Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Local 188.
Overall, it was an unexpectedly wonderful dinner out with friends. We all commented that we went there with zero expectations and came out thinking this is one of the most solid meals we have ever had out in Portland. I suggest that you, run, not walk, to Local 188 if you haven’t been there, and if you haven’t been there in a while, make a reservation to try it again. I know I’ll be dreaming of those chicken livers until we meet again…
Just in time for the start of Summer the food blogger review crew is putting themselves through the drudgery [wink] of taste testing out ice cream and gelato shops across the city. As you’ll see for many of them it was as much about the ice cream as it was the nostalgia for summertime childhood memories of the local ice cream stand.
Appetite Portland – MDI Ice Cream
To a scoop, MDI ice cream’s best feature is that it’s not overly saccharine. Sweet yes, but not sugary. The company creates new flavors often – I hear tell of a Danish Blue Cheese Blackberry about to hit town – and avoids the “throw in the kitchen sink” fadiness of that mass-marketed chain from Vermont… read the full review
Chubby Werewolf – Gorgeous Gelato
The strawberry was easily my favorite. Of the four flavors, it was the most fragrant and intensely flavored gelato. When I say “intensely flavored,” I mean it in all of the best ways. In other words, distinctly strawberry but not overwhelmingly sweet or sugary. Save for the occasional, tiny seed, it was perfectly smooth with a sorbet-like consistency… read the full review
Edible Obsessions – Beal’s
While I thought my plan to order simple was fool proof, it turned out not to be. ‘Maybe I needed to give myself over to one of their dozens of mixed-up flavors for a better assessment of their ice cream?’ I wondered, knowing that it wasn’t true. It was another case of feeling that maybe I just didn’t see what others loved so much about a place. But, let’s be honest, their simple vanilla was…too simple. The next time a pang for Vietnamese hits and I find myself strolling over to their shop next to Veranda Noodle bar I think I’ll stick with my old stand by: Mint Chocolate Chip… read the full review
From Away – Red’s Dairy Freeze
The classic frozen treats being passed out the window at Red’s every single night are only the first part of the story, however. Sure, it’s good soft serve. But it’s the people, in this case, that make the place: Customers who have been visiting Red’s their whole lives, whose parents have been visiting for their whole lives. A staff of kids who know everyone in the neighborhood, and who grew up just down the street, saving money for their first cars and chatting quickly with the occasional friends that appear in their line each night. Owners who have been in the soft-serve business from the beginning, who have seen their business falter when disaster struck, but who rebuilt better and stronger than before. It’s the people surrounding Red’s Dairy Freeze that make it so special: a rock-solid community, as well as a neighborhood ice cream stand… read the full review
The Blueberry Files – Bard/Gelato Fiasco
You can see the sea salt caramel on the left in the above photo, next to Grape Nuts (bleh, that flavor is lost on me).
But the salted caramel affogato was awesome. Caramel (salted or not) can be a little cloying, but the bitter espresso flavor balanced out all the sugar. Every now and then a little salt came through after satisfyingly crunching a grain… read the full review
Vrai-lean-uh – Smiling Hill
The thing is, though, the ice cream wasn’t super awesome. I got the coffee flavor, because I deeply dislike too-sweet ice cream (you did not think that was a thing, but it is, and I don’t like it) and some of the flavors seemed like they’d veer into too-sweet territory. The ice cream texture was a little icy, and there was a slightly gummy/chemical aftertaste.
But you know, it was sunny out and there were grassy pastures and even really mediocre ice cream is still, ultimately, ice cream. So I was happy enough… read the full review
Where is Jenner’s Mind – Willard Scoops
my favorite flavor of ice cream is coffee. at willard scoop their rendition is ‘dark roasted coffee’ and it was delicious! i got it on a sugar cone, which was the freshest cone i have ever eaten (i didn’t ask if they make them there but they do make their waffle cones) and it didn’t have any paper wrapped around it so you don’t have to worry you are eating glue with your ice cream. the ice cream was dense and creamy and very coffee-y! pretty much a perfect cone of ice cream in my book.… read the full review
The Golden Dish has published a review of Hugo’s.
As a main course I had local hake with pickled fennel and red pepper. Accompanying the fish was an incredible rendition of brandade: the filling enclosed in a beautifully wrought breaded coating. The fish was perfectly cooked and it made me a fan of hake forever.
The Phantom Gourmet has published a review of Silly’s.
Located in Portland Maine, Silly’s is as wacky as it is tasty. Owner Colleen Kelley has decorated the restaurant with crazy lights, fun toys, interactive games, and hundreds of photos.
The menus are kept in lunchboxes. The water is served in wine bottles. The beer is poured into old fashioned tin cups. And when it comes to the food, anything goes.
15 Exchange Grille received 2 stars from today’s review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.
The raw space is attractive, and this location is a high-traffic one. But Portland is a community of high standards of cuisine, and Mainers want their dine-out dollars to be well spent.
Simply put, the food here needs to improve in many respects. Management would do well to get professional advice on how to entice off-season locals as well as summer tourists to this enviable location in the Old Port.
The Golden Dish has published a review of the new Sebago Brewing location on Fore Street.
Yet it also offers Portland diners a much needed option: a casual dining spot with decent, moderately price food in a space that is modern, light and uplifting. None of this changes the fact, however, that the chain’s standard menu items that rely on phrases like “piled high” and “heaping” which are very accurate descriptions indeed.
John Golden’s food blog also recently posted a profile of Gingko Blue.
The Bollard has published a review of brunch at District,
My friend’s spinach-and-cheddar omelette ($8) was also outstanding. She particularly appreciated the top-shelf sharp cheddar and the nutty, delicate wheat toast baked on premises. Her side order of bacon ($3) was cooked just right — thick and meaty, yet still somehow light and crispy.
Gogi received 3 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald,
Despite our criticisms, we recommend you give Gogi a try. They are trying to do something different, and it’s worth checking out. Would I eat there regularly? Probably not; at least not without some tweaking of the tacos. But I would go back for a late-night, early-morning meal.
From Away has written up Amato’s Spaghetti Calzone,
It was a celebration of contrasting texture; each bite of spaghetti was wrapped with warm, buttery, lightly crisped pizza dough. Any spaghetti that fell off my fork could be mopped up with the corner part of the remaining crust. Finally, I was able to pick the whole thing up, dip my spaghetti calzone into the included plastic container of additional sweet marinara sauce, and smile…
and the Phantom Gourmet has published a review of Grace which received an overall score of 87.
Next, bone-in tenderloin was simply divine, a succulent hunk of beef served with sinfully creamy potato gratin and fried greens beans, doused with silky red wine sauce. Praise be to cod…the pan-roasted cod, that is—paired with baby artichokes, briny clams, olives, and tender fingerlings.
Petite Jacqueline received 4 stars from today’s review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.
At Petite Jacqueline, tables are close, portions are reasonable, service is casual and attentive, and food is consistently excellent. The traditional French fare may be regular sustenance to those across the Atlantic, but in Maine, cassoulet, foie gras, coq au vin and steak tartare expertly prepared in-house and served in a lively bistro atmosphere has added another welcome dimension to the city’s dining choices.
The Spiced Plate has published a review of Local 188.
The star of the night, however, was this dish: A squash roasted to perfection and filled with saucy garbanzo beans, spiced in a mix of Indian-style spices with Italian-style tomato flavor, served with the garnish of coconut-cilantro chutney. I couldn’t talk while I was eating this. Every bite I ate with concentration on the flavors and textures of the dish. I couldn’t get over the sauce, the softness of the squash, or how the chickpeas were just so darn lovely.
Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes! has published a review of Aurora Provisions.
I am so glad that my tipster let me know they had cupcakes there that day, since it really was the best basic cupcake I have had in a while. The butter cream frosting was really light and not too sweet. The flavor for the frosting was spot on to complement the chocolate cupcake. The sugar sprinkles gave it a fantastic crunch and obvious visual appeal…