The Bowdoin Orient has reviewed The Holy Donut.
We tried everything. We could taste the trademark potato—which is boiled, riced and added to flour dough—in all of the flavors and discovered that fried potatoes are delicious in any form.
The chocolate sea-salt, a customer favorite, is definitely worth the drive to Portland. It was satisfyingly rich with a light texture and the sea salt in the glaze provided a savory contrast to the chocolate.
The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Empire,
These virtues carry over to other parts of the menu. The duck bun features crunchy, fatty meat folded into a pale white, springy-spongy, steamed bun. The bun’s perfectly neutral flavor left the tang of hoisin and slight bite of scallion unobscured. Another dish featured broad rice noodles with just the right soft texture. Kale and bean sprouts added some crunch and chew, and the sauce hinted at garlic and black bean. A sharper garlic flavor animated a dish of just-charred green beans, which kept a touch of crunch.
and the Kennebec Journal bloggers George and Linda Smith have reviewed Flatbread,
I am very glad I stepped out of my pizza comfort zone because my pizza was delicious. It included homemade nitrate-free, maple-fennel sausage with organic sulfate, sundried tomatoes, carmelized organic onions, whole- milk mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, all baked on organic bread dough with homemade garlic oil and organic herbs. I felt like I was on the culinary edge of haut cuisine! The onions provided a nice hint of sweetness.
The folks at Flipkey, a division of the travel site Trip Advisor, have included Bite into Maine in their list of places to go “where legendary sandwiches are being served.”
As the third mobile restaurant on our America’s Best Sandwiches list, the lobster rolls of Bite into Maine are hard to beat. Found not far from Portland Head Light, Maine’s premiere lighthouse, this truck serves an at-home take on the lobster roll with classic mayonnaise as well as some twisted versions involving curry or even chipotle.
This winter season, Bite into Maine has been dishing up their lobster rolls at the Sunday River Ski Resort. Look for them at the North Peak Lodge.
According to Eater Maine, a new bar called Arcadia National Bar (facebook, twitter) is the early stages of development in Portland.
Today’s Press Herald includes a review of Tandoor Bread Bakery (the name may have changed to Tenur Bread and Restaurant)
Tucked in a blink-and-you-miss-it locale on Forest Avenue in Portland is Tenur Bread and Restaurant, which has been open for a couple of years now. I had gone soon after it opened but somehow managed to forget just how incredible the bread is.
a bar review of Silly’s with a Twist,
Silly’s with a Twist, connected by a walkway to the original Silly’s, is lively and welcoming with a full bar and the same menu as Silly’s next door. The kitschy decor and festive drink and food options will make you chuckle, but you’ll feel right at home almost instantly, as the friendly service is unmatched. Silly’s with a Twist is good for smaller groups.
and articles about GrandyOats in Brownfield and Biscuits & Co. in Biddeford.
Serious Eats has selected Allagash Merveilleux top represent Maine in their list of the 50 best beers from across the country.
Then, when everyone else was racing to see how many hops they could shove in a bottle, Allagash was one of the first to experiment with wild-fermented and sour ales. Merveilleux is the love child of those early funky beers. A blend of bourbon and wine barrel aged wild ales, Merveilleux is a wonderful example of what happens when brewers go beyond the novelty of brewing their first sour beer.
The Portland Daily Sun has published a report on last week’s visit to Portland by cocktail expert Warren Bobrow,
Bobrow, who has published over 300 articles on food, wine and cocktail mixology and blogs at The Cocktail Whisperer, demonstrated the variety of bitters that can spice up a cocktail, often with unexpected results.
In today’s issue of the Sun Natalie Ladd writes about changes in automatic group tips.
Booze, Fish & Coffee and The Blueberry Files have posted a review of their opening night visits to Miyake Diner.
This week Bo and Brian popped in to the brand-spanking new Miyake Diner on opening night. This cozy izakaya spot is like the All-Star Game of Portland cuisine: Masa Miyake is the man in charge, with the Small Axe guys Karl Deuben and Bill Leavy also in the kitchen, and Joe Ricchio tending bar. We’ve been practically camping out on Spring Street, waiting for this place to open, and it was most definitely worth the wait. Rest assured: you’ll leave this place extremely comforted. Don’t miss the okonomiyake (scallion pancake – be sure to get both scallops and bacon) or the whelk in anchovy butter. [BFC]
If you’ve had any of Chef Miyake and crew’s food, you know that quality is not an issue here. Everything we had was very good. Instead, the food is surprising. The firm, tender octopus with crunchy onions in savory broth. Eggplant and eel pared together. Springy scallops and smoky bacon with sharp pickled ginger. The complex, unexpected flavors of the curry. [TBF]
The Bangor Daily News has published an interview with chef Shannon Bard from Zapoteca.
The chef-owner at Zapoteca in Portland is starting the year off on a high note. She will cook at the James Beard House in New York City at the end of January, will compete on a new Food Network show in February and is working on a cookbook. In the fall, the Kennebunk resident plans to open her third restaurant — Spanish spot Toroso in Portland — with her husband, Tom Bard. Not bad for a woman who didn’t go pro until she turned 40.
Miyake Diner (facebook) is opening tonight at 129 Spring Street; the location of the original Miyake restaurant.
Miyake Diner is styled as a Japanese izakaya bar, a small casual space serving sake, beer and a menu of small plates. The opening night menu will feature dishes like:
Okonomiyaki (photo) – $8.50
Japanese style pancake with cabbage, scallion, and Maine shrimp, bacon or both
Niku Tofu– $8.50
Beef braised in soy and mirin with tofu and yam noodles
Kaisen Chawanmushi – $12.50
Custard with lobster, crab, uni, scallop and mitsuba
Egg, Egg, Egg!!! – $10
Deviled egg topped with uni and wasabi tobiko
as well as some more standard Japsnese fare such as edamame, seaweed salad, miso soup, shumai, and sashimi.
Miyake Diner seats 16 people. It will be open daily 6 pm to 1 am. Joe Ricchio is managing the bar, and Small Axe owners Karl Deuben and Bill Leavy are working in the kitchen alongside chef Masa Miyake.
This is the third restaurant in the Miyake family.
