Review of Jewel of India

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of the Jewel of India.

And everything really was right, one night during dinner at chef/owner Prem Sharma’s Jewel of India, a beloved Biddeford restaurant that opened this South Portland branch last fall. The sweet coconut soup, aromatic mulligatawny soup, elegantly spiced tikkas, vindaloos and curries and tender bread held flavors as happy and lively as the dancers.

Brunch Review of Vignola

The Portland Phoenix has published a brunch review of Vignola.

So, panic aside, I chose the Vignola omelette with tomatoes, basil, bruschetta, and Vignola potatoes. The potato part alone was worth it. In addition to using a mixture of potato varieties, including purple potatoes, it also had olives, roasted red peppers, and capers mixed in. While these additions certainly added a strong olive-oil component to the dish, frankly, what is an Italian meal without a good dose of olive oil?

Phoenix Review of Binga’s Stadium

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of Binga’s Stadium.

While they are meaty enough, it is the skin and the sauce/seasoning that makes or breaks a wing — and Binga’s offers you about 20 options. The best wings tend to be seasoned with a dry rub, but Binga’s mostly coats theirs in syrupy sauces.

This works best when there is some heat to cut though the sugars. The Thai chili sauce was too mild, and seemed unreasonably sweet. The thin, orange-tinged classic Buffalo sauce was much better . . .

Review of Olive Cafe

Olive Cafe received 3½ stars  from this Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

The flavors of Middle Eastern cooking, cool mint, sour sumac (the Mediterranean kind, not Maine’s ubiquitous poison sumac), tahini and an abundance of parsley and tomatoes, are perfect for relieving January monotony. The Olive Cafe in Portland handles these particulars with panache, tossing grilled slices of aromatic beef on top of a thin pizza that ranks at the top of good things I’ve tasted in Portland lately.

2 Rabbit Reviews

Appetite Portland has reviewed a pair of rabbit dishes from Emilitsa and Sonny’s.

Perhaps in deference to Bugs and the memory of Harvey — my friend Faryl’s late pet – I had not ordered rabbit in years and years. Until this past week, that is.

Somehow I found myself noshing on two wildly different preparations of the little mammal at two vastly different restaurants: Emilitsa and Sonny’s.

Review of Ribollita

The Blueberry Files has published a review of Ribollita.

So yeah, I liked Ribollita! I didn’t loooooove Ribollita, but that certianly wasn’t due to any failings on their part. I am glad to know where I can go to get solid and relatively inexpensive Italian food in town. But it doesn’t make my ‘hurry back to’ list (man, I sound hard to please!).