Reviews: Cheevitdee, Honey Paw, Little Giant, Ruski’s Little Bigs, Terlingua, Tipo

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed the Cheevitdee,

Chef/co-owner Jay Pranadsri uses riceberry to great effect in her ping ngob, a spicy, explosively herbal red salmon curry. Elsewhere, such as in the lackluster khao mun gai, it is not as successful…For the most part, dishes at Cheevitdee taste like they have been engineered to be wholesome first and foremost, usually at the expense of flavor or texture. Still, a rare few, like pla goong – delightfully spicy, tangy shrimp bites served in individual spoons – actually do make good on the restaurant’s promise that healthy restaurant dining is compatible with exceptional flavor.

The Bates Student has reviewed the The Honey Paw,

While at first glance this destination is a bit out of the price range of the standard college student (bring your parents!), The Honey Paw’s dining format makes it more affordable for a broad customer base. Like many Asian restaurants, servers at The Honey Paw suggest ordering a few plates and sharing them all with the table. This gives diners an opportunity to dive into multiple dishes and taste a greater range of flavors. While any one dish at The Honey Paw would be delicious on its own, sharing an array of dishes brings different flavors and textures to everybody’s plate.

Portland Magazine has reviewed the Little Giant,

Little Giant…has an appealing dinner menu for a neighborhood joint. Local bounty is showcased, and prices are reasonable. A ‘snack’ of Little Biscuits ($6) comes on a wooden board. Spectacularly flaky biscuits frame a smear of maple-whipped lardo topped with neon hot pepper jelly. You won’t leave a single crumb.

the West End News has reviewed the Ruski’s,

I liked the greasy egg rolls well-enough, though the sour cream on the side was boring. Portions here are generous, and I took home half my wrap, which tasted great the second time around, too.

the Press Herald has reviewed Little Bigs,

My favorite is the Thai red curry with chicken ($7.75), which is like eating an order of red curry from a good Thai restaurant in a pie crust. It’s filled mostly with huge chunks of white chicken meat, along with sliced carrots and bits of green beans, red peppers`and basil, all floating in a light red curry sauce, of course.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Terlingua, and

As Mrs. Portlandeater was downing her food, she inquired as to why we didn’t eat there more when it was so good. It’s a fair question. I think Terlingua is going to have to be moved up the list. I like their barbeque a lot, but the Latin American is also super tasty. It’s just really hard to go wrong with anything they serve. On my list of items to try? Brisket, chili, and the Mexican street corn.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed the Tipo,

A pair of ragùs offered different virtues. In one case dark mushrooms had been cooked to a delicious earthy tenderness. They mixed with creamy yolk on a square pillow of creamy and fluffy polenta. A pork raguhad a pleasantly slow-developing roasted pepper heat, that emerged as you chewed the tough little cavetelli made from rye flour.

0 comments on “Reviews: Cheevitdee, Honey Paw, Little Giant, Ruski’s Little Bigs, Terlingua, Tipo

  1. I wish that the PPH Chevitidee review had been more inclusive–one evidenced by multiple visits that would have assuredly higholighted the superb food coming from this kitchen. I’ve gone numerous times and each visit was a revelation.

  2. Hi John,

    As I am sure you recall from your time writing for the PPH and Maine Sunday Telegram, the paper only sends the reviewer once. If the review is a very bad one (which this wasn’t), they send the reviewer a second time. Everyone at the paper wishes there were a larger budget to allow the reviewer to visit several times. That said, in accordance with the ethics rules of the Association of Food Journalists, all of this is disclosed at the end of each review.

    I would have loved to go back to Cheevitdee multiple times. The salmon curry was excellent, and I am certain that there are items on the menu that I would have enjoyed, had I been able to eat more.

    As it is, I took four guests with me so that I’d be able to taste more items. I far exceeded my budget and paid about 75% more than I was allotted–all out of my own pocket.

    I think it’s hard to argue that my review was not fair.

    Best,

    Andrew Ross

  3. I understand completely. I subsidized the budget regularly. In my experience however, it was one of the most wonderful dinners in Portland across any cuisine. And these reviews are important to young restaurants so its unfortunate to get a mixed review. Try, for example, getting into Roma after the PPH accolates. LOL

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