The Maiden

Again, I’m writing a review long after a beloved place is gone.
The Maiden was my favorite after hours hang out with friends. I was lured there by a Groupon and stayed because I had such a damn good time. Delicious tapas, live music and a nautical theme. You had everything this nerdy girl could want. It was boisterous yet calm enough for conversations between friends. I’ll miss singing to the music and oggling that night’s band. I’ll miss eating your Patatas Bravas, bacon wrapped dates and Cock and Bull Ginger Beer. You may not have been perfect… but you still have a special place in my heart.
Here’s to you maiden!

RIP. The Maiden was one of my favourite bars. It had the look and feel I love: comfortable, clean, but not chic and upscale.
Atmosphere: 5 (my kind of place)
Food: 4 (tapas: ribs, crostinis, ceviche, duck)
Service: 4 (maybe I just got the same waitress often, but it was above average)
Value: 3 (not a killer deal, but not too expensive)
Drinks: 3 (good, not stellar, but some inventiveness was awesome. They were always trying new things.)
Sustainability: 2 (I think they did some local meats, but I haven’t heard much about their greeniness)
Now that this place is deceased, I can really say no ills. It’s the don’tk-know-what-you-got-’til-it’s-gone phenom. It started off sort of meh and increasingly got better. From its transformation from Maiden in the Mist to The Maiden, there was a step up in food– and drink quality. The drinks were always inventive, tasty. The Ginger Bullet was my favourite.
One day we decided to try their new menu of tapas, and it ended up being a very good idea. We went for dinner a couple of times after that. I’ve been for trivia night there, I’ve seen a 40’s-themed bunch of bands there, complete with a swing-​dance scene, and it was an all-​around great place with the oddest people-​watching you could ever get, since the neighbourhood is really skeezy.
I hope the owners/​staff set up shop somewhere else and let us know where. They’ll have a fanbase.
Rest in pieces[sic], my capsized Maiden. I will miss your ropes, nets, and boats.

Like the passing of the years, it is sad to hear of the passing of a wonderful place that has given me such pleasure. Arriving in town yesterday, my first stop was the Maiden. Sitting down in the bar area we noticed a sign telling all that last night was the final night. Another victim of the economic downturn the Maiden remarkably even in their final hours turned out a fantastic set of dishes. Like Tennyson’s lament of the passing of the year, the passing of the Maiden is indeed very sad.
He lieth still: he doth not move:
He will not see the dawn of day.
He hath no other life above.
He gave me a friend and a true truelove
And the New-​year will take ‘em away.
Old year you must not go;
So long you have been with us,
Such joy as you have seen with us,
Old year, you shall not go.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson2

4-​m rating. All-​round goodness.
Background music was a little loud, but this place is set-​up more like a bar/​lounge than a dining environment. Happy hour is worth it — runs all nite on Tuesdays. Menu offers a nice arrangement of multi-​sized, tapas-​style plates.
Food this visit: Duck Quesadilla, Fish Tacos, Patatas, Mixed Greens. Duck queso: tasty, a nice twist. Fish tacos: good, fresh, could have used a little more fish. Patatas: good. Mixed greens: fresh, well-​blended flavors.
Cocktail: Sailor’s Punch — pretty good. Nice feel, fun location. I’ll be back to try the paella.

My apologies to the dishwasher (s) at The Maiden.
My fiancé and I used a $ 35 Groupon on a Tuesday evening, which just so happens to be Happy Hour from 4pm to close. Cheap prices + internet deal = bring on the food!!!
The excellent waitress strongly recommended against ordering almost one of everything like we were pondering. Here’s what we ordered:
Corn fritters with poblano sauce: 4 stars — I would like to try these with honey
Fish tacos: 4 stars — strong on the lime
Spanish cheese plate: 5 stars — Manchego, Mahón, Goat cheese with Marcona almonds for the WIN. Impossible to create this plate yourself for $ 8
Jamon serrano panini: 5 stars — my fiancé adored this sandwich, think grilled cheese but more salty and savory — the soup (the name escapes me) was a great pairing
Flourless chocolate Torte: 5++ stars — perfect following a salty panini — great texture and flavor — my stomach hurts in a good way
Vanilla ice cream: 3 stars — they also had homemade strawberry which we passed up for this store bought variety (which the waiter tipped us about)
There were cheap drink specials going on that I didn’t take advantage of being the second night in the week. I will check the calendar for remaining national holidays that fall on a Wednesday. The Maiden made a fan of me.

Went here for the first time last night. There was a bit of a wait, but it was the tail end of happy hour on a Friday night so it was no surprise. Once we were seated service was excellent… not too overbearing, but always right there at the right time. I really liked the overall feel of the place. They did a nice job packing in a lot of tables without putting everyone on top of each other. The lighting and décor was intimate and the music was perfect… the right choice AND the right volume.
Our drinks were excellent. We had the prickly pear margarita and Trunk Monkey. The trunk monkey definitely had a kick to it, but I really loved the flavors and would order it again. We did not try the sangria, but it sure looked good.
We ordered the bacon wrapped dates… yum! We also had the burger and fries which were excellent. Just the right amount of carmelized onions and blue cheese on the burger. And the bacon on the burger was cooked… none of that fatty flabby stuff.
We were a little less impressed the the fish tacos. Each bite was a little inconsistent and had an occasional «fishy» taste. They weren’t bad by any means, but I wouldn’t order them again.
Portions were excellent, especially considering the tapas theme. So many tapas places seem to have similar pricing and a lot less food. We definitely felt we got our money’s worth and would go back again in a heartbeat. Next time we will try to make it for happy hour.

Over the last couple of years I have been to The Maiden and every time I think «I LOVE IT HERE! AND WHY DON’T I COME BACK MORE??» The answer to that is that too much of a good thing can spoil it.
Lucky for me it has not been spoiled. The food here is always top notch. The cheese plate, tortilla espanola, and the burger are my favorites. And for drinks I always go for the Trunk Monkey made with New Deal chili vodka. It’s a sweet and spicy treat.
On a couple of occasions I have been there when a band is playing and that has made the evening more enjoyable.
They also have a great happy hour menu!

Groupon led me here twice in one week, both times for Happy Hour. The first time, a Tuesday, it was just me and a friend trying to make our way through $ 35 worth of food and drink. We did superbly and so did the Maiden. My favorites were the fish tacos and the cheese plate. My friend enjoyed the duck which I’m sure was excellent, I just can’t eat duck since my very first pets were two ducks so it’s just too creepy for me, now give me a snake… oh wait, I digress.
The service was excellent and friendly even though they were being slammed by regulars and groupons alike.
Later the same week, yep, on a Friday, I joined a dozen or so friends pre-​theatre and we worked our way through lots of crunchy, yummy happy hour nibbles and drinks. Everyone left filled with fun, food and fab feelings since once again the service was great and super friendly.
I look forward to more fish tacos and cheese plates in the coming months.

Groupon led me here. It took awhile to get seated but no big deal. Our server was very helpful in guiding me and my partner is selecting items to try. We ordered ceviche at the server’s recommendation because as she said «it would come out quick». It took over 30 minutes to arrive so I’m slightly scared as to what would have happened if we ordered something else.
The ceviche was okay. My personal taste requires a bit more acidity but for the price it was okay. Next came the scallops which were also okay. They were cooked to perfection but the sauce on top of them really wasn’t needed. It was about this time that the meal unraveled.
Our server got slammed with a table of individuals who were more interested in listening to the guitar player (who didn’t need the speaker he had) and ordering drinks and food one at a time.
My partner and I shared the fish and chips which left a lot to be desired. The breading was gummy. But the french fries and sauce were very good.
We ordered the bread pudding and were warned that it would take awhile. The awhile was an hour. While the bread pudding was really good, it wasn’t worth the hour wait.
If you love this place, great. I did not.

Another Groupon led me this way.
Ordered the beet salad, scallops and corn fritters. Loved the beets and the scallops. Will definitely pass on the fritters, a bit much for my liking. Wasn’t expecting it to be so fried. My partner ordered the burger and fries, he was happy with it. We also shared a beer.
I liked the atmosphere, easy location to get to on bike and really good service. I would come back.
Our meal totaled $ 38.00. Can be a bit spendy.

My new favorite neighborhood restaurant. I LOVE this place. The drinks are cheap and good. The food is wonderful and very reasonably priced and the wait staff is fantastic. Sometimes, if they are busy, there can be a bit of a wait, but that’s pretty standard.
The Kobe burger is ridiculous, and the bread pudding will make you want to smack your momma. The fish tacos are great and so are the salads and cheese plate. I love that their well liquor is better than most bars. And I love that they play music from their ipods and not an annoying juke box.
Tuesday night is all night happy hour!

Okay, I will admit. I was a skeptic. Maybe it was location, maybe it was because I had my hopes set on giving Whiskey Soda a try, but it was my girl’s birthday night and she chose the Maiden.
I am a skeptic no longer. First off, the service was amazing. They altered drinks for my table happily, accommodating both the sugar-​craving and the sweet-​avoiding among us. Wine list is good, the whites a little better than the reds, which is unusual in a Spanish restaurant. But any Spanish restaurant with an albarino on the menu is doing something right.
The food was good, not amazing but yummy. A few exceptional exceptions. The Kobe burger didn’t interest me at all… until my friend began giving out bites, first of the amazing bacon (which we ate separately), then the burger. I don’t know what they put in this meat, but it was so good.
The fig jam on the cheese plate was amazing. Actually all the cheeses I tried were good, and my friend admitted that there was one really amazing cheese she ate all of without telling or sharing.
The garlic shrimp were good. Not super amazing, but cooked correctly and a good addition to dinner. The broth was a little bitter perhaps but some at the table liked it that way.
All in all, a good experience accented by amazing service.

Sexy. Dark. Smells nice.
No, I’m not talking about Abercrombie (because, if I were, I’d have to include that I was swimming in 50-​feet tall portraits of shirtless (and sometimes pantsless) men).
I’m talking about The Maiden.
Came here to kill about 20 minutes, and did so in a classy way– it was happy hour, and they had a pretty decent selection of food. I had a glass of Cava and some olives, and zip! 30 minutes flew by. Yes, I was late for my appointment. But I was full of salty olives (and Cava), so it’s okay.

I am under the fair Maiden’s spell, which pushes me slightly toward 4 stars rather than 3.
If you’re looking for atmosphere, The Maiden has it. This place is dark — black ceiling, mood lighting, dark wood interior. Even the most aesthetically-​challenged individual appears downright sexy in this lighting.
Their selection of small, medium, and large plates is so much more interesting than typical bar grub. Sure, they have a Kobe burger on the menu, but I’ve been working my way through all the other interesting items — corn fritters with poblano pepper sauce (my current favorite), paella, garlic shrimp, and Spanish meatballs.
Some of the items have been misses. The grilled asparagus with shredded cheese is a great idea, in theory. But maybe this dish is better restricted to asparagus season. The spears I had this Fall were so fibrous and woody it was like gnawing on a clarinet reed. The shredded root vegetables were bland and much less interesting than the menu made them sound. Still, with a menu this large, there are bound to be items that stand out so much more than others.
Their bread pudding is delicious. I’ve had the plain version, as well as the seasonal pumpkin version. Both are yummy. Each time, however, they were out of ice cream, and frankly that is blasphemous when offering bread pudding.
Service has always been friendly, but it can get overwhelmed on busy nights. The Maiden is best enjoyed when you do not have anywhere to be afterwards.
Despite some of the negatives, I keep coming back. They are definitely in the rotation.

After another visit back to the Maiden, still pleased as punch! Service was excellent, food was great, and drinks were solid. The Ginger Bulleit was refreshing and delicious, as was Matt E’s Mango Mojito.
We happened upon an in-​progress New Deal vodka tasting, too!
On the table: ceasar salad (w/​sun-​dried tomatoes), patatas bravas (delish, especially the paprika-​y sauce), calamari, corn fritters, cheese plate, and the seitan tacos.
Cheese plate breakdown: three pieces of unnamed cheeses, one was def a manchego, but that’s as much as we could tell, a blob of fig jam, a smattering of marcona almonds, and two shards of homemade crackers. The crackers were the best part, actually.
It’s a fun and cozy place to post up, with a great happy hour (the late night HH menu is ever better than the 4 – 6 one) and Tuesdays = all day happy hour! That’s something I can get behind! Also noticed they have $ 1 PBRs during happy hour (s), add that to the list of dollar beers around town.

I’ve been a complete slacker by the Maiden.
After my last review the owner wrote and very graciously asked me to come back (on him) to retry. I declined, as I don’t think that’s in the spirit of unbiased reviews, but promised I’d give another try. And I’ve been meaning to for the last six months, but for some reason just kept getting diverted…
So tonight when a couple of friends asked us for a place in SE for pre-​dinner drinks and apps I jumped for the Maiden. NOW I’m getting why this place has such high Unilocal reviews; great hummus, cheese plate, and FOUR SESSIONS FOR SIX BUCKS? are you kidding me? (I assume this is a happy hour deal, but if so the Maiden has a really great late-​ish happy hour.) Reverse sticker shock when the bill came, especially given the terrific ambiance.
Service was terrific, and for the record we were served by the guy who was bartending on the last trip. Great job all around. Kudos, I’m swerved.

We’ve been meaning to stop here for awhile & did so today around 6:30. On a Friday evening there was no line, no wait, & plenty of seats… that can be interpreted as a good sign or not. We chose a booth in the back. In the corner. In the dark, as the old song goes… Were promptly greeted & given menus. The IPA for The Big Man, and the Manhattan for yours truly arrived PDQ. The appetizers took quite awhile which is odd since, like I mentioned, they were not busy.
We ordered a beet salad which was very tasty for what we got, but not worth the $$. Basically there were 5 slices of beets dressed lightly with a sprinkling of Spanish cheese & Marcona almonds. Good, but not stellar.
Next we ordered the Salt Cod Fritters. These were exceptional! Light, not greasy, perfect balance of cod to potato ratio! Served with a small ramekin of oil cured olives, and a terrific dipping sauce. The menu stated it would be a remoulade, this wasn’t. My understanding of remoulade is that it is tomato based. This was more like an aioli, tho’ it was very well done. This dish was followed by a signature dish of The Maiden’s — their Garlic Prawns. Very fresh, tasty presentation, and more than enough to share. The broth is filled with diced tomatoes, garlic, & butter, tho’ nothing tastes heavy or overpowering. Served with grilled toast this is a perfect appetizer.
All in all, the drinks & food were really good, the server was slow tho’ she seemed pleasant enough. The atmosphere is a bit odd: it just feels as tho’ some appointments were left over from previous ownership & absorbed into this new iteration… a bit disjointed. Still, I would return for the prawns, the cod fritters, and a drink. It’s worth a try for those who have yet to go.

This is a cool spot. Interesting décor, nice layout, not too small, service has been friendly and reasonably attentive every time I’ve been here.
But I don’t want to eat ANYTHING on the menu. This, obviously, is a drawback. I stopped by last Saturday having just missed DK & BABs, got a coke while I was looking at the menu and I just didn’t want anything. Even the burger was overpriced and had some funky stuff on it.
And this place shouldn’t have bands. Just doesn’t work.
Still, cool spot to hang out. And there’s a pizza place just up the street by Grand Central Douche. I wonder if they serve slices late.

Great atmosphere, the best thing about the place. I have to admit though, I liked the feel of it much more before the change in ownership.
When I was there, vegetarian fare was extremely limited and they had to tweak a dish a bit to make it acceptable to me.
I’m not a drinker so I can’t comment on that aspect.
Sheila, where are you when a guy needs you?

Only spent a short time there, but it seemed great! I did read some reviews here before and should have ordered a mixed drink perhaps, but didn’t. We had wine and a sangria, both of which were good. The atmosphere was great — a place I wouldn’t mind suggesting for starting an evening of fun.
As we were leaving, there was a band arriving, which I had half a mind to stay to hear. Everybody was quite friendly (band, staff, customers). I’ll put this place on my list of places to revisit perhaps. Just seems that Portland has too many places to ever go back to somewhere you’ve been before. LOL