Golden Takes Over as MST Critic; Reviews of When Pigs Fly, Salvage BBQ, Salt Water Farm, Piccolo and More

The big news of the week in the local review world is that John Golden has taken over as the Maine Sunday Telegram's restaurant critic. The Golden Dish blogger replaces Nancy Heiser and Shonna Milliken Humphrey, who alternated reviews each week for the past few years. Heiser provided Eater Maine with an interesting perspective on the star-rating system used by the paper. Golden's first use of his MST space was for an intro column, so look for his first review in Sunday's paper.

Kathy Gunst reviewed When Pigs Fly in Kittery for this month's Down East magazine. While it "is not the spot for a quiet romantic dinner," given the noise levels, the pizza cannot be denied. "The chicken and bacon pizza has a gorgeously charred crust. Thick, tender pieces of chicken and bacon are paired with an onion cream, sautéed spinach, and Fontina and bleu cheeses. Though it sounds a bit like overkill, this pizza is spot on." [Down East]

Katy Kelleher pays a visit to Salt Water Farm at Union Hall in Rockport for November's Maine magazine. "... I can't stop eating the Milkhouse Duck. To be more accurate, I should say I can't stop eating the spaghetti squash that is under the duck. Dressed with brown butter and sage and soaked with the savory juices of the bird, this is unlike any squash I have ever tasted. When paired with bites of the succulent meat, it creates the perfect forkful." [MM]

Kelleher also writes about Salvage BBQ for the magazine's Eat Maine blog. "Thanks to the generosity of the kitchen, we got to try every meaty morsel on the menu, and they were all fantastic. Smoked for 17 hours and, in the case of the chicken, brined and crisped, the meat at Salvage is treated with the respect it is due." [Eat Maine]

Portland Monthly's Diane Hudson reviewed Piccolo for this month's edition. "The big story here is the complexity of flavors extracted from simple, fresh ingredients. We savor the cavolfiore ($6) and can't wait to go home and see if somehow we can make cauliflower taste this good. 'Charred' to golden brown, the luscious florets' flavors are enhanced with mixed olives and anchovies. Stop us from licking the bowl, please." [PM]

Dan Zarin ordered up a doughnut smorgasbord at Little Bigs for his Breakfast Serial column in The Bollard. His favorite? "Maple bacon, where have you been all my life? Seriously, I wanted to write a poem about this thing. It was not too heavy, not too sweet, and not too salty. The only way they could have improved this masterpiece — a moist, pillowy cruller glazed with maple and topped with smoky, thick-cut bacon — would have been to give me two of them." [The Bollard]

Bob Keyes handled this week's Eat and Run review in the Press Herald, grabbing lunch at the Alfred Country Store. The corn chowder is "exceptional," but he regrets his choice of a Monte Cristo: "It was basically a grilled cheese sandwich, stuffed with shredded chicken, bacon and cubed tomatoes. It was a tad too greasy for my liking, and the tomatoes were juicy, rendering the grilled bread a soggy mess." [PPH]

For the Press Herald's Bar Guide, Claire Jeffers finds a fine Happy Hour at The Grill Room. "From 4 to 6 p.m. during happy hour, all 12 beers on draught are $3, as well as wines by the glass. There's also a bar snack menu that features items like roasted Brussels sprouts, BBQ wings, and oven-roasted olives, each for $3 (normally appetizers range from $9 to $18). The portions for the snacks aren't tiny, so it's a foolproof deal." [PPH]

From the blogs:
· The Blueberry Files makes the trek to Bresca and the Honey Bee.
· Map & Menu has a fantastic looking meal at Piccolo.
· Drink Up and Get Happy goes to Elsmere BBQ & Wood Grill.
· Peter Peter Portland Eater, the Charles Dickens of local bloggers, reviews Portland Hunt & Alpine Club and Ribolita.
· All Week in Reviews [~EMAINE~]
John Golden. [Photo: Facebook]