Category: Reviews

Haddockquest has reviewed David’s.

When the sandwich arrived, the first thing I noticed was the well-toasted bun. Finally, a well-toasted bun! This has been an issue in past Haddockquest excursions, and I have to say that David’s really nailed the vessel aspect of things here. After that, things started to go downhill. The small-ish portion of haddock suffered from a soggy, poorly-seasoned batter that lacked flavor and did nothing to stand up against the bun it was served on. It’s a shame, because the fish itself was clearly fresh and had a nice flakiness to it.

The Golden Dish has reviewed Timber.

The double-thick (huge) pork chop had a wonderful glaze of Maine blueberry sauce, more pungent than sweet.  It’s local pork, too, though not pastured but corn fed.  It had great flavor and was exceedingly tender for such a thick cut.  It’s flash-grilled at very high heat, the secret to making cuts like this buttery soft.

Chubby Werewolf has published a review of the Cara Stadler hot dog on the menu this week at Blue Rooster. This is the first of a summer long guest chef hot dog series at the Rooster.

The generous helping of fresh cilantro and the cool mayo atop the dog worked to balance out any heat coming from the ssam sauce (which was on the bun itself). Meanwhile, the kimchi was pleasant and much more mild than I anticipated. I really didn’t sense that the scallions had much of a presence on this hot dog, but I didn’t miss it in the company of the other ingredients. The best part was my second bite, when I got the first taste of bacon in tandem with that kimchi.

The Golden Dish has reviewed the Riverside Grill.

The menu has some interesting entrees and I think what we chose were standouts.  Organic Statler-cut chicken breast is marinated in a red-wine vinaigrette, browned on the grill and then finished off in the oven.  It’s set in a whole-grain mustard and wine sauce and garnished with the most delicious vinaigrette-marinated tomatoes, artichokes and olives.

The Press Herald has reviewed the take-out at India Bazaar,

Let’s just cut to the chase: The food was, shall we say, underwhelming. I’d be willing to bet the samosas came out of a package and were the reason for the microwave. The palak paneer, to me, looked and tasted like packaged paneer that had been tossed into thawed-out frozen spinach. As for the butter chicken, it was tender and spiced well, but was, well, just OK. What does it say when the rice was the best part of the meal? It was cooked perfectly.

and Drink-up and Get Happy has paid a return visit to Sangillo’s.

We certainly hope that the City of Portland and Sangillo’s can work out their difference to allow this staple for the locals to remain open, but things aren’t looking so good right now.  Don’t miss your chance to experience a great Portland dive-bar before it’s too  late.

A new Portland food blog called Haddockquest has reviewed Three Buoys,

I have to say, I didn’t walk into 3 Buoys expecting to enjoy anything about the experience, yet the place nailed everything from start to finish. It’s far too early in the Haddockquest timeline to declare this the best fried haddock sandwich on the peninsula, but it sets a high bar right out of the gate.

and Tea Sensei has reviewed Dobra Tea.

I primarily drink green and oolong, and occasionally an Assam black tea. So this was very different and very delightful. Between the tea and décor, it felt I had escaped into a hidden tearoom in Morocco. Yet within its big menu, one will find high quality teas from Japan, China, India and many other premier tea growing regions.

The Old Pine Tree has reviewed Pai Men Miyake,

If you’ve been to Pai Men you know what I’m talking about; this place is a gem. If you haven’t been there go tonight. If Portland is on your vacation list this summer hit this place up, even if it’s hot out.

and the Press Herald has published a bar review of David’s 388.

David’s 388 is a classic South Portland bistro that offers a cozy bar area (and offers a full bar menu), a unique chef’s table that overlooks the open kitchen, and reasonable prices for cocktails, beer and wine.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Vignola Cinque Terre.

Located in the heart of Portland’s Old Port, this ultra-stylish Italian spot is one of the finest restaurants in the city, from the hand-made thin-crust pizzas, artisanal pasta and antipasti of all stripes to the delectable entrees and desserts. There’s an extensive list of fine Italian wines, too. Standout dishes include fritto misto, potato gnocchi with four-cheese sauce, and hand-cut thick-style spaghetti in a ragu of San Marzano tomatoes and house-made pancetta.

Fore Street clocked in at #12 (behind Maressa and ahead of Joel Robuchon) on the Business Insider list of the Best Restaurants in America (via Press Herald).