Empire Chinese Kitchen

 

http://portlandempire.com/kitchen/

Empire is more of a modern Dim Sum restaurant.  They have the traditional small plates intended for sharing plus larger entrées and seating is not family style.  Regardless, the food is really good and satisfying.  We had a lot to eat this time.  We started with the boneless BBQ'd pork.  This had thick pieces of pork in a sticky sweet sauce.  We could have had four orders of this and been very happy.  The sauntered bok chow was cooked really well.  It was fresh, crunchy and full of flavor.  We then moved on to the pork steamed buns and the pan fried dumplings.  The steamed buns were little pillows of deliciousness hiding sweet pork. The dumplings consisted of pork and shrimp which we dunked in soy. The dumplings were really cooked well.  They were browned on the bottom and soft on the top providing a really enjoyable texture.  When we saw the bacon fried rice on the menu, the decision was made.  The dish had bacon with corn and onion.  The bacon with the corn was a really good combination of ingredients. 

The staff, and the bar and at the table, were very friendly, accommodating and easy to talk to.  The beer and wine list was what you would want.  The beer list had several local beers.  The wines had four red and four whites so there was plenty to choose from.

We rolled out the Empire full and very happy. 

 

boneless BBQ'd pork

 

 sauteed baby bok choy

 

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 4
Staff: 4
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 4
Parking: 4

Slab

https://twitter.com/SlabPortland

Like the rest of you, we have been waiting for months for Slab to open.  Our first visit was on a Saturday morning just after they opened to the public.  The inside is smaller than I had expected.  I would estimate that the bar has 15 stools and tables seat another 25?  The outdoor space is beautiful (see below).  There are seven, twenty foot long benches and tables.  I can see myself wasting several hours there eating and drinking.  In the corner is a stage where they plan to have live bands on a regular basis. 

The restaurants tag line is "Sicilian Street Food".  Perfect line to go with the Sicilian pizza and co-owner Steve Lanzalotta.  Lets talk about the menu and what we tried.  We started with the cole slaw.  An often overlooked item.  I always try restaurants cole slaw because a good slaw says a lot about the owners concern for good food. Some use it to fill an empty space on the plate  The slaw consisted of cabbage, fennel, red onion and whole basil leaves.  We tried the creamy curry orange cumin dressing.  The taste was light and refreshing.  There were large crystals of salt in the slaw which was wonderful to find.  Recommended!  They also have a sweet-tangy lime anise vinaigrette.

We ordered the half slab (4 pieces). Each piece of pizza is 6x9.  Yes, I measured it.  It was out of this world good.  We skipped the desert menu because we were so full. They also offer hand slabs (single piece) and full slabs (8 pieces).  There is still Luna Bread! They are stuffing things like braised beef and pork meatballs in luna. There are a few vegetarian items on the menu as well. The "shoes and gravy" sounds good.  This is Luna with sauce and a chunk of aged provolone.

The bar menu is also Sicilian.  Of course they have a Prosecco plus a rose, three whites and three reds (all from Sicily).  The beer menu is an interesting combination of high end beers (Sierra Nevada, De Struise), specially produced beers by some of our best local brewers (Banded Horn, Rising Tide, Oxbox, Bunker, etc.) and common beers like Miller High Life.  Both times we visited we had the coSLABoration by Rising Tide.

The second time we visited it was a Thursday evening.  This time we ordered two hand slabs.  We were surprised how fast the food arrived only to find that the pizza had been reheated.  It was a little dry and not as good as the first time. I would have preferred to have the pizza room temperature versus heated and dried out.  It was good just not like the first time. This time we had room for dessert.  We split the ice cream cone cannoli. It was really big and fresh.  Not too sweet.  The good news is that we now have a local source for GOOD cannolies and no longer need to go to Mike's Pastries in the North End.

They proudly claim themselves as a biodegradable and recycle restaurant.   There are no dishes.  The pizza is severed on paper. The utensils are wooden forks and knives.  Yes, they are easy to break but your eating light and fluffy bread dough so they are appropriate for the menu items.

The staff is very friendly and as excited as we were that the restaurant is open.  The Portland Public Market parking garage is right next door.  We did not park there but the location of the garage should be helpful in bad weather. 

Bottom line, we loved it and glad its open. 

.

view of the outdoor eating area

the half slab

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 4
Staff: 4
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 5
Parking: 4

The Bar of Chocolate

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bar-of-Chocolate/116495095042110

We like going to The Bar of Chocolate after a good meal at one of our favorite restaurants.  Today, we had dinner at the East Ender and had a nice walk to The Bar of Chocolate on a beautiful evening in Portland.

The interior is dark and lit with small lights.  Along one wall are long benches with high backs with tables and chairs.  There are also pairs of high back leather chairs giving the space a very comfortable relaxed atmosphere.  As you can tell from the name of the bar, they serve desserts, cocktails, and after dinner drinks.  Of course, chocolate is a popular ingredient. 

This evening we tried the chocolate torte with caramel and sea salt. It was very rich and dense and for true chocolate lovers only! I had to first show my Chocolate Lovers membership card to get a piece! (just kidding).  We had a Limoncello cocktail with the torte which was a great combination.  We also had the crème brulee paired with a port wine.  Wasn't sure it would go well but it did.  The brulee was a rich, creamy vanilla. Classic and satisfying.  Perfect end to the evening.

The staff is very friendly and can make suggestions on how to best pair a dessert with a wine of cocktail.  We highly recommend The Bar of Chocolate as a great way to start or end your evening.

 

chocolate torte with caramel and sea salt

 

Crème Brulee with a nice Port wine

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 4
Staff: 4
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 4
Parking: 1

Portland Hunt + Alpine Club

http://huntandalpineclub.com/

This was our second trip to the Portland Hunt and Alpine Club.  Both times were on the first Sunday of the month  which is Tiki Sunday at the Club.  They play tropical music. The music is more Hawaii 5-0 than Bob Marley.  Resident mixologist, John Myers serves up the drinks.  Tiki Sunday features 4 different drinks, each for $9:

• Corn + Oil - blackstrap run and falernum
• Viking Fogcutter - brand, rum, gin, orgeat, and citrus
• Yellow Bird. - rum, line and Galliano
• Montego Bay - rums, citrus, honey, allspice and bitters

If these drinks sound good, its because they are.  We recommend the Montego Bay.  As you would suspect, the drink menu is terrific.  Its why you go to the Club.  Wine and Beer selecting is limited.  But, last time we were there they did have Bissell Brother's Substance and Rising Tides Daymark.  The beer selection does change, always with good options. 

Food selection is simple but good.  We have tried the snacks but not the meals.  We have sampled the popcorn and the house pretzels.  Both options were addicting and satisfying.  The atmosphere has that clean and neat Scandinavian feel.  The location is on Market street with floor to ceiling windows looking out onto Post Office Park. 

Service was disappointing.  Not great but not bad.

In a coconut shell, we like the Portland Hunt and Alpine Club and we'll go back for the drinks.

  The bar

 

 

 The Montego Bay

 

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 3
Staff: 3
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 3
Parking: 3

Pai men miyake

www.miyakerestaurants.com/pai-men-miyake

Pai Men Miyake is a restaurant that you need to visit.  The focus of the restaurant is on ramen with broths rich in pork, chicken, beef & vegetables. We started with the pork buns.  The pork comes from the Miyake farm.  Its so much more flavorful than pork you get at the local store.  The cube of pork that comes with a pork bun is huge (golf ball size).  Try some of the pork without the bun so you can really taste the pork. The pork buns are delicious and I would image a great late night snack. We had the Paitan ramen and the Kimchee Beef ramen.  The Paitan ramen is pork belly in a chicken and pork broth.  The Kimchee Beef ramen was, as expected, spicy.  The chunk of beef was so tender that it easily pulled apart with chop sticks.
The beer menu has a least a dozen local selections.  The wine menu was limited with 3 reds and 3 whites.  But the options were satisfactory.  The service varied.  One day we went the service was excellent.  The next time we could not get a second beer from our server.
We really liked the atmosphere. The décor, the music.  With all the steaming in the kitchen the place can get quite warm so be prepared.  Speaking of warm, in the warmer months there are tables outside. 
In summary, delicious Japanese food, beautifully presented.

Brussels sprouts in a fish sauce vinaigrette

Shrimp gyoza

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff: 3
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 5
Parking: 4

MJ's Wine Bar

www.onecitywines.com
Between all of us we have been to MJ's almost a dozen times.  MJ's has a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. There is a wide wooden bar, long narrow table ideal for a large group, smaller tables and leather furniture. The wine selection must be the best in town. And, they are always changing the selection to reflect the season. They don't have the "standard" wines you'll find at other bars and restaurants but rather new and interesting wines. They may have a wine from a region you like but from a winery you have never heard of. If your not a big wine drinker you can describe what you like and they will make the recommendation so you get something you'll enjoy. Needless to say, the service is top notch. The menu includes nuts, olives and cheeses. The food selection is also routinely changed to reflect the season. If your not sure which cheese plate would go best with what your drinking ask because they will help you make the right decision.
Did I mention the outdoor seating in the summer!

Beer taps in the foreground, wine in the background.

The music selection.

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff: 5
Drinks: 5
Mount Gay rum: No
Food: 4
Parking: 3

Otto's Pizza

http://ottoportland.com/
We have been to both Congress Street locations. Pizza from both location have been equally satisfying. Otto's mashed potato pizza with bacon and scallion is as good as it sounds. We were told its their best selling pie. The location at the top of Forrest Avenue is interesting. There are three doors. The door on the right and left leads to small dining areas each with a bar. The inside is clean and neat. The middle door looks like it's dedicated to walkup and selling slices. The best part is they are open until 2am on Friday and Saturday night. They have a few outdoor tables. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Beer selection was decent. There were 5 choices including Rising Tide's Zephyr. They also had Uinta Hop Notch IPA which we highly recommend. Wine selection was basic.
You can't go wrong with Otto's.

From left to right: 3 cheese Tortellini, Marguerite and the Mashed Potato

View of upper Forrest Ave from the bar

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff: 5
Drinks: 3
Mount Gay rum: No
Food: 4
Parking: 3