i could not agree more. one of the best restuarants in portland. i have been there 3 times in the past year and each has been a great meal. I had a lobster risotto that was the best i have had. keep up the good wor cafe uffa!

Hi, Nick--Glad you're hitting all the hotspots. I'm off to Rachel's tonight. Have you tried the new place in Yarmouth, Seagrass? I'm going there next.

The best chef's in Portland?

While the intro/blurb to this blog might suggest that I was comparing the general abilities of Portland's finest culinary masters, I was far from attempting such an undertaking.

We all know who they, from such places as Fore Street, Back Bay Grill, Hugo's, Bandol,
Five Fifty Five.... I merely suggested that Cafe Uffa's Tranchemontagne can certainly knock on the door to such a locally exclusive assemblage.

I havent finished your piece on Uffa, But I am bursting with excitement that this small town, with some amazing restaurants will finally have an "Objective" critic. For years I have been reading glowing "4 Star" reviews of the nacho and hotdog bar at 7-11 and the "beauty of the presentation" of the cheese bread at Amato's. You are a welcome addition!! Keep it real.

Shawn--

Thanks. That was a very funny note. I might just stop in to 7-11 to rate those hotdogs.

The first sentance is such an overstatment of loyalty that it draws suspicion.

I will not question the motives of Mr Golden further but others may.

Hey, fillintheblanks, come again???

I think Phil is suggesting that John is either in a long-term relationship with Chef James T., or that he has a majority ownership interest in Cafe Uffa! Either way, it's fine with me! Keep up the reviews!

Hey, guys and dolls, these last few comments truly don't deserve a response. Though, thanks, Jill, for your edifying comments. And if some of you think otherwise, then don't bother going to Cafe Uffa. Your loss.

The cleverly named Phil may have been commenting tongue in cheek, but overall he has a point. Look through Golden Boy's reviews and you'll see repeated statements along the lines of "I knew I was going to hate it before I got there" or "Before we got there I knew I was going to love blah blah blah." This is hardly the "objective critic" Shawn claims above that we're blessed with. What's even weirder is that these prejudices are often about inconsequential matters--like the size of the plates some food was served on at One Fifty Ate--that a real writer would realize are personal quirks that should be omitted from a widely read review.

Hi, Bret--It's been a long time since you've surfaced with your pearly words of wisdom. Where've you been? Out strutting with the fishmongers?

One of the reasons why I state my preconceived notions about a place is to be up front and pleased if I'm wrong or satisfied that I was right.

I see it, I say it. Though, as we all know, knowledge is in the eye of the beholder.
Sometimes candor is hard to take.

I mentioned the size of the plates at 158 because I feel it's important that food be served properly, whether at a greasy spoon or in a gilded dining room.

Golden Boy!

I appreciate your candor. I also try to remind myself that this is a blog -- written by one person.

I'm sure I don't always agree with you. Life would be so dull otherwise.

So, ah, Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Do you feel the love?

~Jes

You, too, Jes.

Mr. Weir since you are so unhappy with this blog simply stop reading. Quite frankly your sophomoric comments are boring and take up too much space.

Thanks, Nick, I agree. If Mr. Weir hates the blog and its reviews so much, he should stop reading, and most importantly for the rest of us, stop participating. As for his frequent disparaging comments about the content of the reviews ... here's an idea: Don't eat at those places, Mr. Weir. Mr. Golden isn't telling you what to, he's offering his opinions.

Kids, kids, kids. The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. Does the comment feature on this blog really exist only to tell Golden Boy "Great job!!!" or "You are so right!!!!"? Nick must have inside info on the size of MaineToday.com's server space, given his claim that my posts "take up too much space."

Sarah, you should follow your own advice--if you don't like my posts, don't read them! What a fascinating world it would be if we all just stuck to our little self-congratulatory cocoons.

Brett, you're right, post away. I hope it's fascinating in your self-congratulatory cocoon.

Glad to know you all have something to say, good, bad or irreverent.

Based on your reiew, I chose Uffa as my "birthday dinner" restaurant. It was incredible! The ambiance was just as you described - better even..the chicken entree is something we still exclaim about. The cheese appetizer was the most exciting thing I have ever eaten. Sitting at a window table overlooking Longfellow Square, I was reminded of the romance that New York city restaurants have... it had that and more...
Thanks!