Sprudge has published a set of photos as well as a Q&A with Coffee by Design about their new roastery and cafe in East Bayside.
The triangular shape of the coffee bar is designed to highlight different coffee brewing method…A blending station will also be part of the coffee bar mix so customers have the opportunity to create their own blends from that roaster’s choice of origin coffees each week.
CBD expects to open the new cafe “sometime during the holidays”.
Matt Bolinder, owner and roaster at Speckled Ax, was featured in article about wood-roasted coffee in the latest issue of Imbibe magazine.
For Bolinder, wood choice is about controlling this highly specialized process. “The type of wood is important for the rate of burn and how quickly I can manipulate temperature,” he says. “I can’t go from zero to full gas in a second like most roasters, so I compensate by using different types of wood. Ash takes off quickly and with it, I can increase temperature fairly quickly. On the other hand, red oak takes longer to catch and start throwing heat, but its large pieces hold the temperature.”
The article isn’t yet available online but there is a copy behind the counter at Speckled Ax which you can take a look at. Imbibe has posted a short list of coffee shops in the US that feature wood-roasted coffee.
Wednesday — the Old Port Wine Merchants is holding a Vermouth tasting to “demystify this timeless beverage”, the Makers Market is taking place at the Urban Farm Fermentory, and the Monument Square Farmers Market is taking place.
Thursday — Chris McClay from Modern Vegan Cooking School is the featured chef for the weekly Twilight Dinner at Turkey Hill Farm, and The Great Lost Bear will be showcasing beer from Shipyard Brewing.
Friday — it’s the start of the 3rd Annual Portland Brew Festival and there will be a wine tasting at Rosemont.
Saturday — the Portland Brew Festival continues, there will be another wine tasting at Rosemont, and the Deering Oaks Farmers Market is taking place.
For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.
If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.
Standard Baking Company made it on to the Travel + Leisure list of America’s Best Bakeries.
Follow your nose through the Old Port and down an alley to a 1920s-era brick warehouse, where Alison Pray and Matt James turn out the finest baked goods in town.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of The Porthole.
The Porthole has cleaned up its act, and it remains a fun downtown fixture for both locals and tourists. Drinking a cold beer on the patio and listening to live music is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon, but the dining experience can be uneven. Food is generally well-executed and tasty, but the more foodie-inclined menu, pricing and presentation feels incongruous with many aspects of the space. Manage expectations, and you’ll likely enjoy yourself.
How to Spend It, a website run by the Financial Times of London, has posted a review of Eventide.
Eventide – the transition between day and night – is an apt name for the bustling oyster bar in the Old Port of Portland, Maine, where I happily whiled away an evening sampling some of America’s finest oysters. At its central granite bar, shuckers’ labours make for great theatre and briny Winterpoint Selects are the house speciality. As oyster season is nigh, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Maine Today has published a report on the first Makers Market that took place this week at the Urban Farm Fermentory.
There were herbal tinctures, handmade soap, vegan and gluten-free energy bars, wild mushroom-growing kits and a brand new bottled tea. A jeweler and potter displayed their wares alongside various art objects, while a few steps away, a table held fresh vegetables and cheeses.
Portland Magazine has published a review of the Museum Cafe.
Blockbuster art exhibits can make you hungry! The PMA Café, managed by Aurora Provisions, takes museum dining seriously. At first glance, you think…OK, sandwiches, salads. Think again.
A new Dominican restaurant called Tipico is under construction at 646 Forest Ave, the former home of StarEast Cafe.
For a full list of projects under development see the PFM Under Construction list.
Today’s Press Herald includes an article about this year’s tomato crop.
The loss of Backyard Farms’ greenhouse tomato crop and a wetter-than-normal June that doused the crops of more traditional farmers have combined to create a later and leaner season for locally grown tomatoes in Maine.