Category: Reviews

Hugo’s clocked in at #21 on the 2019 Opinionated About Dining list.

The Portland Phoenix has reviewed the Izakaya Minato, “one of the best dining experiences Portland has to offer”.

Choosing a standout dish at Izakaya Minato is challenging given the fact that nearly every menu item offers something unique and discussion-worthy, but the honors must go to the sublimely complex shiromi ankake. An almost gravy-like base of smoky amber dashi sets the scene for tender mushrooms and blisteringly hot fried white fish, topped with a flurry of cooling shaved daikon. It is, at its heart, the very definition of “comfort food,” yet distinctly different from the fat and salt-laden dishes typical of the Western usage of that same term.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed the Maine Oyster Co.

While the local oysters it serves are indeed excellent – especially the Bar Harbor MDIs and Eros from Georgetown – much of the rest of the extremely limited menu is lackluster, and little of it homemade. If you visit, stick with the lemon-and-dill-dressed lobster roll and a plate of the pickled crudité. Then, if you’re still hungry, try the C. Love Cookie Project ice cream sandwich, or better yet: another dozen local oysters.

Cellardoor Wines took home 2 Best in Class, 3 double gold medals and 5 gold medals from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

The Press Herald has reviewed Mathew’s, and

Mathew’s is a cash-only establishment and doesn’t provide receipts, so you might not want to host a business meeting there (unless you’re in the Mob), but it’s a great place to hang out with old friends and make some new ones. The crowd tends to be a mix of locals and tourists, with a heavy contingent of grizzly retired guys who I have heard will happily cheer on anyone doing a Jello shot.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has published a review of East Ender.

There’s more to the East Ender than just food. It has a warm vibe that is comfortable, calm, and inviting. The dishes are relatively simple and on occasion might be missing a little something, but mostly, they’re a success. And while you could have part of a dish that isn’t quite your cup of tea, it’s highly unlikely you’ll walk out disappointed. I would encourage you to pay them a visit and try a healthy sampling of the menu to get the full experience.

And the Maine Sunday Telegram has posted a review of Brickyard Hollow in Yarmouth.

In lieu of a review the Maine Sunday Telegram has published a guide to the best Asian soups in Portland, and

So as we slide into the nippiest part of the year, I’ve been compiling another list. This one I’m sharing with you: a brief guide to some of Portland’s best Asian soups. Here’s hoping it helps you track down something soothing and restorative when you’re feeling bulldozed by the winter chill.

the Press Herald has reviewed Totally Tubers.

We went for the custom-designed taters, one Russet and one sweet potato, all with cute names, like I Yam What I Yam and Silence of the Yams. We chose the Bosemite Yam, a sweet potato with maple butter, applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese and candied maple pecans, for $9. It tasted as good as it sounds.

Four Maine food producers received a total of 6 wins at last night’s Good Food Awards gala in San Francisco:

• Beer – Liquid Riot for their Blushing Star Barrel-Aged Lager
• Charcuterie – A Small Good for their Cider Brined Coppa
• Cider – Portersfield Cider for their Ridlon 16/2
• Coffee – Bard Coffee for their Organic Costa Rica La Mirella
• Spirits – Liquid Riot for both their Old Port Straight Bourbon Whiskey & Fernet Michaud

The Blueberry Files has posted a first look of Gross Confection Bar.

The menu describes the dishes as a list of ingredients, which creates an element of surprise around what will actually land in front of you. I’m into that—I think part of the fun of Gross is wondering what the kitchen has come up with and encountering flavor combinations you haven’t before. 

The Bollard has reviewed brunch at Highroller Lobster Company,

First off, let me say that at any other time of day, I love Highroller. Both their mobile and brick-and-mortar kitchens put out a killer lobster roll, their crispy-cheese-shell lobster taco is the stuff of dreams, and they have an outstanding selection of local beers. But after a recent visit for Sunday brunch, I can’t recommend their morning meal.

NOW, “Toronto’s weekly news and entertainment voice”, has published an eating guide to Portland.

You, skeptical Torontonian, may be thinking, “Okay, but Portland’s got 2 per cent of our population — what can they possibly have that we don’t?” But if you make the trek (about a three-hour flight time or a two-hour drive from Boston), there’s plenty of eye-opening eats to discover. Here’s what you should make sure to zero in on while you’re in town.