Category: Reviews

Vin et Grub has published a review of Street & Co.

I left with a knot in my stomach, with rage emanating, and with a desire to NEVER return to Street & Co.  I’ve given it three chances, and unfortunately, it’s gotten worse every time I’ve gone back.  I think I can now officially say, I will never have the desire to go back- no matter how delicious their Sole Francaise is, because honestly, food is only 40% of the dining experience, 60% is the overall atmosphere, environment, and service.

Flavor and Zest, Portland’s newest food blog, has published a lunch review of David’s.

For quality food and traditional dishes with slight quirks, I think David’s excelled. It was also reasonably priced – smaller portions but bigger flavors – and for four entrees, four alcoholic beverages, one appetizer, one dessert and a cappuccino, we made it out under $100 before tip. Not to mention four very happy and satisfied diners, which is the most important number to any meal.

For the August edition of our collaborative food writing project the group is publishing a set of lobster roll reviews. Think of it like the director’s cut edition guide to Maine lobster rolls. 6 Bloggers have produced 8 reviews of establishments in 5 towns plus a lobster roll conversion of Appetite Portland, a lobster roll confession by Chubby Werewolf,  Fishermen’s Grill removed from the unreviewed list, a seal rescue, the phrase “shiny and toothsome, like a Fox News correspondent”, detailed (no, really) directions on getting to Calder’s, and an examination of the hot vs cold lobster roll debate.

Appetite Portland – Billy’s Chowder House & Brunswick Diner

It truly was a revelation. Adam (who demurred from purchasing his own roll due to “a lack of hunger” – always a dubious claim) practically arm-wrestled me for it in the end. Heavy on fresh lobster (with a healthy amount of the succulent claw) and light on the mayo, it featured a crisp lettuce leaf and a generously buttered, split-top roll toasted to perfection. A seriously awesome sandwich. Simple. A credit to it’s genre. A roll that tempered my biases and made me hanker for more..… read the full article

Chubby Werewolf – Fishermen’s Grill & Maine Diner

I’m just going to come right out and say it. I did not have my first lobster roll until I was 32 years old. I know, I know… its a pretty horrifying thing to hear… right up there with finding out that the guy you’ve been dating for six months murders prostitutes in his spare time. But we all have our crosses to bear, and lobster roll ignorance was mine for more than three decades.… read the full article

Edible Obsessions – The Lobster Shack

The lobster was cooked perfectly, with nary a touch of rubber in the texture. The mayo went nice–my dollop was not overwhelming. The slightly toasted roll and shredded iceberg lettuce added a nice crunch through all of the fat and richness. It isn’t high end and it doesn’t try to be. It was just honest and very satisfying. … read the full article

From Away – Portland Lobster Co.

This lobster roll ($15.99), it’s peculiar. It was neither the hot-and-buttered version I grew up eating in Connecticut, nor the mixed-with-mayo type I have come to adore from my favorite seafood spot of all time, Patty’s in Edgecomb. Instead, a somewhat sparse pile of unscathed claw-and-knuckle meat, served, as the menu observes, “brushed with sweet butter,” but with none of the promised “mayonnaise on the side,” sitting within a chlorophyll-color leaf of lettuce tucked into a bun, shiny and toothsome, like a Fox News correspondent.… read the full article

The Blueberry Files – The Porthole

I didn’t find the best lobster roll in town, but I really enjoyed talking to people about their lobster roll preferences. I’ve yet to met a person who doesn’t have an opinion, and usually they suggest the best rolls are from places up and down the coast. This makes me think that eating a good lobster roll is less about the lobster and the bun and more about the scenery.… read the full article

Vrai-lean-uh – Calder’s Clam Shack

The lobster roll was $11.50, $13.50 with fries. The meat is sweet and tender, tossed lightly with mayonnaise, and topped with salt and pepper. It’s wedged into a toasted hotdog bun with a piece of lettuce for variety or as a gesture towards healthfulness. The lobster is cut up into small enough pieces that the whole thing doesn’t fall apart on you as you’re eating it.

It was perfect.… read the full article

Vin et Grub has published a review of Saigon,

For my entree I ordered the Vermicelli with egg-rolls and grilled prawns.  The thai basil, fresh mint, shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, daikon radish, and carrots, mixed with the fish sauce, and sriracha was so good.  I love vermicelli anyway, but the combo of hot and cold, both in taste and temperature was perfect.  Such a refreshing bite of food, not to mention, relatively healthy too!

and Broke 207 has published a review of The Thirsty Pig.

i stopped in for lunch a few weeks ago, and you will see from this photo, that i devoured my hot dog so fast that i forgot to take a picture of it in full sauerkrauted glory. it’s not so much that my veggie dog was any more wonderful than any other dog previously available to me, but it was nicely grilled on a perfectly toasted bun with a side of B&M vegetarian beans…

The Bollard has published a review of WhaddaPita.

Greek food is not in abundance in the Forest City, so it’s natural to approach a franchise-looking place on Forest Ave. named Whaddapita! with some skepticism. But Whaddapita! is not part of a chain, and despite its silly name and garish exterior, Whaddapita! makes a tasty mark.

The Golden Dish has published a review of the new Miyake.

A worldly tour of flavors, the meal started off with an amuse of quail eggs, braised daikon and arugula, a thoroughly elegant and exquisite beginning. Lobster sashimi followed, which was a stunningly crafted dish complemented with salmon toro — that part of the belly that’s so buttery tasting and fresh — and yellow tail (hamachi).

Back last November Appetite Portland and The Blueberry Files joined Edible Obsessions for a comparative tasting of cupcakes from 7 local bakeries, but that was just a down payment on a complete survey of Portland area cupcake culture. Recently the original three bloggers plus Maine Foodie Finds, Vrai-lean-uh and From Away convened for the second and final round:

Appetite Portland

Overall: While I enjoyed a frosting here and a cake consistency there, I left the event rather saddened. Perhaps it was the humidity. Perhaps the nostalgia had worn off after the first throwdown last November. Or, perhaps I simply expected too much. Whatever the cause, a scan through my notes revealed the phrases “simply flavorless,” “pasty, plastic film,” and “like a stale devil dog.”… read the full article

Edible Obsessions

While the food media has seemingly turned its back on cupcakes and declared them ‘over,’ this experiment has definitely shown me (or, perhaps, just reminded) that the cupcake is a classic and too deeply imbedded in our food memory hard wiring to be at the mercy of trends. And we are in the company of some damn skilled bakers who are eager to prove just that.… read the full article

From Away

The European Bakery is an Old World type tea room with thick carpeting and pirouetting cakes on display. Their carrot cupcakes were so much better than I expected, with gooey cake studded with walnuts and a not too sharp cream cheese frosting. With so many cutesy, etsy, DIY-ish, delivered by a dirty hipster on a bicycle-type places running rampant these days – in a good way – I was surely surprised by how much I enjoyed these, from a plain old bakery manned by teenagers (teened by managers?!) on RT. 1 in Falmouth. My favorite.… read the full article

The Blueberry Files

Another of my favories was the chocolate with chocolate ganache from Sugar Hill Bakery. I’m not a huge chocolate dessert fan, and this one really wowed me. It was a light chocolate ganache, not a thick, heavy fondant-like layer.… read the full article

Vrai-lean-uh

In every person’s life, there are events that cause us to re-evaluate how we think of ourselves. I never imagined I would be the kind of person who would be all, “Oh woe is me, there are just too many cupcakes. I cannot eat another bite. This is terribly sugary bla bla bla.”… read the full article

The post from Maine Foodie Findshas been delayed. I’ll add it to this summary as soon as it become available.

Portland Bar Guide has posted a review of Gingko Blue,

When evening finally rolled around, all I wanted was a cocktail that would quench my thirst and keep the heat at bay. I described my dilemma to the bartender, and before me appeared the perfect remedy in the form of a Sassy Southern Peach Tea made from Sweet Carolina Peach Vodka, house-infused habanero vodka, peach puree, unsweetened iced tea and Sparkelle Peach ($12). The spicy kick of habanero, coupled with the fresh, punchy crispness of perfectly ripe peaches, was a delightful antidote to my day.