Category: Reviews

Down East has reviewed Lolita.

An array of small plates, served with careful attention to flavor and texture. Local, seasonal ingredients used to maximum advantage. Well-balanced cocktails and a confident, savvy wine list. The sense that you’re the only diner who really matters in a small but bustling dining room. You could use all of these phrases to describe both Bar Lola — Guy and Stella Hernandez’s Munjoy Hill institution, which the couple closed in November 2013 after seven years — and Lolita, the intriguing new restaurant they’ve opened just a few doors down on Congress Street. But while both restaurants’ broad outlines are similar, Lolita feels quite new — as if your dear friend got a chic haircut, a killer pair of shoes, and a fascinating new career to discuss over drinks.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Slab,

Skip breakfast and over-indulge in the flavorful Sicilian street food at this informal lunch-and-dinner restaurant. Named for the gargantuan servings of thick-crust pizza created by chef/owner Stephen Lanzalotta, Slab also offers delicious open-faced oven melts, braised meats and lasagnas. Make sure to ask your server about the day’s specials – and don’t skimp on dessert: The baci (chocolate) and ricciarelli (almond) cookies are extra rich and satisfying.

and Eating Portland Alive has posted a first look review of Ebb & Flow.

The za’atar-spiced pita was the perfect vessel for the cold eggplant salad. I was definitely still tearing away at the flatbread after the salad was long gone…The cauliflower soup took savory to another level with the inclusion of rock crab and chorizo. The server who delivered my lamb keftedakia declared it “the king of dishes.” I may have to try a few more items for comparison, but I’m a pretty happy camper with lamb meatballs especially with such a nice char on them.

pArts has reviewed Bao Bao,

Next up, my single order of dumplings (which come boiled, steamed or pan fried, I chose the last). Six beauties stuffed with a sausage ball of lamb, black bean, peanuts, and chilis, served with a homemade tomato relish/ketchup. I will likely order these every time I return. I was sorry I didn’t order the Hake dumplings which looked amazing . . . but I need something to look forward to next time.

and Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Timber.

My verdict on Timber is to go there for happy hour. The mac and cheese is half price and there are some cheap drinks – all of which I loved. For the price, I can’t say I was pleased with the main courses. Our meal came to over $100 with tax and tip, so it wasn’t cheap and we didn’t get any steak which would have upped the price significantly.  Nonetheless, the restaurant has an allure under the right circumstances, but it’s not for an entire meal.

The Press Herald has published a bar review of DiMillo’s.

DiMillo’s is a Portland institution. A floating restaurant since 1982, this 701-ton yacht can seat up to 600 in the summertime. The bar scene in the winter is more mellow but the place can still get crowded on weekends and Tuesday nights. Expect to find excellent service, a jovial atmosphere and strong drinks.

The Golden Dish has reviewed Dutch’s.

Lucy’s time with Tartine might account for the exquisiteness of her breads and pastries.  Layers of butter define their incredible croissants or the brioche dough for the sandwich rolls.  The all-butter fruit Danish would remind you of one from a Parisian patisserie. Speaking of butter, they make their own, taking pasteurized local cream, mixing it with buttermilk to form a culture until it cures several days later into a rich high-fat spread that they use on everything.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth.

The best of The Good Table is old-fashioned, hearty fare – from nicely grilled beef burgers with fried onions to moist and flavorful fish and chips with cole slaw. Start with a pail of fresh mussels served in a broth infused with butter and garlic. Move onto a rich standard such as rib eye steak with horseradish cream, or a lighter, Greek-style baked fish. All the food here is comforting – and filling.

The Golden Dish has published a first look review of Ebb & Flow,

The “mezzes” are delightful and perhaps my favorite part of the menu and offer such other choices as taramasalata (whipped roe and almond milk) and fire roasted eggplant, which are served with the wonderful pita. And choose one of the hearty appetizers or skip that course and go straight to other main dishes like tomato-based braised lamb shank with pistachios or chicken roasted in the wood oven.  Then you easily enjoy the simplicity of the fine cooking–sometimes a relief from  the fine madness elsewhere.

Vrai-lean-uh has reviewed Tandem Bakery on Congress Street.

Every time I go I order a new thing that is more fantastic than the last. The poppyseed grapefruit bundt cake was spectacular. The jalapeno cheddar biscuits are perfectly tender and soft with just the touch of crispy edges. I mostly hate scones, but these ones are light and buttery and come in flavors like plum rosemary. The chocolate chip cookies are somehow both sophisticated and nostalgic. The sticky bun, guys. It’s so good.

Drink Up and Get Happy has reviewed Maps Cafe,

The vibe is almost like 70’s basement home bar mixed with your neighborhood pub.  It’s comfortable and friendly.  The owners are always in house, serving up drinks or grilling sandwiches. They have a great selection of albums and are often playing them on the turntable.  Our favorite feature is the jukebox tucked in the corner.  It’s free to play any song on it and the owners rotate the selection so there is often a new song to rediscover.

and the Press Herald has reviewed The Thirsty Pig.

The Thirsty Pig in Portland’s Old Port neighborhood is serious about local craft beer, but not in an off-putting, pretentious way. The staff is friendly and talkative, and the atmosphere encourages a laid-back crowd. Owner Allison Stevens has made it her mission to offer great tasting craft beer and handmade sausages at an affordable price.