Category: Reviews

Just a couple days after it opened, the reviews for Grace are starting to roll in.  Both The Blueberry Files,

I am excited to welcome a great new restaurant in a beautiful space to Portland, especially because of it’s close proximity to my house! Between the two bars, there is plenty of bar space, ensuring that even as Grace grows in popularity, there will be a spot for my elbows and me to stop by and have a drink.

and About Town from the Portland Phoenix have published today.

Starters were really strong – even the lettuce in the salad seemed special, and the scallops tartare and fried clams (from the bar menu) were like none we had ever tried. The mains were also really great – the duck with quinoa, fingerling potatoes, and hibiscus-ginger jelly was among the best duck I’ve ever eaten. (And the only one I can think of that I’d class better had crispier skin and different sides.)

Type A Diversions has reviewed an opening night dinner at The Corner Room.

Bottom line: In a city with many Italian food options, The Corner Room finds its niche as a moderately priced restaurant with creative cuisine.

Mitten Machen has reviewed Mesa Verde and rated it 3 (out of 4) for the “wide selection of vegan items”.

My food was decent, no worse than Margarita’s, and the service was great, but the dark, depressing atmosphere will probably keep me from visiting again. If I lived in Portland I’d be all over Mesa Verde for take-out.

Portland Bar Guide has published a review of Mathew’s.

What happens at Mathew’s stays at Mathew’s. And if you want to slum it for a night or longer – perhaps 30 years – you go on ahead.

Diet for a Small City has published a review of El Rayo from a vegetarian’s perspective.

The menu included a good number of vegetarian choices.  I was disappointed to see, however, that most vegetarian options lacked protein; by this, I mean that few to none of the vegetarian entrees featured beans and/or rice.  For example, the one vegetarian burrito is described as: “Grilled portabello mushrooms, caramelized onions & poblano peppers with salsa.”  This sounds delicious, but these ingredients force health-conscious vegetarians to order side dishes.

El Rayo received 5 stars in a new review from Chris2fer.

We decided that this was our new favorite Mexican eatery. It has a charming neighborhood feel, but a little hipstery. Not bad hipster, good hipster. The food though – the food is amazing. Very fresh, very healthy, very tasty, very different. We loved it.

Food for Thought has reviewed El Rayo Taqueria.

Still, what’s served at El Rayo is done fairly well and the preparations have authentic flavorings…Perhaps, in time, they’ll get their footing and expand, with a sit-down dining room…and serve full meals with the sort of Mexican fare that we’re not used to, true regional Mexican cooking.

Scones from Standard Baking are the subject of a review in the July issue of Bon Apetit. (via the weekly round-up in Psst!) For those of you who want to bake your own they’ve also published Standard’s recipe for the Blueberry Oatmeal Scones.

The scone was lightly crunchy on the outside, and the inside was moist and densely woven, freckled with tiny Maine blueberries. I took a bite. The texture was ideal: a bit like an old-fashioned biscuit, but more substantial. The oats were barely discernible, but they gave the crumb a gentle, homey flakiness. I should also tell you that the scone was perfectly sweetened—which is to say, barely sweet at all.

The Maine Switch has published a review of Veranda Thai.

Whether you’re eating in or taking out, the food at Veranda Thai is definitely worth a trip off the peninsula. But just for kicks, grab yourself a table. You’re bound to get a chuckle from the people a couple tables over.

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

So you may find it no surprise that M and I found Bintliff’s to be a restaurant in Portland that lives up to its great reputation. I am already looking forward to going back and sampling more of their extensive menu and hopefully not having too wait too long to do it!