The Portland Phoenix has published results from their annual Best of Portland readership poll.
There are dozens of food and drink categories represented long time favorites such as Allagash (Best Brewery, Best Maine Beer) and newcomers like Woodford Food & Beverage (Best New Restaurant).
Two Maine restaurants are on the Opinionated About Dining list of the Top 200 Gourmet Casual restaurants in the US.
Eventide is #46 and Central Provisions is at #86.
The Golden Dish has reviewed Becky’s,
But let me tell you about the clams. The batter coats these meaty local clams quite delicately and not the least greasy. The Cole slaw is creamy with just the right vinegary-sweet Mayonnaise dressing. This is excellent slaw. The fries are well done, crunchy on the outside and creamy within.
and Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Silly’s and Bramhall.
Bramhall isn’t always my go-to for a dinner, but when they are, they’ve got what it takes to satisfy. With a bit of a dark, brooding atmosphere set below ground, they create a feeling like few places can. I recommend trying anything that suits your fancy, but be sure to order the Loaded Crisps.
USA Today has reviewed Otto Pizza,
The pizza that wowed me was the three-cheese tortellini, common as a standalone pasta dish but almost never seen as a pizza topping, where it works really well. The top of the pasta gets just a bit crisped in the oven adding a great textural element, and it is all coated with a thick, old school red sauce like your Italian American nonna would make on Sundays.
The Blueberry Files has reviewed Baharat,
It’s exciting to watch food truckers grow their business into something that’s familiar and yet grows the concept of the original truck. Baharat takes the bright, unique flavors of CN Shawarma and gives them a home in East Bayside, where you too will be “all in” at first sip and bite.
The Golden Dish has reviewed LB Kitchen,
My favorite dish besides the Figa bowl is the egg sandwich. It’s made with lightly toasted white bread from Standard, with a really tasty turmeric fried egg with kimchi and cashews, another crunchy element that imparts great flavor and texture.
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Boone’s and a mezcal dinner at Sonny’s, and
Despite my one criticism of their menu, I always enjoy Boone’s. I’ve tried a number of different items there and have never been disappointed. They serve solid food, good drinks, and if you go between 4 and 6, you’ll be able to take advantage of some pretty decent happy hour specials. I’ll be keeping them on my list of restaurants to visit, especially in the warmer months when I can sit outside and eat close to the water.
the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Izakaya Minato,
Perhaps most pleasing and comforting of all is the okonomiyaki. The pancake was pleasantly light on egg and flour and the cabbage had a bit of crunch. Kewpie mayo offered some tang and spice, and a brown sauce some sweet. Flakes of bonito, which curled and swayed eerily as the steam rose from below, joined seaweed in lending some salt and funk.
Town and Country has published a visitors guide to Portland.
With terrific, forward-thinking restaurants, stylish independent boutiques, a vibrant arts and culture scene, and cobblestoned streets, Portland is the perfect New England destination for a long weekend. The area is particularly magical in summer, when the weather’s clear and dry, and when delicious eats in the Old Port abound.
Highlighted in the article are: Central Provisions, Duckfat, Eventide, Fore Street, Hunt and Alpine, J’s Oyster Bar, Oxbow and Rising Tide.
Two Maine restaurants are on the Opinionated About Dining list of the Top 200 US Restaurants. Hugo’s is #20 (up from 37 in 2016) and Miyake is at #176 (down from 81 last year).
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Big Fin Poké,
And overall, it is a successful one, with fresh (though mostly not local) ingredients, clear attention to food safety and cleanliness, and an almost infinite number of choices to personalize a meal to your tastes. The poké bowls with short-grain sushi rice and salad bowls can be very good, especially ones with cubed tofu, tuna, yellowtail and salmon. Both the yuzu citrus and spicy aioli sauces are excellent, and do well to cut the flavors of heavier, fattier ingredients like the sake-marinated beef brisket.
the Press Herald has reviewed Vieux Port Creole,
I expected they’d perhaps arrive on a big platter, running together over a mound of rice, but instead when the dish arrived (not exactly swiftly; I’d just checked my watch and 14 minutes had elapsed) each dish was presented in its own little bowl, with a big lump of white, buttered bread on the side. I went fork-to-fork between all three. The jambalaya was definitely too salty on first bite, but as I kept pulling pieces of chicken and andouille from the thick, brown gravy, I realized it was addictive.
the West End News has reviewed Artemisia Cafe and Pizzaiolo,
The Charlie sandwich, served on grilled peasant bread, featured roast beef, tomato, lettuce, red onion and a Gorgonzola aioli, served warm. Both sandwich and side were delicious, save for some stringiness to the meat.
and Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Baharat and Empire,
The amount of food we received in addition to the quality of both food and drinks made it feel like a bargain. The atmosphere was cool and casual and even though they just opened, they’re drawing quite a crowd. I’m happy to say that Bharat was so awesome that I’m already planning what to order on my next visit.
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Drifters Wife and Shay’s,
Chef Ben Jackson works the small kitchen next to the bar with deft and precision and the food clearly reflects that. Perfectly prepared, fresh food and plenty of wine is what you’ll find there and with a new menu every day, he’s challenged to come up with clever culinary interpretations to keep things interesting. And he does it very well.
the Press Herald has reviewed Lincolns, and Barista and Bites,
With six beers on tap (Allagash White, Harpoon Cider and Peak Organic Pilsner to name a few), one red wine, one white and no mixed drinks more complicated than liquor and a mixer, ordering a drink at Lincolns couldn’t be any less complicated.
The Golden Dish has posted the first review of Baharat,
A great addition to Portland dining, this take on Middle Eastern street food is already a hit with the city’s dining cognoscenti in the up and coming East Bayside neighborhood with all of its breweries, coffee houses, farmer’s market and industrial holdovers.
Portland Magazine has reviewed Izakaya Minato, and
Starting Off, we choose the Kinoko Salad ($8). Tender sautéed mushrooms and roasted vegetables rest on a bed of spinach, artfully drizzled with a creamy ponzu dressing. Next up is Okonomiyaki ($10), a cabbage pancake that comes with either mushroom or bacon, depending on your conscience. Filling and rich, this is exotic comfort food. Equally irresistible is the Sakana Misoyaki ($7), broiled seasonal fish marinated in miso.
Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Taco Escobarr.
It took some time, but I finished the burrito and settled my tab which came to somewhere around $25 bucks prior to tip. Taco Escobarr is a fun place to go. While their happy hour specials aren’t anything to write home about, it’s the drinks and the atmosphere that make it a worth while place to stay for a spell. And though I had a slight issue with the temperature of my food, it was really solid otherwise.
Maine Sunday Telegram has published the first review of Huong’s,
But in the end, pho is Huong’s signature dish. It’s pretty much impossible to go wrong with any of the herby, beef broth-based noodle soups, like the rare beef and meatball, or white meat chicken pho ($7.95). The service at Huong’s Vietnamese Restaurant also deserves praise – Huong Le’s daughters run the show in the front of the house, and they are unfailingly kind and knowledgeable, often dashing to the kitchen to make special requests that the kitchen goes out of its way to accommodate.
The Blueberry Files and Steffy Amondi have reviewed Sur Lie,
The potatoes and the bolognese were the winners in my book—the fried haddock suffered from a soft, rather than crispy, battered coating, and its flavors were too mild to stand up to the other dishes on the table. The bolognese was my favorite, with a tangy sauce and lots of orange zest.
The Press Herald has reviewed The King’s Head,
But it was the specials that caught my interest that day — first, the cream of chicken soup ($5 for a cup) and, second, the tacos. I had a chicken taco for $2 and a beef one for $3. Both were generous in size and entirely tasty. And the price sure was right. The soup also hit the spot, and for an even 10 bucks for all three of these things, it felt like more than enough food to satisfy even this bottomless pit.
Peter Peter Portland Eater has published the first review of BRGR Bar, and has reviewed Trattoria Fanny and Foulmouthed Brewing.
Foulmouthed Brewing appears to be doing pretty well and it’s with good reason. The beers they create have great flavor and they have a decent selection of cocktails too. But what makes them a go-to brewery is their food which is outstanding and pairs really well with their beverages. I’m going back soon for another brew and more grilled cheese. The sandwich might seem a little pricey at $13, but it’s so unbelievably good that I’ll ask them to take my money for it without hesitation.