The Bollard has published a brunch review of Bao Bao.
Many of the offerings at Bao Bao are not particularly authentic, but they’re all good, and a few are downright great. The incredibly friendly waitstaff was happy to explain anything in detail and help us make good choices — service you’re not likely to find at a big-city banquet hall. Until the day when a true dim sum experience becomes available in Portland, Bao Bao will fill that niche admirably.
The Golden Dish has reviewed The Honey Paw.
A grand opus of thoroughly masterful culinary achievement is nearly an understatement of how good the food is from the master chefs who brought us Eventide and Hugo’s, with chef de cuisine Thomas Pisha-Duffly leading the charge.
The Press Herald has reviewed The Local Press.
The Local Press is known for serving Boar’s Head meats and for its bowls of “Rundown,” a spicy Caribbean chowder made with coconut milk, curry and root vegetables. The chowder is a huge draw; a bowl of Rundown and a panini certainly make for a complete and filling meal. The menu also always includes a soup of the day, such as sweet potato bisque.
This week’s Press Herald Food & Dining section highlights the restaurants to eat at now—before the tourists show up and tables become scarce.
Bayside/Bintliff’s Boone’s, Cafe, Central Provisions, Duckfat, East Ender, Eventide, Flatbread, Fore Street, Hot Suppa, J’s Oyster Bar, Lolita, M.C. Union, Pai Men Miyake, The Honey Pot were all mentioned in the article.
All too often, the act of simply making it to a restaurant table in Maine during the summer months sucks so much of the joy out of dining that we slink away until the leaves of autumn start to fall and it feels safe to return. So, before the Fourth of July hordes descend upon our fair city, here are our suggestions for places we suggest you visit during the next two months, before it’s too late. Take a deep breath – or two – and actually enjoy yourself.
Also, the paper’s Bite draws attention to the open-faced sunflower butter and lingonberry jam sandwich at Ten Ten Pié.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Tiqa.
Bright, attractive and busy, Tiqa is a large “pan-Mediterranean” restaurant on the western edge of the Old Port. With dishes and recipes inspired by the foods of southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, there’s a broad range of lunch and dinner options, from flatbreads and skewered meats – the chicken merguez kefta is excellent – to pan-seared Egyptian-style fish and memorable braised oxtail from Sicily. Avoid the fried food: fried broccolini (fritto misto) and chickpea fritters (falafel) here both fall flat. And take advantage of the free valet parking (after 5 p.m.), the opportunity to sample wines before ordering and the superb fruit sorbets made daily. Those sorbets blend silky texture with intense flavor for a deeply satisfying finish to a meal.
The Golden Dish has reviewed Sur Lie.
Everything was so good that I felt no need to end the meal with a final sweet, of which there are some tempting choices on the menu. But one fact is certain. Sur-Lie has hit its stride since it opened in October of last year. Now it’s right up there with the best in town and should be indubitably on the top of your list to enjoy fine dining in Portland.
The May issue of Bon Appétit features Tandem Bakery in their article Will Fly for Food which highlights 29 locations worldwide “to get lost and fed”.
A cool coffee bar tucked inside a brilliantly restored old gas station? This is Tandem Coffee + Bakery in cozy Portland, Maine, where you’ll find some of the most impressive and innovative baked goods this country has seen in years. Here’s why we’re heading north for our sugar fix.
The article includes a sidebar which lists a few other venues in town: Bao Bao, Bissell Brothers, East Ender, Maine & Loire, Slab, The Danforth Inn, The Press Hotel.
The magazine should begin arriving in mailboxes and on newsstands in the next few days.
The Portland Phoenix has reviewed the East Ender.
So the low-key remake of East Ender offers a boost to a block now packed with good restaurants. It is quite a change from last year when the bright orange Small Axe Truck stood loud, proud and alone in Bayside or Congress Square Park. The truck was named for the Bob Marley song about the power of small efforts to result in big change. Perhaps in abandoning the truck for the East Ender, the chefs hope to follow the path of their new neighborhood’s anchor — Hugo’s, which chef Rob Evans similarly bought and remade under its original name. It was a subtle change that gave birth to a food empire. The truck-magic often results in something significant and long lasting — teen-pregnancy and parenthood, for example, or a Clinton presidency, perhaps. The new East Ender should be around a long while, too.
The Press Herald has published a bar review of JP’s Bistro.
JP’s Bistro is a small neighborhood restaurant specializing in Italian dishes and craft cocktails. Capacity is about 50, but the bistro doesn’t leave much room left over. Reservations are recommended, even at the bar on weekend nights. The bar is snug, but comfortable, and you’ll likely strike up a conversation with the friendly staff as you enjoy expertly made cocktails, craft beer on tap and a solid wine list.
Several Portland area food enterprises have been recognized by Yankee magazine in their annual Best of New England list: