Map & Menu has published a review of The Cheese Iron in Scarborough.
I’d highly recommend making the trip out to The Cheese Iron. If work doesn’t allow you to make it for lunch on a weekday, make the trip on a Saturday, and justify it by adding some dinner wine and cheese – if the meal doesn’t justify itself.
Photo courtesy of Map & Menu.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Zen Chinese Bistro.
Zen the concept is not about transcendence, but rather about deepening the quality of our worldly presence. Zen the Chinese Bistro is not exactly transcendent, but it does enhance the quality of Chinese cuisine in Portland. The menu does not veer far from the beaten path of Americanized-Chinese, but it executes those classic dishes well, with fresh ingredients. That is enough to put Zen among the upper tier of Chinese restaurants in town.
The Press Herald has published a review of Three Buoys.
Let me get the location comments out of the way, and I truly say this with respect. The corner of Cumberland and Washington avenues in Portland is not where I expected to find a wonderful haven — a diamond in the rough, if you will — of delicious dining. But guess what? That’s exactly what I found, and shame on me for having that attitude in the first place.
Map & Menu has published a review of Tandem Coffee.
And then, a little over a week ago, I saw the light – literally and figuratively – from a barstool in a small, well lit coffee shop in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood. At Tandem Coffee Roasters, owners Will and Kathleen Pratt have set up something special. Taking years of passion and experience in the realm of all things coffee (and some pretty handy carpentry and vision), they’ve turned a small building into an excellent coffee haven, roasting in-house, and serving from the clean, minimal cafe in the next room.
Photo courtesy of Map & Menu.
Phaidon Press collected restaurant recommendations from Rob Evans, Sam Hayward and 400 other chefs for their new publication Where Chefs Eat. Those that got the nod in Portland are Boda, Bresca, Fore Street, Gorgeous Gelato, Hot Suppa, Otto Pizza, Pai Men Miyake and Petite Jacqueline.
Venues elsewhere in the state include Lost Kitchen, El Camino, Boynton-McKay, Primo and The Slipway.
The Golden Dish has published a survey of the more prominent bagel makers in the Portland area.
The dough is based on bread or plain flour, leavening or sour dough starter, salt, yeast and a sweetener like barley malt, honey or sugar. It’s shaped into rounds, left to rise for 12 hours and put in a water bath for a short time before baked in ovens. New York bagels, in particular, have that distinctive deep golden-brushed glow
But can you get a decent bagel in Maine?
The Kennebec Journal has published a review of Hot Suppa.
Portland has many high-end, fine-dining restaurants, but at Hot Suppa you get fine dining without the high prices. If you are looking for taste, value, uniqueness and friendly atmosphere, this is the place to dine in the big city.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Eventide.
In addition to oysters, Eventide packs a lot of imagination into a relatively slim menu. Scallops, squid, mussels, clams, lobsters, and a variety of fish are variously cured, pickled, grilled, poached, stewed, or served raw — often kissed with the sharp, clear notes of sour, garlicky, vinegary Asian flavors. Despite the variety it never feels like a jumble, and each dish is its own well-conceived whole.
The Golden Dish has published a review of Congress Bar & Grill.
The food is still well priced at Congress Street, with barely an entrée more than $17. And this is good because what Portland lacks in spades is casual joints like this where the ambiance, the food and the mood all contrive to make it an exciting reason to dine out without breaking the bank.
The Press Herald has published a review of 158 Pickett Street Cafe,
The cool and funky shack is smack-dab in the middle of the seaside campus of Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. So unless you live nearby or find yourself at SMCC often, you might have to go a little out of your way to eat there.
But it’s worth the trip, in more ways than one.
and a bar review of Pizza Villa.
Pizza Villa is a hot spot for medical staff, sporting fans and those wanting to kick back and relax. Located in Portland’s West End and close to Maine Medical Center, the pizzeria and bar has been an institution since 1965. The family-owned-and-operated business is extremely welcoming and very casual.
Also in today’s paper is a letter to the editor about the Maine Food Producers Alliance.