Review of Steve and Renee's Diner

Steve and Renee’s Diner received 4 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.

As many diners do, you can order breakfast all day at Steve and Renee’s. I decided on a short stack (two slices) of French toast for $2.89 and a cinnamon bun for $1.39. I told my waitress that I thought I was ordering too much bread (and, as it turned out, I did), but it was all good – especially the cinnamon bun, which was served to me warm.

Also in today’s paper is an article about Linda Greenlaw’s season fishing for swordfish and a overview on the beercentric events taking place in and around Portland this weekend.

Review of Steve and Renee’s Diner

Steve and Renee’s Diner received 4 stars from the Eat & Run review in today’s Press Herald.

As many diners do, you can order breakfast all day at Steve and Renee’s. I decided on a short stack (two slices) of French toast for $2.89 and a cinnamon bun for $1.39. I told my waitress that I thought I was ordering too much bread (and, as it turned out, I did), but it was all good – especially the cinnamon bun, which was served to me warm.

Also in today’s paper is an article about Linda Greenlaw’s season fishing for swordfish and a overview on the beercentric events taking place in and around Portland this weekend.

Review of Yordprom & Mr. Sandwich

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of the lunch options at Mr. Sandwich & Mrs. Muffin and Yordprom Coffee.

Coworkers will eventually discover Yordprom’s small lunch menu, the highlight of which is a terrific Thai noodle salad served in a big bowl. The dark wheat noodles were soft but toothsome. Sesame clings to the noodles, strips of chicken breast, and lettuce. Nori adds some rich flavor, and a light citrus dressing holds it together. A ham sandwich, served on a huge flaky croissant, is big but light as air.

Review of Yordprom & Mr. Sandwich

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of the lunch options at Mr. Sandwich & Mrs. Muffin and Yordprom Coffee.

Coworkers will eventually discover Yordprom’s small lunch menu, the highlight of which is a terrific Thai noodle salad served in a big bowl. The dark wheat noodles were soft but toothsome. Sesame clings to the noodles, strips of chicken breast, and lettuce. Nori adds some rich flavor, and a light citrus dressing holds it together. A ham sandwich, served on a huge flaky croissant, is big but light as air.

The Appeal of Trader Joe's

Food for Thought has explored the enthusiasm that Trader Joe’s fans have for the market.

I’ve tried to understand the attraction of Trader Joe’s.  I know its immediate appeal is price–many items are cheaper than elsewhere and many of their store-name products have a great following among its devotees.

A friend of mine is a great fan of the place.  And I asked her to explain why, to give me specific products that she likes there.

She started off with the dishwashing powder.

The Appeal of Trader Joe’s

Food for Thought has explored the enthusiasm that Trader Joe’s fans have for the market.

I’ve tried to understand the attraction of Trader Joe’s.  I know its immediate appeal is price–many items are cheaper than elsewhere and many of their store-name products have a great following among its devotees.

A friend of mine is a great fan of the place.  And I asked her to explain why, to give me specific products that she likes there.

She started off with the dishwashing powder.

Paper Food: Cooking Matters, Pecan Pie, Macrobiotics . . .

The Food & Dining section in today’s Press Herald includes article about Cooking Matters, a program that “recruits local culinary and nutrition professionals to teach low-income families on a limited budget how to prepare nutritious meals that also taste good”, and interviews with macrobiotic educator Warren Kramer and Ethan Toby, sous chef at Sonny’s.
Yesterday’s edition of the Portland Daily Sun provides advice on where to source ingredients for you home Mexican cooking and a reminder that Two Fat Cats made the cut for a Yankee magazine article about where to find the best 5 holiday pies in New England.

Thai-o-rama: Siam Orchid

For the 12th round of our survey/review of Thai restaurants in Portland we visited Siam Orchid which is located in the One City Center food court.
Appetite Portlandread the full review

A second trip confirmed the first. A Thai basil shrimp tossed with light oil in the wok – very tasty. A pre-made crab rangoon fried to a crisp and stuffed with gooey, crab-flavored paste – not so much.

From Awayread the full review

… All Malcolm wanted was satay; in this case, a sassy hunk of chicken on a stick, that he reported having some nice flavors, in spite of their sad rubbery appearance. And so it was. The peanut “satay sauce,” served in a plastic cup on the side, was rock-solid frozen. So that was too bad. Finally, my rice. Was. Also. Satisfactory. It was savory, with bits of onion, chicken, and green stuff (basil?). I was starving. And so I slowly ate every mediocre morsel. And then I was sad and bloated forever times infinity. The end.

The Blueberry Filesread the full review

My dish was steaming hot and came with carrots, broccoli, onions, and chicken in a thin, brown sauce. The broccoli was crunchy and bright green, and the chicken was not *as* overcooked as some Thai stir-fry chicken can be. The sauce was very flavorful and made me wish I had a spoon to better scoop it up with the loads of accompanying rice.

While the dish I ordered was not particularly ‘Thai,’ it’s a good quick fix for a workday lunch, as well as some great people watching.
Where is Jenner’s Mindread the full review

I thought that the spice was pretty mild, particularly as I requested a spice factor 2 out of 3. Perhaps a tad bland as well, but still passable Pad Thai with wide noodles served with scallions and mung beans. Sometimes pad Thai can be a bit on the sweet side. The Pad Thai, from the restaurant whose name shall remain a mystery, was not too sweet, and that was nice. If you need a quick and affordable Thai fix for lunch (I’m pretty sure this is a lunch only joint) that will leave you with leftovers for dinner, hit this place up. It won’t knock your proverbial socks off but it does the trick.

The Press Herald published one prior review of Siam Orchid back in 2007.
That leaves us with just one more stop before we finish up the series: Sengchai Thai. We should have the groups thoughts on that restaurant before the end of the 2010, aka the Year of Pad Thai.

Mycologist Greg Marley

The Boston Globe has published an interview with Maine mushroom expert Greg Marley. Marley has published a new book, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms. You can find copies of Chantrelle Dreams and an earlier work, Mushrooms for Health, at Rabelais where he spoke in October as part of his book tour.

Greg Marley is in a damp grove of hemlock, toting a woven basket, followed closely by Rosie, his big black Newfoundland. He’s looking for black trumpet mushrooms and finds the sinister-looking, funnel-shaped fungi on a patch of moss. “The French call them trumpets of death,’’ he says. “It’s probably because they want them all to themselves. They’re my wife’s favorite. So good on pizza.’’

Review of Kamasouptra

Edible Obsessions has published a review of Kamasouptra.

I opted for the cup above, always loving the classic combination. With it barely being above 45 degrees out, I wanted to literally dive into the soup. It was beautifully done as a tomato bisque with a more than generous amount of cheese(Parm? Cheddar? Gouda??) throughout. But, my god… the bread. A simple roll, piping hot out of the oven to mop up all the wonderful goodness of the soup was served alongside and I couldn’t have been happier.