Category: Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Pai Men Miyake.

But at his new spot he has embraced mayonnaise, infused with a variety of spices, which pops up all over the menu — on the pork buns, under salt cod fritters, with fried flounder. The mustardy version served with the fritters also had a sharp capery bite. It was terrific with the light, moist, almost gooey balls of fried salt cod. With the flounder a sweeter mayo, and a greasier fry, obscured some interesting flavors of mushroom sauce and garnish.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Street & Company.

My main course of oven baked whole branzino, which was filleted at the table, was served over a cilantro sauce that was at once provocative yet fresh. Branzino, a European sea bass, is a wonderful delicate fish and the restaurant cooked it perfectly.

Vin et Grub has published a review of Hugo’s.

Our 4th course, was beautiful and intricate.  Referred to as the Suckling Pig Three Ways, we were presented with a large plate, with a piece of compressed shoulder, homemade thai sausage, and pig foot atop a long wonton noodle.  A curry froth, curried peanuts, and sweet potato medallions rendered this the most impressive dish of the evening.  The noodle (i love them) was soft and satiating and delicate.  The curry froth was light and pure, and it added an enriching effect on all of the proteins on the plate…

From Away has published a review of Joe’s New York Pizza.

Though the pizza being slung out the door at Joe’s certainly can’t compare to what you’d find at Flatbread or Otto’s, it’s simply not trying to compete on that level. This isn’t organic arugula and free-range chicken served on a gluten-free crust; it’s hard-working, cheap, fast, workaday pizza, for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money or time to go from “empty-stomach” to “stomach full of pizza.” In that regard, we find Joe’s New York Pizza to be a solid choice for a midday slice.

From Away has continued his vertical tasting of Maine Ham Italian sandwiches with a visit to Anania’s.

I wasn’t expect anything beyond your standard-issue Maine-style Italian sandwich, but instead, was pleasantly surprised by one of the best Italians I have yet tried. The careful balance of ingredients keeps there from being an overwhelming “raw vegetable” flavor all-too-common in this type of sandwich, and the chewy bread and surprisingly creamy and flavorful cheese will stay in my mind for a long time.

For comparison see the comprehensive list of the prior From Away Italian sandwich reviews.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Pai Men Miyake.

Among the many starters the squash dumplings are my favorite. They seem to float like fluffy cumulous puffs with staying power–as delicate as the best type of gnocchi but loaded with flavor.  They’re cloaked with rinkosan vinegar, brown butter, and cauliflower lending an otherworldly aftertaste that remains with you quite delightfully.

From Away has published a MRW review of Vignola.

Malcolm chose the almond tort topped with a delicate scoop of gelato, which was also simply good. None of what we had was particularly innovative or arresting or explosive, but we savored every bite. Vignola makes the food your grandmother would make, if she wasn’t so busy watching Dancing with the Stars and reading biographies of Katharine Hepburn. I really like it there, for reasons I have yet to understand. And we will go back again soon.

Yordprom Coffee Company received 4½ stars from the Eat & Run review in the Thursday edition of the Press Herald.

The Thai coconut broth was light and lemony, and had just a touch of heat — enough to give you a little kick after you’ve swallowed a spoonful. The sliced chicken in the soup was a tad overcooked, but the onions and scallions were perfect.

I also tried the Spicy Chicken Curry ($7.95), which arrived beautifully presented in a large white bowl. “This is very hot,” the server warned me, and I’m not sure if he was talking about the temperature (like the soup, it was steaming) or the spiciness, or both.

Chubby Werewolf has published a review of East Ender.

So where does the East Ender “Eastburger” stand in the pantheon of great burgers? Well, it wasn’t a home run. At least, not for me. But it was certainly a good burger and one which I’m inclined to try again sometime soon. I do think the bacon is likely to be better the next time around, and I’d love to see the bun get a little smaller (and the caraway seeds nixed altogether).

On the heels of the survey of Chinese buffets published last week in The Bollard comes a broad-based look at 8 Chinese restaurants in the Greater Portland area by From Away. From Away has published an omnibus review of Jan Mee, Lang’s Express, Oriental Table, Panda Garden,and Valley Chinese Cuisine in Portland as well as Chia Sen in Scarborough, and both Super Great Wall Buffet and Imperial China in South Portland.

Here’s what it’s taken me eight restaurants and a little over 5,500 words to figure out: The overall Chinese food situation in Portland is not good. After testing all the restaurants that lead in popular opinion, we couldn’t find one to recommend across-the-board. Some restaurants did one or two things well, while severely botching others, and some restaurants couldn’t seem to get anything right. Our suggestions for where to go for Chinese depend entirely on what you like, and if were forced to pick favorites, among a huge batch of very, very similar food, they would go as follows…

Vin et Grub has published a review of Bresca.

It goes without saying that my meal at Bresca was by far the best meal I’ve ever had.  It redefined eating and reaffirmed my passion.  I’ve always felt that my expectations are a bit lofty, but Bresca met each and everyone of them.  The only thing I can think to compare Bresca to is a Chanel Purse.  It’s classic and it’s a luxury item.  Indulging is well worth the price and the wait, especially because spots fill up two weeks in advance.  I certainly recommend taking a trip to Bresca- especially when you feel like spoiling yourself rotten and changing your perspective on the food you eat.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Otto Pizza.