The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Baharat,

Today, vegetable, grain and dairy dishes dominate – from creative fried cauliflower specials (one sweet and refreshing, the other deeply savory); to a sweet and herbal stewed tomato on rich housemade labneh; to crisp, fragrant falafel balls and excellent hummus. It’s a step in the right direction, one that highlights Norris’s skills, while also creating a backdrop for bar manager Arvid Brown’s creative cocktail menu. If you want to see just how far Baharat has come since it got its start serving food in parking lots like the one across the street, grab a seat at the shiny zinc bar, sip a frothy, neon yellow Curcuma sour and work your way through the large-format All In platter – a mosaic of mostly vegetarian dishes for two or four people. And no matter what else you order, don’t skip the housemade pickles.

The Bollard has reviewed The 5 Spot and Mami.

The breakfast sandwiches are served on a soft, fresh hoagie roll, and include a fried egg and choice of cheese and meat. Foregoing the familiar bacon, ham or sausage, I opted for the Pennsylvania Dutch specialty known as scrapple. Described by Keith as “kind of like polenta with pork scraps,” this flavorful, slightly salty, low-brow delicacy was sliced thin and fried to a crisp on the griddle. It was, in a word, amazing.

Conde Nast Traveler has published an article entitled How Portland, Maine Keeps Getting Cooler.

In the last few years, as the city’s various industrial no man’s lands have given way to breweries, speakeasies, concert venues, and upscale boutiques, Portland, Maine has become New England at its prime: innovation without the altered skyline, urban culture without the traffic jams, seaside charm with all the lobster and only some of the knick-knacks. Best part is: You can do it all on foot.

Kitchn has posted an article about the bagels at Scratch Baking Co.

Growing up in Fairfield County — New York City just a quick train ride away — I was sure I was eating some of the best (if not the best) bagels in the world. Ess-a-Bagel, Russ & Daughters, Absolute Bagels, Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee, Murray’s, Tompkins Square Bagels — these are the bagel shops that had my love and allegiance for most of my life.

But that all changed when I visited a small bakery in South Portland, Maine.