Category: Reviews

For the September edition of our collaborative O-Rama food writing project the group was challenged to write about breakfast on the go. Now we’re not talking about your Sunday morning leisurely brunch but that hard pressed, running late, on your way to work breakfast solution. As you’ll read below they’re a variety of thoughts on the best way to address the early morning need for calories and caffeine. Personally, my go-to spot for weekday breakfast is Bard Coffee. For more than a year my standing order was for a breve cappuccino and a chocolate croissant but I’ve recently switched to a cup of the House Blend and a Holy Donut.

Appetite Portland – Standard Baking Co.

The item varies. It depends on the precise hour. Some things are best (or only available) at a certain tick of the morning clock. But the place is always the same. When someone says “breakfast on the go” in Portland – I can only picture myself strolling out of one glass door – fresh pastry in hand. It’s not original, but it is classic: Standard Baking Co..… read the full article

Chubby Werewolf – Fit to Eat

With a five dollar price tag, this is not the cheapest breakfast sandwich in town. But it is easily one of the best values. The English Muffin is homemade, and close to twice the size of your average “fast food” english muffin. Inside, you’ll find a scrambled egg, perfectly seasoned and topped with two—sometimes three—slices of thick, salty bacon. I’m not sure where Mike Mastronardi (owner and the guy behind the counter during most of my visits) sources his bacon from, but I can tell you that it is vastly superior to what you’ll find on the breakfast sandwiches at most other establishments. At first glance, the cheese appears to be missing, but trust me when I tell you that it is there, delicately folded in with the egg.… read the full article

Edible Obsessions – The Holy Donut

So, put the yogurt back in the fridge. Save yourself the time that you would have spent toasting a bagel and get in your car and drive down to 47 Middle Street ( from 7:30-10am, Weekdays only, kids) for a half dozen or so before you head into work or class. Just be smart and don’t tell your friends or co-workers that you have them because they’ll plot against you and try to steal your precious… err, I mean breakfast. If you do make the mistake and actually share with other people and find yourself out before you were ready to be, you can hunt down more donuts at nine different locations in and around Portland–from Bard to Lois’ Natural Marketplace. … read the full article

Flavor and Zest – Coffee Shops

Ah, breakfast; the most important meal of the day. Or, when I’m in a rush, the most important beverage. While I do try to get some sustenance in the morning, the most crucial aspect of this morning routine is the cup/bowl of coffee. Yes, I am a caffeine fiend. Caffiend?… read the full article

From Away – Punky’s

This isn’t the kind of breakfast that you have on the day you’re going to paint an award-winning watercolor of the cribstone bridge at Bailey Island. You’re not going to eat this bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich and suddenly be inspired to write a single stanza of an Italian sonnet. This sandwich is much more well suited for a day of hanging drywall, or spent dangling under a highway overpass, removing lead paint with a needlegun. Failing that, you could try being really, really hungover. No matter what, though, you will be impressed by the restorative, curing powers of the breakfast sandwiches at Punky’s, one of my favorite places to have a quick breakfast on the go in Portland.… read the full article

The Blueberry Files – Mister Bagel

There’s a lot of talk about bagels in Portland. Alls I know is I like the ones that come out of Mr. Bagel: chewy, salty, and very dense without being too bready. For an on the go breakfast, this is a good stop, but I don’t recommend eating a bagel while driving to work- it makes a royal mess!… read the full article

Vrai-lean-uh – Eating at Home

So this month’s O-Rama assignment of breakfast on the go is hard for me. Not just because I work from home, but because I am secretly one of those people who thinks breakfast is an important meal that should not be scarfed on public transportation.* I don’t want to make it sound like I am condoning eating breakfast on the go. If you can swing it, just try sitting down and having breakfast at your table for a week. Just to see! It’s really nice! It puts you in a good frame of mind for the day!… read the full article

The Golden Dish has published a comparative review of El Rayo, Taco Trio and Taco Escobarr.

We now have three serious taquerias to ponder: El Rayo, Taco Trio, and the newly opened Taco Escobarr. I can sum up the bunch as predictable, authentic, and inventive in that order. Here’s the taco low down.

Maine magazine has posted a review of Tu Casa.

The “Mountaineer’s Plate,” consisting of a grilled rib eye, fried egg, avocado, beans, rice, and a fried plantain, is quite possibly one of the most satisfying meals I have ever encountered in the city. Though the rib eye is always cooked well done, it is intensely flavorful and salty, and when combined with the sweet plantain, creamy avocado, and over-hard egg, it makes for a perfect bite of food.

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Pho Hanoi in South Portland.

And you better get prepared — your pho comes quickly. This soup, served in a huge bowl, is just as familiar as the décor, and as phoes go it’s a good one. The beef broth has a good depth and richness, without any heaviness or too much salt. A squeeze of lime accentuates the bright notes of ginger and scallion. From there you can work the sauces as you wish. The classic bright red Vietnamese hot sauce is all pepper-heat, and gives the broth a thin, sharp flavor. A darker red sauce gives the same heat, but with a sweeter, thicker base of tomato. The hoisin adds both sweetness and rich umami. We ordered our pho with thin slices of tender brisket. Each bowl is full of incredibly tender rice noodles, which soaks up the broth and catches up the sauces.

The Portland Bar Guide has published a review of Petite Jacqueline.

Their cocktails take their cues from standard French fare, and feature ingredients such as cognac, champagne toppers and Grand Marnier. Wanting to feel a little “Moulin Rouge” I ordered the French Kiss (Absinthe, Bourbon, Lillet and 7-Up, $7) because I felt there was no way to be disappointed in a drink that was made with both bourbon and absinthe. To the glee of my tastebuds, I was not disappointed in the slightest. If those liquors sound a little gruff, you may want to try out the French Connection Cosmo (Cognac, Grand Marnier and Cranberry Juice ($11) or the Belgian Orange Blossom (Vodka, Grapefruit Juice, Bitters, Almond Syrup and Seltzer, $7).

From Away has published a review of Cobblestones.

Overall, I was impressed by today’s sandwich, and tantalized by the other four “specialty” sandwiches available on the menu. I also tried a bowl of the homemade mushroom and dill soup, which was much, much better than any other soup I have tried nearby. Cobblestones represents a nice new addition to Monument Square: a workaday sandwich shop as designed and imagined by people who clearly think about and care a lot about sandwiches.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Havana South.

For my main course I had the roast chicken breast, which the menu describes as being prepared with a Peruvian marinade. What exactly might that be, I wondered? Whatever it was, the dry rub (or brine) produced a white meat that was so dark, stringy and dry that I thought I had been served an old thigh instead. The accompaniment of purple potatoes and braised kale would have been undecipherable had I not read it on the menu.