Category: Under Construction

The Purple House will serve Ogawa Coffee when the North Yarmouth wood-fired bakery and cafe opens early next year. Chef/owner Krista Kern Desjarlais tells me she “loved the richness of the roasts without bitterness or acid” and that both the dark and lighter roasts “remained balanced with citrus and hibiscus notes brightening the flavor without acid on the finish” that make for “really beautiful and delicious” coffees.

Desjarlais is currently looking for a barista to join her staff and participate in the training with Ogawa prior to opening The Purple House.

Ogawa Coffee was founded in Kyoto in 1952, and now operates nearly 40 coffee shops across Japan, and as of earlier this year, one in Boston as well. 2010 World Barista Latte Art champion Haruna Murayama “oversees the  menu development and barista training for Ogawa”.

Over the last few years with the opening of Bard, Speckled Ax and Tandem, Mainers have seen a diversification of the choices we have for coffee. The selection of Ogawa for The Purple House adds another great option to the mix. I had the chance to visit Ogawa’s cafe in Boston last month and am looking forward to having a local destination to get a cup of their coffee.

Restaurateur Phelps Craig (linkedin) has leased the first floor of the old Margarita’s at 11 Brown Street where she plans to open the Portland location of BRGR Bar (instagram, website, facebook).

Choose from one of their house specialty burgers or get creative with the build your own option. The menu also features some “adult” alcoholic milkshake options like the Apple Pie a la Mode made with house infused apple cinnamon bourbon.

Craig opened Brazo in 2007 which she sold to Friendly Toast owner Eric Goodwin earlier this year. The original BRGR Bar in Portsmouth is located at 34 Portwalk Place directly across the street from the Portsmouth branch of Green Elephant.

Eater Maine has posted an update on Pizzaiolo, the New York-style pizzeria under construction at 360 Cumberland Ave.

Alongside 12 different selections of white, whole wheat, and gluten-free slices (“no one else has gluten-free slices ready,” Scally insisted), the pizzeria will offer salads and precisely one type of sandwich: a meatball sub with roll and meatballs baked in-house.

Owner Pat Scally, the former director of Operations at Otto Pizza, hopes to be open in January.

 

A New York style pizzeria called Pizzaiolo is under construction at 360 Cumberland Ave near Schulte & Herr.

Union Bagel Company is considering moving their bakery to Westbrook where they’d also operate a second retail shop, according to a report from the Press Herald.

The Westbrook Planning Board reviewed a sketch plan Tuesday for the proposed location of the company’s wholesale operation, as well as a new retail shop, at 9 Cumberland St.

The building, located on the rotary leading to downtown Westbrook, has seen frequent turnover in recent years, having been home to Thanksgivings, Hoggy’s Market and most recently, Eddie’s Eatery.

Urban Eye reports that the Urban Farm Fermentory is expanding into the former Bomb Diggity space where they plan to establish a brewery.

In a 700 square-foot space under the same roof, UFF’s is opening a new grain fermentation facility called Gruit. “This allows us to do a few things that are new in the beer world.” Gruit, an ancient herbal beer, will be made here and served on tap in UFF’s tasting room. As will braggots (a barley malt mead).

The Forecaster has published an update on The Purple House, the cafe Krista Kern Desjarlais’ has under construction in North Yarmouth at the intersection of Routes 9 and 115.

Montreal-style bagels, one of the Purple House’s key offerings…Also anticipated for the menu will be naturally-fermented levain breads, baguettes, seeded breads, and a mishe, or larger loaf, she said. There will also be boulangerie-style pastries, thanks to the wood oven…Roman-style pizzas, vegetables, sandwiches with smoked fish or smoked meat, and other savory morsels are also among Desjarlais’s anticipated midday offerings.

Desjarlais hopes to open sometime in January or February.

The owners of Asylum have proposed a renovation and expansion to their building at the corner of Free and Cross Streets. It would add about 5,000 sq ft to the building and include a 2-story addition to the parking lot located between Asylum and the parking garage.

The addition would have the unfortunate impact of eliminating the Greetings from Portland mural wall.