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BRIAN DUFF

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Review: Andy's Old Port Pub

Andy's Old Port Pub has a comfy feel
It's a bar whose dinner menu seems to reflect the simple idea that when you have a pleasant place to hang out, drink, and socialize, people get hungry.

By: BRIAN DUFF | December 03, 2008

Thanksgiving, no longer one day a year

Thanksgiving's is just like home after the holiday
There are the moments when the solitary life is unbearable, but Thanksgiving is not one of them. No matter how distant you have grown from family or friends, you find a home to arrive at with a dish in hand.

By: BRIAN DUFF | November 26, 2008

Timing is everything

Experimenting pays off at Solo Bistro
Solo Bistro is a good place to sit out the suspense of this passing of the torch.

By: BRIAN DUFF | November 05, 2008

Tasty Vietnam sandwiches

The Vietnamese bánh mì — created to please
While the charms of Kim’s are ineffable, we can explain why the occupied Vietnamese invented such a delicious sandwich.

By: BRIAN DUFF | October 29, 2008

Classic retro

The Back Bay Grill offers stability
Opened 20 years ago on an odd bayside corner, the Back Bay Grill looks seasoned rather than old.

By: BRIAN DUFF | October 09, 2008

Escape clause

Don’t bail out — dine out at Steve & Renee’s!
A visit to Steve and Renee’s diner for the Saturday night all-you-can-eat turkey dinner (for $8.50!) is enough to convince you that things will be all right while we wait this one out.

By: BRIAN DUFF | October 02, 2008

Treat yourself

Don’t waste your sugar intake
Of all the hoaxes pulled on humanity, the infernal taste-bud map takes the cake.

By: BRIAN DUFF | September 10, 2008

Casual party

Low-key enjoyment at Flask
It is woman-owned and gay-friendly in a low-key way.

By: BRIAN DUFF | September 03, 2008

Strange brews

Tapping into the drinking life
This summer, Portland saw the opening of two notable spots to sip our way towards an obesity-induced infarction.

By: BRIAN DUFF | August 13, 2008

Mix and match

Menu anxiety pays off at the Grill Room
Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert recently demonstrated that having many options to choose from makes us less happy.

By: BRIAN DUFF | August 05, 2008

Mamma Mia's!

Elegant meals with great flavors
This quaint but elegant little restaurant is serving some of the best meals south of Portland.

By: BRIAN DUFF | July 16, 2008

Bright flavors

The Merry Table serves crêpes to linger over
The Merry Table, whose crêpes are quite good, deserves a better name.

By: BRIAN DUFF | July 09, 2008

Morning munchies

Three West End eateries open for brunch
Recently three restaurants on the westerly end of the Portland peninsula — Caiola’s, 555, and Local 188 — are now offering brunch.

By: BRIAN DUFF | June 18, 2008

Group effort

Be the Guffman crowd's guest at Chef et al.
It felt slightly like the Waiting for Guffman crowd had opened a restaurant.

By: BRIAN DUFF | June 11, 2008

Tough love

Disappointing meat from friendly staff at Gauchos
The staff at Gauchos are the key to the experience and the best part of the meal.

By: BRIAN DUFF | May 21, 2008

The dine-out set

Mim's confluence of influences
Mim’s on Commercial Street is one of Portland’s best places to ponder life from the perspective of set theory.

By: BRIAN DUFF | May 14, 2008

On the nature of things

Two Greek perspectives on traditional food
Too often we seek just the wrong thing in the legacy of Greece, looking for something deep, weighty, and purifying, when the lesson of the Hellenic way of life should be just the opposite.

By: BRIAN DUFF | April 23, 2008

Bar food, with tunes

At Empire Dine and Dance
In offering us a new casual way to sample local culture — social and cultural, if not culinary — Empire is a welcome addition.

By: BRIAN DUFF | April 16, 2008

Slurping sounds

Noodle houses deliver pleasure in a bowl
The downtown Arts District has recently become a hot spot for Asian noodle soup.

By: BRIAN DUFF | March 26, 2008

Livening up Wharf Street

Passage to India has real potential
Passage to India is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the New England area, and is consistently rated among the top Indian restaurants in America and worldwide.

By: BRIAN DUFF | March 19, 2008

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