This video about Krista Kern Desjarlais and the path that took her from fine dining at Bresca to operating Bresca & the Honey Bee in New Gloucester has been nominated for a Northeast Regional Emmy in the Magazine Feature Segment category.
Category: People
Ned Swain
Maine Icons has published a profile of Ned Swain, owner of Devenish Wines.
Swain discovered his passion for wine in Italy and brought his knowledge back to Maine. He got to work, starting as a clerk, impressing others in the industry and creating relationships that opened new opportunities. Now, he’s the successful owner of two businesses, both of which continue to expand. Swain has worked tirelessly and has never been afraid to take a chance. His determination has paid off, for him, for his business partners, and those they employ.
Pho Co. & Chau Du
The Press Herald has published a feature article on Pho Co. and its owner Chau Du.
By 9:15 a.m., the broths are all simmering, chicken, beef and vegetarian just barely at a bubble. Chau Du is preparing for what she expects will be an average lunch at Pho Co. in Portland, a prediction based mostly on the weather. It’s not raining, it’s not particularly cold and so she is making merely enormous, rather than gigantic, vats of broth in a trio of approximately 30-quart stockpots. They already smell good, with notes of cinnamon and star anise rising up. In the beef broth, a couple big chunks of ginger root bob at the surface, floating alongside five long bones.
Milo DeGoosh at USBC
Barista Milo DeGoosh from Bard Coffee is headed to Seattle where he will compete in the US Barista Competition.
DeGoosh is scheduled to compete in round 1 of the competition at noon on Friday. If he makes it into the top six he’ll proceed to the semifinals on Saturday. The final round among the top competitors takes place on Sunday.
DeGoosh is the first Maine barista to compete in the Nationals.
LB Kitchen
The Portland Phoenix has published an article about LB Kitchen and its owners Lee Farrington and Bryna Gootkind.
Byrna and Lee shared with me what they’re aiming for with LB Kitchen: “Let’s be honest, we are not those kind of people who eat to live. We live to eat, all day and every day. We wake up thinking about food we dreamed about. We spend our days and our nights swirling around in our kitchens creating, tasting, laughing, loving, and sharing. To us, food is life, love, medicine and community. Our mission at LB Kitchen is to tell you stories through our food; where it came from, why we love it, why we chose it, why it tastes and makes you feel so good. We believe that food is fun and functional.”
Interview with Rob Tod
All About Beer has interviewed Allagash Brewing founder Rob Tod for their After Two Beers series.
The two discuss how Tod moved from keg washer to brewery owner, and how he came to appreciate and brew beers in the Belgian tradition. Tod talks about some of the beers that influenced him along the way, including one in particular that inspired him to brew Allagash White, a beer that now accounts for around 75 percent of the brewery’s production.
2017 Business Leaders of the Year
Congratulations to Bob and Carmen Garver, owners of Bard Coffee and Wicked Joe, on being named 2017 Business Leaders of the Year by Mainebiz.
The Garvers have come a long way since starting in a cramped space in Brunswick. Not only does Wicked Joe have a loyal following in Maine, it is also now distributed in 48 states, and expects to be in 50 states by the end of 2017. Distributors include Hannaford Brothers Co. and Shaw’s Supermarkets, as well as two of the largest natural and organic food distributors in the country, KeHE Distributors LLC of Naperville, Ill., and United Natural Foods Inc., which is based in Providence, R.I.
Hutchins to Join Rhum
Award winning bartender Trevin Hutchins is joining the team at Rhum as a partner and director of their beverage program. Hutchin’s new cocktail menu, as well as a new food menu, is going to be unveiled at a press event next week.
Hutchins cocktails have been featured in Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Down East, and the New York Times. His drink the Jakarta was selected as one of the top 5 cocktails of 2015 by Star Chefs.
MRA Chef of the Year: Josh Berry
Chef Josh Berry from Union has been named the 2017 Chef of the Year by the Maine Restaurant Association. Berry will be honored at a banquet on March 28th, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.
Barista Competition: Milo DeGoosh
Bard Coffee barista, Milo DeGoosh, was successful at the Qualifying Competition in Austin this weekend and has earned a coveted spot at the U.S. Barista Competition taking place in Seattle, April 21-23.