Portland Bar Guide has published a review of The Grill Room.
Upscale while still being casual, highly recommended and conveniently located in the heart of the Old Port, The Grill Room is another winner in the trio of “rooms.”
Category: Reviews
SoPo Eats
There have been some new additions to the dining scene in South Portland:
- Cambridge Coffee Bar and Bakehouse is just across the bridge on Broadway where the Freaky Bean used to be located. It’s owned by Vicki Cambridge who explained to Mainebiz that she, “learned to cook from her grandmother, says she has ‘gained a baking reputation in the community, and having a shop of my own was a logical next step.’ “
- A new Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Hanoi is giving SoPo pho-fans a way to satisfy their cravings without having to leave their hometown. Where is Jenner’s Mind writes that the pho “certainly rivals the pho at both Thanh Thanh and Saigon”
- Willard Scoops opened last year and is getting praise for “raises the bar for gourmet ice cream in the Portland area”. Portland Eats writes that he especially “like how some of the ice creams at Willard Scoops use salt to good effect, such as in the chocolate sea salt ice cream and the salt caramel and salt caramel nut ice creams”
- There’s even someone who’s started raising hops in South Portland.
AAA Magazine
The current issue of Northern New England Journey includes an article about the dining scene in Portland. The article draws special attention to Bresca, Caiola’s, Duckfat, Emilitsa, Fore Street, Hugo’s, Miyake and Paciarino.
[Chef Sam] Hayward attributes the vibrant food scene to what he calls “a perfect convergence” of three elements. First, Portland chefs are using an eye-opening variety of Maine products. Second, farmers, fishermen, and foragers are supplying those chefs with outstanding ingredients. Instead of ordering standard cuts of meat and seafood from national provisioners, chefs buy animals from local sources and use every part they can. This means familiar dishes share menu space with such items as beef heart, monkfish liver, and cod cheeks. Third, Portland’s diners have embraced the new dishes.
Review of Happy Teriyaki
Soooo . . You Really Like Cats has published a review of Happy Teriyaki.
Kum and Myung You, an incredible wife-and-husband duo, moved their family from the West Coast to be closer to relatives. Myung will dutifully man the grill and deftly sear and cook his way through several of the Japanese dishes, but the soul of the restaurant lies in Kum and her Korean menu. Some reviewers in the past have mistakenly pegged these intimately crafted dishes as Korean-American food, “ready for the college crowd.” I must emphasize, the Korean food here is nothing but Korean cuisine at its purest. Her family’s recipes are what arrive at the table in the form of each of the banchan – obligatory Korean side dishes – and every entree in the Korean menu. Not even Myung knows the deepest secrets of her family’s mastery of homemade Korean cooking.
Soju Review & Allagash's Rob Tod at The Bear
Soju received 3 stars from today’s Eat & Run review in the Press Herald.
…I opted for chicken breast teriyaki ($7.50) from the Japanese side of the menu and kimchi bokum, a pan fried pork, from the Korean side ($8.50).
Both were satisfying, but I far preferred the chicken teriyaki. Served over a bed of steamed white rice and a healthy mix of carrots and sprouts, the tender chicken tasted sweet and slightly sesame — subtle and not overwhelming.
Also in today’s paper the weekly What Ales You beer column went to The Great Lost Bear for last week’s craft brewing showcase where he got the chance to talk to Rob Tod, founder of Allagash Brewing.
“When I started in 1999, Maine already had breweries making great beer, British and German style,” Tod told me when I got him to join me on the Bear’s patio. “Geary’s and Shipyard and some others were already making great beer, so I wanted to try something different.”
Soju Review & Allagash’s Rob Tod at The Bear
Soju received 3 stars from today’s Eat & Run review in the Press Herald.
…I opted for chicken breast teriyaki ($7.50) from the Japanese side of the menu and kimchi bokum, a pan fried pork, from the Korean side ($8.50).
Both were satisfying, but I far preferred the chicken teriyaki. Served over a bed of steamed white rice and a healthy mix of carrots and sprouts, the tender chicken tasted sweet and slightly sesame — subtle and not overwhelming.
Also in today’s paper the weekly What Ales You beer column went to The Great Lost Bear for last week’s craft brewing showcase where he got the chance to talk to Rob Tod, founder of Allagash Brewing.
“When I started in 1999, Maine already had breweries making great beer, British and German style,” Tod told me when I got him to join me on the Bear’s patio. “Geary’s and Shipyard and some others were already making great beer, so I wanted to try something different.”
Best of Maine
Yankee magazine published their Best of Maine (and Massachusetts, Vermont, etc) list in the May/June issue. Silly’s was listed as the Best Cheap Eats, The Cheese Iron topped the charts for Best Cheese Selection and Green Elephant received kudos for providing the Best Vegetarian Dining in the state.
Review of El Rayo
Edible Obsessions has posted a review of El Rayo. It’s a follow-up to her review from last July,
The rest of our meal (strawberry refresco, negra modello, beans and rice bowl w/chicken, guac. w/chips, pescado and al pastor tacos) was easily the best I’ve had to date, though still only ‘ok’. The chips were nicely warm, the refresco was lived up to its name and the tacos were hearty and filling. We were enjoying ourselves for the better part of it, though the wait for the food and drinks was a bit long but all of that went to shit when the Mrs. made the mistake of ordering the flan for dessert.
Thai-o-rama: Veranda Thai
For the 8th round of this comprehensive group survey/review of Thai restaurants in Portland we visited Veranda Thai which is located right off of the Washington Street exit of 295. Veranda Thai also has a sister restaurant, Veranda Noodle Bar which is situated across the street.
Appetite Portland – read the full review
My Chicken Pad Thai — also ordered at heat level 2 — was decidedly peanutty with a spicy snap. Red in color from the spices and shiny with oil, the noodles slurped up beautifully. The Tofu Pad Thai — ordered by Margo from the Portland Daily Sun — was white and dry. It looked like a dish from a different restaurant. She had ordered it at heat level 1. Lightbulb. You’ve gotta go for the heat.
The Blueberry Files – read the full review
Happily, I recommend Verenda Thai for great Thai food in Portland. The decor may leave something to be desired, but who cares when the kitchen is serving such great food? If you’re in the mood for some take out (or maybe try the noodle bar for better ambiance?), head over the bridge to Verenda Thai.
Edible Obsessions – read the full review
When the Mrs. said she was going to grab lunch at Veranda, and did I want anything to take away, I stayed true to form and ordered the Drunken Noodle with Chicken. Their version of the dish is the standard by which I’ve been measuring every other one of the variations I’ve had so far. And, so far, no one has compared. Because that singular dish is the embodiment of my Thai comfort food, and because they do it so well, I can only say that Veranda is my sentimental favorite of the pack.
Where is Jenner’s Mind – read the full review
as i said before, the restaurant is tiny so the kitchen is tucked around the corner, really only feet from the dining room. its kind of cool to be able to hear the cooks working in the kitchen, but with that you have to take that your meal may be a little smokey and your clothes may continue to smell like thai food long after you are done eating. overall i found veranda thai to be pretty good and i would eat here again.
As for my thoughts, I think this is my favorite spot we’ve been to among the standard Thai restaurants we’ve visited so far in this series—Boda is also very good but seems to be something of a different animal. That said the group still has 5 Thai restaurants left visit (Chiang Mai, Vientiane, Saeng Thai House, Sengchai Thai, Siam Orchid) before we finish up and there’s a chance one could be a real hidden gem. Stay tuned to find out.
For additional information on Veranda Thai visit the restaurant’s website or read this review that appeared in The Maine Switch from last Summer.
Review of Boda and of Nosh
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Boda,
Boda has chosen the label “very Thai” for their cuisine, and it seems just right: authentic, sure, but not a hair pretentious about it. In the meantime the space is not Thai at all but simply handsome and elegant. If you want the very Thaiest of the very Thai, small plates come at actual Thai prices Sunday nights after 9:30 pm — among the best deals in town.
and the Portland Bar Guide has published a review of Nosh,
Nosh has taken off with Port City Music Hall and other local venues emptying their hungry and thirsty guests out onto Congress Street. That’s when it’s time for the new king of the hill for beer, burgers and fries to exhort Portlandians to come in and taste what all the fuss is about.