Figa’s Facebook page reports that the water line issues that have held up their opening thus far will be solved in April when a new water main will be installed. In the mean time, you can check out their website to peruse the menu and plan your first meal.
Confluence
First Friday Art Walk and Maine Restaurant Week overlap tonight bringing the culinary and visual art together in one evening. An exhibit at the 37-A Gallery on Wharf Street by artist William Pope. L involves a similar intersection of food and art with a show that includes “sculptures made of painted vegetables, wall pieces composed of empty sardine cans”.
Steve & Renee’s, El Rayo and Viet Bangkok Cuisine
The Portland Daily Sun has published a triple review with breakfast at Steve and Renee’s and a Maine Restaurant week lunch at El Rayo,
I’m pleased to report that the lunch was quite good but the promised price of 15.10 is incorrect. The El Rayo folks are offering three lunch courses for 10.10-appetizer, taco and dessert. Way to over-deliver! The mushroom fundido was good, not surprising given the chef’s dedication to fresh ingredients, but the fish taco forced me to open that closed little mind of mine. The fresh cabbage salad was out of this world and the chipotle added the perfect kick, no added hot sauce was required.
as well as columnist Margo Mallar’s contribution to the set of reviews published earlier this week of Viet Bangkok Cuisine.
The Thai Basil was awful. The flavors were off, the texture of the chicken seemed that it had been frozen and thawed more than once. The vegetables were limp, the color olive drab, something you’d find in an army surplus store rather than a farmer’s market or produce section…It must be mentioned that the Massaman Tofu was good but the flavor was identical to that which I make with canned stuff. All in all, Viet Bangkok is a place to be skipped. There are too many better alternatives in Portland to frequent a place that goes by the numbers.
A Pair of Small Plate Reviews: David’s 388 & Bar Lola
About Town has published a Maine Restaurant Week review of David’s 388 in South Portland,
The real champion dish, though, was the apple tart dessert. It arrived warm and melty; a puff pastry crust lined with thinly sliced apples, with that cinnamon-ginger ice cream melting on top. Delicious, gooey, and happily spiced, it was a special ending to a solid meal.
and Dine in Portland has published a review of Bar Lola,
For starters, I have to say Bar Lola’s staff impressed me. When a waiter said “Welcome back” I was stunned. When the hostess said “Nice to see you again”, I was flabbergasted. I ate a single meal many months ago; I am not sure how they remembered. It certainly made me feel welcome and set the mood for the remainder of the meal.
Photos of El Rayo and The Front Room
As part of his project to photographically document Maine Restaurant Week, PortlandTown has published a set of photos of El Rayo and The Front Room.
Photo Credit: Michael Barriault
Review of Silly’s
The Blueberry Files has published a review of Silly’s.
The best part about this place is that it accomidates all types of eaters. Vegetarian? (C. had some fine looking falafel!) Vegan? Huge carnivore? Fried food lover? Gluten free? Check. You really can’t go wrong with Silly’s. Am I being a little over the top? Maybe, but you’ll have to check it out for yourself, and I hope you have a great experience, because I really love it there.
Review of Mousse Cafe and Bakeshop
Mousse Cafe & Bakeshop received 4 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.
One of my companions ordered a half chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread with a cup of fish chowder ($5.99). The chicken salad sandwich looked so good that I went back to the cafe earlier this week to try it. I’m very particular about chicken salad — it’s so easy for the mayo to overwhelm it — but it was great.
Winter Points in the Phoenix
The Portland Phoenix has published an article about my favorite Maine oysters, Winter Points.
Hennessey’s dad and uncle started farming and harvesting oysters in the mid-’90s as a way to help pay the taxes, and, what started as a side business has become a full-time career for Hennessey and his cousin and business partner, Ryan Curran.
Rowan Jacobson, author of A Geography of Oysters, describes Winter Points as “four-inch oysters filled with brine and brothy umami richness. So rich and firm, with a hint of sweetness on the finish” and quotes chef Daniel Boulud who called them “the Burgundy of Oysters”.
Bagel Bake-off Redux
Appetite Portland has published the results of a bagel bake-off comparing the Everything and Sea Salt bagels from 158 Pickett Street Cafe and from Scratch Baking.
The Verdict: Scratch by a nose. But, just barely. Both establishments make truly fab bagels. And, If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that bagel preferences are extremely subjective – and very, VERY personal.
Back in 2008, Type A Diversions published the results of her own comparative tasting of the sesame, poppy seed and plain bagels from Scratch and Mister Bagel.
To accompany smoked salmon, capers, tomatoes and red onion, I would opt for Mr. Bagel’s bagels, as they would not compete with the flavors of the other ingredients. They are also a bit less chewy than Scratch’s bagels, making it easier to bite off a piece piled with fixings. For all other occasions, I’d stick with Scratch for a crisper, more flavorful bagel.
Bar Review of The Corner Room
Portland Bar Guide has published a review of The Corner Room.
Instead, our swift server delivers hot hard cheese encrusted house focaccia with a pitcher of a lightly hued olive oil. Dizzy with joy, I realize I should’ve opted for something from the many splendored, all-Italian all-handpicked wine list (Gabbiano Chianti, Toscano for example, for $6.50 a glass) instead of the knee jerk local draft (Geary’s Winter, $5).