D. Taylor's Food & Travel

Restaurant Review – Osaka Sushi and Hibachi (Coon Rapids, MN) I was visiting friends in Minnesota and the group decided it would be fun to visit Osaka Sushi and Hibach i. I hadn’t been to a hibachi grill for many years and thought it would be great fun. We made reservations the day before and arrived as a group of seven about 10 minutes before our reservation, but we still had to wait before we were seated. Ordering One of our party asked the server for hashi. The server server responded to see if she wanted her sake hot or cold. Upon further explanation, it became clear that the server didn’t know what hashi are. (It's the Japanese word for chop-sticks.) The server said she was Vietnamese and didn’t speak Japanese.  I admit, I don’t speak Japanese either, but I do know the word hashi and a server at a Japanese restaurant should know what hashi are. Food Arrival Shrimp Tempura - Osaka Sushi & Hibachi I wasn’t happy with the arrival of ...

Looks can be deceiving.  Restaurant Review – Portland Pie Company, Scarborough, ME “It’s all about the dough” is a great moniker for the Portland Pie Company. The dough is great but the pizza, not so much. We stopped at the Portland Pie Co a couple years ago and I guess we had forgotten why we hadn’t returned immediately. I remember now…. We arrived a bit after noon on a Sunday and the place was quite busy.  However, a hostess seated us right away; we ordered our “water with lemon,” a beer, and a cider and reviewed the menu. The Fryeburg Fair Portland Pie Company - Scarborough, ME When the drinks arrived, we ordered our food. I’m still looking for great hamburgers and ordered what they call the Fryeburg Fair - Two beef patties topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickle, finished with a mix of ketchup & mustard it is served in their pie pocket.  I substituted a salad for potato chips for the side. I was a little...

Restaurant Review  By Don Taylor We arrived in downtown Portland very early for a show at the Merrill Auditorium.  We walked past the Union Restaurant and looked at the menus of several of the many restaurants along Exchange Street. We decided to come back to Union and give them a try. Before we went in, it was our plan to sit at the bar, have drinks and hors d'oeuvres before the show.  Seating was a breeze as there was only one other person sitting in the bar, although there were a couple groups seated in the lounge area.  Eric, our bartender was amazing.  His martini and Manhattan preparations were classic. Going against James Bond’s preference, his were “stirred, not shaken.” I think stirring is a much more civilized way to make a martini.  Also, as Eric stirred, he watched carefully and stopped when the melt was perfect, something that can’t be done when a drink is shaken. We ordered truffle laced potato chips with a goat’s milk r...

Review: Riverdance – Merrill Auditorium – Portland, ME – 1 June 2017 I’m sure it has been a grueling schedule for the cast of Riverdance on their 20 th Anniversary World Tour. We were able to watch the show at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine on June 1 st .  It is one of the last 7 locations for the cast this year before they return to Ireland for the summer and tour Europe during the fall. Originally known as the Portland City Hall Auditorium, the Merrill Auditorium is a lovely old theater built in 1911 in the eastern section of Portland City Hall. It underwent a major renovation in 1997 [i] . It seats 1,907 people. We arrived early and went to Union Restaurant up the street. (More about that later.) The doors into the auditorium opened about 30 minutes before showtime. We had great seats, Row G in Section 1 of the Orchestra; the seats were comfortable and had plenty of leg room. I was impressed with the venue. My new phone has a panoramic view option wh...

Restaurant Review – Mulligan’s - Biddeford, Maine   Martini at Mulligan's I have had three bad restaurant experiences in a row and decided I didn’t want to have that many negative reviews. So, I decided to mix it up just a bit, add one positive review then go back to another negative review. As a positive review, Mulligan’s Bar and Grill in Biddeford has become a “go to” place for my wife and me. We go out of our way to eat here every month or two. On our recent visit we were a bit surprised that there wasn’t a hostess to seat us; usually there is. However, a waitress, Chrissy, came quickly and ushered us to a booth.  We ordered our two glasses of “water with lemon” and two cocktails, a martini and a Manhattan. We know their menu, so we ordered food at the same time as our drinks. My wife ordered the teriyaki steak with rice pilaf (with sour cream) and coleslaw. I ordered a burger with fries and a bowl of chili. I asked for the chili to come with the ...

Restaurant Review I had heard that B-Good had healthy food, was reasonably priced and was really good. So, I've wanted to stop by for myself and see what they are like. "Cousin Oliver" burger B Good - S. Portland It is a walk-up order counter.  We let the person behind us go first as we needed time with the order. Kale and quinoa were touted in several different varieties.  Not being either a kale nor a quinoa fan my eyes immediately moved to the Burgers and sandwiches. Burger, Veggie Burger, Turkey Burger, or Chicken Sandwich. I ordered an “El Guapo” all-natural (whatever that means) beef burger with bacon, homemade jalapeno slaw, and jalapeno ranch. My wife ordered a “Cousin Oliver” Burger with Boston lettuce, tomato, onions, and Chef Tony’s homemade pickles.  We also ordered sweet potato fries to share. We wondered to the drink station and got our drinks, napkins, and condiments.  They have Sir Kensington's catsup, which I found to taste very...

The New Moon, Saco ME Photo by Google Maps We had some business in Biddeford and decided to grab lunch on the way home in Saco .   Downtown Saco has several restaurants, and we haven’t been to any of them. We turned in at Pepperell Square to see what might be good. Within a half a block there was pizza, sushi, a diner, and an adorable little place called “The New Moon Restaurant.”   Looking like something transplanted from the Swiss Alps, The New Moon has a mountain-steep roof and yellow paint. A sign on the front door let us know that they are closed from 2:00 PM (the end of lunch) until the start of dinner (5:00 PM). It was a bit after Noon, so we were good.   Tables and chairs were close; but our hostess brought us to a table that seemed to have enough room, although it would have been uncomfortable if someone was sitting directly behind me.   Bloody Mary at The New Moon We ordered our usual water with lemon and took a look at the me...