Category: Reviews

Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram restaurant critic Andrew Ross has put together a list of his top 75 restaurants in the Portland area.

The Golden Dish has reviewed Sichuan Kitchen,

Each time I’ve gone to Sichuan Kitchen the food has been better than the last time. Though in the beginning the dishes were dull looking and brown, the kitchen now presents beautifully arranged plates with meticulously prepared food.

The last visit a few weeks ago was for a Chinese-style banquet. The dishes sparkled with decorous presentation and unique flavors.

the Press Herald has reviewed Bánh Appétit, and

Le said the traditional banh mi has proved to be the most popular sandwich. It’s made with Vietnamese sausage, Vientamese ham, mayonnaise, pork pate, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, cilantro and peppers. The traditional sandwich is just $5, as is the tofu version. My barbecue pork sandwich – filled with tender, well-seasoned meat, along with all the pickled veggies, cucumber and cilantro – cost $6, also the price of the chicken banh mi. If you prefer beef or shrimp, it will cost $7 – still a deal.

the Press Herald has reviewed The Whiskey Barrel.

All four of my visits were fabulous, thank goodness. Owner Jay Ferrara is technically a first-time bar owner but doesn’t come across as one. The Whiskey Barrel is the culmination of his longtime dream to open a country music bar, and he’s deeply involved in every decision, from handpicking the live music acts to greeting patrons (many of whom already have become regulars) by name. Despite living in Massachusetts, he’s a steady presence in the bar.

Northern Hospitality by Andrew and Briana Volk is a final nominee for Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book category in the 2019 Tales of the Cocktail awards program.

Visit the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation website to see a complete list of nominees.

The West End News has reviewed Dutch’s,

With a slight shortage of breakfast options on the peninsula, especially given the profusion of culinary choices in Portland ….. Dutch’s fills an important downtown niche for working stiff urbanites, students, and for those “from away.” As good a breakfast and lunch diner gets here- this is probably it. I will go back. Dutch’s impressed me more this time than from my first visit, a few years back. They’ve stepped-up their game: their product, and their space.

and the Maine Sunday Telegram has explored the food at Hadlock Field.

Food & Wine recently published an article on their search for the best coffee in Portland.

As you might expect from a city with so many dark, cold days on the annual calendar, there’s no shortage of coffee in Portland. Who, however, was doing it best, or better than most? To answer that question, I scheduled stops at five prominent local roasters: Tandem Coffee, Coffee by Design, Bard Coffee, Speckled Ax, and Rwanda Bean, as well as the following shops where fine coffee was said to be sold: Coffee ME Up, Little Woodfords, Union Bagel and Rose Foods.

Portland Magazine has reviewed Eaux,

Tonight’s special is the Étouffée ($22), a lovely presentation with the fiddleheads curled in a fragrant base. But it’s the gorgeous golden-fried soft-shell crab resting atop the bowl that takes center stage. There’s no lobster analogy for the soft-shell crab, and it’s a brilliant pairing with the fiddleheads, whose season also is fleeting—almost a bump of the supernatural.

the Press Herald has reviewed Blue Spoon Cafe, and

Of course, I did, partially because this became the day I fell in love with dill. I finally understood what’s been missing from every chicken salad I’ve ever eaten (and there have been quite a few), not to mention the magnitude of putting it on some of the best sourdough bread on the planet.

The Golden Dish has reviewed the Luke’s Lobster.

Wine Enthusiast has included Drifters Wife in their 2019 list of the America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants.

Each year, the editors of Wine Enthusiast sip and sup their way around the country, seeking eateries that incorporate wine in thoughtful and exciting ways. This list isn’t a ranking, nor is there a matrix of number of bottles, prices or types of food. Instead, it is a selection of restaurants where wine is shared and celebrated, and where, in our experiences, the selection, food, service and atmosphere are all exceptional. Cheers!

Mainer has reviewed Baristas and Bites, and

We were so wrong. Baristas + Bites’ Hummus + Veggie Wrap rockets beyond bland with an incredibly fresh (like, made that morning), house-made hummus. This is a colorful wrap with perfectly ripe, crisp vegetables: spicy arugula, pickled onion, shredded carrots, sliced red peppers, bright red tomatoes, and cucumbers. There is a perfect balance of flavors, with a bit of acid, spice and salt. The hummus itself is expertly seasoned and has the added texture of red onion, pumpkin seeds and whole chickpeas.

The Press Herald has reviewed the Quality Shop.

When I got there my order was ready. The two burgers were very warm, wrapped in foil. They were much bigger than I expected for a two-fer deal. Both were thick, with white American cheese, on buns that had been buttered and grilled. They came with a white-and-red box of crinkle-cut fries, also hot.

The Blueberry Files has published a fist look at Flood’s.

Our mains were the chicken schnitzel ($22) and the cheeseburger ($18), plus sides of creamed spinach ($8) and charred broccolini ($7). The schnitzel was crispy and moist inside, livened up with some hot sauce, salt, and lemon. The creamed spinach was my personal favorite, as it has been since childhood…And the burger was amazing…

“This small town in Maine should be on every food lover’s bucket list” declares Travel & Leisure. No, they’re not writing about Portland, but about Biddeford.

Our favorite stops were Elements, a bookstore/coffee shop/beer bar, which is perfect for an afternoon of browsing and sousing; and the town’s first real claim to chef-driven cuisine, Elda (entrées $26–$30), the brainchild of Bowman Brown, previously of Salt Lake City’s widely admired Forage. Everything about Elda—from the open kitchen to the seafood-centered menu—is impeccable and warm.