Food & Wine came out with their Global Tastemakers lists this morning. Two Maine establishments made the cut:
See the Food & Wine website for the full set of Tastemakers lists rating restaurants, bars, bakeries, hotels and travel ooprtunities from around the globe.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a review of Magnus on Water. The Biddeford restaurant earned a 4 star rating.
Magnus on Water switched from ingredient-driven, farm-to-table fare to Peruvian-inspired food when they brought on Chef Rafael Zimmerman in late 2023. It was a bold move. But Zimmerman and the highly appealing Magnus staff crafted a tight menu of thoughtfully constructed small plates and entrees that introduces customers to new dishes and ingredients while reminding them of familiar foods…Co-owner Brian Catapang’s bar program delivers exceptionally well-balanced cocktails with layers of flavor that work in harmony, as in the refreshing, crisp Black Mamba aperitivo.
The Portland Logbook has published their take on The Best Coffee Shops in Portland, Maine.
Portland, Maine, might be small, but its coffee scene is anything but. Whether you’re looking for the perfect cortado, an expertly pulled espresso, or a hidden café serving some of the best coffee in town, Portland has no shortage of top-tier coffee shops.
The list features: Another Round, Bard, Burundi Star, Double Great, Moonday, Night Moves, Rwanda Bean, Smalls, Speckled Ax, and Tandem.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Taj in South Portland.
It’s hard not to be a fan of the new Taj. The restaurant has really come into its own, particularly since moving into its snazzy new digs. It’s also a restaurant that’s right for the moment, when so many people are seeking the best value for their dwindling disposable income. And whether it wins a Beard award or not won’t change the fact that you’d be hard-pressed to find hospitality this good at this price point anywhere else in Maine.
It also has a feature article that looks at How the pandemic reshaped Portland’s restaurant scene.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a 3½ star review of Low Stakes Lodge.
The kitchen delivers strong takes on classic steakhouse comforters like French Onion Soup, and simple sides like green beans and mashed potatoes — mere afterthoughts at lesser operations — are executed here with thought and care. The chefs can also be counted on to serve your steak to textbook medium rare. If you’re splurging, the prime-grade ribeye is a must, while the more budget-friendly bavette steak fully satisfies at about half the price. Leave room for baker Jacky Gerry’s rotating selection of layer cakes.
This is the first review written by Tim Cebula who is now the paper’s restaurant critic.
Wine Enthusiast has published their list of the 10 Essential Bars in Portland, Maine.
Portland has entered a modern drinking era, where luxe cocktail bars sit alongside classic, beloved breweries and a new generation of drink makers expand the local palate. We tapped the industry professionals creating this infectious energy around Portland’s drinking scene for their picks of the best bars in town.
The list features: Room for Improvement, Lambs in South Portland, Maine & Loire, Regards, Papi, The Jewel Box, Bubba’s Sulky Lounge, Blyth & Burrows, Five of Clubs, and Maine Beer Company in Freeport.
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The 2025 list of semifinalists for the James Beard Awards was just released. There are 10 semifinal nominees from Maine:
Update: After publication the Beard Foundation changed the restaurant designation for Lee Franks from his place in Maine to his establishment Otis Restaurant which is located in Exeter, NH.
Elsewhere in New England there were 8 semifinalists from Rhode Island, 4 from Vermont, 12 from Massachusetts, 3 from Connecticut and 2 from New Hampshire.
The final list of nominees (10 for Best New Restaurant and 5 for all other categories) will be released April 2nd, and the awards ceremony will take place on Monday, June 16th in Chicago. The America’s Classics award winners will be announced February 26th.
Related information: