As is the tradition at Eater, our closeout of the year is a survey of friends, industry types, bloggers, and readers. Earlier this week, we discussed the state's best new restaurants, the most reliable standbys, the best meals of the year, the top dining towns other than Portland, the biggest dining surprises, and tried to describe 2012 in just one word. For our final day, we wonder, were there any restaurants you broke up with, i.e. stopped going to, in 2012? Readers, please add your thoughts to the comments.
Figa, which will be closing for good on Dec. 29. [Photo: Ted Axelrod]
Q: Where there any restaurants you broke up with in 2012?
John Golden, The Golden Dish: I stopped going to Figa. The food was fine but I didn't like the restaurant. Now I can't go and I'm sorry about that since they're closing, which is strange.
Joe Ricchio, Food Coma TV: Haggarty's on Forest Avenue – Christ, what the fuck happened to this place?
Natalie Ladd, columnist, The Portland Daily Sun: My love affair with The Front Room ended in a long, drawn out and painful manner (don't they all?) as I tried to regain my initial infatuation. Loud, smoky, always cold in one area of the dining room and hot in the other, tight seating and repeatedly inattentive service. The final break-up straw was my broken spaghetti carbonara · bacon, cream and Parmesan, which separated on the plate. Not once, but twice. Still ... I miss the carafes of wine and brunch on the Hill and may try for a reconciliation.
Alex Steed, Bourbon. Beer. Portland. Politics: I'm sick of showing up to the Grateful Bread and there almost never being donuts, not because they've sold out, but because they have not yet made them. I've pretty much stopped going out of my way to go out there.
Susan Axelrod, editor Eater Maine: Robinson's Wharf on Southport Island, for anything other than drinks or a straight-up steamed lobster. I dearly love the place and the people, but every time I'm tempted into ordering food, I'm disappointed.
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