Category: Reviews

Portland Bar Guide has reviewed Burrito! in Westbrook.

A small deck in front of the restaurant beckons but you better get there early, or else that seat will be taken by someone unwilling to give it up. Margaritas on a deck, can you blame them?

The Maine Switch has reviewed North Star.

Once in a while when a restaurant opens, the stars and the moon align and the crowds descend. Such was the case when Kim Anderson and Anna Maria Tocci opened North Star Music Café two years ago at the base of Munjoy Hill. A packed entertainment schedule, the simply prepared food and the free wi-fi quickly solidified its status as one of the city’s most popular gathering spots and eateries.

Asmara, the Eritrean restaurant on Oak Street, has received 3½ stars from the Taste & Tell column in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram.

Asmara, an established culinary outpost of Eritrea in Portland, serves dinners with the scents and tastes of eastern Africa. Spicy cayenne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, thyme and cloves imbue meats, greens, dried peas and lentils with an exotic allure. Red cayenne in a paste called berbere livens up lamb, chicken and beef with a trickle of fire.

Mitten Machen has published a review of Bangkok Thai.

There is an ample vegetarian section, and many dishes can be made vegan by omitting egg or fish sauce. On the chickpea scale of vegan-friendliness, I give Bangkok Thai a very respectable three chickpeas. It’s a safe bet if you’re looking for a quick, economical vegan meal.

The Portland Phoenix has reviewed Barava, the new Somali restaurant that opened on Congress street early last month.

The entrées, while perfectly fine, could not live up to the opening. The kabaab, “broiled with complementing addition in the tandoor” as the menu said, was a bit drier as an entrée then it seemed in the basket. But is came with a creamy, spicy, lemony hummus, and a spectacular thick African flatbread called muufo baravani.

The latest edition of Maine Food & Lifestyle is now out. The new issue includes a survey of eateries is Westbrook.

To fully appreciate Portland’s longtime country cousin, drive west to this little town’s historic district where the parking is…free. I know, I know, it seems too good to be true, but it is.

The latest edition of Maine Food & Lifestyle is now out. The new issue includes a survey of eateries is Westbrook.

To fully appreciate Portland’s longtime country cousin, drive west to this little town’s historic district where the parking is…free. I know, I know, it seems too good to be true, but it is.

Tasting in Tongues has published a review of Rosemont Market and Bakery.

The Rosemont Market & Bakery has a neighborhood feel with a world-class selection run by an expert and friendly staff.  Their focus is on local foods – produce, meats, dairy, eggs, and specialty products.  All 3 locations feature artisanal breads and pastries made at their Brighton Avenue location.  Their wine selection is way above par – extensive, unique and inexpensive.

Down East has published the ’09 edition of their annual Where to Eat Now feature. The  magazine compiled the favorite eating spots of  18 chefs, food writers and other eating experts into a timely guide of where to eat now. A number of Portland area restaurants made the cut this year: Susan’s Fish and Chips, Fore Street, Bonobo, Thanh Thanh II, North Star, Haggarty’s, Bar Lola, Bresca, Five Fifty-Five, Paciarino, Vaughan Street Variety, The Grill Room, Novare Res, Top of the East, Una.