Category: Reviews

Eat Drink Lucky has assembled a list of 32 ‘must drink’ cocktails, coffees and other imbibables available in the Portland area.

Portland has clocked in at #27 on Zagat’s 2017 list of the Most Exciting Food Cities in America.

Maine’s formerly sleepy little coastal capital has blossomed into a full on dining destination over the past few years, led by an ambitious flock of artisans, brewers, bakers and chefs…and it’s safe to say that Portland is officially taking the New England culinary scene by storm.

Bon Appétit has declared the Montreal-style bagels from The Purple House the Best Bagels We Ate in 2017.

I planned my entire trip around being able to make as many visits as possible to The Purple House. (I managed three.) There, I found hearty, rustic sandwiches and striking pastries like gooseberry-studded financiers. But the most important thing I found was the bagel that had been missing from my life: crackly and deeply flavorful in the Montreal style, yet homey and comforting in what I’ll call the Jewish-American deli style.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Noble Barbecue,

The culinary freedom Noble allows itself creates the space for a menu where a terrific, Texas-style smoked brisket can live happily alongside a New York pastrami or a wacky, yet completely addictive smoked spaghetti squash sandwich. A few dishes, like under-seasoned cubed pork and overcooked fries, need a tweak or two, but they are the exception, not the rule at Noble. Most, like macaroni and cheese prepared to order, are inventive and well-executed – way beyond the quality of anything you’d have any right to expect from a BBQ sandwich shop in Maine, of all places.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Blyth and Burrows, and

Blyth and Burrows turned my expectations upside down. I expected little and got everything. The drinks were solid, the food even better and the atmosphere as good as any around. The establishment is comfortable, looks really sharp, and feels like a place one could happily hang out in for hours. My two hopes are that next time I go I’ll spend some time in The Broken Dram downstairs and that at some point my wife will stop telling me how great her bao was.

the Press Herald has reviewed Sun Bakery & Restaurant.

For an entree, I tried the chicken lemongrass with rice ($8.50), which came with well-cooked (not clumpy) white rice, chunks of white meat chicken and a ton of vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, celery, onion, green beans, and both green and red peppers. The vegetables were perfect — cooked through, but they still had a little bite to them. The lemongrass flavor was very subtle, and at times I found myself wanting more, something to elevate it above a simple stir-fry.

Bon Appétit editor Alex Dealney was recently in town and has posted this report on Little Giant, Cong Tu Bot, Noble Barbecue, Belleville, Island Creek Oyster Shop and Rose Foods.

Portland, Maine is a bit of an anomaly. For such a small city, it has no business having such a high concentration of killer restaurants, bars, and breweries. Every time I’m there, I’m amazed. From diners to serious cocktail establishments to bakeries, Portland shows up in full.

I recently spent a few days eating around Portland, checking out spots that had opened since I was in town in the spring, and falling into comfortable, beer-coaxed sleeps. I’m happy to report that, like any noteworthy food city, Portland’s scene is still changing, growing, and impressing.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Little Giant,

An eclectic menu of hearty dishes contributes to the restaurant’s homey vibe, especially comfort-food classics like rolled buttermilk biscuits ($6), as light and laminated as croissants. Executive chef Rian Wyllie serves them with a mound of aerated lardo (cured pork fat), into which he whips rosemary, garlic and maple syrup. Spooned over the top is a tart hot-pepper jelly that tap-dances tiny prickles of heat along the back of your tongue.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Noble BBQ,

Barbecue is nothing without the support of a smattering of rib-sticking sides, and Noble covers familiar ground with two types of slaw (“old school” and citrus-apple, both noticeably different from one another in taste and texture), baked beans, mac ‘n cheese, fries and addictive house-pickled vegetables. “Scrappy Fries” give the restaurant a signature item of sorts — a pile of crunchy fries topped with baked beans, meat scraps, poblano sauce and cotija cheese. Is it poutine? Not really, but sort of, and it works.

the Press Herald has reviewed Leavitt & Sons,

When I got back to the office and a co-worker asked if I’d ordered the Our Famous Chicken Salad sandwich (which incorporates bacon and ranch dressing, obviously for health reasons), I felt a twinge of regret. I’d been tempted by it, then backed away. This gives me another reason to go back, and now I know I can find my way there. If I lived anywhere near downtown though, I’d walk, to skip the parking hassle. In spring and summer, a sandwich or salad to go and a trip into Deering Oaks with Leavitt & Sons would be just the ticket.

The Bollard has reviewed Hot Suppa,

Such hiccups aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Hot Suppa. The service was friendly and efficient, and the room was warm in every way. I look forward to exploring another corner of the dinner menu, and there are plenty of chilly evenings ahead.

Map & Menu has reviewed Island Creek Oyster Shop.

As a raw bar, The Shop’s menu is refreshingly simple – $1.50 oysters, tinned fish, caviar, beer, wine, and champagne. Island Creek’s own Duxbury oysters are served alongside some of Maine’s native varieties, including Damariscotta’s Mookie Blues, Scarborough’s Abigail Pearls, and New Meadows River’s Eider Coves. If you’re not in the mood for oysters, Tinned sardines, squid, octopus, or razor clams are served on a heaping tray filled with bread, butter, pickles, cabbages, and mustard.

Vinepair included Blyth & Burrows in their list of the Best New Cocktail Bars of 2017.

More importantly, there are exceptional drinks. The navy strength selection is booze-forward, and can involve brown butter-washed rum, smoked bitters, and house-made celery kombucha, while the rotating special drinks list includes a Silk Road-inspired menu with globetrotting accents.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Cong Tu Bot,

Yet even as it makes culinary references to its peers, Cong Tu Bot manages to produce something wholly original. Take the pho ga ($13), a chicken-based soup bowl teeming with flat, fettuccine-like rice noodles and irregular shreds of tender chicken meat. Dobui and Zohn intentionally construct their version of this classic using techniques borrowed from Japanese ramen shops…It is both delicate and decadent – and phenomenally good.

The Bollard has reviewed El Corazon,

I ordered chilaquiles ($10.95), a once favorite dish I hadn’t eaten since leaving California. Piled onto a bed of crisp tortilla chips were two scrambled eggs simmered in a mild red sauce (a green sauce is also an option), topped with crumbly queso fresco and Mexican crema, and served with sides of beans and homefries. For an extra $1.50 the chef added a generous portion of chorizo on top. I had a few minor quibbles — using chips, rather than tortilla strips, made the dish messy and difficult to eat, and a hefty dose of hot sauce was necessary to provide sufficient heat — but otherwise it was very good.

the Portland Press Herald has reviewed Rose Foods, and

The Uncle Leo was a hit. The bagel was crispy outside, soft and chewy inside… The frittata was perfectly round, obviously cooked in a mold, but had just the right amount of lox in it, so the flavors were well balanced – especially with the schmear of herbed cream cheese as a finishing touch. I would order this again…

the Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Bayou Kitchens.

Quick, easy, tasty, and reasonably priced, Bayou Kitchen hits all the marks. They make simple food including cajun favorites that consistently satisfy and also offer items that shock and amaze – particularly those specials – which might just throw a wrench into your usual brunch order.

Congratulations to the 3 Maine food producers that have earned a place as Finalists for the 2018 Good Food Award:

• Beer – Sixteen Counties from Allagash Brewing
• Elixers – Rose Syrup from Royal Rose Syrups
• Honey – Gold Star Honey from Gold Star Honeybees

The winners in all categories will be announced at the GFA awards ceremony and gala on January 19, 2018 in San Francisco.

Here’s some background on the Good Food Awards program,

The Good Food Awards were created to redefine ‘good food’ as being tasty, authentic and responsible. We aim to set criteria for entry that are realistic and inclusive of food and drink producers who have demonstrated a commitment to be part of building a tasty, authentic and responsible food system, going far above and beyond the status quo for their industry, while not making them so strict that eligible participants are limited to a small handful of products.