Portland Food Heads has published a review of the lunch at Big Sky Bread Co.
If you’d like the long and short of it, it is. I’ve eaten just about every incarnation of food they serve; breakfast, sandwiches, salads, soups, bread etc., and I’m happy to say that, while none of it is over-the-top incredible, it’s all very well put together and demands more than a few visits to get the whole picture.
Type A Diversions has published a review of brunch at Caiola’s.
I enjoy the little touches that make brunch at Caiola’s special – like the way they steam the milk for my coffee and infuse their blueberry muffins with lavender or other fresh herbs. And I appreciate the fact that we don’t feel rushed. Caiola’s is the kind of spot you can linger over the Sunday paper and have an extra cup of coffee without any guilt.
Portland Magazine has published a review of Grace.
If Chestnut Street Church had attracted crowds like this, it would still be a church. Transformed by a million-dollar restoration, Grace the restaurant accommodates nearly 200 diners on its ground floor and balconies and still finds room for a gigantic central circular bar.
Type A Diversions has published an updated review of Miyake.
What Miyake does best is creative sushi. Think O Ya Boston, not neighborhood sushi joint. I’ve updated my best restaurants in Portland list to include Miyake as the most creative sushi in Portland. I’m pleased with the improvements in ambiance and quality of food, and will definitely be a repeat visitor going forward.
Portland Food Heads has published a review of The Farmer’s Table.
I ordered the cider-braised pork sandwich, which was described as “locally raised pork braised in apple cider, pulled and tossed in our sweet & spicy bbq served with hand cut fries and house slaw.”…And it was pretty good, but that’s about it. In fact, I would’ve been totally satisfied if it didn’t happen to cost $12, which is an absurd amount of money for french fries, coleslaw and pulled-pork on a bun.
Portland Food Heads has stopped by for a first look at Shima.
And so was my luncheon experience at Shima; not great, not at all bad, and certainly not without elements of potential. I see no reason to “rate” a restaurant after they’ve been open for a week, and I’m not even going to attempt to. I would say that with chef Shima’s confidence in serving the type of food “he likes to eat” will allow the restaurant to carve out a small niche for itself in a city already filled with options for Japanese.
Type A Diversions has published a review of Veranda Noodle Bar.
The talent exhibited at Veranda Noodle Bar’s sister restaurant, Veranda Thai, has yet to work its way across the street. I’d give them time to work out the kinks in the kitchen and with the service before going back.
Grace received 3½ stars from this week’s Taste & Tell review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Grace is a restaurant that took over an old dilapidated church, its owners renovating and redeeming a place no congregation could support financially. The interior is magnificent.
Our present-day adoration of dinner could see it through the next era of its existence. But first, it would be good for Grace to drop some of the more baroque contortions in the menu, focusing instead on what tastes good.
Portland Food Heads has published a review of the 158 Pickett St Cafe.
The cooks and staff are having fun, enjoying the art of cooking and and the satisfaction they provide their patrons as music blasts in waves from the kitchen. The customers are having fun, catching up on conversation, nurturing their creativity and indulging in cholesterol-heavy goodness. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot in 158 and not had fun, simply because the place embodies everything I enjoy about a good dining experience: Great food, comfortable surroundings and a passionate kitchen. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The Press Herald has published reviews of Fit to Eat
The bread was chewy and flavorful, but not hard. The bacon was crisp, thick and extremely tasty. The hummus and avocado lent a creaminess that seemed healthier than mayonnaise, and more interesting.
and Fore Play.
This isn’t rocket science. Fore Play is that most trustworthy of establishments, the local watering hole that sports a trove of distractions. It’s a sports staple of the Portland experience. As I go through my checklist of what makes a bar awesome, Fore Play gets a mark in every box, right down to the entirely fryolated menu.
Today’s paper also includes an interview with the President of Lakonia Greek Products and an article on Maine-based food businesses that are selling gluten-free products.