German Charm At Morse's; Harmony At Kushiya Benkay

"Go big or go home," are Nancy Heiser's watchwords for Morse's Sauerkraut and European Cafe in Waldoboro, awarded 3 1/2 stars in Sunday's Portland Press Herald. As in big portions and robust flavors; "smokiness and ferment rule."

For schnitzel, borscht, blinis and other Eastern European favorites — as well as what's widely regarded as the best sauerkraut around — make a stop at this uncommon, unlikely cafe in the middle of the Waldoboro countryside. To fully enjoy it, bring an appetite. Unbuckle the belt a notch. There's nothing delicate about the cuisine.

At Kushiya Benkay in Portland, the owners "recreate the feel of a traditional Izakaya-style Japanese pub, but they don't obsess over authenticity," writes Brian Duff in The Portland Phoenix.

The square space is handsome in a familiar Portland restaurant brick-wall and tin-ceiling way. But it also features an interior frame of old wooden beams, which add a touch of weathered Japanese beauty to the room. Hanging down are a few spectacular space-age chandeliers.

After a few "sweaty summers" in Florida, Laura and Robert Butler, who "for years set the standard in Portland for rustic Northern Italian fare," have brought their restaurant game back to Maine, opening Enio's in SoPo to nearly instant acclaim, according to John Golden of The Golden Dish blog. Replacing "Buttered Biscuit— the yummy mummy take-out haven," the redone space is "utterly simplistic in style but very inviting."

Enio's is not another high-minded eatery dishing up the latest fetishistic calling cards of tasting menus or locavore largesse ... What I'm especially excited to try is Laura"s Sunday sauce ... Here, I have no doubt, will be the real thing, not the tepid version that so-called Italian eateries elsewhere call 'sauce.'

Roost Cafe and Bistro in Cape Neddick offers an extraordinary space, designed with thoughtfulness and whimsy," writes Amy Anderson on Maine Magazine's Eat Maine blog. Among the standout menu items is the Cuban pork shoulder

... the most succulent, flavorful pork I've had since I lived in North Carolina. The pork is braised in mojo, a garlic and citrus marinade made with sour orange, lime, and cilantro. After hours of slow cooking, the meat is fork-tender and juicy.

Peterpeterportlandeeater of the four-month old blog Eating Portland, Maine visits Otto Pizza's Munjoy Hill location, where his only disappointment is the size of his pizza.

I ordered a pulled pork and mango pizza and then she stopped listening to my order because no normal person would order a 16? pizza for themselves. What she didn't know is that I'm not a normal person. I'm Peterpeterportlandeater and I'm a growing boy.

Spolier alert: PPPE did not go hungry.

· A German-Inspired Gem Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PPH]
· Kushiya Benkay Finds Lovely Harmony [PP]
· Bravo, Enio's! [TGD]
· Roost Cafe and Bistro, Cape Neddick [MM]
· Otto Pizza - Not Your Average Pizza Place [EPM]
[Photo: Spoon and Shutter blog]

Otto Pizza

576 Congress Streeet, Portland , ME Visit Website