Incredible Breakfast Cook-off

| Posted in Events

The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth was the winner of yesterday’s Incredible Breakfast Cook-off competition held yesterday at Sea Dog Brewing. The winning dish was a Creme Brulee French Toast. Here’s a description from Mignardise,

A hearty French bread, soaked over night with eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, Grand Marnier and other diet-busting ingredients, then baked to form that signature brulee crust. With fruit on top, just to make you feel like you might be eating something healthy. Amaaaaazing.

For additional reporting check out the article in today’s Press Herald and video of the competition from WCSH.

Interview with Declan McGough

| Posted in General News, People

Friday’s Portland Daily Sun included an interview with Declan McGough, the sous chef at Blue Spoon,

What’s missing from the Portland restaurant scene: My dad works on the waterfront and I know how much seafood comes across so I’m surprised that there aren’t more exclusively seafood restaurants, like cevicherias.

and a look at some of late night dining options in the city.

Interviews with Pete Sueltenfuss & Nicholas Nappi

| Posted in People

The Portland Daily Sun has continued its restaurant worker interview series. Wednesday’s paper included an interview with Pete Sueltenfuss, a line cook at Fore Street,

What’s missing from the Portland restaurant scene: Late-night dining. This town rolls up its sidewalks at 11. There’s a need and desire to have a place that serves until 1. There are lots of restaurant folks in this town and there’s nowhere to eat when we get out of work.

and Thursday paper included an interview with Nicholas Nappi, the Chef de Cuisine at Local 188,

What’s missing from the Portland restaurant scene: Chinese food that hasn’t been Americanized. We joke that Portland ought to put a moratorium on Thai restaurants until we got one good dim sum place.

Steve & Renee’s, El Rayo and Viet Bangkok Cuisine

| Posted in Reviews

The Portland Daily Sun has published a triple review with breakfast at Steve and Renee’s and a Maine Restaurant week lunch at El Rayo,

I’m pleased to report that the lunch was quite good but the promised price of 15.10 is incorrect. The El Rayo folks are offering three lunch courses for 10.10-appetizer, taco and dessert. Way to over-deliver! The mushroom fundido was good, not surprising given the chef’s dedication to fresh ingredients, but the fish taco forced me to open that closed little mind of mine. The fresh cabbage salad was out of this world and the chipotle added the perfect kick, no added hot sauce was required.

as well as columnist Margo Mallar’s contribution to the set of reviews published earlier this week of Viet Bangkok Cuisine.

The Thai Basil was awful. The flavors were off, the texture of the chicken seemed that it had been frozen and thawed more than once. The vegetables were limp, the color olive drab, something you’d find in an army surplus store rather than a farmer’s market or produce section…It must be mentioned that the Massaman Tofu was good but the flavor was identical to that which I make with canned stuff. All in all, Viet Bangkok is a place to be skipped. There are too many better alternatives in Portland to frequent a place that goes by the numbers.

A Pair of Small Plate Reviews: David’s 388 & Bar Lola

| Posted in Reviews

About Town has published a Maine Restaurant Week review of David’s 388 in South Portland,

The real champion dish, though, was the apple tart dessert. It arrived warm and melty; a puff pastry crust lined with thinly sliced apples, with that cinnamon-ginger ice cream melting on top. Delicious, gooey, and happily spiced, it was a special ending to a solid meal.

and Dine in Portland has published a review of Bar Lola,

For starters, I have to say Bar Lola’s staff impressed me.   When a waiter said “Welcome back” I was stunned.  When the hostess said “Nice to see you again”, I was flabbergasted.  I ate a single meal many months ago;  I am not sure how they remembered. It certainly made me feel welcome and set the mood for the remainder of the meal.