The Righteous Russet

Munjoy hill resident, Sean Ryan Turley, will be writing a weekly apple column this fall for the Press Herald. Turley is an ardent heritage apple enthusiast. Along with his wife Cecilia Ziko, Turley has organized an annual rare apple tasting for the past three years (2015, 2016) that’s assembled upwards of 80 apple varieties for attendees to try.

You can follow Turley on instagram where he publishes under the monicker The Righteous Russet.

Reviews: Lazzari, Boone’s, El Rayo

The Portland Phoenix has published a set of reviews of Lazzari written by students in the Telling Room’s Week in Review summer class,

After ordering tomato and basil, pancetta and onion, and margherita pizzas, our group chats a little until our food arrives after about 10 to 15 minutes. It is hot and ready to eat. Everything fits together into a masterpiece of a meal. The black pepper gives the pizza a kick, and the fresh mozzarella melts in my watering mouth. The dessert was vanilla ice cream served in an espresso cup, with shaved mint and dark chocolate on top. I love a good dark chocolate taste, and this one is heavenly. Every taste and every bite at Lazzari bring back memories of being at a streetside cafe in Rome as the beautiful Colosseum towers in from of me. The food is soon gone.

The Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Lazzari,

Lazzari was outstanding. Each part of our meal – drinks, app, and pie shined brightly. All three were perfect summer dining and so good, I would order them in the middle of a snowstorm too. The service was excellent and the overall atmosphere quite enticing. I can’t think of anything at all that was subpar. Go to Lazzari for basic pizza? No, go for an exceptional dining experience.

As the Lobster Rolls has reviewed Boone’s, and

he best part of the lobster roll was the delightfully grilled bun and the side of very tasty, tangy potato salad. No really, that’s the only nice thing I can say about the experience. To think this lobster roll is just about the same price as The Beach Plum. There’s absolutely no comparison.

I often recommend Boone’s for its location and food. I’ll continue to do so… I’ll just steer folks clear of the lobster rolls.

the Press Herald has published a bar review of El Rayo,

While a little bit smaller than the old spot, the new-ish El Rayo on Free Street has lost none of its personality or quality. Stop by for the same margaritas, Micheladas and killer happy hour you remember.

Icelandic Brewing Collaboration

The Press Herald has written about the collaboration between Liquid Riot and Borg Brugghus from Iceland.

The heather, sea salt and brett will hang out in Liquid Riot’s tanks while the beer ages. It could be ready in six weeks, Abbot said, and it could be six months. The beer should be around 4 percent alcohol. When it’s ready, the beer will be on tap at Liquid Riot and at Novare Res, a nearby Portland beer bar.

Bissell Brothers Brewing

Good  Beer Hunting has published a lengthy article about the founding and evolution of Bissell Brothers Brewing.

There are loads of obstacles you don’t see coming when starting a business. “If you go down this road, you will be faced with a million reasons to quit,” Peter says. Questioning the idea, realizing how much more things cost, how much longer everything takes. These are challenges you’ll face as you move forward. How you deal with them is a test of your mettle. “That’s part of the story that I like to think anyone can relate to,” he continues. “That transformation. It’s not just beer, it’s not just starting a brewery—it’s shattering your beliefs of what you think you can do.”

Under Construction: Scratch’s Toast Bar

Here’s a look at the Toast Bar that Scratch Baking has under construction on Broadway.

We’ll be toasting up our amazing bread and famous bagels and offering an array of toppings including Casco Bay butter, homemade jams & jellies, our delicious plain and herbed cream cheese, Myrt’s pimento cheese, as well as many other intriguing options and combinations. We’ll be pouring Coffee By Design, Speckled Ax and Rwanda Bean Co. coffee as well as making our fantastic espresso drinks.

Renee Rhoads/Mashed Food Truck

The Press Herald has published a feature story on Renee Rhoads, the former school teacher who launched the Mashed food truck earlier this year.

At first, Rhoads peeled every potato by hand – she goes through at least 200 pounds in a week – but after she, her husband, and her sister-in-law spent 24 hours peeling potatoes for a local festival, Rhoads bought a $700 potato-peeling machine. “You don’t start a snow removal business with a freakin’ shovel,” she told her husband. “I’m buying the machine.”

Interview with Nathan Hann

Mainebiz has published an interview with Nathan Hann, CBD’s Director of Training,

MB: On the retail side, what’s the first thing you teach people?
NH: It’s still a work in progress, but right now we’re doing the espresso fundamentals class. It’s a three-hour class where they’re introduced to the machine and overall cleanliness and upkeep. Then we migrate into espresso and milk texturing and then constructing of the drink. We do that for wholesale accounts as well. It’s a long process that goes for weeks to make sure they’re ready.