sk46's Profile
Leonardo's pizza, portland
Got pizza from here last week and I have to say it was really good. Hot, fresh, flavorful, great service....I was so pleasantly surprised. I especially liked the sausage and garlic one.
The thing that gets me is that is was a lot better than the pizza I have had at otto that everyone is nuts for and better than ricettas as far as flavor goes. I would love ricettas if the red sauce was better. I just had to write about it and say this is my new pizza place....realizing full well I am going to get blasted for this but I am the person that usually doesn't like what everyone else is impressed by for some odd reason....
cafe at pat's, portland
ooooh, wanted so much to love it and all the food was excellently prepared but flavor was seriously lacking. Had potstickers that had very little of anything in them swimming in a pool of sweet chili sauce, grilled ravioli's that were eh...a little toasted but gummy and the shaved cheese tasted like plastic. Also had pork marsala and the pork was tough which would have been o.k. had there been any hint of marsala and it needed way more sauce and mushrooms to hold up to the fettucine and the seafood fettucine was fine but that was it- just fine...it was begging for garlic or a sauce or something. Skip the desserts unfortunately dull and dry. Service was wonderful and atmosphere was great. Time will tell about the food.
Earth, Kennebunkport
Wow what a beautiful restaurant. Someone spent a lot of time and money on it. Too bad they didn't spend it on the kitchen staff and someone to answer the email my friend asking for nothing except to be acknowledged after spending so much money. Where should I start.....All the food was cold and half was flavorless. For the prices they are commanding they should be ashamed...the pizza was absolutely flavorless, the clams were overcooked, the bread was dull, the steak was cooked wrong, tiny and cold, the monkfish was just plain sad, the porkbelly was a cold gelatinous sickly sweet bite of yucky, the pasta was underdone, cold and flavorless and for 16.00 (and it was literally a cup of pasta) that is just wrong, the bread was so burnt on the crab appetizer that you couldn't taste anything but that. It was just a super industrial rip off..but I am sure they are always going to be busy because people are like sheep when a restaurant is attached to a so-called acclaimed chef.
Vegetarian in Portland?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/691373
this lists some other places you might like to try....
The Good Table-Cape Elizabeth, ME
A few friends and I went to the good table in Cape Elizabeth and had a nice time. Can't say the service was my favorite we were greeted and seated immediately but it seemed like they were more interested in entertaining themselves then taking care of people. No anticipation of needs so lots of trips to the table for them..oh well onto the food. It was good, not stellar but good and reasonably priced. The grapefruit martini's were not good so skip those even though I do love a side car it was just poor blending and ratio. For the table we got an appetizer but I can't remember what it was which should tell you the statis of it. We had the mixed grill which had a 1/2 of greek sausage on it which was nicely flavored but dry (could be the way it is supposed to be), some hanger steak and 5 bbq ribs which came with starch and a salad. All was properly cooked and tasty...the rib sauce was a little sugary but not offensive. Here is the kicker.....we got onion rings which came out of a bag, which would have been ok if the other person hadn't gotten a ribeye that came with these house made onion straws/rings which were delicious. Bad idea in my book do one or the other. We had a spanakopita which was flavorful kind of....again it was good but looked like it had been made a long time ago. It must be difficult to hold something like that and have it look stellar if you don't make it everyday. We had dessert of an orange chocolate poppyseed cake which was dry but good flavor and a piece of cheese cake which was yummy with strawberries on it. I would go back here to give it another try because it was good and reasonably priced. Curious what other people have to say about it.
Jp's Bistro-portland
-A friend and I had dinner at JP's bistro on woodfords street and it was delicious. I hope people give it a try. There were many blackboard seafood specials-- too many to list and a nice solid menu with good service. We had a caesar salad with loaded with anchovies and big shavings of cheese, a thick double cut pork chop on the bone with a balsamic reduction, a ribeye perfectly cooked and not trimmed with in an inch of it's fat life, both served with some veggies that had a little snap in them and some standard red bliss garlic smashed potatoes/rice pilaf. Nice wine list...had a great malbec and we shared a coconut cream pie which was filled with tons of coconut but not killed with cornstarch which was such a pleasant surprise. My only complaint was the lemon chicken soup...not enough lemon at al--l but certainly not a deal breaker on if I go back there. All the dishes we saw looked delicous and we can't wait to try more.
restaurant row
Well we had a wonderful time. We started out at 7pm because mum was tired after work, you see she lives on Cape Cod and commutes to Boston everyday. I got a hotel room for the night next to where she works so she could sleep in and we could be out late. So we took a cab to Tremont street and got dropped off in front of Metropolis. I took a quick look in the other restaurants and there seemed to be a wait in all but Metropolis, my mother was hungry and there were 4 seats at the bar so we went for it. As all of you probably already know holy moly the bar seats are not comfortable at all but we were just having apps so we thought --no worries--We had a wonderful time and great food and I really liked the servers but it was SLOW service.... It is almost as if the servers are controlling how many orders the kitchen is getting so they can handle it. Anyway we ordered a bottle of the Pine Ridge viogner/chenin blanc and they served us some very good bread with roasted garlic. and we waited and waited ....finally I just asked if we could order from someone and it is fine because we were chatting away. We had pumpkin risotto with fresh green beans in it (a little too much thyme for me) perfectly cooked (entree), potato gnocchi with duck confit little pillows in a light broth with what seemed like shredded duck on it which was tasty (app), quinoa with summer veggies side dish which none of us thought had any flavor and salmon with a horseradish crust, salmon roe on truffle whipped potatoes(entree)-the potatoes were delicious, the salmon had the consistency of canned tuna which seemed weird to me. I loved the atmosphere of the place and I would go back after trying some more restaurants on that street. On we go and made it across the street to aquitane (found out from the server that metropolis and aquitane have the same owners). Keep in mind I am thinking we are going to hit at least 1 maybe two more places because I really wanted to sit outside at pops. So it 915 now and we wait for 15-20 minutes at the bar. The bartender is wonderful and very attentive. We ordered a bottle of Clayhouse Zinfandel blend from paso robles-it wasn't to my liking I find paso robles wine to be "hot and harsh" to me. (Feel free it insert here a suggestion to change my mind). We were seated finally at 10 in the row of booth that were all pretty empty which made me feel like they kept us in the window to look busy or they were staging the kitchen again. The atmosphere was wonderful....I especially like the music. Mum had onion soup which was in a rich sherried broth with sweet onions, bread and cheese. It had too much bread for me and the cheese was an aged gruyere--just seemed like a typical provolone to me just my opinion, I had the marche salad with chevre & toasted hazlenuts in a sherried vin. with radishes. Sounded good to me but it was ehhhh. on the flavor scale. My sister had the heirloom tomato salad which had a lot of flavor, the tomatoes were perfect and the dressing complimentary. It was a special. My friend had escargot and he said they were delicious but again a little heavy handed on the thyme. they served bread which were little hot rolls with Delicious butter. We had for the table the pomme frites with garlic basil aioli and they were delicious especially the aioli very well balanced between the garlic & basil. So by the time we got our meals it is 10.30pm. Way too long for some fries and salads....so my mum is getting tired and I am still thinking we are going to make another restaurant but alas NO. So we order the bittersweet chocolate mousse with malted chantilly cream which was nice and creamy, good temperature and the malt is a nice touch. My mother had a creme brulee which was better than I have had in France. Room temperature, not too eggy, texture- spot on smooth and the highlight was the extra thick sugar on top that when cracked were like shards of raw-carmelized sugar that truly complimented the brulee. I had a warres ruby port and my sister had Saint-Croix-Du Mont, Château La Râmes which turned out to be semillon --delicious-my mother tried the banyuls but wasn't feeling it so she had a baileys, my friend a jameson and that concluded our night out, it was now midnight and we had to get mum back to the hotel. All and all my first pick would be to go back to Tremont street and go earlier with reservations like suggested. I would like to know if service and food is traditionally this slow (please keep in mind the people taking care of us have fantastic personalities) so I can plan for this. Because 5 hours to leave hungry because I was pacing myself doesn't seem right to me. Thanks for all your help and sorry this is so long.
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Tremont Cafe
418 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116
need opinions
Hi,
Yes you are so right I should have split them..that makes so much more sense. I am still challenged in this medium. Thank you so much for your input everyoneit makes it easier to make decisions this way.
need opinions
Sorry if this is the wrong board to post please feel free to move it..... but I need some opinions and input.
#1If you have a burger at any restaurant what do you care more about the fact that it is "local" beef coming in from a major purveyor in a frozen patty with a funky texture or that it is not local beef ground in house has a normal texture, has flavor and is juicy. I am finding that people are so caught up in the local buying that they will eat an inferior product which costs double & makes me wonder.
#2 Can a person with a peanut allergy eat food cooked in a fryolator set to 350 that has cooked food that contains peanut butter?
thanks for your thoughts and help
restaurant row
Thanks so much, she is looking forward to this so much. I think it will be the south end for our fun time together and you as well as the others have been very helpful and thoughtful.
restaurant row
All fantastic ideas...Thank you so much I will report back our about our night out.
restaurant row
Hello,
I am looking for suggestions for a wednesday night in Boston. I would like to take my mother out for her birthday from 6pm till 10pm and what she wants to do is go out for 4 hours to 5 different restaurants with great service & atmoshpere, sit at the bar or in a lounge, have a glass of wine and appetizers at each one. I need one street in Boston to fufill her request because she is 72 and I don't want to haul her all over the city. Does anyone have a street suggestion for me please???
Portland maine
Does anyone know who won the chili and chowder cookoff at the holiday inn by the bay this past sunday. I was just curious and I can't find it anywhere.
The Farmer's Table - Old Port Dining (Portland, ME)?
Top of the East has a nice view but there are no better apps, prices, service and drinks than at the armory lounge in the Portland regency. I love the fruit plate and the antipasto. Have fun!
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Armory Lounge
20 Milk St, Portland, ME 04101
ZaZa Florence and Cav. alvaro Al Circo Massimo in Rome
Had one of the best meals at ZaZa's. the fettucine in truffle sauce is amazing and the service was spotty but I found that every single place I went in tuscany. So much money was lost for restaurants for the lack of service and selling in tuscany. It made me sad. Cav. alvaro's behind the forum in Rome however was top notch. That family knows the restaurant business and knows how to take care of people. The food and experience was fantastic and hopefully sometime in the future I will get to go again.
Weekend in Portland ME-Lower Cost Options
I definitely second the bear, spoon and Silly's but another favorite of mine is the Greek corner on upper exchange. Love the flaming cheese and mixed grill and it is very reasonably priced.
Rachel's in portland
Just read on portlandfoodmap.com the following. It makes me sad because it was one of my favorite restaurants.
Rachels is Closed
October 21st, 2009
Rachels has closed. A message on the restaurant’s answering machine says that “After a glorious run in Portland we have chosen to close our store” and goes on to thank the restaurants many customers. To hear the full message call Rachels at (207) 774-1192.
Seeking out the best lobster roll
I am so thankful you mentioned the miracle whip thing because it never occurred to me that someone would do that to lobster. Shameful.
The Farmer's Table - Old Port Dining (Portland, ME)?
I concur, definitely the armory lounge in the Regency hotel for drinks and even an app. The antipasto is great. Bresca is cramped but the desserts are top notch.
Looking for really good Mexican in Portland Miane
No. Try agave in portsmouth. I thought El Rayo might be a saving grace but nope. Itsy bitsy portions, big prices and no flavor. The meat in the burrito tasted like it was cooked on a car muffler and to pay a dollar for a thimblefull of pico is just not right. I thought the pumpkin seed spicy krispy treat they have would be fantastic but it was stale and dry. Fajita grill in westbrook is tasty and they try really hard but it is what it is.
pompei
Any suggestions for lunch in pompei? Also any suggestions for a market to get some produce? please and thank you.
Portland, ME
Lunch- Silly's garden for the lamb roll-up and sweet potato fries
Dinner- Rachel's L'osteria for Portuguese Shellfish Stew
Needhams
Does anyone have a recipe for Needhams aka. maine potato candy that does not use parafin wax? I would really appreciate it. thank you.
Krista's in Cornish
Went to Krista's this past weekend and what a great restaurant. The place could use some air-conditioning as it was a bit uncomfortable but that is fine. It does have a sweet little porch but it was full. I didn't have a drink but the martini's going by were beautiful. My friend and I shared and had the pork loin in bourbon sauce and the chicken and tortellini. They come with garden salads which we upgraded to a wedge salad that was delicious-my only complaint was a warm plate and my friend got the cesar which was heavy on the lemon in the dressing but tasty. The entrees were well-rounded beautiful, fresh, wonderfully cooked, full of fresh al dente veggies and extremely tasty sauces. They brought out a dessert tray of beautifully constructed desserts and we partook in carrot cake and blueberry pie a la mode. Can't say the blueberry pie was anything to write home about but it was good. The service was very attentive...the water/bus boys look visibly uncomfortable approaching tables but it is kind of endearing. You can get an eight dollar sandwich or a 23 dollar steak at dinner what ever your mood. The wine and beer list will cover all your needs and won't break your wallet. Overall I will definately go back as it was a wonderful experience.
Grace in Portland
Went to Grace last night, and wow all the pretentious foodies in Portland are gonna love this place. I will say the inside is unique (and that is what every table around me was talking about) and a people watching dream but the love stops there. We were only there for a glass of wine and an appetizer which was a good thing because they really don't have that many tables and they were on a serious wait which I would attribute to the newness of all the staff. We made our own table from some extra seats/tables around -sat down and waited for 15 minutes without any sign of service happening. I went to the bar to order which has 5 seats and she looked harried....asked for a bottle of wine and she stated there is service at the tables. I said noone had been there in 15 minutes so why don't you let me help myself and if you give me the bottle of wine I will take care of it. She said she doesn't have wine behind the bar and refused to take my order. She said she would send someone over-so back to the table I go. That someone eventually comes to the table drops off 2 clip boards..says so you want a bottle of wine-we say what kind and she disappears for another 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile I see the food come up from 200 feet across the room and up the stairs-good luck keeping that hot and the topper for me is she is bringing one thing at a time. All I had to see was the crate and barrel dinghy shaped dish with 10 fried green beans in it for 5 dollars and I knew I was in trouble and going to leave hungry and poor. So after absorbing the atmoshpere for 25 minutes with nothing in front of me, I did leave hungry but not poor thank goodness and headed straight for the armory which serves a fruit/cheese plate that has strawberries, blueberries, apple, brie, 4 kinds of crackers, grapes, oranges, dill havarti, smoked mozz for ten bucks that is absolutely fantastic. The people who work there are great and the wine list is reasonable and thoughtful. Plus didn't tgifridays just run a special on t.v. featuring fried green beans.......hmmmm
Chef et al Portland
Oh, I must have missed it on the food map site. Thank you for telling me. I went there a few times and just found the food too sweet for my taste but I had heard some very positive things from others.
Anything new in portland?
Milk street is in the regency. I am not familiar with the word osum, katahdin is closed the week of July 4th and reopens the 7th and I don't know Johnnies is that an owner reference or a restaurant. thanks
