A Halifax Perspective on Maine Dining

Nadine Fownes, food writer for the Halifax Chronicle Herald, visited Portland and has written about her dining experiences around the city. J’s Oyster Bar, Crema, East End Cupcakes, Two Fat Cats, Standard, Gritty’s, Shipyard, Sebago, Duckfat, Gorgeous Gelato, Five Fifty-Five, Fore Street and Emilitsa are all mentioned.

The list that follows is just a small taste of places to see and eat around Portland, and it is by no means complete. The Old Port is easily walkable, so leave your car at the hotel and slip on a comfortable pair of deck shoes. Oh, and — how to put this delicately? — shorts, skirts or trousers with loose-fitting waistbands are advisable.

Review of Minami

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Minami Japanese Grill.

Sushi purists, stop reading.  Japanese cuisine experts too. In fact, any person who self-identifies as a foodie might consider avoiding this essay entirely. My words will be upsetting, and I prefer to get ahead of the criticism. Minami is not for you. For the more flexible palate, read on.

For another point of view read the Chubby Werewolf review of Minami.

Reviews of Becky’s and Duckfat

The author of Bitches Who Brunch was recently in town for a wedding but found time to also sample the food (and milkshakes) at Becky’s,

But it was that blessed milkshake, served in an ice-cold metal tumbler, that was the crème de la crème of Becky’s. Topped with a hefty dollop of whipped cream, my chocolate shake was thick and creamy and absolute perfection.

and Duckfat.

But, the milkshakes. Oh, the milkshakes! They were amazing and available in all sorts of ingenious flavors that you would never think to be delicious in a shake. Like honey and cardamon. Or grapefruit and ginger. Or Tahitian vanilla bean crème anglaise and gelato. The shakes and sodas are made in house at Duckfat.

First Review of Portland Pottery Cafe & Beer News

The Portland Pottery Cafe received 3½ stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.

The egg sandwich comes with a fried egg, cheese and a choice of bacon, ham or sausage. It’s served on an English muffin or bagel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the egg wasn’t overcooked. The yolk still retained a little runniness, which is the way I like it. (It actually could have been a little runnier, and I would have been happy.)

The sandwich plus a medium coffee cost me $5 and change.

Also in today’s paper is the latest What Ales You column which includes a report on some recent press for Maine brewers and details on a collaboration between Maine Beer Company and Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Vermont to produce Collaboration Time I.

The beer had a large, long-lasting tan head and a caramel aroma. The rye adds a bit of spiciness, but I didn’t taste a lot of wheat. The malt is the dominant flavor, with the hops in the background, making it to my mind a wonderfully complex brown ale.

Review of Fore Street

Diningsense has published a review of Fore Street.

The quail and the whole fish, as well as the warm service and our nice table, made this one of my favorite meals at Fore Street. The cuisine is not characterized by a dominant flavor profile so much as their oven-centric preparation method; this is not a problem, but our meal did reveal the limitations of a strict adherence to minimalist preparations. Most notably, the flavors of the dessert and the hake were more restrained than what one would find at a more experimental restaurant.

Review of Carmen at the Danforth

Carmen at the Danforth received 4 stars from today’s review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Carmen at The Danforth offers marvelous Latin-inspired twists on familiar items while introducing ingredients seldom found on Maine menus. The restaurant’s intimate, elegant setting in a historic inn in Portland’s West End makes it hardly a spot you’d expect to find this delicious and fascinating cuisine. But that’s all part of the magic.

Also in today’s paper:

Review of LFK

Portland Magazine has published a review of LFK.

Parisian, perhaps, but with Longfellow seated outside and Emily Dickinson vibrating within (see the poem inscribed on brass keys at the bar). Inviting texts in every nook add depth and volume; sounds register loud in happy cacophony, and we leave fully satisfied that LFK is decidedly Whitmanesque.

Gourmet Live & Details

The August issue of Details magazine provides a 3-day eating itinerary for Maine that stretches from Scarborough to Belfast. The Portland area restaurants highlighted in the article are Bar Lola, 158 Pickett Street Cafe, Standard Baking, Pai Men Miyake, The Lobster Shack, J’s Oyster Bar and Rosemont. Further up the coast the article recommends well known spots like Red’s and Chase’s Daily.

Petite Jacqueline has been included in a list on Gourmet Live of 10 French restaurants across the country “where to eat and what to order to enjoy French fare sans fuss”. The recommendation of Petite Jacqueline to the list came via Jillian who writes for the Maine food blog From Away.

Petite Jacqueline presents a French paradox: As you stand in the narrow entryway, you will desperately wish you were more slender, yet you will soon stuff yourself silly on all the best things in life…

Bar Review of Rivalries

Today’s Press Herald includes a bar review of Rivalries.

Rivalries is hands-down a sports pub, but with flare. With black tables and chairs contrasted with light walls and exposed beams upstairs, the pub’s decor makes a nice place to gather and watch a game.

Also in today’s paper is an article on lobster pricing and the latest installment of the What Ales You column.