The Golden Dish has published a review of Norm’s.
In some ways Norm’s on Congress Street in Portland is the perfect hangout to find highly seasoned fare from an eclectic bar menu. Whether it’s grilled lamb and feta with onions and tomatoes served over greens or big burgers, nicely charred and gutsy, the flavors inspire and are easy to take.
The Portland Phoenix has published a review of the East Ender.
The balance at East Ender will work best if customers learn to reinforce the equilibrium themselves. The French-fancy stuff on the menu pulls you to a mindset of fine dining that is slightly out of step with what the East Ender is trying to do. So make sure someone at your table skips the wine for a $4 draft beer, and skips the entrée for the terrific burger (made with meat ground in-house, with enough beef cheek to keep things incredibly juicy and tender). Do French fine dining and New England casual cuisine present some irreconcilable differences? Perhaps. But as the French say about what it is impossible to reconcile between the masculine and the feminine: vive la différence.
Down East has published a profile of Figa and chef/owner Lee Farrington.
Lee Farrington was just six when she began to understand the alchemical power of an open flame. “My earliest recollection is coring a tomato, dropping it in boiling water, and watching the peel come off,” says Farrington, who first learned to cook in her grandmother Mary’s Kentucky kitchen.
The Natural Foodie column in today’s Press Herald interviewed film director Severine von Tscharner Fleming and author Anne Lappe both of whom are scheduled to speak at this week’s Food+Farm program. The article includes a full calendar of Food+Farm events.
“The Greenhorns officially started as a film project,” Fleming said. “Being a young farmer myself, I wanted to meet other young farmers.”
So she traveled around the country, and with the help of 14 cinematographers and countless others, produced a film that explores the motivations, challenges and triumphs of young farmers.
The Portland Daily Sun interviewed Ian Farnsworth for an article about his new restaurant Gogi.
Late-night diners can find a new fusion fix at Gogi, a Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant holding its grand opening today at 653 Congress St.
For owner Ian Farnsworth, who also owns Slainte Wine Bar and Lounge on Preble Street, the later the hours, the better for the Arts District’s newest entry in a varied dining experience.
The Bollard has published a review of The Merry Table.
From start to finish, The Merry Table did a fine job creating an authentic Parisian vibe. With its old-school, painted-wood sign hanging over the cobblestone alley, and cheesy French pop music playing in the background, this place felt like it had been airlifted from the City of Lights and dropped into the Forest City. And though our meal wasn’t inexpensive by Portland standards, it was a whole lot cheaper than a trip to France.
Vin et Grub has published a review of Hot Suppa.
A double bacon cheese burger with a side of mac n cheese. Was I asking to go into cardiac arrest immediately? Maybe… but I felt that after a long week, I deserved a little bit of bad cholesterol. The hamburgers were delicious- cooked perfectly- medium, nice and pink on the inside, still a bit juicy, with a mild cheddar cheese, caramelized vidallia onions, and thick cut bacon from a local farm. The bacon was nice and smokey, and the onions were sweet and soft.
The ongoing burger of Portland series finds the O-Rama review group fanning out this month to try burgers at Portland’s pubs and bars with visits to 6 local establishments. For more mouth-watering burger reviews see the group’s survey of diner burgers and fine dining burgers completed earlier this year.
Chubby Werewolf – Rosie’s
So, will I wait another three years to visit Rosie’s Tavern? Definitely not. The delicious blue cheese stuffed burger and surprising steak fries are enough to warrant a repeat visit all on their own. Plus, there’s that Kobe beef burger that needs trying out. I’d love to see Rosie’s make some improvements to the bacon and the bun, but these shortcomings are not a deal-breaker.… read the full review
Edible Obsessions – Nosh
So, when I finally shut my brain off and just bit into the damn thing… well, I thought I heard those little piggy angels singing. I loved it. I loved the juiciness and the flavor of the ground pork in the patty, which was reminiscent of a garlicky Italian sausage, but the red meat was near impossible to pick out. The bacon and thick cut pork belly were crispy and fatty, though the foie and cherry jam was completely lost in the pile of pork…Luckily, all together, it reached beyond being a novelty and made for a pretty satisfying bite.…read the full review
From Away – Dogfish Bar & Grille
If anything, then, that is my only complaint about the burger at The Dogfish. While all of the individual components of the burger are delicious and well-prepared, that is just so MUCH of everything that it all becomes kind of indistinct. At eight ounces, the hamburger patty itself overpowers almost all of the other flavors on this sandwich; it’s one of the few burgers I’ve had where I found myself wishing for less meat…read the full review
Soooo . . You Really Like Cats, Don’t You – EastEnder
But now with the phenomenal experience I had at Back Bay Grill etched into memory, I’m mildly disappointed by the Eastburger. Although satisfying overall with the house-ground beef cheek patty, the abundance of the whole grain mustard, and the somewhat amusing interjection of caraway with every other bite, the Eastburger is almost easily forgettable in the long run.…read the full review
The Blueberry Files – Gritty’s
Next Wednesday night: you, Gritty’s burger special. Do it. You won’t regret it. You may not come away thinking that it was the best gourmet burger you’ve ever had. But assuming they don’t overcook it (and they’ve been pretty consistent in my experience), you’ll get a great meal for under $20- that includes your beer too, of course.…read the full review
Where is Jenner’s Mind – Downtown Lounge
so this was a good burger experience. i think the price played a roll in my review. at $4 i am more forgiving then at $12. when i go to dtl i have lower expectations and so they are usually met. if i am at a finer establishment with a higher price point i expect more…i think if you need a burger fix with a beer and you only got a few bucks in your pocket, dtl will do the trick. …read the full review
Eat Here. Go There. has published a review of Bintliff’s.
Overall, it was a great brunch with great friends. My husband, Mark, thinks they have the best eggs benedict in town! Unlimited cups of coffee are $1.99, bloody’s are $6.99, the lobster dishes were $14.99, and the plain benedict’s were $11.99. So, reasonably priced for the large amount of food you get. We left there so full we didn’t eat until 6:30 p.m. Now that’s what I call a hearty brunch!
Three new businesses are under construction in South Portland:
Bathras Market– the Bathras Market was a mainstay in Willard Square for 35 years (1954 – 1989). Now the former owner’s grandson and his wife are working on bringing the market back to life. They will be selling “local and natural foods, cheeses, meats, wine, beer, and specialty food” as well as “seafood, including lobsters, as well as sandwiches and distinctive prepared foods.” They’re targeting early May for the grand opening.
Mr. Delicious– Glenn Perry and Ian Hayward are teaming up to open a “a small but complete grocery store, with selective produce, meat and fish, wines and lots of prepared foods” in Willard Square. The plan on having “lots of grilled and braised meats, and, above all, genuinely memorable sandwiches.” Mr. D will be located in a building at 7 Pillsbury Street. They’re target open date is mid-July.
Taco Trio – a late night taco shop is planning to open in South Portland on Ocean Street. According to The Forecaster, the owners are Manuel Peña and Karen Massmussen.
“This will be like the traditional food you get on the streets of Mexico,” he said. “Soft corn tacos and traditional spices.” For now it will be a lunch take-out with brunch once a week, but they hope to offer dinner service in the future.