Category: Profiles

Pho Co. & Chau Du

| Posted in People, Profiles

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.

Bugs, They’re Whats for Dinner

| Posted in Profiles

The Press Herald has published an article about Entosense, a local firm that sells edible insects.

The Broadbents are the team behind Entosense, home of a large online marketplace at edibleinsects.com for people who like to chow down on crickets, grasshoppers, ants, beetles, scorpions, tarantulas and other critters with lots of legs and plenty of crunch. They even sell (may your gag reflex forgive us) housefly pupae.

Visit entosense.com to learn more, and edibleinsects.com to buy their products.

Bubbe & Bestemor

| Posted in Profiles

The Forecaster has published an article about Bubbe & Bestemor, a new bakery founded by Audrey Farber that weaves together Jewish and Nordic baking traditions.

An Ashkenazic Jew is one whose ancestors came from eastern Europe. Farber is also of Nordic descent and said mixing the two baking traditions seemed to make perfect sense.

“As I began to work on recipes and researching the baking and culinary traditions of both communities, a lot of similarities started to unfold,” she said, including the “ubiquity of rye, rolled and filled sweet breads for holidays and special occasions, heavy use of almonds and lots of other things.”

Visit bubbeandbestemor.com for more information about the bakery.

Botto’s Bakery

| Posted in Profiles, Farming

The Portland Phoenix has published an article on Botto’s Bakery,

“A lot of people know we do bread. They come in and say, ‘I didn’t know you made pastries,’” Jessica said. Their Washington Avenue location sees a lot of foot traffic from the neighborhood and the morning commute. The storefront business, with a quaint design and a couple of tables and chairs, has tripled since they expanded and upgraded their equipment in 2002, she added. They now bake everything in-house, switching from offering a few frozen items.

and a report on organic farming.

The general impression, from casual conversations with farmer’s market foodies, is that buying organic produce comes with certain expectations: the food will be safer, healthier, tastier and less of a strain on the environment. It’s the “you are what you eat,” kind of mentality and firm believers are willing to pay extra money to adhere to it.

Botto’s Bakery Going Strong After 67 Years

| Posted in Profiles

The Bangor Daily News has published a article about Botto’s Bakery,

Overseeing the process that plays out night after night is Stephen Mathews, the second-generation owner of the family-run bakery founded in 1949. Chances are if you’ve had a lobster roll or hamburger, sandwich or sub in southern Maine, you’ve tried Botto’s. It supplies rolls to 20 clam shacks, but delis and sandwich shops are its bread and butter.

Beer Advocate Profile of Bissell Brothers

| Posted in Beer, Profiles

Beer Advocate magazine has published a profile of Bissell Brothers authored by Adam Callaghan.

In two and a half years, the Bissells have positioned themselves as pioneers pushing limits: their own, their customers’, the beer world’s. Their company’s design and mentality seem to appeal to fans as much as the actual product does. Theirs is a lifestyle brand, selling a signature triangular logo and the image of the carefree cool crowd, which happens to drink dank, hoppy beers that are hazy as hell.

Old Port Sea Grill

| Posted in Profiles

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about the Old Port Sea Grill.

According to General Manager Justin C. St. Louis, guests can expect to experience an “elevated Old Port Sea Grill” in the coming weeks, as new Executive Chef Christopher Pierce takes the reins. Pierce, formerly of Denver, has an impressive resume: he’s staged at the prestigious Alinea in Chicago, and also worked for several Michelin-starred restaurants and under James Beard Award-winning chefs.

Sisters Gourmet Deli

| Posted in Profiles

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about Sisters Gourmet Deli.

She called to inquire anyway, and decided to try to make it work. “It was a good decision. We have the best location for a sandwich shop,” she said.

The Sisters’ menu features several mouth-watering sandwiches, all made four ways. You can get your sandwich on house-baked herb bread (with rosemary, garlic, Italian, and seasoning); have it on a wrap; on gluten-free bread (also baked every morning); or as a salad.