Category: Reviews

Drink Up and Get Happy has reviewed Zen Chinese Bistro,

Staff were friendly and attentive to our group, joking with us and patiently explaining what each specialty drink was.  It was a great night filled with everything that happy hour should be, delicious beverages, tasty food, and great friends.

and The Golden Dish has revisited and re-reviewed Salvage BBQ.

On the whole, I liked Salvage a lot.  Some of my comments  reflect personal preference perhaps, but the place is great, the ribs were terrific and most everything else was good enough. And for about $20 you can’t beat the price.

Booze, Fish & Coffee has reviewed Central Provisions.

Aside from the forethought about design and flow, we also really, really liked the food. Chef Chris Gould brings some familiar classics, and reimagines them by adding a single unconventional but brilliant ingredient, such as the nutty brussels sprouts with pecorino and pine nuts, but also with a hint of horseradish. The bread and butter is truly transcendent, both for the creamy, slightly salty butter and the genius inclusion of a raw farm egg on the plate. The porchetta board includes not only slices of swine heaven in the porchetta, but also sunchokes, soft rolls, and a tangy apple-dijon mustard sauce that made the dish sing.

The Press Herald has published a bar review of Empire.

Dragon’s Milk, Shiso Crazy, Yellow Fever. These are a few of the cocktails you’ll find at Empire Chinese Kitchen in Portland’s arts district. Scorpion bowls don’t cross the menu, nor do cocktails with tiny paper umbrellas.

The Press Herald recently polled a set of local chefs and random other food experts, including yours truly, about their favorite dishes from the last 12 months.

This year, once again, I’ve asked some local chefs, food writers and bloggers to weigh in and name a favorite restaurant dish they discovered in the state during the past 12 months. And judging by the number of exclamation points in their responses, they found some real gems.

The full list of recommendations was published in today’s paper. They range all over the board from fish chowder at Pizza Villa to the squid tappanyaki dish at Long Grain.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Siano’s Pizzeria.

This is the quintessential Italian-American comfort food dining establishment that’s both a pizzeria made in wood-fired brick ovens and a full restaurant menu serving gutsy, well-made fare. The veal cutlet Parmigiana is one of the best in the Portland area, rich with sauce, cheese and buttery tender veal. Other dishes excel too, like their homemade ravioli and creative pasta dishes, chicken cacciatore and an array of very good pizza made with their homemade red sauce and pizza dough.

The Holy Donut was recognized by Grub Street as one of the 101 Amazing American Doughnut Shops With Serious Street Cred.

Piccolo was included by Eater National on their list of the 25 Hottest Brunches Across the US.

Drink Up and Get Happy have reviewed Bull Feeney’s.

While we were there our waiter was very helpful in answering any questions we had, recommending beers, and being attentive in general without hovering.  We perused the whiskey menu, reported to be the largest collection offered in the area, but ultimately chose to stick with the brews that evening.  We’ll save them for next time and with great service, great beers, and delicious bacon there will definitely be a next time!

The Golden Dish has reviewed Hot Suppa.

Or perhaps it’s an issue with Hot Suppa!’s kitchen, which could be doing better than it does. The food can be gutsy and at other times it misses.  Yet none of this keeps the crowds away, lining up  for weekend brunch or for lunch and dinner nearly every day of the week. 

The Daily Meal has included Fore Street in their annual list of the 101 Best Restaurants in America.

Map & Menu has reviewed 158 Pickett Street Cafe.

There are more than enough options at 158 to satisfy any pizza enthusiast’s taste – like the standard cheese and sausage, or more creative flavors like the hot pink sauce, charred jalapenos, and cheese ‘Stinger’ – but regardless of your decision, everything we’ve heard and tasted has been fantastic.

Photo Credit: Map & Menu