Review of Fez

Portland Magazine has published a review of Fez.

Fez offers a striking array of appetizers, beginning with the sautéed shrimp dish Kimroun Sharmoula ($6.95). The Moroccan touch sparkles here, with a light garlic-tomato sauce enhancing the sweet shrimp flavors, keeping each morsel moist and delectable.

The November issue also includes a survey of Portland’s ethnic markets. The article isn’t available online but you should be able to a find a paper copy of Portland Magazine at your local newsstand.

Yakitori at Pai Men

Appetite Portland has the scoop on the new yakitori menu at Pai Men Miyake.

On this first visit, our favorite was the chicken liver — which rivals the stunning preparation at Emilitsa in that “close your eyes and imagine yourself hand fed by a Persian prince” kinda way.  All three choices, however, were rich, oily and pungent. The way animal parts and innards should be.

A great addition to solid restaurant that keeps getting better and better. I’m looking forward to trying the beef tongue skewer next.

Wine at Bresca and a Turkey Buying Guide

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes an article about Bresca’s “thoughtful and passionate” wine list,

[Chef Krista Kern Desjarlais’s] attitude combines a strong personal investment in small wine makers; a passion for lesser-known varietals and wine-making regions that produce low-alcohol, food-friendly wines; and a commitment to politely, graciously nudging guests to step outside their comfort zones.

“We aim to have the guest invite us into their experience,” she said. “We want to be more educated about the wine and help people and stand for what we stand for, but not make anyone feel uncomfortable about their wine knowledge.”

and a Q&A about Thanksgiving turkeys with the head of the meat department at Whole Foods. The article includes a helpful buying guide to Maine farms selling locally raised turkeys.

What’s the difference between a hen and a tom turkey, and does one taste better than the other?
A hen is a female bird; a tom is male. How they taste will depend primarily on where and how they were raised. The main difference is size; a tom will be larger than a hen. Designating whether a turkey is a hen or a tom is not required on the label.