Category: Reviews

For March the O-Rama review group returned to that emblem of American fast food, the hamburger–this time with a twist. Seven food bloggers visited a mix of Portland’s fine dining establishments to find out how well white table clothes and burgers mix.

Appetite Portland – Walter’s

Called the 2P2 Burger (no, I didn’t ask why and I’m apparently not clever enough to figure it out), this joyously constructed and luxuriously generous sandwich filled me up fast and left me happily humming. I jotted a few notes before I collapsed into a blissed-out fugue state.… read the full review

Chris2fer – Frog and Turtle

The burger was awesome. First off, the bun was grilled lightly brown. It was buttery and crispy and soft. The bacon was deliriously crispy. And there were 3 whole pieces! The Gruyère was melted and drippy and savory. The onions were brown and sweet. And the burger? It was cooked perfectly medium rare. Pink in the middle. Mmmm.… read the full review

Edible Obsessions – District

House cured bacon, cheddar cheese, tomato confit and the ever popular brioche bun combined with a huge 1 1/2 inch thick patty cooked to a beautiful–just slightly over rare–medium temperature and a whopping side of fries. I assume, because so much of what District offers on it’s menu is house made and local, that the beef was ground on site and traveled less than 100 miles to get to their door. Beautifully marbled meat made for an interesting time of trying to out pace the juices that ran down my chin. Though, I must admit, it was a bit odd to be wiping it away with a crisp linen napkin instead of a throw away paper one. But, it was worth the effort as the burger was beautifully seasoned and satisfying.…read the full review

From Away – Five Fifty-Five

The first thing you notice about the burger, is the thick slice of Gruyere that positively enrobes the burger in earthy deliciousness. The brioche bun is a very soft, buttery, braided roll, almost like a slightly more dense croissant. While delicious, the bottom half tends to fall under the weight and juiciness of the burger itself, after the first few bites. It all but disappears into a gratifying wash of butter flavor and hot, running beef blood. The top half stays strong, continuing to provide structure as you keep eating.…read the full review

Soooo . . You Really Like Cats, Don’t You – Back Bay Grill

The house made patty was a semi-coarse grind, just slightly crumbly as I bit in. The patty was seasoned simply, but nicely, and the most enjoyable part about the patty was the subtle sweetness of the beef that can really only be tasted if correctly cooked. The brioche bun was a wonderful, evenly proportioned pairing – the bread was deliciously buttery and crisp from the cast iron skillet. The shredded romaine offered a tangy crunch with every bite.…read the full review

Vrai-lean-uh – The Grill Room

The burger is really good. It is a thick, juice-running-down-your-hand type of burger. It comes on a relatively unobtrusive, soft, squarish bun, so you’re not battling a mouthful of bread to get to the meat. The cheese was fully melted and relatively subtle. The tomato tapanade and roasted red onions enhance the burger taste without being intrusive, and the toppings and cheese are distributed evenly across the burger. My only complaint was that it was difficult to impossible to fit into my mouth in a single bite, but I also don’t think I can subtract points for a thick burger.…read the full review

Where is Jenner’s Mind – David’s

large thick angus beef patty was perfectly cooked at medium rare. the double bacon is really a double wide sliced of bacon. it was unsurprisingly delicious as bacon tends to be. it was served with cheddar cheese, ice burg lettuce, thin slices of red onions, and sad looking tomatoes. the truffle fries with truffle ketchup were each very good but together, the truffle flavor was overwhelming.
overall the burger was good.…read the full review

I can’t claim to have tried all of the gourmet burgers in town, but among those I have Caiola’s is certainly my favorite.

Is there a fine dining restaurant in Portland who’s burger you think is especially stellar? If so, post a comment and tell us where to find it and what you like about it.

The new South Indian restaurant in South Portland, Aroma, has received 4 stars from the Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Wonderful spices cloak the tender lamb, chicken, fresh shrimp and delectable eggplant on the fascinating menu at Aroma; with its tender fresh bread and perfect desserts, this is a restaurant worth trying again and again.

While it’s the first review for Aroma it’s the last one from Nancy English. English has been writing restaurant reviews for the Maine Sunday Telegram since 2005. Her predecessor was C.Z. Kramer. According to the article, Nancy Heiser will be taking on responsibilities as the Sunday Telegram restaurant critic moving forward.

There are so many things I learned writing this column, as I chose menu items I’d never heard of and never tasted. Since the kitchens of Maine are inventing new things all the time, we all can encounter new things worth tasting. We are so lucky.

My readers’ curiosity has inspired me, and their expectations have kept me on my toes. Thank you all so much for reading about so many of the meals I have eaten since 2005.

The Golden Dish has published a review of Boda.

What Boda offers—beautifully—is very authentic street-vendor food, satays being one of their specialties, and typical dishes of home-style cooking. If this is considered their everyday fare, then take me to the haute cuisine table too!

From Away has published a review of the Ham Italian at Colucci’s.

Colucci’s layers on slightly more ham than some other places, but it doesn’t overpower the long slices of pickle, onion, and green pepper, who all do their part to lend crunch and freshness to the sandwich, with the olives kicking in a slight bitterness, right when you need them. The tomatoes could have been better, but that may just be the time of year. Best of all, Colucci’s isn’t shy with the salt and pepper shaker, which goes even further to amp up the habit-forming qualities of this sandwich.

The Blueberry Files has published a review of Sonny’s.

I love Sonny’s interior- the redesign really shows off the spectacular building with remaining elements of an old bank- and their cocktail list. And I struggle to put my finger on what is missing from their culinary offerings. But after this meal, there was nothing that stuck in my head. No, ‘how do they do that,’ no ‘I can’t stop thinking about…’ So while Sonny’s offers a great libations and is a fancy hang-out spot, I will be saving my appetite for Local 188.

Portalnd Bar Guide has published a review of DiMillo’s.

DiMillo’s is a well-loved favorite on the Portland dining scene, and for good reason. If you’re looking for timeless ambiance, real folks, and tried-and-true menu items across the board, take the walk out to the end of the marina and stop by DiMillo’s. You’ll be glad you did.

Venue Music Bar received 3 stars from the Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

This music performance space offers good bar standards such as a juicy burger and fresh haddock from a next-door seafood market, but you might need to endure a sound check if you dine around 7 p.m.

From Away has published a review of Flatbread.

My salad was a revelation. I am not even exagerating. It’s totally sublime. Baby spinach, golden beets sweet as heliotropism itself, goat cheese that isn’t too rank and tangy – you know how goat cheese can be, with an orange-hued Japanese-inspired dressing, all gingery and delicious. I want to live inside it, or at least, very nearby.

The Cookie Jar received 4 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald. The article had this to say about the chili,

It was outstanding. It was full of flavor and texture and packed with corn, different varieties of beans, chilies and peppers. It was fiery hot, in a sweat-inducing way. It cleared my sinuses. But it wasn’t offensively hot. It didn’t burn going down. The heat lingered and offered a late bite.