Brunch at Vignola Cinque Terre

Meredith and I have always enjoyed the excellent design and ambiance of Vignola – with it’s large picture windows, exposed brick walls, cool Edison-style lighting, wine bottle fixtures, and ivy covered exterior, it’s a pretty excellent setting for a meal – but we hadn’t visited in quite a while, so when we heard that it had merged with its sister restaurant, to become Vignola Cinque Terre, we couldn’t resist dropping in for a little Sunday brunch to see how things had changed. Continue reading Brunch at Vignola Cinque Terre

Blue Spoon Brunch

It’s no secret that the East End’s Blue Spoon restaurant is one of Meredith and my absolute favorites in Portland – I’m pretty sure that it was the first place we covered on Map & Menu – and I don’t try to hide the fact that brunch is probably my favorite meal of the day, so by mixing the two, you’re pretty much guaranteeing a recipe for Map & Menu success. Open summer weekend mornings are a rarity in our home. Between travel and weddings, we find that we’re seldom in Portland and not completely exhausted on the Saturday and Sunday mornings … Continue reading Blue Spoon Brunch

Brunch at Caiola’s

It’s hard to beat a dinner at Caiola’s, in Portland’s West End, but for this morning meal junkie, the Sunday brunch just might do the trick. While a meal and live music on the back patio might be a great way to spend a warm summer evening, nothing wakes you up and warms you up on a drizzly, Maine spring morning quite like a plate of the Warm Lost Bread (more about that in a minute) or any other item on the menu for that matter. To top it all off, what better way to cover this delicious location for … Continue reading Brunch at Caiola’s