Category: Reviews

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed El Rayo.

El Rayo was great and always is. Their prices are reasonable, their food is delicious, and the service is where it should be. The outdoor area is really fun and with umbrellas at the tables you don’t have to worry about getting scorched by the sun. For added outdoor cooling, the drink menu lists a host of refreshing cocktails. The bands that play there add even more happiness to your Mexican merriment and they don’t play at ear-bleed levels so you can actually converse with others at your table. I recommend El Rayo year round, but if you really want to party, head there on a sunny summer day and enjoy all it has to offer.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has published a first person account of his time as a volunteer on the Uncle Andy’s Restaurant Impossible construction crew and impressions of the South Portland diner from  before and after the renovations.

I made a return trip to Uncle Andy’s shortly after the renovation. I really wanted to see how the place was holding up. I wondered if it was possible that they would just magically turn everything around as there were so many changes made which I’m sure included lots of happenings that I never saw including training of the staff and the like.

Drink-up and Get Happy has published a bar review of The Corner Room,

Overall happy hour at The Corner Room was a great deal. Excellent prices on drinks and delicious, plentiful free food make it a great place to go for any occasion, though if you are going to be a larger group make sure to get there early or you may not have space for you. You’ll leave having enjoyed a great evening without shelling out much cash at all.

Chubby Werewolf has reviewed the latest chef series hot dog at the Blue Rooster,

The baked white beans (you can see a glimpse of them on the right-hand side of the hot dog in the masthead image) was almost like a bean mash. With the mustard, radicchio and the red onions delivering much more assertive flavors, I think that the idea behind the beans was to offer something texturally distinctive. For me, it worked. And, much like last week’s Mac & Cheese dog, the combination of “franks & beans” brought back childhood memories of summertime picnics and family gatherings.

and The Golden Dish has reviewed Thurston’s Wicked Good Burgers.

Ultimately fast-food burgers have a distinctive taste no matter what’s in them. Thurston’s offers a decent burger, great ice cream and a comfortable place in which to have a quick, inexpensive meal.

For the latest episode of Booze, Fish & Coffee hosts Bo Bigelow and Brian Ericson conduct a blind lobster roll tasting.

Bon Appétit & Condé Nast Traveler magazines have both published articles in their July issues about Maine.

According to Bon Appétit’s Genevieve Morgan, “Maine…has finally managed to become, well, cool.” She goes on to write,

For decades, visiting Maine meant a predictable diet of lobster and lighthouses. What’s happening today up and down the coast goes way beyond that. Artisans and farmers have taken the local-everything model and run with it, resulting in a place like nowhere else. It’s a mix of new, native and “from away”. It’s about seafood that makes chefs giddy. It’s a Portland restaurant scene that crushes tasting menus and Japanese bar food. It’s roadside markets piled with candy-sweet strawberries and foraged black trumpet mushrooms. It’s island inns that nail the perfect mix of rustic and sophisticated. Add in some of the best brewers on the planet, and the state’s ubiquitous slogan, “The way life should be,” starts to sound pretty legit.

Bon Appétit highlights Eventide, Palace Diner, Oxbow, Rising Tide, Central Provisions, Primo, Tao, Tandem, Bunker, UFF, Hunt & Alpine and more. The article isn’t online yet but should be on newsstands shortly.

Condé Nast Traveler highlights Chebeague Island Inn, Eventide, Fore Street, Standard Baking, Rabelais and others. You can see the full article online.

Haddockquest has reviewed the fish sandwich at DiMillo’s.

There’s no getting around the heavy level of kitsch associated with DiMillo’s, but you don’t show up rolling your eyes. Instead, you walk through the power-operated doors into the ship’s gaudy lobby and finally its dimly-lit bar, put on a small buzz (scotch seems appropriate) and revel in the sheer joy shared by those old ladies picking through their lobster rolls. Then, you bite into a haddock sandwich and smile — even if you’re just a little bit confused as to why.

The Blueberry Files has published a first look review of Slab.

The salumi comes with slices of Sicilian summer sausage, an herbed soft cheese spread, muffuletta relish (spicy olives, cauliflower, peppers, and carrots), and addictive crispy slices of Luna bread. Other starters include an orange sage hummus, served with Luna bread wedges and Focaccia with olives and oil.

Chubby Werewolf has reviewed Thurston’s Wicked Good Burgers.

As I was finishing my meal, I was pleased to see that Thurston’s was doing fairly brisk business, with plenty of folks coming in to eat for the first time, and many others inquiring about take-away menus. By the time I departed, the small’ish parking lot was filled to capacity. Provided that the meal and level-of-service I enjoyed is representative of the Thurston’s experience over the long-term, I don’t think they will have any trouble surviving and thriving in this little corner of the universe.

Chubby Werewolf has reviewed Blue Rooster.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this hot dog is that even though the mac & cheese is one of the most elegant versions you’ll ever try…enjoying it atop a well-prepared hot dog still elicited memories of those hot dog/mac & cheese skillets so many of us devoured as children. And at $7, this hot dog is a tremendous value. Even if you’re not endeavouring to try all 13 hot dogs in the Chef Series, the Truffle Mac Dog is one that bears a special trip.

This is the fourth in CW‘s ongoing series on the guest chef hot dog series at Blue Rooster.

Portland Magazine has reviewed Central Provisions.

I can’t resist the foie gras ($15/22). The intense flavors of the rich, delicate liver are brilliantly balanced with a rose-hip purée, a sprinkling of millet granola, and candied buddha’s hand–a lemony fruit. Ecstasy. Six grilled shrimp a la plancha ($12) with herb olive oil sing back-up to yet another meaty, spicy tapa.