The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Crown Jewel, and

Consider a dish of “fried green things;” flash-fried seasonal green vegetables with apricot harissa and roasted almonds — pound for pound one of the tastiest things in recent memory. Vegetables also shine in chef Rocky Hunter’s carrot lox, a fun take on faux-food substituting ribbons of cured heirloom carrots for smoked salmon, garnished liberally with rye crumbs and everything bagel seasoning. It’s playful, imaginative and — most importantly — actually delicious, showing aptitude and purpose that speak to Hunter’s personal vegan leanings.

The Bollard has reviewed Union.

Though technically too young to be a millennial, my daughter’s friend has a thing for avocado toast, and Union’s version ($14) did not disappoint. The fluffy “shaved” hard-boiled egg, creamy ricotta salata and peppery radish provided a welcome variety of textures and flavors, but it was the tart, salty, preserved lemon emulsion that elevated this dish to a higher plane. Likewise, my wife’s smoked salmon ($17) started with a familiar mix of flavors and transformed into something new. Served on square slices of pumpernickel toast, the combination of shaved egg, pickled onions, briny capers, petite greens and “everything spice” was absolutely delicious, and anything but traditional.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Crown Jewel,

I would have shared my amazement that a kitchen helmed by a vegan was so deft at putting out seafood and meat dishes like savory hake with chorizo, hamburgers with sweet onion jam and – best of all – crisp, delicate oyster sliders. Hunter’s produce-forward dishes are frequently just as good, especially tomato concasse with corn pudding, blackberry gastrique and Parmesan. They, as well as the shaved ices that pastry chef Angela Cochran tops with homemade syrups and macerated fruit, taste like a distillation of summer. Exactly the right menu for a destination restaurant where every meal feels like a vacation.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Forage Market and Rose Foods,

An opportunity to examine just how far we have traveled down this path comes in the form of two bagel places opened in Portland in the last year — Rose Foods and Forage. These local bagels — fundamentally just plain doughy zeros (like us) — have managed to earn national acclaim. How have they done it? Substance? Taste? Style?

the Portland Press Herald has reviewed Bob’s Clam Hut.

Finally, at a time when restaurants in Portland are struggling to find good help, I have to give a big shout out to Bob’s for the great service. When I forgot to ask the tablet I signed for a receipt, one employee went out of his way to help me. He had not learned how to perform this task yet on the point-of-sale system, but he worked with it until he was able to print out my receipt. I saw another employee go out of her way to help customers coming in the door, and a third came around and picked up trays from customers who were done with their meals, even though throwing out trash and putting up trays is supposed to be self service. Hey Bob, there’s a big restaurant labor shortage in this town, and you are very lucky to have these people.