Category: Reviews

La Liste, a new international guide to the 1,000 most “exceptional restaurants from around the world” was released on Thursday. 101 US restaurants made the cut. Per Se came in #2 overall and Fore Street, the sole entry from Maine, was ranked #935.

La Liste is based on the collective rankings from 200 guidebooks and online review sites. Each of the source’s weight in the overall score was based on their level of reliability as reported from a survey of 150,000 restaurant owners.

This graphic (click to expand) shows the national origins of the restaurants on the list:

You can learn more about the team leading the project, their sources and methodology on the La Liste website.

The Golden Dish has reviewed Fore Street.

Fore Street has not lost its luster one bit.  Yet its gloriousness is so subtle.  It doesn’t blaze with culinary fripperies. Instead its gastronomic Zeitgeist favors a less-is-more approach, maintaining a patina of refinement with everything that comes out of its kitchen.  From the food that’s grilled, spit-roasted or pan seared and roasted in great cast-iron pans to the utter fineness of its ingredients—nearly all locally sourced— it’s the simplicity  of its cooking that speaks with such exuberance.

The Press Herald has published a bar review of The Great Lost Bear,

The Great Lost Bear has an extensive beer list and maintains a hometown-bar vibe. Good for a burger and a beer, especially on Mondays and Tuesdays when it’s “talls for smalls” pricing.

and a lunch review of the Portland Food Co-op.

There are two kinds of organic soups ready to ladle into to-go cups (soups change daily) and the price was right ($3.50 for a small). I chose the mushroom barley, which was vegan (I felt instantly virtuous). Since that was so cheap, I also grabbed a couple of lunch-portioned salads from the cooler right near the soup: a half pound of “Awesome Chicken Salad” for $6.86 and an “Autumn Salad” with chickpeas, kale and pepitas, aka little pumpkin seeds, for $2.64.

Down East has reviewed Portland Patisserie,

The pastries, quiches, soups, and sandwiches at Portland Pâtisserie and Grand Café, in the Old Port, are well on their way to standing on their own, with authentic French underpinnings and just enough New World innovation to keep things interesting. This is thanks to 34-year-old pastry chef Catherine Côté-Eliot, enlisted by owners Steve and Michelle Corry (the duo behind classic Portland restaurants Petite Jacqueline and 555) to translate French patisserie conventions into innovative confections fit for Maine palates.

and the Press Herald has published a lunch review of The Works.

On a nasty late-fall noon hour with a hard rain falling, I dashed across Temple Street from One City Center to finally try what most of my co-workers know is one of the finest sandwich shops in Portland.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Tempo Dulu.

Tempo Dulu isn’t for everyone. Much of the spicing is unapologetically intense; the tamarind in the curry, for example, or the chilies in the sambal. A few of the dishes (like the crab and shrimp cake) pale next to more flavorful options. And the place is definitely pricey for Maine: Couples who choose the most affordable of the three menus must still expect to spend well north of $150 dollars, excluding drinks. But if you’re dining out in search of something memorable, flavorful – and above all, sensual – Tempo Dulu is the place to go.

The Press Herald has reviewed Bull Feeney’s.

Open for nearly 14 years, Bull Feeney’s is an authentic Irish pub and restaurant known for its daily entertainment, particularly live music and quiz games and competitions. The pub serves local craft beer, as well as imported brews, and features Maine’s most extensive selection of single malt Scotch whiskies. This is the place to spend your holiday weekends, both for the pub fare, as well as the fun atmosphere. It’s hard to go wrong at Bull Feeney’s.

The Press Herald has reviewed Eve’s.

Tucked away on the second floor of the Portland Harbor Hotel is Eve’s at the Garden, a warm and elegant hotel bar and restaurant that boasts a toasty fireplace nook, superbly comfortable bar stools, and peaceful views of the patio sanctuary, which transforms into an ice sculpture garden come winter. While the cocktail list is mediocre, this is the perfect place to enjoy a nice glass of Scotch, share a bottle of red, or order a warm Irish Dream Coffee.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Terlingua.

Terlingua is a boutique BBQ restaurant serving at least three – sometimes as many as five – house-smoked meats, plus a variety of Latin American specialties. With almost every dish available as a large or small plate, it’s also an affordable place for trying and sharing. Start with the bean and corn salad – it’s light, fresh and beautifully balanced – or the intensely flavorful chicharron, a square of pork belly with a crispy, scored skin that’s drizzled with a rosy ribbon of house-infused hibiscus honey.