Food Coma has published a review of the February Pocket Brunch.

While most guests arrive at the house of RosenChamp on time, ready to devour platters of crunchy praline bacon, bruleéd grapefruit, and sticky bananas foster bostocks, I am busy being late, fighting my way out of Massachusetts after a rather substantial snowstorm that involved an actual “driving ban.”

GoLocalProv has produced a list of the New England’s 25 Best Food Towns, Portland weighs in at #4.

Talk about a food town. There is no city of its size that contains so much independent cooking and notable dining than this beautiful city just two hours from Boston. Walking the streets of Portland’s Old Port district is like walking any street in New York City’s West Village or Soho, and without the attitude and high prices. Portland is a food-lover’s pure pleasure, and its Top 5 standing in New England is proof…You’ll need more than a week.

Edible Obsessions has published a review of Saigon.

But, the surprise of the meal, though was an appetizer special of steamed rice pancake, ground pork, pork skin, onions, pickled daikon and carrot, basil, lettuce, cucumber and fish sauce. It looked like a deconstructed Banh Mi, minus the baguette and mayonnaise…

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of J’s Oyster Bar.

Remember that J’s is a joint. Entrees are ample and tasty, and diners won’t leave hungry, but it’s not fine dining. It’s a sleeves rolled up, slurp some oysters with basic horseradish and shoot the (expletive deleted) over a few beers locale. Placemats are paper, and house rules are clearly stated on cards at each table.

And that’s part of J’s charm.