Category: Reviews

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.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Schulte & Herr.

 I daresay goulash, schnitzel and dumplings? Homemade rye bread and liptauer cheese with cornichons and capers? Spaetzle and caramelized onions under melted Emmentaler or the bratwurst platter with all the fixings?

Edible Obsessions has published a review of Schulte & Herr.

With nearly everything made on site, and where dishes seemed pressed to reach above $10 a plate, Schulte and Herr is easily one of the best new restaurants in town, where people always seem to be calling for ‘more bang for my buck.’ The portions are generous, preparation simple and, most importantly, the food is good. Really, really good.

Eat Here Go There has published a review of Tu Casa.

While the décor at Tu Casa is sparse, the flavors certainly aren’t. Get yourself there and taste some authentic Salvadoran cuisine, and meet some really awesome people. The place is really starting to get packed, even on weeknights. When the tables are full you can pretty much anticipate a wait for your food, but rest assured it will come out piping hot and extremely fresh.

The October issue of The Bollard is now online. It includes:

• A review of Portland’s new German restaurant, Schulte & Herr,
  For my daughter, the Belgian waffle with blueberry-maple syrup ($7) looked too good to pass up. And she was right — it was fantastic. Unlike a typical waffle that serves only as a vehicle for fruity toppings and whipped cream, this one was delicious on its own, with flavors of whole wheat, yeast and vanilla melding together perfectly. Of course, dipping bites into a blend of wild blueberries and maple syrup was pretty freaking good, too.
• A bar review of Zapoteca,
  The drink menu is extensive and, in some cases, expensive — there are a couple shots that would cost more than your and your date’s meals combined. But don’t be intimidated. The first page of the libations menu has a dozen or so cocktails, the majority of them tequila-based, priced between $8 and $11.  The second page is an extensive list of tequilas. It’s here that you’ll find shots as high as $65, though most fall in the $8-to-$13 range. These are not gimmick offerings, but an attempt to showcase the true diversity of premium tequilas.
• Letters to the editor about prohibition cocktails and against “improving” the standard Maine Italian sandwich
  The mere fact that he would even consider upgrading an Italian (or, to use the proper pronunciation, “eye-talian”) is an insult. Though he does acknowledge that “the junky goodness [is] part of the appeal,” he misses the fact that said junky goodness is the entire appeal.

The Golden Dish has published a review of DiMillo’s.

On to the main course, I chose the mixed seafood broil—haddock, scallops, and Gulf shrimp. The scallops were as chewy as gum balls. The haddock was overcooked and the iodinated shrimp probably came flash frozen from Gulf waters since it’s nearly impossible to get fresh specimens anywhere in Maine unless our own variety is in season. The accompaniment of spinach with cheese sauce tasted like it came from the Bird’s Eye freezer pouch.

Maria’s Ristorante receives 3 stars from the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Last reviewed here in 2005 when it was awarded four stars, Maria’s remains an old-fashioned Italian eatery, with substantial portions of traditional homestyle food that’s moderately priced. Still, in that time Portland has evolved even more as a city for new and creative culinary endeavors, which makes this place, in contrast, feel dated. Great meatballs, marinara, bruschetta and desserts; the rest that we tried, albeit mostly homemade, is standard fare. Families, groups and couples who are drawn to this type of atmosphere will find it a good place to kick back with some red wine and red sauce and feel completely apart from the world outside.

From Away has published a review of The Thirsty Pig.

Regardless of how it got there, The Thirsty Pig is a wonderful addition to Portland’s food scene; not only are there few places to get a complete lunch, including a pint of beer, for under eight bucks in this city, but the level of care and quality in that lunch sets The Thirsty Pig well beyond the reach of its competitors. This is unabashed beer-drinking food; eat a sausage, and you’ll want a pint, which will make you crave another sausage, and then another pint, until you lack the ability to get up out of the cozy booth you’re seated in. It’s a perfect way to spend a rainy weekend afternoon with nothing to do, tucked in with friends, letting the pitchers flow, and keeping the grilled sausages coming.

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of the Museum Cafe.

They do specialize in dishes that allow patrons to get a little sculptural — charcuterie and pâtés, for example, that you can assemble on toasted bread with various accoutrements. One version featured salmon two ways — smoked and as a pâté (served in a little goblet) that mixed the smoked and the poached. It was a handsome plate, and pleasant to eat. In the pâté the sweet flavor of poached fish was mellowed and deepened by the smokier notes. Bitter little sunflower sprouts were an interesting touch.