Month: June 2009

Food for Thought has published a review of Local 188. Author John Golden hadn’t been a fan of 188 in the past but writes, he’s now “won over” by the charms of the restaurant.

Among the entrees, I’ve chosen the fish specials each time I’ve dined at Local 188. On the regular menu is a harissa baked white fish with preserved lemon, which sounds delicious but haven’t tried yet. But on two occasions I had the White Fish specials: one time was tile fish and another time halibut. Both renditions were wonderful, boldly seasoned and perfectly cooked, resulting in fish that was done just right, flaky and delicate.

Portland Bar Guide has reviewed Cinque Terre.

The Cinque’s small patio is an intimate little spot where you can people watch while sipping an Italian beer, white or red wine or a Long Island Ice Tea. The Cinque closes (9:30 pm) before the hold-on-I-have-to-puke-before-I-fight-you and the oh-my-God-I-like-totally-fell-down-in-the-street crews take over the block.

El Rayo has received 4½ stars from this week’s Eat & Run column in the Press Herald.

I’ll be the first to admit my logic might be flawed. But here’s how I judge the authenticity and originality of a Mexican restaurant in Maine: If my dish is not slathered in jar-style red salsa and buried under a solid layer of melted cheese, I’m happy.

I want to taste different flavors and spices, not just be overwhelmed by heat and gooeyness.

Using those standards, El Rayo Taqueria on York Street gets high scores. Actually, using any standards.

The chocolate chip cookies at Udder Place have earned 4 out 5 points for flavor and texture from HillyTown in its ongoing cookie review series.

The chocolate involved was quality semi-sweet, but in my opinion the chip-to-dough ratio was a mite low. The cookie itself was also greasier than it should have been, leaving visible oily stains on the napkin. A little less fat and a little more chocolate and this would have been a contender for the top chocolate chip cookie in Portland.

In a separate post, HillyTown gave a shout out in favor of the Michelada at El Rayo, “The chili powder and salt along the top rim was pretty intense – I described it as tasting like licking a barbecue grill (not that I’ve done that), but the drink overall was really delicious and refreshing.”

The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Eve’s at the Garden.

The bar snacks recreate the spirit of the courtyard itself: each is a rarefied take on a people’s favorite. New chef Earl Morse, formerly of the White Barn Inn, has created funny little variations on classic casual food like sliders, tacos, crab-cakes, wings, and lobster rolls. They are really cute to look at — maybe they are even a touch too precious — but it was hard to hold that against a bar snack.