Reviews of Salvage; Mayo's; Bayside Bowl; Otto; More

As noted Monday, Salvage BBQ received three stars from Shonna Milliken Humphrey in the Maine Sunday Telegram. It was somewhat surprising, given Humphrey's tendency toward 4-star reviews, but she does a thorough job of explaining where the new barbecue joint falls short of her admittedly high expectations. "Jay Villani has set a local food standard, and I was expecting the best of the best, so any disappointments felt unusually magnified. Had I wandered blindly into Salvage BBQ for some ribs, a bourbon cocktail, and a side of hushpuppies without the hype or buildup, no doubt I would have left ecstatic at the fabulous new find." [MST]

Press Herald staff writer Bob Keyes reviewed local favorite breakfast spot Mayo's Family Restaurant in Berwick for the Eat and Run column and can hardly find a flaw with his meal. He goes with the Mayo scramble: "Everything was great. What I appreciated most about my scramble were the tiny bits of sausage, which were plentiful, and the melted cheese. The cheese held everything together, and there was enough of it that I had a nice portion with each forkful. I finished everything, but did not want for more." [PPH]

Bayside Bowl is the subject of Claire Jeffers' Bar Guide in this week's Press Herald. The bar and bowling alley serving "gastro pub fare" seems to have something for everyone. "On cold winter nights, this is the place where groups of friends meet to warm up with pitchers of beer and a few strings on the lanes. But it's also a spot to catch live music, support local nonprofits and, if that's not enough, to chow down on way-above-average bowling alley grub." [PPH]

John Golden started the week with a first look at the brand new b.good and Urban Sugar Mobile Cafe for his Golden Dish blog. He finds both to be nice additions to the Portland food scene. On the former: "I went in for a hamburger on Friday and was very impressed by the quality of the meat, the nice char on the outside of the patty and the simple topping that I chose (pickles)." And the latter: "Witness the Portland food truck called the Urban Sugar Cafe, a mobile donut emporium that is very special." [TGD]

Next, Golden revisits Otto Pizza. After describing Otto's signature mashed potato pizza as "as unappealing as my dear mother's perversely inspired sandwich — peanut butter with mashed sardines," Golden comes around when he orders a salami and tomato pie and another with mushrooms, onions and bacon: "After tasting both pies I had a revelation regarding Otto's pizza. Ordering an on-the-go slice doesn't do it justice. Fresh out of the oven — all shiny and crisp — is the real deal." [TGD]

From the bloggers:

The barbecue review site PigTrip published a dual first look at Salvage BBQ and Elsmere BBQ & Wood Grill. Full reviews of both will come later after another visit or two: "It's still quite early in the game, and Salvage and Elsmere both have a need for much improvement (both are struggling to supply good flavor and texture in the same bite), but both have potential across the board." [PigTrip]

Booze, Fish & Coffee, a nice-looking newcomer to the local blog scene, has a podcast review of Oscar's New American in Yarmouth. The blog also includes photos and notes from the podcasts: "Chef Nick Krunkkala just opened this farm-to-table place on Route 1, where Seagrass Bistro used to be, and he's done a great job crafting small plates with bold and creative flavors." [BFC]
· All Week in Reviews [~EMAINE~]
Salvage BBQ. [Photo: Tom Minervino]