Reviews: Sichuan Kitchen, Woodford Lunch, Bayside Cafe, Crepe Cafe, Union

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Sichuan Kitchen,

 Ignore the décor; the restaurant’s space is a work in progress. Instead, focus on the menu’s extravagance of flavors – everything from pungent and sweet doubanjiang paste painted onto the double cooked pork, to shamelessly garlicky noodles with wok-fried minced pork loin. And yes, you will find spicy dishes, like bone broth-poached Swai fillets slicked with chili oil and showered in crispy, numbing Sichuan peppercorns. But it’s not all about heat. Perhaps the restaurant’s best dish is neither elaborate nor spicy: a simple plate of cabbage slices sautéed in a luxuriously savory sauce of soy, sugar and black vinegar.

The Blueberry Files has posted the first review of lunch at Woodford F&B,

I had to try the crabcake sandwich ($15), and while I always prefer a blue crab cake, this one had great flavor, with a crispy exterior on a buttery, soft bun. The jicama slaw with pungent red onion was a nice alternative to coleslaw. 

The Bollard has reviewed Bayside American Cafe,

Nostalgia aside, this was an excellent brunch, on par with many of the newer, “foodier” places in Portland. I’m sorry it took me a decade to return to this old standby. I won’t make that mistake again.

the Press Herald has reviewed Crepe Cafe, and

I chose the Billy Goat ($8), with herbed goat cheese, roasted red peppers, spinach and a balsamic glaze. It was terrific. Satisfying and substantial.

The Golden Dish has reviewed Union based on a preview of the upcoming MBC beer dinner.

My favorite dish–if not an unexpected pleasure–was the braised local rabbit, which was the second course. It was set within a delicate mash of of green curry sauce with a punch of kefir lime and beautifully roasted and caramelized local sweet potatoes. It was served with Maine Beer’s “Another One,” a complex brew that married well with the dish.

Leave a Reply