Category: Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has put together their list of the Ten Best Soups in Portland.

Suffice to say, Portlanders have it pretty good when it comes to floating nutrition. Soups (and their numerous variations) have long been used to coax comfort out of even the most arduous days. Whether it’s an oncoming cold, the end of a relationship that should’ve worked or anything in-between, few things bring pause to life’s anxieties more readily than a bowl of hot liquid and whatever may have ended up getting added in the process.

What are your favorites, what would you add to the list?

The April edition of Portland Magazine includes a review of Drifters Wife,

The entire dinner is a testament to Jackson’s imagination and skill, with mostly locally grown and raised ingredients. We dab bread in the last of the sauce and leave nothing behind but the bones. 

The final list of nominees for the 2018 James Beard Foundation awards were released today:

• Outstanding Baker – Alison Pray, Standard Baking. The Outstanding Baker category recognizes “A chef or baker who prepares breads, pastries, or desserts in a retail bakery, and who serves as a national standard-bearer of excellence. Must have been a baker or pastry chef for at least five years.” Pray has been a semifinalist in 2015 and 2017.
• Book Awards – Erin French from The Lost Kitchen is a nominee in the American Book category for her cookbook The Lost Kitchen published by Clarkson Potter.

11 Maine semifinalists were announced in February.

The awards ceremony will take place on May 7th in Chicago.

Related information:

• Award and Nomination Process – learn more about the award nominations process.
• James Beard in Portland – James Beard taught several days of cooking classes in Portland in 1964.

The Bollard has reviewed brunch at Chaval, and

The brunch menu had so many appealing options that we struggled to decide. My wife ended up ordering two items. Her bowl of lightly sweetened, house-made granola ($7) featured a dollop of locally made Greek yogurt and chunks of pear and apple roasted to a perfect firmness. The Standard ($12) included two eggs, toast, potatoes, and meat — in this case, thin, savory patties of lean maple-and-sage sausage. The eggs were slow-poached at 63ºC, widely considered the ideal way to prepare a perfect soft egg. The onion-jam-topped potatoes were crisp, aggressively seasoned, and downright brilliant, right up there with the potatoes at Dutch’s and Palace Diner, which I rave about to anyone who’ll listen.

The Golden Dish has published a brief review of the Roma Cafe.

That goes for the meatballs and spaghetti, too, which my dinner mate thoroughly enjoyed. The meatballs are gossamer light and beautifully sauced with the kitchen’s rich marinara. Our mistake was to have too many filling first courses.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Taj,

Among her best dishes are an indulgent cholle batura – puffy fried bread served with mild, stewed chickpeas – and both gobi 65 and gobi Manchuria, two takes on deep-fried, fiery-hot cauliflower florets. Unfortunately, Taj has problems with consistent execution in service and food. Sometimes, shifts between competence and carelessness occur within a single meal, where you might eat a terrific, blistered garlic naan alongside a tough, overcooked half-chicken ($11.99), marinated in yogurt and powdered with tandoori masala as red as a country barn.

The Blueberry Files has reviewed Chaval,

We left feeling like we’d spend the evening hanging out with friends, sitting at the bar, and engaging in some witty banter (theirs, not mine 😉). With dishes that encouraging sharing, Chaval is the perfect place to catch up with friends over some snacks and drinks.

the Press Herald has reviewed Hardshore,

With excellent gin and an extremely fair price point, the tasting room at Hardshore Distilling is hands-down one of the best places on the peninsula to grab a G&T, before dinner or not.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed LFK, and

I love bar food. I love it when it sucks, and I love it when it’s surprisingly great. LFK somehow toes the line, offering bites that satisfy and those that simply do not. Pick your poison.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Central Provisions.

Here’s specifically why Central Provisions absolutely nails it. First, their food parings are spot on. But, the biggest reason is that they have seasoning down to an absolute science, possibly better than anywhere I’ve ever eaten. I can’t imagine fries more perfectly appointed or a crab salad that better combines its tastes. And those are just the start; everything else they serve follows suit. Go early, go often, go downstairs. Go give them your money. It’s well worth it.

The Food Network has published an eating guide to Portland,

Though a mention of Portland, Maine still brings to mind lobsters for many, the city offers so much more than seafood. Gone are the days when everyone flocked to the waterfront district of Old Port. Impressive pockets of eateries have sprouted up in places like Longfellow Square, the east side of Washington Avenue and the historic West End. This is your guide to making every single meal count, and in the process enjoying the most diverse array of foods that Forest City has to offer.

Highlighted in the article are: Back Bay Grill, Baharat, Boda, Central Provisions, Chaval, Cong Tu Bot, Drifters Wife, East Ender, Emiltsa, Empire, Eventide, Gorgeous Gelato, Highroller Lobster, Hot Suppa, Isa, Izakaya Minato, LB Kitchen, Miyake, Palace Diner, Tandem, Terlingua, The Honey Paw, The Purple House, Tipo, Woodford F&B

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Lena’s,

As you might expect, the dining room is decorated with handcrafted platters and bowls, elements that make it feel welcoming and homey. Chef Brian Grossman’s menu adds to that sense with his selection of Italian-American red-sauce classics, like a tender, beautifully cooked meatball Parmesan, and al dente spaghetti with pomodoro sauce, served in quantities large enough to feed a rebel insurrection. Better still are his specials, like crispy pork belly served with handmade, pesto-ricotta-filled ravioli.

The Golden Dish has reviewed Little Giant,

Wyllie’s version of Johnny cake was bathed in a luscious blueberry syrup, with a big fat housemade sausage oozing with cheddar set over the cornmeal pancake and topped with a perfectly fried egg.

Portland Magazine has reviewed Tuscan Table, and

The location adjacent to the Maine Mall notwithstanding, you’ll never mistake this for a mall or chain restaurant. (It does have two popular sister-establishments, the Tuscan Bistro in Freeport and Royal River Grill House in Yarmouth.) Most diners appear to be on dates or enjoying multi-generational, multi-coursed family meals. Everyone appears to have caught the celebratory vibe.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Blue Spoon.

Here’s what I recommend when you go to Blue Spoon: sit at the bar, order the trio of scotch, keep your ears open, and enjoy what they offer, because every time I go, I like it more. They hit all the marks for excellence in a restaurant and because of that, they are becoming one of my favorites. Go there ready to eat and relax and maybe they will be one of yours too.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Bolster Snow,

Everyone in the room laughed, then unsurprisingly went back to focusing on their meals, which are generally excellent and showcase Verdisco’s skill at building structured, balanced flavor profiles. Don’t miss the pork terrine, served with an egg yolk gnocchi that Verdisco unabashedly cribbed from Los Angeles chef Michael Voltaggio. Also, make sure you don’t skip bread or dessert, both of which are made by rising-star pastry chef Sarah Miller. In particular, if there’s an éclair on the menu, order it; Miller’s choux pastry is out of this world.

Down East has reviewed Chaval,

Similarly, Lopez, who scored a nod as a James Beard Award semifinalist last year for her pastry work at Piccolo, always thinks about how her desserts — even the incomparable Spanish sundae — square with the rest of a meal. Indeed, the sundae reflects flavors that show up across the menu. It’s a standout, but the whole dessert list (churros! chocolate mousse!) is a revelation. That’s the most remarkable thing about Chaval: any number of menu items could, at a lesser establishment, steal the show. Despite their individual brilliance, Lopez, Sansonetti, and McDonald have figured out how to create perfect harmony among every bite and sip, one exceptional taste after the next.

Portland Phoenix has reviewed Petite Jacqueline,

For many diners, a meal at Petite Jacqueline will serve as their first foray into bistro-style French cuisine. To that extent, one could argue that the restaurant is right on-track and poised for years of continued success, providing a strong introduction to staple dishes despite some minor flaws in execution. There are certainly more creative takes on French food being cooked and served throughout town at similar price points, but sometimes you’ve just got to stick with the classics.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Tipo, and

I took a bite of the toast first and it was marvelous. It was made from fresh bread and crispy through and through; I found a satisfying crunch in every bite. I ate all the toast first, making room to dig into the egg. The chicken seed was cooked to medium and a smidge spicy. As eggs go, it was quite good. I finished that before moving on to the taters.

the Press Herald has reviewed Emilitsa.

A shining beacon of honest of fine dining in Portland’s Arts District, Emilitsa is perfectly suitable for celebrating an anniversary or similar milestone with a loved one. Thanks to a new bar program, it’s also an excellent option for anyone looking to duck away for a quick solo bite and a well-crafted cocktail or thoughtfully chosen glass pour of Greek wine.

The semi-final list of nominees for the 2018 James Beard Foundation awards were released today. There are 11 semifinalist nominees from Maine:

• Best Chef: Northeast – Krista Kern Desjarlais, The Purple House; Vien Dobui, Cong Tu Bot; Erin French, The Lost Kitchen; Ravin Nakjaroen, Long Grain; Keiko Suzuki Steinberger, Suzuki’s Sushi Bar
• Outstanding Restaurant – Chase’s Daily
• Outstanding Baker – Alison Pray, Standard Baking
• Outstanding Chef – Sam Hayward, Fore Street
• Outstanding Service – Back Bay Grill
• Outstanding Pastry Chef – Ilma Lopez, Piccolo
• Rising Star of the Year – Cara Stadler, Tao Yuan

The final list of nominees will be released on March 14th, and the awards ceremony will take place on May 7th in Chicago.

Related information:

• Award and Nomination Process – learn more about the award nominations process.
• James Beard in Portland – James Beard taught several days of cooking classes in Portland in 1964.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Rose Foods,

The best expressions of his intentions are the Harbor Master, a kelp, collards and egg sandwich, and the Monday Morning, filled with rich chopped chicken livers and chicken skin cracklings. The Health Salad, a zingy, dill-and-caraway-scented cole slaw made with cabbage, celery root and shaved fennel, is excellent, as is the classic bagel-and-smoked-fish spread for two, the Fisherman’s Feast. Order it with horseradish cream cheese and a pumpernickel bagel – it’s worth writing home about, especially since you never call and you never write.

The Blueberry Files has posted a first look at the new Drifters Wife,

The new Drifters Wife is like the big sibling to the old space, its elegant menu and unique wines set against a cooler, sophisticated backdrop. As anyone who has visited the restaurant before knows its price point is high, so it’s not for the faint of wallet. But the new space elevates the experience, with more of the same expert natural wine picks and delicious small plates.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Fore Street, and

When you walk into Fore Street, you are immediately greeted by the smell of wood smoke, but the smells, colors, flavors, and textures around you will continue to provoke your senses throughout. Even the sounds of the kitchen will add to the experience. For me, this time at Fore Street was even better than the last. The meal was outstanding from cocktail to cake and while the boldest flavors came at the end, the palate throughout the meal painted a beautiful picture one happy, little bite at a time.

The Bollard has reviewed Becky’s Diner.

The diner’s popularity isn’t rooted in some provincial, uncritical enthusiasm. Becky’s is good — a certain kind of good, a cheap and filling, homemade and unfussy kind of good. And it’s not just the food. It’s the florescent lights, the industrial-sized coffee maker, the red vinyl stools along the counter. It’s the service, which is friendly in a Maine sort of way — which is to say, when you ask your server how things are going, she replies, “It’s goin’!”