Travels with Hilary has reviewed the Miss Portland Diner.
My new favorite breakfast joint is the Miss Portland Diner, on Marginal Way (between Franklin and Forest). The restored, original Worcester Lunch Car Company #818 shines not only in its gleaming metal surfaces, but also in service and food.
Down East has reviewed Casa Novello in Westbrook.
As for those entrées: The penne a la vodka was fantastic — perfectly cooked seafood in a reddish-pink sauce that had just a hint of a kick. My veal parm, however, suffered from a slight lack of attention, with the cutlet’s thin ends dry from overcooking and the accompanying dish of pasta boiled well past al dente. Did any of that stop me from gobbling it up, however? Heck, no.
Portland Bar Guide has reviewed the 2nd floor bar at Joe’s New York Pizza.
The most notable trait is the ice strip at the bar, which seats around 10 people. The strip follows the length of the bar and is 11 degrees. Meant to keep your drinks cold, the ice strip could serve many needs, however Dino said no one has gotten their tongue stuck to it.
Joe’s Boathouse received 2 stars from the Taste & Tell column in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.
PeRx-U-Up Cafe received 4 stars from the Eat & Run column in today’s Portland Press Herald.
The cafe is not a big place – just a couple of small tables, some counter seating and, now that the weather has improved, some outdoor tables. The bottom line: The food is fresh, good and reasonably priced.
The Maine Switch has reviewed North Star.
Once in a while when a restaurant opens, the stars and the moon align and the crowds descend. Such was the case when Kim Anderson and Anna Maria Tocci opened North Star Music Café two years ago at the base of Munjoy Hill. A packed entertainment schedule, the simply prepared food and the free wi-fi quickly solidified its status as one of the city’s most popular gathering spots and eateries.
Asmara, the Eritrean restaurant on Oak Street, has received 3½ stars from the Taste & Tell column in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.
Asmara, an established culinary outpost of Eritrea in Portland, serves dinners with the scents and tastes of eastern Africa. Spicy cayenne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, thyme and cloves imbue meats, greens, dried peas and lentils with an exotic allure. Red cayenne in a paste called berbere livens up lamb, chicken and beef with a trickle of fire.
Mitten Machen has published a review of Bangkok Thai.
There is an ample vegetarian section, and many dishes can be made vegan by omitting egg or fish sauce. On the chickpea scale of vegan-friendliness, I give Bangkok Thai a very respectable three chickpeas. It’s a safe bet if you’re looking for a quick, economical vegan meal.
The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Barava, the new Somali restaurant that opened on Congress street early last month.
The entrées, while perfectly fine, could not live up to the opening. The kabaab, “broiled with complementing addition in the tandoor” as the menu said, was a bit drier as an entrée then it seemed in the basket. But is came with a creamy, spicy, lemony hummus, and a spectacular thick African flatbread called muufo baravani.