Category: Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Schulte & Herr.

S&H gets this balance just right with dish after dish. For example, not only are the potato pancakes made from a pillowy whip, and seared crispy without too much crunch or grease. They are also served with a house-cured salmon that keeps things bright by enhancing the flesh’s natural sweetness with subtle notes of orangey citrus. It is all served with a thin, light sour cream and horseradish sauce, which along with some capers, radish, and cornichon, enhance both fish and potato, and overwhelm neither.

Portland Magazine has published a review of Fez.

Fez offers a striking array of appetizers, beginning with the sautéed shrimp dish Kimroun Sharmoula ($6.95). The Moroccan touch sparkles here, with a light garlic-tomato sauce enhancing the sweet shrimp flavors, keeping each morsel moist and delectable.

The November issue also includes a survey of Portland’s ethnic markets. The article isn’t available online but you should be able to a find a paper copy of Portland Magazine at your local newsstand.

The Maine Magazine Blog has posted a review of Schulte & Herr.

One of the most exciting elements of the fledgling brunch service is the Sunday roast, featuring different meats and gravy each week and served with potato dumplings plus one choice of side. On this particular visit they are serving beef, and based on the knowledge that I have no need to be productive for the next few hours, I am all over it. As a peace offering to my body I also order up a small house salad and a decaf coffee, which is quite flavorful. I drink it black to give other diners the impression that I am hardcore.

From Away has posted a review of Ribollita.

But it was Malcolm’s dinner that won the night, and my heart. You could tell me that all life evolved from the primordial soup of their North End Linguini ($18.50) with clams and mussels in white sauce, and I would not object. A deep plate teeming with mollusks, garlic, butter, juices, the essence of life – what is it exactly? I cannot say; it is ineffable. I couldn’t stop my fork from impinging to twirl more pasta and pluck a sweet clam from its shell. I deeply regretted eating all the bread earlier, as this is a dish meant for swabbing.

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Gingko Blue.

It would be easy to get addicted to the well-rendered cocktails at Gingko. A drink called the “noble experiment” combined whiskey and limoncello to create something like a sublime whiskey sour. Honey dripped down the rim at a calming glacial pace. A French 75 — gin, lemon, and champagne, was light and refreshing. The wine list has some nice glasses to go with food, like a dry, peaty zinfandel by Project Paso. We enjoyed it with a panini that was a bit too dry. It was filled with a nice fatty bratwurst and a kraut that could use more zing…

The Press Herald has published a review of Anthony’s,

I believe we need more eateries where the servers call you “honey.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I like it when I get treated like a regular, like somebody the staff is actually happy to see.

On a recent trip to Anthony’s Italian Kitchen in Portland, I got such a treatment — not to mention a great sandwich.

and Portland Bar Guide has published a review of Zapoteca.

… On cue, the bartender swung over to assist. After counseling me through a variety of tough decisions (Spicy or mild? Sweet or savory?), he produced a delightfully fresh and spicy margarita – served up, of course – named El Pepino. With a beautifully balanced mix of cucumber and jalapeno, I really couldn’t go wrong. It was different, simple, well done, and stylish. In a nut shell, much like rest of Zapoteca.

Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Emilitsa.

We both decided Greek Comfort food was the way to go. I can never turn down lamb in any form and I had never, ever, had lamb’s neck before so ordering the Lemo Arnou was a no brainer for me. This dish was an all-natural grass-fed lamb neck, slow braised in a mastic yogurt honey sauce and then served with olive oil pomme puree and fire roasted florina peppers. It was perfectly fresh and definitely heavy. I loved the subtle gaminess of the lamb paired with the light sauce and pomme puree. I would go back a hundred more times to eat that dish again. Perfection.

Down East has published a review of Emilitsa.

In a city of great restaurants, yet one more might have trouble standing out. And that may be the case with Emilitsa, which flies a bit under the radar despite its stellar cuisine and top-notch service. Just a few doors down from Five Fifty-five, in a slim storefront on Congress Street in Portland, brothers John and Demos Regas serve refined Greek fare that will erase the memory of the last mystery-meat gyro you grabbed at a street fair — and add one more name to the ever-growing list of must-visit Portland restaurants.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Fez.

Throw aside most expectations of fine dining to enjoy Fez, a hole-in-the-wall neighborhood establishment where the food is mostly good, and the owners, who also serve and cook, welcome you like an old friend. Dishes in hues of brown and yellow bear robust flavors of north Africa. Zaalouk, an eggplant appetizer, is a must-order. The falafel is tasty, too. You’d be hard-pressed to get such hearty and inexpensive portions of halal meat anywhere else in Maine. Still, three months after opening, the establishment shows disorganization. The happiest customers will be those who come with a flexible attitude.

Appetite Portland and The Blueberry Files have coordinated a pair of articles with recommendation for Fall dishes and Fall drinks.

As the temps drop my focus shifts to comfort food. The stewed and brothy. The ample and starchy. The earthy and rich. I scan menus for things I’d never consider in warmer weather. Cheesy noodles. Heavy sauces.

The Press Herald has published a review of Taco Escobarr.

I would go back to Taco Escobarr in a heartbeat because the food here is, overall, very good. It’s a great new addition to downtown Portland, and a perfect alternative to fast food for those late-night munchies.