Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Zapoteca.
It was absolutely wonderful. The habanero sauce on top was quite spicy, but nothing a margarita or two couldn’t solve. The roasted pepper was cooked to perfection and I was seriously impressed with the quality of all the ingredients. I would definitely eat that dish again and would recommend it to anyone who has an obsession with relleno, because I have a semi-serious one and it was more than I even hoped it would be.
Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes! has published a review of Y-Lime’s Gourmet.
These cupcakes are a testament to the art of the cupcake. It was ridiculously delicious, in addition to being beautiful. Y-Limes is not kidding when they say that they are artisan bakery. I also would like to mention that the owner is really nice. I love it when someone who loves their product, what they do and are also just a genuinely nice person to interact with. Y-Limes Gourmet has become the front runner for the Portland cupcake scene; which is to say a lot, because the competition is becoming quite fierce.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Zapoteca.
Zapoteca inherited a brick oven from the previous tenants, and they use it to good effect in their entrées — for example to roast four kinds of enchiladas. We tried a version filled with very tender white chicken and jack cheese. What we liked best about this dish is that they were not afraid to really bring the goopy sauce. In this case it was creamy tomatilla sauce that was a bit like a green-chili stroganoff.
Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Veranda Noodle Bar.
Overall, I think this is an excellent restaurant. I have never had a bad meal here and constantly tell people that they need to try it. So, now I’ll tell you, if you haven’t been you need to go now. Veranda is the pho king in Portland.
Top of the East received 3 stars from the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Go to the Top of the East for elegant cocktails while you can, before its planned two years of renovations. The ambience and service are outstanding, as is the extensive drink menu. Enjoy a holiday cocktail or glass of wine with the hands-down best view in Portland, either to begin or end an evening. The Top of the East does beverages and service exceptionally well.
The November issue of The Bollard included a bar review of the East Ender.
If you haven’t visited the East Ender yet, I urge you to check it out. Get there while you can still get a table.
Today’s Press Herald includes a review of the Ohno Cafe (4 stars),
It may have taken me a while to find my way to Cafe Ohno, but they had me at hello and at first bite.
and a bar review of Plush West End.
At the suggestion of Sean Steinmark, our bartender for the evening, I tried one of Plush West End’s most popular drinks, the Stargazer cocktail ($9). The drink blends citron and mandarin vodkas with white cranberry juice and something called luster dust, topped with a beautiful purple orchid. Not usually a fruity-drink imbiber myself, I could easily have drunk two or three of these. They were that delicious.
The Golden Dish has published a review of Fore Street.
With some of the best wait staff in town and a stellar kitchen staff, Fore Street is still one of Portland’s most admired restaurants with an iconic joi de vivre that makes dining here an event.
Mainely Eating has published a review of Schulte & Herr.
All of us eagerly samples each other’s plates, and it was hard to say which dish came out on top. The beef roast was so tender it fell apart, and the potato dumplings were soft and delicious. The Belgian waffle was crisp with a soft center, everything a perfect waffle should be. The sauerkraut and Bratwurst was amazing slathered in mustard. We all had to hold back from demolishing my daughter’s scrumptious plate of meat and cheeses.
The Front Room received 3 stars from a review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.
The Front Room, one of three Portland “Rooms” that chef Lee Harding Smith opened in Portland (The Grill Room and The Corner Room being the others), has garnered avid followers and good press. On a Tuesday night, plenty of people were lining up for supper.
My experience did not measure up to the hoopla.
I’d like to see some of the centerpieces we had — that juicy chicken, tender beef and silky smooth potatoes, for instance — get to show off their innate flavors. Let herbs, burgundy, garlic and such outshine the salt in the well-conceived items. A little hovering and tasting was in order.