Journal
Longer reads on dessert, pastry, drinks and the corner of Portland we live in.
What is a dessert bar, and how is it different from a bakery?
Dessert bars are restaurants where the sweet course is the whole point. Here's how a plated, component-based dessert is built, how a dessert bar differs from a bakery, and how to order.
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How to pair cocktails, wine and beer with dessert
A practical guide to matching drinks with dessert: why sweetness has to balance, which wines and beers work with chocolate, fruit and caramel, and what to ask for at a dessert bar.
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An evening in Portland's Old Port: a walking guide for dessert lovers
Portland, Maine's Old Port is a compact waterfront district of cobblestone streets and 19th-century brick. A short guide to spending an evening there, ending with dessert on Middle Street.
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Inside an 1883 bank building: why old banks make great restaurants
Gross Confection Bar occupies a bank built in 1883 to a John Calvin Stevens design. A look at why 19th-century bank architecture — arched brick, heavy beams, vaults — suits a dessert bar so well.
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