Category: People

Papi beverage director LyAnna Sanabria is featured in a Wine Enthusiast article entitled 8 Hispanic Drinks Pros Making an Impact on the Spirits and Cocktail Scenes.

Looking back at her own journey toward defining a sense of identity after settling in Maine, “I realized that I had always been hosting Puerto Ricans, people of color and the queer community through flavor and hospitality. I was the representation I was looking for and I could represent through the menu, flavors and the bar space as a whole.”

Ramona’s has announced that Chad Conley has sold his stake in the company to his co-founder Josh Sobel. Both Sobel and Conley have shared that it’s a friendly and mutually beneficial change for them both. Conley is looking forward to spending more time with his family.

No major changes are anticipated to the menu or overall program at Ramona’s.

Ramona’s initially opened as a takeout service in April 2020 and began seating customers indoors in March 2022.

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a feature article about Joshua Miranda who leads The Miranda Group that operates Blyth & Burrows, Via Vecchia, Papi and Henry’s Public House.

The 51-year-old Munjoy Hill native developed his acumen as a restaurateur over decades of experience in the industry, starting when he was just 8 years old, working as a busboy at a restaurant in Raymond where his dad cooked. He recalled going behind the bar as often as 10 times a shift to make himself virgin tequila sunrises, fascinated by the stacked effect of the liquids.

“It felt comfortable, natural,” Miranda said. “I loved layering the grenadine over the orange juice and learning how much ice was the right amount. I really paid attention to it.”

Mainebiz has published an interview with Sarah and Karl Sutton, the owners of Bite Into Maine.

MB: How did you finance your startup costs?
Karl Sutton: In 2011, after yet another failed loan application, the loan officer looked at me and suggested we seek out the three F’s for financing. The three F’s? I hadn’t heard of this. He explained: Friends, Family and Fools. It was pretty clear we had to figure it out on our own. After maxing out our credit cards, liquidating 401ks and borrowing $4,000 from Sarah’s father, we were up and kinda running.

Congratulations to Lyanna Sanabria on being named a semifinalist Best New Bartender by Punch. Sanabria is the beverage director at Papi (website, facebook, instagram), the new Puerto Rican cocktail bar that launched earlier this year on Exchange Street.

The bartenders below have been selected as 2023 Best New Bartenders semifinalists—each possessing a distinctive point of view on drink-making, a genuine passion for the hospitality industry and a desire to push it forward.

Punch will be releasing a list of the top 10 Best New Bartenders of 2023 on October 10.

Down East has published an interview with Lulu Ranta the chef/owner of The Quarry in Monson.

What did it feel like to be shortlisted?
Scary, because I’ve never talked about James Beard. To me, that’s for elite chefs. I work hard for my artists and for my guests. That’s what I strive for. But James Beard, now you have the accolades, now comes all the expectations. And I can’t even call myself a chef. My husband and kids say, “Mom, you’re a chef.” I say, “No, I’m not a chef. I’m a cook.” Chef, for me, it’s too formal. I’m not formal. But I mean, James Beard is a huge honor. That’s beyond my wildest dream.

Brewery pioneer David Geary, the co-founder of the DL Geary Brewing Company, has passed away.

The Press Herald has published an article about Geary and his passing.