Review of Pocket Brunch #2

Food Coma has published a review of Pocket Brunch #2.

Kimchi and aged cheddar croissants, a combination that works surprisingly well, are served alongside the usual thick slices of “Pocket Bacon.” As I start into my second cocktail, someone points out that I have dressed more appropriately for night time, as I am wearing almost all black. I explain that I am paying homage to two different recording artists, and that they are welcome to refer to me as Johnny Ke$ha from here on out.

Tickets are on sale for Pocket Brunch #3 but you’ll need to move fast, there are only 2 left.

Review of Sea Grass Bistro

Diningsense has published a review of Sea Grass Bistro in Yarmouth.

However, the strong relationship with the town precludes a more autonomous personality and I could not locate a strong identity in the restaurant. Basically, it does not offer enough excitement to lure me back since I could simply dine at a restaurant in a different neighborhood that serves the same function. While I enjoyed the cuisine for the most part, there was also something impenetrable about interacting with a restaurant that has so much significance for its patrons and none for me.

Review of Five Fifty-Five

Five Fifty-Five received 4½ stars from the review in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.

Five Fifty-Five earns top rating for menu quality, service, originality and flavor. For those seeking a high-end dining experience that recalls bits of Napa and Manhattan sensibilities with a distinctive eye on its Maine clientele, it does not get better than Five Fifty-Five. While the pricing might prohibit this as an everyday treat, for food lovers, the experience is worth every single penny.

2 Reviews of Carmen at the Danforth

Both Down East and Maine magazines have published reviews of Carmen at the Danforth in the October issues of their respective magazines. Here’s an excerpt from Down East,

Consider that final moment when you’ve had the last morsel of a splendid meal whereupon all of the pleasures of dining well conspire towards perfection. You’ll find that delight at Carmen at the Danforth, a thoroughly captivating dining venue that opened this past summer in the historic Danforth Inn, an 1823 Federal mansion along Portland’s gentrified West End.

and here’s one from Maine.

On my most recent visit to Carmen at The Danforth in Portland, there was a brief moment—while sampling some of the most tender and flavorful grilled baby flower octopus that I have ever tasted—when my mind fell into a vacation-induced trance of sorts, and I completely forgot that just outside the walls of this nineteenth-century mansion my regular day-to-day existence was waiting for me.

The Down East article is not available online yet but you can find a copy at your local newsstand.

Review of Green Elephant

Eat Maine has published a review of Green Elephant.

The food comes out quickly and we dig into fresh rolls filled with avocado, vermicelli noodles, lettuce, carrots, and mint. The refreshing bundles wrapped in rice paper are crunchy and light on their own, but when dipped into the creamy peanut sauce, the dish is transformed. What makes it so good isn’t the unusual combination of ingredients—hoisin sauce, coconut milk, and peanut butter—but that every morsel comes out tasting even better. I might even consider putting it on ice cream!

Reviews of The Snug and of Taj

The Press Herald has published a bar review of The Snug,

Located at Washington Avenue and Congress Street about halfway up Munjoy Hill in Portland, it’s become a neighborhood bar for East Enders. Those who love it do because it feels like home. For those who don’t, I guess they just don’t understand the charm of this little bar.

and a review of Taj in South Portland.

My visit was mixed. Some items were delicious, others disappointing. Overall, however, I think fans of Indian food will want to pay a visit to Taj.

Portland Cupcakes

The Bangor Daily News visited a cross-section of Portland cupcake bakeries and published their eating notes on East End Cupcakes, Two Fat Cats, Bam Bam Bakery and Bakery on the Hill.

Full disclosure: I think this was my personal favorite, though I cannot speak for my cohorts. A fluffy but moist spice cake, topped with some of the fluffiest icing I’ve ever had, flavored with cinnamon. This cupcake defied gravity. Bakery on the Hill is a new addition to Portland — only open since June — but it’s clear they’re already a major contender.

Joy the Baker’s Visit to Portland & Maine

Joy the Baker has published a report on her recent eating trip in Maine, which includes this hearty endorsement of the mussels at Fore Street.

The people at Fore Street restaurant make magic (and mussels) come out of this kitchen space.  The restaurant feel like you’re sitting in someone’s home… with a bunch of strangers, wine, and amazing food (and you don’t have to help with the dishes).  If I had a list of favorite restaurants around the country, Fore Street would top the list.  It tastes like home, elevated to its highest level.

Joy’s visit to Maine was part of a collaboration between Sharon Kitchens and the Maine Office of Tourism which brought a trio of influential food bloggers from California, Colorado and Tenessee to Maine for a week.