Category: Reviews

Esquire magazine has included the 50/50/50 martini at Via Vecchia in their 2025 list of the Best Martinis in America.

Herewith, we unveil Esquire’s Best Martinis in America Right Now. You’ll find the classic, perfectly executed, in several establishments around the country. You’ll also find one in New York made with za’atar, and one in New Orleans that incorporates a pineapple amaro (and does so ably). We hope our list inspires red-faced debates and spittled diatribes, and maybe a little joy in these joy-challenged times.

Punch has included the Salad Bar Martini at Cuties in their list of their Favorite Cocktails of 2025.

In a year filled with exciting new bars, talented emerging bartenders and trends that touched everything from Margaritas to M&M shots, picking a favorite cocktail is no easy feat. So what does it take to stand out? For some of us, the best drinks of the year nail a classic template and make us want to come back for more. For others, the recipes that defy categorization take top honors. And for others, getting a little treat with your drink goes a long way.

With regard to the drink from Cuties they had this to say,

“There’s a scene in Ratatouille where Remy the Rat bites into (I think) a piece of cheese and goes into a synesthesia-like trance as a result of its complex combination of flavors. That was me when I tried this cocktail from Portland all-day cafe Cuties. Despite the flavor’s top billing, with both clarified tomato water and an Italian tomato gin, this is not just a tomato Martini. There is much more going on in this drink…

The New York Times called out desserts from Franciska in Portland and at McLoons in South Thomaston in their list of the 14 Best Restaurant Desserts We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025. The NYT called out the Dulce de Leche Flan at Franciska and Blueberry Bread Pudding at McLoons.

In Argentina, flan is typically served with a spoonful of caramel-scented dulce de leche on top. At this tiny Argentine spot, the dulce de leche is incorporated directly into the flan, sharpening the eggy custard with a toasty, burnt-sugar tang.

Vine Pair has included Argenta Brewing in their list of the 26 Best New Breweries of 2025.

Instead of a slew of New England IPAs — the region’s signature beer style — he brews his favorite lager styles, tapping no more than three at a time. But it was Dunlap’s humble, approachable presence on TikTok that made Maine, and the national beer scene, take notice. Upon opening Argenta, Dunlap posted confessional videos about the hard realities of running a small brewery, and the honesty resonated.

Eater has included Luncheonette in their 2025 list of the Best New Restaurants in America.

Angela Lee had a vision for a meze-style restaurant that could serve dishes and flavors from all over the world. She had broad experience in New York to pull from, having built her pastry credentials at Petee’s Pie Company and worked as a whole-animal butcher and as a fish butcher at the Meat Hook and Osakana, respectively. Her husband, Alex LeBlanc, had worked as a sous chef at Sailor and a chef de cuisine at Gus’s in Brooklyn. The couple returned to LeBlanc’s hometown of Portland, Maine, introducing a charming, expansive menu that reflects their experiences…

LeBlanc and Lee launched Luncheonette in June. The pocket-sized eatery is located at 147 Cumberland Ave in the space formerly occupied by Union Bagel Company. Reached this afternoon, they shared “We love Luncheonette so much and can’t quite believe that other people are seeing it the way that we do. We never expected to be on any sort of list and are so appreciative of being featured in Eater in such a big way!”

Luncheonette was one of 15 restaurants in the 2025 Best New list including businesses in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas, and the District of Columbia. Elda was included in Eater’s Best New list in 2018 when it was in its original Biddeford location.

Photos: Bibimbap, Tomato Pie, Lee and LeBlanc plating food at a recent Korean dinner held at Luncheonette, Roast Pork with apples and mustard.

Eater has named Not a Bakery in their 2025 shortlist of Best Bakeries.

Georgia Macon found a sweet home when she moved to Portland, Maine, from St. Louis during the pandemic. The pastry chef quickly rose through the ranks within Prentice Hospitality Group, which includes restaurants like the Good Table and Twelve. After creating a local following for baked goods at the latter, Macon and other pastry chefs from the lauded restaurant launched a food truck — not a bakery — near the restaurant, offering a range of pastries inspired by Macon’s time in France, memories of her grandmother, a reverence for Southern cooking, and a love for the baking traditions of her newfound New England home.

Macon recently left her position at the Prentice Hospitality Group, but you can experience her baked good by placing a pre-order with her directly for sweet potato pie, apple butter stack cake, or dinner roles to enjoy for Thanksgiving.

Yankee magazine has named Ocotillo as New England’s Best New Brunch as part their 2025 food awards. Ocotillo was opened in April 2024 by the owners of Terlingua.

Sister restaurant to Terlingua, the popular Tex-Mex barbecue spot in Munjoy Hill, Ocotillo brings the same warm vibes and south-of-the-border accent to Portland’s West End. Start with a smoked brisket breakfast taco or the huevos rancheros (red and green chili salsas, eggs over easy, corn tortillas, refried beans). Tuck into buttermilk-masa pancakes with caramelized pineapple syrup and maple butter. And don’t forget to finish with the churros.

Two other Maine businesses were also recognized in the Yankee awards list Backriver Blends in Topsham for their Blueberry Jerk Marinade and Skordo in Brunswick for their Cook New England Spice Set.

CN Traveler has published their list of the 15 Best Restaurants in Portland.

If you ever hear anyone ask why teensy Portland, Maine, has such an outsized reputation in the food world, remember two things: First, those people clearly haven’t eaten here yet, and second, the answer lies in a philosophy ingrained in Maine itself. The state’s proud lack of pretense and its close-knit community of small farms, working waterfronts, and independent restaurants are long-held traditions that predate (and frankly, eclipse) hype phrases like “locavorism.” And that means widespread access to far better food for everyone. Even celebrated fine dining here tends to eschew anything high-concept and instead just keeps it real.

The article highlights: Cong Tu Bot, Douro, Dry Dock, Fore Street, Honey Paw, Leeward, Miyake, Mr. Tuna, Papi, Sur Lie, Terlingua, Twelve, Union, Wayside, Woodfords.