Category: Reviews

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Vinland,

Do I recommend going to Vinland? Absolutely. It’s much closer than Finland which is what spell check tells me to call it, and it’s certainly more delicious. For what it’s worth, it might have also been the healthiest meal I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Now that’s extreme! While it isn’t inexpensive, I might still put it in “slightly more often than special occasion” status. Next time though, I’m definitely asking about the tasting menu. We saw people partaking in that monstrosity of awesomeness and the dessert looked like a mushroom forest. It was a work of art on a plate. More on that after I try it.

and Drink Up and Get Happy has reviewed the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club.

We really enjoyed our time at the Hunt and Alpine. While the prices are on the higher end for happy hour, the drinks are of excellent quality, often using what are considered top shelf ingredients. They are also very reasonable compared to other cocktail prices in Portland. Great service paired with a comfortable atmosphere, they are very affordable indeed! It’s a great place to visit with friends, take family, or even a date. It’s become a hot spot in Portland so if you do go, and we recommend you do, either get there early or plan to be patient. Trust us, it’s worth it!

The Blueberry Files has reviewed Hugo’s.

You can tell the food takes center stage at Hugo’s. This time of year, there’s room for you to sit the bar for just drinks, if you just want to sample their creative cocktails. Courses can also be ordered a la carte at $22 each. But if you can afford it (and our bill was $290 with tax and tip), Hugo’s is well worth the splurge. Everything was delicious, reimagined yet approachable.

The Press Herald has reviewed Daily Greens,

When it came time for the weigh-in, my salad came to $7 and change, and I had enough moeny left from my 10 bucks to buy a blood orange San Pelligrino.

Fewer calories, less guilt, but still plenty of flavor.

Take that, winter.

and a bar review of Salvage BBQ.

Jay Villani’s third restaurant on the peninsula has brought superb barbecue to Portland. As a bar scene, it’s great – plenty of comfortable bar stools, three TVs, lots of local beer on tap and booze in shiny bourbon bottles. Settle in with a local microbew, order a barbecue pork sandwich and some hush puppies and you’ll be reminded of why Portland is such a special town.

Eating, Living and Drinking has posted a report from Sunday brunch at One Longfellow.

The cost for brunch is $5.00 for one big plate or $8.00 for unlimited trips to “the table”. Although no one is cooking your food to order, there are quite a few options that are well worth your five bucks for the single plate which happens to be a really big plate. There are cakes and pastries. Quiche…

Peter Peter Portland Eater has published a review of the Top of the East.

It was an interesting experience. It’s quite apparent that a lot of time, money, and thought went into the landmark building, and I expect that there will be a significant revitalization of that location from an economic standpoint. Top of the East was a good experience, but the entrance situation needs to be corrected. It was bizarre. A lot of people were waiting to go into a bar which had plenty of standing room. However, the service, food, and drink were all up to par. The lost ticket was not a huge issue and they more than made up for the error. I recommend going there for a pre-dinner drink, but if you have to wait to get in when it’s clearly not full, I’d like to hear about it.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed David’s 388.

Serving thoughtfully prepared American bistro fare handled with skill and intelligence, this engaging bistro has many standout dishes at prices that are very moderate for the high quality of the fare. For starters and first courses, the duck canapés are a favorite as are the crispy vegetable pot stickers and the beef tenderloin carpaccio with capers. All the entrees offered are excellent including the house-made pappardelle, rack of lamb, pan-seared salmon and a classic burger. A special burger is also offered topped with a medallion of seared Hudson Valley foie gras. Desserts are house-made, and don’t miss the lemon crème brulee or beignets with caramel sauce.

The Portland Phoenix has published set of burger reviews from 8 different restaurants with tasting notes, and details on what they felt like during and after the meal.

Restaurants have such distinctive styles around here that it’s usually apples-to-oranges to compare them — how do you measure risotto against fish tacos or pad thai? But a majority of menus still have a burger option, which allows us compare the city’s styles in a quasi-scientific way. We subjected a handful of Portland’s signature burgers to our own test, factoring taste, style, source, and the feelings we experienced eating them.

For more Portland burger reviews see the Burger Meister Meister blog and the o-rama burger collaboration.

The Golden Dish has posted his initial impressions of Central Provisions based a visit on opening night.

I could wax poetically about the food, the drink and the ambiance with its nightly asylum of epicurean pretense.  But instead I’ll not litter this forum with the loquacious totems of purple prose and get right to the point.  This is a great place.  The food is amazing, the vibes are everything an Old Port establishment should be in the best sense, and kudos to Chris Gould, proprietor and chef, for giving Portland this fine dining establishment—the ultimate pub with international flavors.

Drink Up and Get Happy has published a bar review of Spread.

All in all we enjoyed our time at Spread.  The cocktails were delicious and potent and the spreads were very tasty! The prices, even at happy hour, may not put it in the running for an every week place but it’s a great place for splurging or a special night. Taking advantage of the happy hour specials also helps in the budget department and makes these artfully made cocktails even more of a treat!

The Press Herald has reviewed the Top of the East.

The Top of the East has had a major makeover and it’s worth riding the elevator to the 15th floor to check it out. If you sit down and order a drink, you’ll get free popcorn made with duck confit. The staff is very attentive and for a brief moment in time, you’ll feel like a king on cloud nine.