Category: Reviews

Reviews of Howie’s & Pom’s

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

The Press Herald has published a bar review of Howie’s,

While I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I ventured outside the popular Old Port bar area of Portland, I’m glad I gave Howie’s a shot. It’s a fun little place if you’re looking to venture from the Old Port crowds.

and a review of Pom’s.

On a cold day, one of my favorite comfort foods is any kind of noodle soup, or noodles in broth. So I went for lunch the other day at Pom’s Thai Taste Restaurant & Noodle House in Portland in search of some warm comfort.

I found it, plus a little extra kick.

Today’s paper also includes a report on the sour and wild beer tasting that recently took place at the Bier Cellar.

The Flemish red ale Duchesse de Bourgogne from Brouwerij Verhaeghe is a classic for the style, with almost no carbonation and a rich flavor. It is a blend of 8- and 18-month-old beers, aged in oak casks, with just a bit of sourness. It was one of my favorites of the line-up.

 

 

Review of The Loft

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of The Loft, as well as Five Guys and Elevation.

There is also a lot of beef — 30ish varieties of burger. That’s probably too many, but there are things to like about them. The burgers are big, but patted hard enough to prevent that burger-as-ball effect that makes many upscale versions hard to eat. Not that these burgers are upscale, exactly. At $10 including fries, they are around the same price as burgers at the Five Guys and Elevation chains…

5 Best Breakfast Sandwiches

| Posted in Reviews

Dispatch has published their list of the 5 Best Breakfast Sandwiches in Portland.

I love a good sit down brunch with the rest of ‘em. But let’s great real: this is Amurrrica. And in Amurrrica, we can’t always spend three hours slurping down mimosas when there’s a list of important Monday morning things we’ve got to do at the office. You know, like write about the best breakfast sandwiches in Portland. So here are my top five favorite places to pop in on my way to work for a bacon, egg, and cheese on the go.

Personally, I’d add the breakfast sandwiches at Aurora Provisions to their list.

What are your favorite spots for a breakfast sandwich in Portland?

 

Review of Zen

| Posted in Reviews

The Golden Dish (newly relocated to the Press Herald from Down East) has published a review of Zen Chinese Bistro.

After many visits over the last several months, Zen has become my de facto dining spot when I have a yen for Chinese food. It’s slightly more expensive than places like Panda Garden along the Brighton Ave. strip.  And it’s so much better.   

Let me be clear, though,  the cooking is not necessarily cutting edge or crafty. There’s no fusion gimmickry or sleight-of-hand flavors in surreptitious guises. Instead it’s good solid renditions of the genre, using quality local ingredients prepared with care.

Reviews of Micucci and Bonobo, Portland Beer Week

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

Today’s Press Herald includes a review of Micucci’s,

I’m already a regular customer of Micucci’s, especially the bakery/cafe part, where Stephen Lanzalotta’s Sicilian slab pizza is doled out to a long line of salivating customers jockeying for position. Lanzalotta’s pizza makes all the pleasure centers in your brain light up like a pinball machine until you want to cry for your mama.

as well as a bar review of Bonobo,

The pizza is the real star of this bar, with a thin crust and creative toppings to satisfy adventurous taste buds. The pies measure about 13 inches and come with a promise that no nitrates, hormones or antibiotics were used in the meats.

and a report from last week’s Portland Beer Week.

Brunch Review of Petite Jacqueline

| Posted in Reviews

Following up on their lunch review from earlier this Fall, Map & Menu has published a brunch review of Petite Jacqueline.

…Meredith ordered a Croque Madam (a gourmet ham and cheese, with ham, gruyere, mornay, and fried egg) to follow – it was fantastic, as I think I stole at least half of it right off her plate. I decided to try the Hachage Agneau (braise lamb hash with two poached eggs, homefries, hollandaise, and toast), and couldn’t have been happier than my selection.

Photo Credit: Map & Menu

Breakfast FAQ & Silly’s with a Twist

| Posted in General News, Reviews

This month’s edition of The Bollard includes a Portland breakfast FAQ,

“I just want a regular breakfast at a regular diner. Is that OK with you, Mr. Fancy Brunch Guy?”
Go to Steve and Renee’s (500 Washington Ave., Portland). You won’t find a better basic breakfast. The prices are low, and there is no friendlier service anywhere, period. And that’s a fact.

a bar review of Silly’s with a Twist,

In keeping with the more-is-more philosophy at Silly’s, the drink menu is four pages long. A fair amount of real estate is devoted to shakes, which can be made with ice cream and milk from cows, rice or soy. They also serve shakes with booze, like the Ragin’ Ruby (made with ruby port), Twist & Stout (contains Guinness) and the more traditional Mudslide. I tried the Sherry Baby ($7.50), which is made with Sandeman Amontillado. The fruits of the medium-dry Spanish sherry came through nicely and complemented the ice cream well.

Reviews of Amigo’s & Vaughan Street

| Posted in Reviews, Beer

The Press Herald has published a review of Vaughan Street Variety,

First, the positives: The breakfast sandwich was very good, and for $2.50, it felt like a bargain. I ordered it on an English muffin, which was lightly toasted. The egg was cooked thoroughly, without a runny yolk. The bacon was crisp and plentiful, and the white American cheese was drippy and gooey. It came tightly wrapped in tinfoil, and emitted steam when I unfolded it back home. Perfect.

as well as a bar review of Amigo’s and a report from last weekend’s Maine Brewers Festival.