reviewed by Diane Hudson Dec 2003 "Saeng is Thai for sun," our energetic young server exclaims when asked how Saeng Thai restaurant, new on 267 St. John Street, got its name. If so, with its zesty flavors and upbeat tempo, it's the perfect antidote for sunlight...

reviewed by Diane Hudson December 2003 Lively, spirited Ribollita, decidedly Italian, may be the perfect place to spend the darkest days of the year, especially if you take advantage of the house wines. The red is a good, clean Italian at a really decent price ($18)...

reviewed by Diane Hudson Dec. 2003 We just spent a dazzling evening at Jeffrey Leber's newly-opened Old Port Sea Grill on the Portland waterfront in the beautifully renovated W.D. Blake Building. Its the Portland incarnation of his popular Fal mouth Sea Grill at Handy...

reviewed by Diane Hudson Nov 2003 Gardiner, Maineπs, A-1 Diner sits astride a bridge spanning Cobbosseecontee Stream just above its convergence with the Kennebec River. Cars on Route 201 swish behind you as you enter the door and travel 57 years into the past. Inside,...

reviewed by Diane Hudson Nov. 2003 Fuji Restaurant, in the heart of the Old Port, has a last seating at 9:45 p.m., which makes it a perfect combination with a night out at The Movies on Exchange Street. Inspired and hungry from our film, we started with an appetizer...

reviewed by Diane Hudson October 2003 The Dogfish Cafe has transformed long-neglected Merdeck's on the corner of Congress and St. John into the surprise of the season. Boasting an eclectic, affordable menu, Dogfish ≠ shark, for the less sentimental among us - is sure...

reviewed by Diane Hudson Sept 2003 Romantic Five Fifty-Five, at 555 Congress Street, is the creative collaboration of chef-owner Steve Corry and wife Michelle Corry. Both arrived in Portland armed with impressive credentials, Michelle having worked at Arrows in...

Reviewed by Colin Sargent - SummerGuide 2003 With a name like Muddy Rudder, youπd imagine this restaurant to be stuck in time  - the 1970s - perhaps a fixture for tourists on their way up Route 1 and L.L. Bean. But were we delighted when we stopped recently and...

reviewed by Diane Hudson May 2003 I love it when a restaurant experience conjures up flavors out of my past. The Afghan Restaurant in Falmouth did just that for me. In particular, the rosewater in the Norange-Palaw ($14.95) entree, savory seasoned pieces of lamb under...

BY COLIN SARGENT - REVIEWED April 2003 When we were newlyweds, my wife and I breezed through Chicago by train with barely enough time to slop at the Palmer House and order chateaubriand - to go. The chef was so taken with our profligacy that he delivered his take-out...

by Diane Hudson - Reviewed Feb/Mar 2003 Imagine a good-sized tub of artichoke dip served with crisped bread slices, and beautifully prepared &quotIrish&quot mussels, sim- mered in garlic, white wine and herbs accompanied bv homemade French-style bread. Add...

reviewed by Diane Hudson WinterGuide 2003 Venezia Ristorante in Bridgton (45 minutes from Portland on Route 302), a landmark for skiers since 1989, provides the perfect apres ski experience just 18 miles from the slopes. Chef Joe Fabiano describes the area as...